Loving Yourself Through Wisdom
Evening Reflection: Loving Yourself Through Wisdom
One of the most important lessons I have been learning through Buddhism and Vipassana Meditation is the meaning of truly loving ourselves.
When we hear the words “love yourself,” we may sometimes think about comfort, pleasure, success, money, or getting everything we want. But genuine self-love is much deeper than that. In the Buddha’s teaching, caring for ourselves means protecting our mind, our body, our speech, and our actions from creating unnecessary suffering.
The Dhammapada teaches that when we regard ourselves as dear, we should guard ourselves well. This reminds me that if I truly care about myself, I should not knowingly create suffering through anger, hatred, greed, jealousy, addiction, harmful speech, or harmful actions. (SuttaCentral)
Today, I also remembered something I heard from S. N. Goenka during the Day 9 Vipassana discourse. Through meditation, we learn to observe ourselves honestly. We begin to see sensations, emotions, thoughts, and reactions as they arise. We do not need to hate ourselves because unpleasant things appear in the mind. Instead, we learn to understand them with awareness and equanimity.
This is a beautiful form of self-love.
When anger appears, we observe it rather than immediately becoming angry with someone else. When sadness appears, we allow ourselves to understand it rather than becoming trapped inside it. When fear appears, we recognize it without allowing fear to make every decision for us.
Loving ourselves does not mean believing that we are always right. It means having enough compassion for ourselves to recognize our mistakes and enough wisdom to learn from them.
If we truly love ourselves, we should also wish to become better human beings.
We should protect our minds from unnecessary negativity. We should choose wholesome conversations and meaningful activities. We should care for our bodies, develop our minds, practice kindness, and learn to forgive ourselves for mistakes while taking responsibility for our actions.
Most importantly, loving ourselves should not make us selfish. When we understand our own suffering, we can better understand the suffering of others. When we cultivate peace within ourselves, we become more capable of sharing peace with our families, friends, and communities.
Therefore, perhaps true self-love is not simply saying, “I love myself.”
It is saying:
“I care about the kind of person I am becoming.”
Every thought, word, and action is helping to shape that person.
If I truly regard myself as dear, then I should protect myself—not from life, but from the causes that create unnecessary suffering.
And through mindfulness, wisdom, compassion, and meditation, I can gradually become my own protector, my own teacher, and a more peaceful person.
🌿 Reflection
If I truly love myself, what should I stop doing, what should I begin doing, and what kind of person do I wish to become?
🌱 Practice
Today, spend five quiet minutes observing your mind. When a thought or emotion arises, do not judge yourself. Simply observe it and ask: “Will following this thought lead me toward peace or suffering?”
💚 Blessing
May I learn to love myself with wisdom rather than selfishness.
May I protect my mind from the causes of suffering.
May my practice bring peace to myself and kindness to others.
May I become a person who understands, forgives, and lives with greater awareness each day.
— Raksmey Koy
Art of Inner Peace
www.artofinnerpeace.com
Continue Your Journey
If today’s reflection touched your heart, I invite you to explore my books on Amazon. Each one is written to inspire mindfulness, wisdom, and inner peace. Thank you for walking this journey with me.
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