How to Eliminate Self-View (ātma-dṛṣṭi) as Soon as Possible?

If you wish to eliminate self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi) soon, you should, in daily life, dilute your sense of "I." Observe your own thoughts: are they all centered on a self? When you notice that your self-consciousness is relatively strong, you must awaken and even reprove yourself, not being too indulgent toward the ego. When you suffer setbacks, that is also a good opportunity to observe the self and subdue the self. It is precisely because of the self that you feel you have been frustrated; if you subdue the self a little, the sense of setback will fade or disappear. This is of great help in eliminating self-view.

Whether among crowds or in solitude, weaken your sense of presence; do not be overly concerned with yourself, and do not take yourself too seriously. Do not be competitive and eager to outdo others, and do not insist on being first in everything. You are not truly existent, the other person is not truly existent, the group is not truly existent; there is no first or second, no best or worst—all are merely virtual names and signs. If your mind is always thinking, "I must defeat everyone, I must stand out, I must have all eyes fixed on me," such thinking carries a heavy self-nature (the nature of self-clinging), and you will be unable to eliminate self-view, let alone become a sage. The mind of a sage is empty and non-active (wu-wei); it is not of such a disposition. The more one tries to make oneself prominent, the further one's disposition falls behind others, and it does not accord with non-action; such a person cannot become a sage. The birth of a sage is just the opposite: without any sense of self-existence, one performs active deeds while the mind remains non-active, single-mindedly serving the multitude—only then is one qualified to become a sage.