Question:
Can Ajahn talk about having the feeling of low self worth? How can we give mettā to ourselves?
 

Than Ajahn:
Feeling low self worth comes from ignorance.
Ignorance from the fact that there is no self. You created a self by your thoughts and then you wanted to elevate yourself to a high level according to the conventional truth, which you sometimes can achieve and sometimes you cannot achieve. When you cannot achieve the goal you want then you feel low self worth.
 

So to have mettā is to give up aspiration for any self worth because these are conventional truths and they don’t matter they are temporary.

 

Eventually when you die, you lose everything that you have made for yourself. So don’t try to set up any goal for yourself. Just try to move along and live with whatever you have. Be content with what you have and be thankful for what you get. Then you won’t have any low self worth. Try not to compare yourself with other people.
 

When you see somebody richer, you feel low already. So if you want to feel high, look at somebody who is poorer than you. Then you will feel high. This is all relative. The conventional world is a relative world - it’s not real - it’s actually an illusion - because when we die all these things will disappear from our minds anyway.

 

So to have mettā is to stop aspiring for any self worth. Just be normal be who you are and what you are right now and be happy with that.

 

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“Dhamma in English, Oct 9, 2020.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

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