Have you learned about patterns yet in your Ren Xue practice? Patterns are our habitual, learned responses to stimuli (either via the consciousness with our ‘reasoning’ brain, or in the heart with our emotions). Patterns work undercover. We are not usually aware of these ‘programs’ that do not let us respond freshly to situations. Instead, we unconsciously respond based on our previous experiences. These patterns prevent us from knowing our True Self – a self not dominated by patterns, neither those of the consciousness nor those of the heart. Patterns of the false self are the root of all the suffering and pain we experience, individually and collectively.