“There is a saying: ‘Wholesome deeds performed with selfish aims are just like poisoned food.’ Poisoned food might look delicious and even taste good, but it quickly leads to certain death.
Thinking of an enemy as someone to be hated, thinking of a friend as someone to be loved, being jealous of others’ happiness and good fortune: all this is rooted in ego clinging. And wholesome actions, infiltrated by a clinging to the ‘I’ conceived as something real and solid, turn to poison. We should try to forsake all self-centeredness.”
– Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
from the book “Enlightened Courage: An Explanation of the Seven-Point Mind Training”