📖 Introduction
We all try to walk the “right path” according to society’s standards. We work hard, build our careers, and try to be good people. But how often do we stop to truly reflect on the underlying motives behind our choices? Often, if we look deeply enough, we realize that our lives have been entirely self-centered, with every standard adjusted only for our own comfort. Confronting this truth can be deeply embarrassing, sometimes bringing tears of genuine repentance. Yet, it is this exact realization—this brave willingness to look back and let go—that unlocks true freedom, not just for ourselves, but for our families.
In this post, two practitioners share their profound experiences of self-reflection. A 49-year-old realizes that his seemingly “right” life was actually trapped in a self-centered mind world. Another practitioner, deeply moved by confronting his own shameful past, immediately packed his bags to return with his wife and son, ultimately learning the powerful paradox that letting go of everything is the only way to truly gain.
Read their moving stories to see how true self-reflection and emptying the mind can completely change the trajectory of your life and the lives of those you love.
💬 Story 1: 🛤️ “An Opportunity to Look Back on Life”
By J.O one / Age 49 / Level 1
Finishing Level 1 of this meditation, it was good because it was an opportunity to look back on my life.
Living for 47 years, I thought I had tried to walk the right path as spoken of in society as much as possible.
“Because I didn’t know that the world I lived in was self-centered, I think I lived adjusting all standards to situations that were comfortable for me.”
Through this practice, I realized I lived a truly disappointing life. Now that I know the way to escape from this self-centered mind world of mine, I will make efforts to live adapting to the world I escaped into.
#SelfReflection #Repentance #MindSubtraction #TurningPoint
💬 Story 2: 👨👩👦 “A Week at the Main Center, Returning with My Wife and Son”
By James / Level 1
This was my second time taking Level 1. The first week (last week) was a time of self-reflection, looking back at myself. I even shed tears of repentance because the life I had lived felt so shameful and embarrassing. Last week, I didn’t realize what the mind of the universe was.
A week passed like that, and on my way home, I thought about it.
“Looking back at my shameful past, I decided I shouldn’t let my child live a shameful life like I did. So, as soon as I arrived home, I packed my bags, took my wife and son, and came right back to the Main Center.”
A bit of stubborn pride also kicked in, thinking, “Other people awaken to their true nature, so why shouldn’t I be able to?”
What I felt coming back again was the realization that if you obsess over gaining something, you actually fail to get it; but if you let go of everything, you gain it. Just like Admiral Yi Sun-sin said, ‘Those who seek death shall live, and those who seek life shall die.’
I am grateful to the fellow meditators of my cohort and the guides who were with me during this time, and to our Se-woong who practiced until the end. I also thank my beloved wife, Kuntier.
#SelfReflection #Repentance #Enlightenment #TrueNature
🌱 NEXT STEPS: Clear Your Mind Today
Are you living a life adjusted only for your own comfort, or holding onto a past you feel ashamed of? You don’t have to stay trapped in a self-centered world. Discover the powerful paradox of mind subtraction: when you stop obsessing over what you want to gain and simply let go, you finally experience true freedom for yourself and your family.
👉 Book a Free Introductory Session at Santa Clara Meditation https://santaclarameditation.org/free-meditation-introduction
