just to flow with things as they are, this is a strong foundation it turns now to the evening lecture and he continues with the poem warming's poem, calming the mind to exaggerate clumsiness and covet skill does not lead to great virtue of much fame but little contribution, their reputation quickly crumbles, and Sheng yen says, Many people suffer from feelings of inferiority. Others feel themselves to be very important, they exaggerate their self respect into aggrandizement. Both of these feelings arise from comparing oneself with others. When you live alone, you find that such feelings arise less frequently. I do not know how modern psychology analyzes these feelings but from the viewpoint of the Buddha Dharma. Each of these feelings is a different manifestation of the same basic inclination. A person who feels inferior is obviously lacking in confidence, but so is somebody who exaggerates his or her importance and behaves arrogantly. Both inferiority and a sense of superiority come from lack of confidence. You cannot practice well, if you lack confidence. You look at others and think how well they must be getting on. You feel as if nobody else has a problem, as if you were the only one sitting there worried and anxious. Sometimes when I find a practitioner is troubled in this way, I say, don't be so lacking in confidence. I too, came by the same route. When I was young, I also had to endure great difficulties in practice. It was only through hard work in applying the method that eventually I had a tiny bit of understanding. Such a practitioner says to me Shifu that's the Chinese version of Roshi Shi Fu How can I compare myself with you? You are a Chan master. So how can I expect to get the same sort of accomplishment? Then there is another kind of person not so common as the first who will say to me Shifu you are now so old, and I am young. By the time I reach your age, I will definitely have surpassed you. So it sounds funny and improbable. But I have a friend who went into darkside and with Roshi Kapleau. he related to me speaking of his own ducks on he bought marched in, sat for for capital Roshi and said, I shall become a great Yogen Roshi just blasted him. You'll never amount to anything and not kicked him out of the ducks on room. That he came and told me about it. That person, however, is still practicing. So let's