PRIDE - THE MAIN NEGATIVE EMOTION

In general when we practice the Dharma and we commit ourselves to accomplishing positive actions, we encounter obstacles and difficulties. This is due to the fact that our minds are laden with emotions. Of these negative emotions, the main one is pride, which leads us to feel contempt for others (due to an overestimation of oneself: I am the best, the strongest, etc). The existence of pride automatically gives rise to jealousy, hatred, or anger. With pride as its underlying cause, the emotion of anger creates the most powerful effects. This is because it leads us to carry out all kinds of seriously negative actions that will bring about future rebirths in the lower realms.

In Western societies, the distinction between pride and firmness of mind is often confused. A lack of pride is construed to be a weakness. Pride is a built up and concentrated form of ego grasping. So in this respect, it is a weakness. A person can have great strength of character, and a strong resolve to achieve a goal, such as enlightenment, for example, without pride ever manifesting.

We need to dissociate pride (the affirmation of our own supremacy over others, which suggests a certain blindness) from firmness of mind that is a quality free of all the negative aspects of pride. In the same way we often have a distorted view, which equates humility with a weakness of character. What we really need is courage and strength of character, without developing pride.

Gyalwa Shamar Rinpoche
Meditation On Love And Compassion
The Path - Bodhi Path Buddhist Centers Summer 2011