Delusion of Self-estrangement

The Dalai Lama, during a meeting with North American psychologists, was told that many Westerners seriously suffer from low self-esteem. It took over thirty minutes of intense conversation with his interpreter for him to gain some understanding of this apparently rare phenomenon among traditional Eastern people - self-estrangement. Perhaps this is because meditation, self-knowledge, self-compassion, compassion for others & the environment have been key basic Eastern practices for thousands of years, with the understanding that on letting go of the noisy ego, we uncover our true nature (Buddha-nature or Divine within) - a perfection we all share.

Westerners, on the other hand, have in a variety of ways, been discouraged to meditate or self-reflect, and instead are encouraged to focus on external accomplishments: power, status, wealth, possessions, etc. However, by essentially ignoring our own depth of being, we continue to create, as Albert Einstein said "a world of nuclear giants and ethical (psychosocialspiritual) infants."

"Americans suffer inordinately with what therapists call problems of the self - an inability to self soothe; an inability to sustain a satisfying and cohesive sense of self over time; an inability to warmly love the self; an inability to maintain an ongoing sense of belonging and a deep sense of meaning and purpose in life. … we live cut off from a sense of our true deep mutual belonging and interdependence, and we suffer from a painful sense of separation – a separation from the life of the body; a separation from the hidden depths of life, its mystery and interiority; a separation from the source of our won guidance, wisdom, and compassion; and a separation from the life-giving roots of human community.” Stephen Cope

Mandy Wintink PhD. “Self Science. A Guide to the Mind and Your Brain’s Potential.” Iguana Books, Toronto, 2016.