unchanging and independent, conflict arises, it feels like us against them. This is referred to as
conditioned pervasive suffering. It is a part of being alive and all ordinary beings are under its
influence. When we see through the mistaken perception, the distorted ignorance will gradually
fade. There was nothing there to begin with. It was always a mental projection, a grand illusion.
Training in compassion can be frustrating. Expecting immediate changes often leads to frustration.
We all lack patience. Certainly I do at times. Our busy, stressful lives call out for “quick fixes.” If we
do not see significant positive attitudinal changes in a short time, we are prone to disappointment.
We may abandon ship and give up cultivating compassion. Therefore, working on many fronts by
reducing barriers to cultivating compassion becomes a wise and efficient holistic approach. Simply
recognizing these obstacles and working towards reducing and eventually eliminating them
enhances our compassion. This is similar to a balance scale. When the obstacles to compassion
go down, compassion simultaneously goes up. Our heart opens, making us less selfish. There is
more concern for others.
Ego and Selfishness
These barriers are rooted primarily in our deep-seated attitude of selfishness. Selfishness focuses
tightly on our own needs and desires. Narcissistically we center on I and mine. We are all selfish.
We want our own happiness above anything else. In this way, we are all alike. This is our shared
humanity. As human beings, naturally we want happiness, and naturally we shun misery. This is
true of all living beings. The problem is, we don’t know where to find meaningful, lasting happiness.
Our inclination is to amass more and more for ourselves. Yet the self we try so hard to feed,
maintain, bring pleasure and protect is not real. Nor are the perceived pleasures and threats. They
are like dreams. This strong sense of an independent self is based not in reality, but in
misconception. The ego is misperceived as unchanging. In reality, our ego changes with each
moment that goes by. Over time the continuum of our ego is like beads on a string. Yet we do not
see our ego this way. We see it as something unchanging and always the same. But the ego is
nothing more than a concept or a name. It is merely the sound, “ee go.” It has no solid objective
existence somewhere separate from the name, “ego.”
Sometimes we see our ego as a master or controller over our body and mind. It seems like it is
separate, almost hovering over our body and mind. Sometimes it feels like our ego covers our
body and mind like a sheath. It seems like a manager dictating how the body and mind will act. Yet
when we closely examine and try to pinpoint this ego, we cannot locate it. In this distorted way, we
tightly grasp onto something that is not real. These are fictions arising from the deep-seated belief
in a solid, independent three-dimensional reality. We are not even aware that we have this belief
system; we are so accustomed to it as it is so ingrained. Thus, we never even think to challenge
this assumption. We just take it for granted. We never ask ourselves, “Is my perception of my ego
correct?” We rarely, if ever, contemplate the nature of our ego. We never check to see if our
perceptions are correct.
When we examine the world closely, we see it is always in flux. It changes every moment. The
world we live in is based on a subatomic world. There is only the proton, the neutron, the electron
and other rather exotic subatomic particles. Empty space makes up 99.9 to the 12th power percent
of the atom. These subatomic particles are always in flux. The notion of change is built into the
subatomic world along with the principle of relativity. When we try to locate the position of a
particle, we cannot know its speed or momentum. Conversely, when we try to measure its speed,
we cannot pinpoint its location. This is Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, which led to the
development of quantum mechanics. Not only are position and momentum relative, but also the
observation of a particle and its behavior are closely interconnected and mutually dependent.
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