ความรู้สึกว่าตัวเองไม่ดีพอเกิดจากมานะที่ชอบเปรียบเทียบตนกับผู้อื่น ทางแก้คือดำรงอยู่กับกุศลธรรมและความสันโดษ ยินดีพอใจในสิ่งที่ตนมีตนเป็น โดยไม่ต้องเปรียบเทียบกับใครThe feeling of never being good enough comes from mana—the habit of comparing ourselves with others. The remedy is to dwell in wholesome states and cultivate contentment (santosa), being at ease with what we already have and are, without comparison.
Someone asked: how do you fix the feeling of not being good enough, especially when you don't even know what "good enough" means—because you keep comparing yourself to others?
Ajarn explained that this feeling comes from **mana**, the habit of measuring ourselves against other people. When an unwholesome state takes hold of the mind, it seizes on one point after another to convince us we're inadequate, pressing us down into feeling small and unworthy. The fix isn't to argue back with those thoughts—it's to stay grounded in wholesomeness right now. Just **keep noticing, without drifting off**. If you drift, simply notice again. Wholesomeness doesn't need much of a storyline; unwholesomeness, by contrast, always needs one to keep pulling you in.
You can rest your awareness on anything that settles the mind—the breath coming and going, , simple bodily awareness, or just a relaxed, at-ease feeling. Above all, cultivate ** ()**—being sfied with what you have and who you are, without measuring yourself against anyone. When contentment arises, it draws in a steady stream of merit. True comes in two forms: the kind that scatters the mind, and the kind that brings quiet stillness—and the second kind begins with contentment.
Where does a sense of lack come from?
Another question: where does a "lacking" mind come from, and how can the mind feel abundant instead?
Ajarn answered that a lacking mind arises when unwholesomeness takes hold, using our likes and dislikes as its tool. The moment we compare ourselves to someone who has more, mana kicks in instantly, and a sense of inadequacy appears out of nowhere. This is simply unwholesomeness working to drag the mind down—there's no genuine care behind it at all.
The remedy is to stop comparing and instead dwell in contentment—being at peace with what we have and are. When contentment shines clear in the mind, it draws in a continuous stream of merit and good fortune. We can even make our wishes right within that stream of goodness. Real abundance of mind comes from being satisfied with what's already true for us, not from chasing comparisons.