Ego-Clinging¶
Ego-Clinging (我执, wǒ zhí) is the deep-seated tendency to cling to one's own views, judgments, and values as correct — an entrenched conviction that "I am right." In the Lifechanyuan system, it is identified as one of the root causes of suffering, conflict, and reincarnation, and the central obstacle on the path of cultivation. The guiding principle is stark: "The stronger the ego-clinging, the farther from the Tao." Yet the goal is not the erasure of self — it is the journey from the small self to the great self, arriving at the paradox: "Only by releasing the self can the true self be realized."
Editions¶
| Edition | For |
|---|---|
| Friendly Edition | New readers — life examples, accessible language |
| Academic Edition | Systematic analysis, comparative study |
| Internal Edition | Chanyuan Celestials and deep practitioners — full source texts |
Related Entries¶
No-Self, No-Form · Eight No-Realms · Letting Go · Inverted Dreams · Self-Coherence · Zero State · Return to Zero · Humility