The Experiment of Selflessness

The Experiment of Selflessness: My 24-Year Journey of Letting Go

I began my journey as an elementary school teacher in 1988. Later, I followed my passion for English and American Literature, but the most profound lesson I ever learned didn’t come from a textbook. It came from a life experiment I started in 2002.

The Buddha taught that our obsession with the "Self" is the root of our pain. I wanted to test this. I wondered: If I shifted my focus entirely away from my own needs and toward serving others, could I reduce the harm my own ego caused me?

Using my background in education, I decided to offer free English lessons to children in rural areas who lacked resources. I found a space at Ming Harng Monastery near my home, and in 2002, I began my volunteer teaching. In the beginning, it was not easy. Many people were suspicious, questioning my "real" motives. I faced many setbacks and felt quite a bit of frustration, but I chose to persist.

The heart of my practice was a concept known as "Three-Fold Emptiness." This teaching suggests that for an act of giving to be truly pure and to grow our wisdom, we must let go of three things: the idea of the giver, the idea of the receiver, and the focus on the gift itself.

I will be honest with you: this was incredibly difficult. Even though I refused any money or material rewards, I still secretly hoped for a "thank you." I felt that a simple acknowledgment of my hard work was only polite. It took me over twenty years of service to finally make progress in this area. I had to learn that even the expectation of gratitude is a form of ego.

What I eventually realized is that my 24 years of volunteering was actually a mission to save myself. It was a tool to break the "inner demon" of my own self-centeredness. If I happened to help students improve their English or help schools create international connections along the way, I am very happy. But I see those results as "added value" or beautiful side effects. The true purpose was my own internal growth.

In fact, the moment we think, "I am helping someone," we have already strayed from the spirit of selflessness because the "I" has returned to the center of the story.

My decades of service have been a training ground for my own character. I have been learning how to disappear into the act of giving. If my work has benefited the students, I am glad. If not, I am still profoundly grateful to everyone who gave me the opportunity to grow. By providing me with a chance to serve, they were actually helping me find a sense of peace that my ego could never provide.

Luke Lin 1/30/2026