“The Buddha emphasized that we should think about what we’re doing as days and nights fly past, fly past. If we know what we’re doing, we have a refuge we can depend on. For example, if you do something right today, but a friend says, “What you did is wrong,” then you get angry with your friend. That shows that you do good things but think things that aren’t good. Other people say you’re not good, and you become not good in line with their words.
Actually, if you do good, then even if other people say, “not good,” you’re still good. You can stand your ground. After all, what you did was good. It’s like eating rice today until you’re full. If other people come and say you’re not full, will you believe them? You believe in yourself that you’re already full. When you can believe in yourself, that’s when you can depend on yourself.
From there you go to attana codayattanam: You yourself should admonish yourself. If you do wrong, admonish yourself. Whatever you do, keep admonishing yourself.”