Sometimes the sense of “I” is regarded as the single and most important entity in the entire world: ”I am incredibly important and valuable!” That is what is called “self-cherishing,” and this deep-rooted belief is exactly what is to be eliminated in the practice of Mind Training. We may think that self-cherishing is some intrinsic component of our being, but it isn’t. It is just a thought that pops up and this is why it can be eliminated…. Whatever problems we have, the amount of suffering they cause is directly related to how strongly we regard ourselves as being outstanding. Even the more general and large-scale suffering of samsara—birth, old age, sickness, and death—is ultimately caused by self cherishing, by ego clinging.

Thrangu Rinpoche

from the book The Seven Points of Mind Training

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Further quotes from the book The Seven Points of Mind Training:

• Mahamudra meditation and Mind Training
• Start thinking about impermanence now
• The Buddhist concept of karma
• The instructions to wish for others’ happiness