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Universal Goodness : 9 There are three facts in life which are generally overlooked as follows. 1. Human Beings Are Born With No Self-Knowledge It is rare indeed to find a human being that possesses self-knowledge. The reason is that the human body is made in such a way as to force its owner to constantly look outward instead of inward. One sees other people's faces but never one's own. Therefore, one tends to criticize other people but never one's self. If one routinely observes the Precepts and practices meditation in order to keep one's mind calm and quiet, one may not succeed in seeing one's face, but one will certainly be able to observe more and more clearly what sort of a person one is. Regular observation of the Precepts, chanting and meditation practice help one to keep one's mind expansive, light, relaxed, happy and calm. With such a favorable state of mind, one is more likely to be far removed from such causes of gloominess as greed, anger, ignorance, alcohol, cigarettes, and other causes of ruin. It can greatly improve one's outlook in life. It enables one to forgive others more easily. It helps one to become better at finding other people's good points. Most importantly, it enables one to become better at knowing one's self.