Feeling Is an Empty Luminous Delusion

All feelings are illusory and empty false thoughts; there is nothing real in them at all — one is merely deceiving oneself. Being able to know that one has deceived oneself is the prelude to awakening. Knowing how one has deceived oneself, and knowing how to no longer deceive oneself, one awakens; from then on, no longer deceiving oneself, that is liberation.

All people live around their feelings and experiences — they live for a feeling. What is a feeling? How many people are clearly suffering, yet feel good about themselves? How many people, for the sake of their feelings, do not hesitate to create unwholesome karma, and then suffer the painful retribution of that unwholesome karma? All of this is caused by ignorance, foolishness, and afflictions. How much suffering does foolishness bring upon oneself? Who, in the end, can awaken to this point? What is meant by "feeling good about oneself"? It means that within the mind there is a self, and one is satisfied with that self; as long as one can show off that self, the mind feels satisfied, happy, and at ease. When encountering adverse conditions, one becomes depressed, gives rise to anger, flies into a rage, and complains. Why is this so? Because there is a self in the mind that has been provoked and contradicted, and so one feels unhappy, gloomy, and distressed — this is the mark of self of sentient beings.