Self and Other Are Not Two
"I" and "mine" split into two. Because there is the thought of an "I," the contention of "mine" arises. As that border thins, conflict thins.
Did the conflict between me and you really begin from the single thought of "mine"?
📝Reflection
Vimalakirti's teaching of nonduality dissolves all opposites into "originally not two." Most fundamental among them is the split of "I" and "mine." The instant the thought of an "I" stands, the line between "mine" and "yours" is naturally drawn — and all conflict plays out on that line: my pride, my opinion, my interest, my territory. Look closely, and behind nearly everything we fight over stands the word "mine." Nonduality reveals that this line was drawn not by nature but by the mind. As the line thins, there is less to fight over. A couple's quarrel, a sibling's feud — all begin from that hard "I am right." Set down for a moment the wish to defeat you, and from the place of "we," you see that the enemy to beat was in fact a companion to solve things with.
🌱Apply It Today
When you clash with someone today, change the question once from "do I win?" to "how do we solve this together?"
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
