What Are Negative Instincts? How to Eradicate Them and Transform the Soul

Have you ever wondered why, when seeing others succeed, a twinge of jealousy arises in your heart? Or why, when someone speaks harshly, you immediately feel the urge to retaliate? This is not merely a matter of personality. It stems from deep-seated instincts within our mind/heart – negative instincts that need to be recognized and transformed. The dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang guides us from understanding the origins of these instincts to specific practices for eradicating them, helping us live with greater peace and freedom.

### Every Species Has Its Instincts – So Do Humans

According to Venerable Thich Chan Quang, every sentient being carries unique habits and instincts. Dogs possess loyalty, monkeys enjoy imitation, bees are united and diligent, while humans excel in creativity. These instincts arise naturally without learning; they are embedded in the genes and blood of each species. Crucially, they relate to karma. If humans betray trust, they may be reborn as dogs to learn loyalty again. Those who live divisively or lazily might be born as bees to learn unity and diligence.

Those who frequently cause division or act lazily will ask to be born as bees to relearn the lessons they missed as humans. Those who betray others will ask to be born as dogs. Those who fail to appreciate the virtues of others will ask to be born as monkeys.

This reminds us that our current life is not random. The virtues we lack and past mistakes may pull us toward lower realms. Yet, this also opens an opportunity for us to become aware and make corrections right now.

### Negative Instincts Within the Human Heart

Beyond basic habits, sentient beings harbor negative instincts: greed, hatred, lust, and envy. While present in all species, human intelligence makes them far more dangerous. Greed can lead people to rob one another; anger can destroy families, lineages, or even entire villages. Most notably, envy appears only in intelligent beings. When envy arises, people seek to criticize, expose flaws, and belittle others solely to satisfy their ego.

When we hear people praising one another, we know the earth is in a phase of happiness and paradise. But when criticism dominates, we know this world is passing through a dark period of sin.

Therefore, the teacher urges us to practice praising the good qualities in others instead of criticizing. Each word of praise is a light; each word of criticism is a shadow cast over life. We have the power to choose how to brighten the world.

### Two Types of Sentient Beings: Yielding or Resisting?

We are all ordinary beings, still full of negative instincts. However, the teacher divides us into two categories: those who yield to instinct and those who resist it. Those who easily follow greed, hatred, and delusion are falling into lower states. Those who resist and restrain their instincts are walking the path of cultivation. They remain ordinary, but they are fighting.

If we were not in the second category, we would not be sitting here tonight during the Mid-Autumn Festival. In truth, there is no such thing as a secular Mid-Autumn day at our beloved temple. We watch the moon rise above the steep hills, listening to the sutras echoing through the evening air.

It is precisely in the difficulty of resisting instinct that we see the beauty of self-cultivation. As the teacher shares, "Our true value, our loveliness, lies in the struggle against these instincts."

### Five Steps to Eradicate Negative Instincts

To eliminate negative instincts, the teacher outlines five concrete steps applicable to daily life:

First, show reverence to holy beings. This is the first blessing. By bowing to and respecting the Buddha, bodhisattvas, and Arhats, we plant good seeds in our mind/heart. This helps us quickly recognize the correct path and provides the energy to resist temptation.

Second, listen to and reflect on the Dharma. Hear the words of sages, contemplate them, and speak to yourself. Through right thinking, your soul is shaped. From selfishness, you gradually learn to love others.

Third, live in an environment of discipline and order. A place with rules and precepts blocks negative instincts. Just as laws stabilize society, monastic regulations strengthen spiritual practice.

Fourth, live in a way that brings peace of mind to others. Conduct yourself so that those around you feel secure, avoiding causing anxiety. Living to reassure others is great merit.

Fifth, practice meditative concentration. This is the most decisive step. Through meditation, we calm the mind, eliminating coarse illusions and, deeper still, the roots of ignorance. Like cutting leaves, sawing the trunk, and digging up the roots, we uproot negative instincts completely.

Instincts are also the mind/heart; bad habits are also the mind/heart. When the mind/heart settles, and we eradicate the deep, moving layers of consciousness, it is like pulling out a tree entirely.

### Begin the Journey of Transformation

We do not need to become saints instantly. But each day, each hour, when greed, anger, or jealousy arises, let us pause and choose to resist. Be grateful for difficulties, for they are opportunities to train the soul. Every small step in this battle brightens our lives. As Venerable Thich Chan Quang said, "Sitting together here is not easy" – it is due to blessings and conditions from many lifetimes. Let us cherish this and continue walking the path of those who cultivate.