OM MANI PADME HUM
The goal of life is not only to be completely free from all kinds of worldly sufferings but to attain the state of highest development, the peerless state of Buddhahood. To develop oneself into this sublime state one must be well motivated, one must know the direction to take and then to strive to attain the ‘fruit of life.’
Let the mind not be hampered by the sufferings experienced. Until one has attained purity one must expect all kinds of sufferings which cling to one as lice cling to animals. Each defilement, which is a cause of misery and a cause for further defilements must be investigated and be rid of. Each louse is a cause of discomfort to the animal and the source of a new colony of lice. Like a dumb animal who is quite helpless, human beings are thus afflicted with numberless defilements.
But the human mind has vast potentials, capable of doing much more than any other living beings, capable to free all of its defilements and to purify itself into the sublime state of a Buddha. This potential must be recognised and utilised.
Imagine that everyone is born with a tainted mind which affects his quality of life. The basic cause of this is ignorance, of not knowing what is good and what is bad so that it is easily swayed by wrong views. This leads to wrong actions and attachment to them because they provided some kind of a sensory satisfaction. But such satisfactions are short lived and not understanding their true nature, the mind seeks for more and more of such gratifications. This leads to strong craving. A mind which is drunken by craving cannot think clearly and so the poor being suffers from a deluded state.
The true values of life are not appreciated, often forgotten, and then the journey through life has lost its direction. The road to Buddhahood is abandoned and one picks up and happily accumulate more and more bad traits which build up an unenviable character. Such a person cannot see things without being influenced by the mental defilements of greed, lust, anger and the host of negativities that are peculiar to a selfish person. Look around and try and find out one who is unselfish, who really has some concern for others. Such a person is difficult to find. Even the Enlightened Ones who have the Eyes of wisdom find it so difficult to find such beings. This means that those who are truly on the Path to Buddhahood are extremely rare. When they have been discovered, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the Heavenly Protectors will treasure them like precious jewels and do their best to help them to attain their goals of life. It does not mean that such persons are already freed from all defilements.
It means that they are striving to free themselves from what are causes of suffering. Freeing themselves from defilements therefore often involves experiences of the results of such causes; involves effort and wisdom not to be affected by the weak mind which seeks pleasure and dislikes discomfort and involves the great discipline of not giving way to attachments to worldly attractions which are bonds that bind oneself to the defiled state.
Does anyone really seek to be free from all kinds of worldly pains and disappointments permanently? It is easy to tell them how it can be done but it is quite impossible that they will make the effort to practise which is good for their own self!
Friday, 20th March 1987 (2nd Moon 21st Day)