At some point, most of us have felt the quiet ache of not being enough—not smart enough, capable enough, or worthy enough. This sense of deficiency can burden our hearts, shaping how we see ourselves and holding us back from living fully and authentically. Yet, the confidence we yearn for isn’t something to be earned or achieved; it’s already present—a profound potential waiting to be revealed.
Genuine self-confidence arises not from external accomplishments or validation but from recognizing the immutable truth of who we are: an expression of buddhanature. Buddhanature is the innate potential for awakening, universal to all beings. It is not a quality we acquire but our true nature—luminous, unconditioned, and complete. Always present, even when obscured by self-doubt or challenges, buddhanature remains untouched and untainted. Like a stainless jewel hidden in mud, it retains its intrinsic value regardless of external conditions, reinforcing our confidence that wisdom, compassion, and clarity are our natural state.
To experience buddhanature, we must inquire into our assumptions about the self. Is the self truly fixed and permanent, or is it a dynamic interplay of thoughts, emotions, and perceptions continually arising and dissolving? The mistaken belief in a fixed self gives rise to the ego, which clings to praise and avoids blame, grasps at pleasure, and recoils from pain. Yet these fleeting experiences do not define us.
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