Only Those Whose Minds Are Empty Can Become Sages.

Buddhist practitioners, whether among crowds or in solitude, should diminish their sense of self-presence, not pay too much attention to themselves, not take themselves too seriously, not strive to outdo others, and not insist on being first in everything. The self does not truly exist, the other person does not truly exist, the group does not truly exist; there is no first or second, no best or worst—all are merely virtual names and marks. If a person's mind constantly thinks, "I must defeat everyone; I must be better and stronger than everyone," always wanting to stand out and show off, hoping all eyes are fixed upon them—such thoughts carry a very heavy self-ness (ātman-grāha), are discordant with non-action (asaṃskṛta), and discordant with the mind of the sages; it is very difficult for such a person to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and become a sage.

The minds of sages are empty and non-active, without such a disposition. The more one tries to make oneself prominent, the further one's disposition falls behind others. The sages are just the opposite: they have no sense of self-existence; while performing conditioned, active deeds, their minds remain non-active. Only those who single-mindedly serve the multitude are qualified to become sages.