Are personalities a bad thing to have?

Originally Posted by Avalokiteshvara

On the surface the answer'd be no, but wouldn't having one mean that any action is at least partly ego-dependent? And wouldn't that mean completely selfless acts were impossible, implying that true compassion can only exist after the self has been eliminated?

If you are referring to personality = ego, then you are wrong. Ego = self, that is what I have read in books (although if pushed I will bring up college texts from Buddhism classes I've took), but personality doesn't equate negative selfishness. Personality, like all things, are impermanent and changing. What you're leaning towards is nihilism, which is not what Buddhism teaches.

One could reverse the tables and say since you're trying to deny one's "self" that even bad actions will not have any implications on you because you deny that your "self" has nothing to do with them.

A simple search on google yielded this one Tibetan explanation of ego and self (if you can ignore the terrible animations). I think what it is basically saying is that "ego" cannot be wholly defined; basically you get rid of negative feelings (could be termed ego) and practice the positive (such as compassion).

Double Post:

Originally Posted by Soluzar

I'm sure that society at large would agree with you, but personally, I can't see the problem myself. Selfless acts are essentially selfish acts in disguise. When I help someone out, it's because it pleases me to help, it's not selfless at all. My question for you is this: Does it make any difference if my acts are selfless or not, considering that the end result is the same?

According to Buddhism, yes, the ends do not justify the "means". There are three stages to attaining positive karma. The first is the thought, is your thought compassionate, etc. Second, the action. Third, if the action has been received properly. If one of the three does not exist, then you have not attained positive karma. For example, you donated money, but the money is spent buying cigarettes. You did not complete #3 although you did complete the first two.

Truly selfless acts are few and far between, but they have been done, and I don't doubt the existence of them.

Jam it back in, in the dark.