Chapter Two: Afflictions and Karmic Hindrances

1. How are afflictions subdued and eradicated?

When an affliction arises in one’s mind, upon noticing it, one recalls the Dharma teachings learned: all people, events, and things are empty. Feeling that this affliction should not have arisen, one then extinguishes it, becoming as if the affliction had never occurred. Is this the state of eradicating afflictions? Absolutely not. This is the state of "awareness arising immediately upon the thought’s emergence, leading to its disappearance upon awareness." However, before this awareness, the thought did indeed arise and manifest; it cannot be treated as if it never appeared.

The emergence of a thought signifies the presence of an affliction. Having afflictions is not the state of eradicating afflictions. Regardless of what happens afterward, the affliction did appear, proving that the manas (mental faculty) harbors afflictions, which have manifested into action. Although the consciousness (manovijñāna) is acquired and becomes aware afterward, the manas inherently possesses afflictions and is unaware. The afflictions of the manas cannot always rely on the consciousness for detection and management because, first, the consciousness may not act swiftly enough to prevent the affliction, allowing it to form karmic actions and leave karmic seeds; second, the consciousness cannot operate jointly with the manas constantly and everywhere, nor can it always remain clear and awake—it also has moments of weakness, confusion, and disappearance, rendering it incapable of detecting and managing the afflictions of the manas.

Extinguishing afflictions as soon as they arise is necessary in the initial stages of practice. After attaining meditative concentration (dhyāna), one gradually transitions to having fewer thoughts, naturally preventing afflictions from arising, thereby progressively subduing and suppressing them. Forcibly suppressing thoughts to subdue afflictions is very difficult. In truth, whether subduing or eradicating afflictions in the end, such forceful methods are unnecessary. Once meditative concentration arises, afflictions naturally cease to arise. Within meditative concentration, afflictions naturally diminish and lighten, becoming subdued, and are finally eradicated naturally within that state. Those with meditative concentration understand this principle. Practitioners whose meditative concentration has arisen and become firm, consider this: have you ever specifically counteracted your afflictions? Do they not naturally cease to appear within meditative concentration? Those without meditative concentration, due to insufficient concentration power, are compelled to engage in internal dialogue, with the consciousness reasoning with the manas. For those with meditative concentration, the manas naturally heeds teachings and is naturally influenced.

For example, "qi fullness leads to no thought of food"—is this disinterest in eating a result of counteraction or a natural occurrence? Forcibly resisting the desire to eat or eating less is difficult and distressing. Yet, when one cultivates concentration to the point where qi fills the body and the stomach is constantly satiated with qi, one naturally does not feel hunger. "Jing (essence) fullness leads to no thought of lust"—is this a result of counteraction or a natural occurrence? This also occurs when cultivating concentration to the point of jing fullness; lustful thoughts naturally cease. Forcibly restraining them is difficult. "Shen (spirit) fullness leads to no thought of sleep"—is this a result of counteraction or a natural occurrence? Similarly, when concentration is cultivated to shen fullness, one naturally does not feel drowsy, as sleep is unnecessary to restore vitality. Forcibly resisting sleep would harm the body. The subduing and eradication of other afflictions follow a similar pattern.

Outsiders to genuine practice, in the pre-entry stage, use theory to counteract and suppress afflictions. After suppressing them for a while, they claim to have eradicated afflictions, attained fruition, or realized the mind. In truth, they have not yet entered the gate of genuine practice. The merit of meditative concentration lies in subduing and eradicating afflictions. Without meditative concentration, no matter how perfect the theory, one remains helpless against afflictions. One thing subdues another; meditative concentration subdues afflictions. Subduing afflictions subdues karmic hindrances and the obscurations to realizing the path (darśana-mārga). Only without obscurations can one realize the path. Therefore, it is impossible to attain bodhi without eradicating afflictions.

Practice is a process of self-dissolution. As long as the direction of practice is correct, the methods are appropriate, and one diligently applies effort on the path, the self will gradually dissolve. Naturally, the afflictions related to the self will also dissolve bit by bit, disappearing imperceptibly. After practicing for a period, looking back, one realizes one has changed. Where is the need for using theory to counteract afflictions, or the principle of afflictions surfacing only to be suppressed?

2. Subduing coarse greed and attachment is necessary to attain meditative concentration and sever the view of self.

Fondness for various recreational activities, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and all forms of art, falls within the category of greed and attachment. Regardless of how elegant, noble, exalted, or delightful these may seem in worldly views, they are contrary to the path, belong to the conditioned world (saṃsāra), and thus are affairs of cyclic existence. Clinging to them prevents liberation from saṃsāra. Moreover, a mind with greed and attachment resonates with the hungry ghost realm; upon death, one will undergo retribution in that realm. The scope of greed is extremely broad, encompassing almost everything. Any liking, concern, or grasping belongs to greed and attachment. Therefore, regardless of whether one studies Buddhism or not, as long as one’s virtuous karma is insufficient for rebirth in the heavens or as a human, due to such pervasive greed and attachment, one will first undergo retribution in the hungry ghost realm, then in the animal realm. Only after the negative karma of the lower realms is temporarily exhausted, with some residual blessings, can one return to the human realm. Craving dharmas of the desire realm binds one to the desire realm; craving dharmas of the human realm prevents rebirth in the heavens, or even within the human realm itself.

The desire for food is the coarsest and easiest affliction to subdue in the human realm; it is the first barrier in practice. If one cannot overcome this barrier, subduing other attachments becomes even harder. The myriad faults and wrongs of ordinary beings manifest in the minutiae of daily life—grasping everywhere, attaching everywhere, living with meticulous preferences. Preferences for what? Preferences for everything, refusing to empty any dharma, always pursuing the best. The variety and fussiness surrounding food alone are immense. However, retribution often contradicts what is sought: greed for food leads to rebirth as a hungry ghost; arrogance causes the physical body to be short, etc.

The desire for the opposite sex is the heaviest attachment in the human realm. If one can subdue it, one can attain the first dhyāna (meditative absorption), and eradicating this desire enables rebirth in the Brahmā heavens of the first dhyāna in future lives. If one can subdue the greed for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation in the human realm, one can cultivate the "access concentration" (anāgamya-samādhi), thereby subduing human afflictions and enabling rebirth in the heavens of the desire realm after death. Those unable to cultivate meditative concentration should examine the various attachments within their minds. Enjoying high-rise buildings, fine clothes, and gourmet food in the human realm comes at a cost. Once blessings are exhausted, one lacks the merit to remain in the human realm and must suffer in the three lower realms. Therefore, those fond of wealth, honor, and luxury should awaken and plan early, seeing through the unreality of worldly glory and avoiding vanity.

Why does meditative concentration correspond to the heavenly realms, enabling rebirth there after death? Beings in the heavenly realms possess corresponding virtuous karma; their minds are virtuous, with light afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. The heavens of the desire realm are primarily the result of virtuous karma, the fruition of good deeds, with some contribution from meditative concentration. The heavens of the form realm and formless realm are mainly the result of meditative concentration. Without the corresponding meditative concentration, one cannot be reborn in the form or formless heavens. Therefore, meditative concentration necessarily subdues and eradicates afflictions. Severing the view of self (sakkāya-diṭṭhi) and realizing the mind and seeing its nature (mind-seeing) both require at least access concentration and the subduing of coarse afflictions of the desire realm. Fame, gain, wealth, lust, reputation, food, and sleep are all afflictions within the desire realm. Those with such severe afflictions cannot attain meditative concentration, cannot sever the view of self, cannot realize the mind and see its nature, and certainly cannot enter the stages of the path (bhūmi).

If someone claims to have severed the view of self and realized the mind, yet remains like an ordinary person with obvious afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, then it is not genuine severance of the view of self or genuine realization of the mind. Worldly people, unfamiliar with the matters of cultivation and realization, often overestimate their own and others' practice, leading to many misunderstandings. Due to the presence of the view of self, misunderstandings do not err on the low side but only on the high side. In the past, some people told me they had severed the view of self or realized the mind, asking me to verify or prove it. They would repeatedly explain how they were selfless and empty. In truth, such theories are everywhere and easily obtained. Can I necessarily judge whether someone has genuinely realized something based solely on such descriptions? Of course not. Seeing is better than hearing.

In truth, the most important factor in judging whether someone has severed or realized something lies not in what they say but in what they do—conduct is the truest indicator. Therefore, a simple method of judgment is to examine their words and observe their actions, scrutinizing their physical, verbal, and mental conduct, their attitude towards food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and material things. These are the coarsest afflictions, the first things to change in the process of practice. Slightly subtler afflictions concern one's attitude towards mental consciousness and one's thoughts and views—these must also change; otherwise, nothing has been severed or realized. Having realized the selflessness of the five aggregates and realized emptiness, knowing clearly that it is empty and selfless, how could one continue to grasp and cling to coarse and heavy dharmas without relinquishing or changing? Testing a person this way is the most direct, simplest, and most effective method. How many people can withstand such scrutiny?

3. What kinds of physical, verbal, and mental conduct accord with the Path?

Diligent practitioners introspect their minds during daily life. Observing their state of mind while eating, they may notice greed for food and thus slow down their eating pace. In truth, wolfing down food when hungry is not necessarily greed; savoring food slowly might be even more indicative of greed. Craving the taste object is one form of greed. Greed for food includes craving its color, smell, taste, and texture. As long as one does not crave color, smell, taste, or texture, but eats merely to satisfy hunger, it is not greed. Therefore, one can eat without greed, even eating quickly without greed.

How to distinguish greed from non-greed? In the past, a lay disciple asked Chan Master Dazhu Huihai: "Master, how is your eating and sleeping different from that of ordinary people?" Master Huihai replied: "Ordinary people do not eat properly, making a hundred demands; they do not sleep properly, engaging in a thousand calculations. I have no such thoughts; I merely eat and sleep." Having no thoughts about eating does not mean thinking of nothing while eating, focusing solely on eating, but rather having no additional demands regarding food—not being picky, without greed.

What are the hundred demands ordinary beings make about eating? Generally speaking, they concern nothing more than color, smell, taste, texture, and nourishment for the body. The detailed demands are numerous, but in summary, it is greed, all stemming from the mischief of the view of self and view of the body. Enlightened individuals eating care not whether the food is spoiled or leftover; they eat merely to satisfy hunger without affecting their practice, having no other requirements. What are the thousand calculations ordinary beings make about sleeping? Generally, they concern nothing more than the six sense objects (rūpa, śabda, gandha, rasa, sparśa, dharma). In detail, they involve fussing over the room, bed, bedding, etc. Essentially, these are manifestations of the view of the body and view of self.

Whether a person practices or not can be clearly seen from daily trivial matters; every detail reveals the presence or absence of the view of self. Those who have not severed the view of self have many demands for the physical body. To maintain these demands, they manifest extreme greed and grasping behavior, often unconsciously. This is the greed of the manas, habitual in nature. Being accustomed to it, they consider it normal and proper. If someone acts differently, being unattached and unpicky, they consider it abnormal. This is called inversion. Regarding daily conduct—what accords with the Path and what does not—one must be adept at observing and distinguishing, constantly correcting oneself, to realize the path sooner.

Physical and verbal conduct are governed by the mind. If the mind is that of an ordinary being, greedy and attached, physical and verbal conduct will unconsciously manifest greedy mental actions. Some unenlightened ordinary people always wish to appear as practitioners. Thus, they pretend to be practitioners, yet they do not know what behavior constitutes practice and what does not. Even pretending cannot last long; the key is they do not know how to pretend, thus periodically revealing their non-practitioner behavior, which outsiders cannot discern.

In truth, from the moment an ordinary being wakes up in the morning, opens their eyes, begins daily activities, until sleeping at night, even in dreams—throughout the day, almost none of their physical, verbal, and mental conduct correctly accords with the Path. Is this an exaggeration? No. When the mind does not resonate with the Path, physical and verbal conduct cannot resonate with it. Every moment and everywhere is action of ignorance and affliction.

If one knows what mental conduct resonates with the Path, one will know what physical and verbal conduct constitutes practice and what does not. Thus, one can roughly judge whether a person has realized the path and attained fruition, whether they have practice, and at what level their cultivation lies. Once the eyes are bright, one will no longer be deceived or "harvested."

4. Changing human nature is changing habits.

Some say that to understand human nature, one should watch animal documentaries. Once the animal world is understood, one partially understands human nature. Is there truth to this? Why?

The six realms are ordered from low to high: hell, hungry ghost realm, animal realm, human realm, heavenly realm (deva), and asura realm. Asura beings are distributed among the above five realms and can be considered part of them. Sentient beings transmigrate; the animal realm is adjacent to the human realm, and their natures are similar. After transitioning from the animal realm to the human realm, human nature resembles animal nature. As long as one has not severed the view of self, one will return to the animal realm, possessing animal nature. This is unpleasant to hear. Last time, when discussing afflictions and touching upon the animal realm, no one was willing to respond. I knew everyone avoided this issue. But avoidance solves nothing; facing the problem clarifies the principle, enabling resolution.

Habits manifest in the manas. When a being transitions from animal to human, the consciousness changes, but the manas does not. At the core, they remain like animals or hungry ghost beings; thus, in future rebirths, they will transmigrate to the three lower realms, possessing the nature of beings from those realms.

Therefore, no one should be overly attached to the meager blessings of human life—fame, profit, power, status, race. Once fallen into the three lower realms, one becomes nothing, inferior even to ordinary humans. Therefore, upon encountering the Buddha Dharma, one should focus on cultivating the manas, changing it. Once the manas changes, the nature of the mind changes, distinguishing it from beings of the three lower realms, resulting in different karmic retribution.

To change oneself, one must understand oneself. To understand oneself, one must not only observe oneself and one's peers but also observe animals and hungry ghosts, as they are similar, generally alike. Fully understanding them means fully understanding oneself, and understanding oneself enables methods to change oneself.

5. Why does one feel attacked?

Question: When explaining correct Buddhist principles in some group chats, if attacked by so-called Buddhists without correct knowledge and views, I feel physically uncomfortable, as if bitten by a poisonous snake. I sense the other person is full of negative energy, worse than ordinary non-Buddhists. Why do I have these feelings?

Answer: At such times, first, reflect on whether your speech was inappropriate; or if the wording was improper, lacking skillful means; or if you harbored arrogance, looking down on the other; or if your own capacity for faith and acceptance is insufficient, etc. Second, consider: being attacked and opposed is normal. Sentient beings, due to ignorance, have different understandings, leading them to cling to their own views, even exhibiting bias. Third, observe the psychology of sentient beings more, understand them more, learn communication methods and skills, etc. When encountering problems, blaming others cannot solve them; examining one's own causes allows self-correction, thereby enabling others to accept one's sincerity.

If one's views are not accepted, feeling attacked and having the aforementioned sensations, this indicates one's self-attachment (ātma-grāha) is very heavy, utterly intolerant of others' rejection and disapproval, caring too much about others' attitudes toward oneself. From the description above, one can see that arrogance (māna) is relatively severe; the self in the mind is inflated, unconsciously belittling and despising others, hence those unwarranted feelings arise. If one possesses correct views and principles, one should maintain an empty mind, accord with conditions, speak humbly and skillfully, regard the other's attitude and reaction lightly, be indifferent to others' evaluations, and remain unhindered by any outcome, always maintaining a humble and harmonious attitude. In this way, one's intention and aura will subtly influence and subdue the other party, making one's views easily accepted, or at least avoiding verbal conflict. Therefore, I say when encountering problems, first examine oneself.

In dialogue, if one first assumes oneself to be "right," possessing the "true Dharma," then one places others on the "wrong" side, deeming them lacking correct knowledge and views. This creates an opposition between right and wrong, self and other, inevitably leading to disputes, for no one wishes to be on the "wrong" side. If one considers oneself "right," it implies others are "wrong," which they naturally resist, causing conflict. Contradictions often escalate this way. A person's tone of voice often reveals their attitude and stance; the other party senses this, feels aversion, reacts emotionally, speaks inappropriately, and conflict arises.

Over the years of my Dharma teaching, I have never said, "I teach the true Dharma," or "I represent the true Dharma." Such phrases have never appeared in my Dharma teachings; you can check the books to see. Therefore, I never engage in opposition with others. Even if someone does not accept the Dharma I teach, it is not because of me but for other reasons unrelated to me; the problem does not lie with me. Wise people, when speaking and acting, do not place others in opposition to themselves and do not make enemies for themselves. Those with severe self-attachment constantly create enemies, even imagining everyone as a potential adversary. Doing so, of course, fills the world with enemies. And how far can someone with enemies everywhere go? Can their endeavors proceed smoothly?

6. Ceasing Disputes

Ordinary beings suffer the pains of the six realms due to unwholesome karma, unwholesome mental states, and afflictive mental factors. After severing the view of self, the suffering of the three lower realms ceases because the unwholesome karma and mental states for those realms are eliminated, and some afflictive mental factors are extinguished. Therefore, whether severing the view of self requires eradicating afflictions is an obvious question, not needing debate. Then, whether severing the view of self requires meditative concentration, specifically the perfection of access concentration, is also an obvious question, not needing debate, for without meditative concentration, how can afflictions be eradicated?

Now, a large portion of disputes, due to various internal and external reasons, have finally ceased out of necessity, but this is by no means a final or permanent cessation. It is a temporary pause due to karmic retribution not supporting further dispute. Future lives are uncertain; after all, sentient beings' karmic hindrances are deep, and afflictions do not cease. Watching many create unwholesome karma, watching many undergo unwholesome retribution, watching many cycle through birth and death—what can be done? Sentient beings are like this; no one can control them. Only cause and effect can speak.

7. Unintentional Faults Bear No Culpability but Still Incur Negative Retribution

First, why do faults occur even when there is no intentional creation of unwholesome karma? This is because the mind possesses ignorance and delusion (avidyā and moha). Ignorance and delusion are fundamental afflictions (mūla-kleśa), causing other major, medium, and minor secondary afflictions (upakleśa) to arise. The two other fundamental afflictions, greed (rāga) and hatred (dveṣa), also arise due to ignorance and delusion. Without ignorance, without delusion, there would be no greed or hatred; without ignorance and delusion, various faults would not occur. Superficially, these faults seem unintentional, but are they truly unintentional? No, they are due to habitual tendencies (vāsanā). Because habits are strong, faults occur without passing through the brain or thought, even irreparable faults causing severe harm, great loss, even killing people, slandering the Three Jewels, or damaging their reputation.

Ordinary people often say these are unintentional faults, not deliberate actions, merely carelessness or inability to resist, thus creating them. Viewed this way, they are not unintentional faults or mistakes but intentional, arising from a mind defiled by afflictions, a deluded mind, representing heavy habits. Pure individuals have no such faults or mistakes; their physical, verbal, and mental conduct are pure and perfect, without fault. Even Māra Pāpīyas, searching for faults in such people for hundreds or thousands of years, finds none—no gap—thus unable to seize an opportunity to create unwholesome karma, forced to depart disappointed. Therefore, all faults and mistakes are intentional and thus incur negative retribution. The retribution for ignorance and delusion is the three lower realms, primarily the animal realm. Among all afflictions, ignorance is the hardest to eliminate. Greed and hatred must be completely eradicated before ignorance can be eliminated. Only at the stage of an almost-enlightened being (ekajāti-pratibaddha) is the last trace of ignorance severed, demonstrating the tenacity, subtlety, and pervasiveness of ignorance and delusion.

The heaviest ignorance-karma is not killing or arson. Killing karma may cause rebirth in hell, but the duration is finite; once the sin is exhausted, one leaves hell. However, slandering the Three Jewels or committing unwholesome actions against them incurs extremely long retribution periods. Even after leaving the three lower realms and being reborn human, due to past slander of the Three Jewels, one still suffers retribution as blind, deaf, or mute, or fails to encounter the Three Jewels or hear their names. Even if some negative karma is exhausted and one encounters the Three Jewels, studying the Dharma cannot enter the mind; one cannot find the gate, suffering greatly. No negative retribution is heavier than this—obstructing the study and practice of Dharma for liberation is the greatest loss of benefit.

8. Buddhist Sages Must Be Confucian Gentlemen

Confucian culture is the foundation of Buddhism, teaching the way of being human, the conduct of a gentleman, restraining body and mind, purifying physical, verbal, and mental actions, and subduing greed, hatred, and delusion. Precisely because of this foundation of Confucian culture, the Buddha Dharma spread from Western India to China, took root there, and brought blessings to the Chinese nation. Buddhist practice takes Confucianism as its foundation; in thought, character, and moral cultivation, it should surpass Confucianism, being purer and nobler, even more capable of "emerging unstained from the mud."

Confucianism promotes the way of the gentleman: words must be acted upon, speech and action must accord, outward appearance and inner reality must be one, being open and aboveboard, possessing heroic spirit. The gentleman is the benchmark set by Confucianism. Then the benchmark for Buddhism should be the sage, surpassing the gentleman. Therefore, a gentleman is not necessarily a Buddhist sage, but a Buddhist sage must be a Confucian gentleman. One who is not a gentleman is not a sage nor a good spiritual friend (kalyāṇa-mitra). If someone claims to be a sage or a good spiritual friend, compare their physical, verbal, and mental conduct with the virtues of a gentleman. If their conduct is inferior to that of a gentleman or differs from it, be vigilant, do not be deceived, guard against being defiled or assimilated, causing the mind to be covered in dust.

Every Buddhist practitioner should also learn the conduct of a gentleman, study more traditional Chinese learning from Confucianism and Daoism, gradually perfecting their personality and integrity. Once equipped with the moral cultivation of being human and the mind-nature matures and perfects, then in Buddhist study and practice, effort will yield results immediately. Theoretical skill (technique) and mind-nature advance together, perfectly combined, only then is it possible to undergo a complete transformation, like a carp leaping through the dragon gate, becoming a true sage, a role model for sentient beings, qualified to lead them toward the path of liberation.

Many people study Buddhism for years but cannot make progress in their practice. What is the reason? Because practice is not merely technical effort on the path; more importantly, it is the tempering and refinement of the mind-nature, perfecting one's character. If one is not even qualified as a human being, no matter how much effort is applied, one cannot break through the prison of one's own mind to become a sage. The virtue of many Buddhists is inferior even to ordinary worldly people; the more they study, the heavier their afflictions become, greed, hatred, and delusion all present, seeking much in worldly dharmas, painstakingly scheming for fame and gain. It is precisely these people who frequently proclaim themselves enlightened or sainted, while those with better virtue are cautious, carefully examining themselves, not daring to easily place such a large hat upon themselves.

9. Why Does "A Sack of Rice Earns Gratitude, a Bushel Earns Enmity"?

When a person first receives a small favor, their conscience knows gratitude. When continuously showered with favors, they develop a habit of being given to, enter a comfort zone, take it for granted, and develop dependence. When this taken-for-granted situation is broken, when others stop giving, the comfort zone vanishes, and there is nothing to depend on, they feel uncomfortable, psychologically unable to accept it, thus generating hatred. Breaking a person's habit is difficult. Not allowing dependence breeds resentment. People dislike breaking habits, especially comfortable, enjoyable ones. People dislike receiving education vastly different from their habits and views. To change a person, proceed slowly; do not rush.

Since habits have such adhesiveness, strive to cultivate good habits to drive out bad ones. For example, if mindfulness of breathing becomes a habit, it drives out distracting thoughts. When thoughts are scattered, focusing on breathing concentrates all the energy of the manas on the breath; concentration arises, and scattered thoughts vanish. Gradually adapting to receiving favors, forming a habit and dependence, is the work of the manas. The manas has great greed and laziness; forming bad habits is easy, changing them is difficult. Receiving favors is easy; losing benefits is hard to bear.

Which mind feels gratitude? Which mind becomes an enemy? Love, hate, emotions, enmity—all depend on the level and degree they fall to, whether true or false, how true, how false. Deeper emotions belong to the manas; shallower ones, not yet habitual, belong to the consciousness. At the consciousness stage, emotions are easily regulated. Once they fall to the manas and become habitual, emotions become hard to control.

Receiving favors, anyone with a conscience feels gratitude, remembering it constantly, thinking of repaying when possible—both consciousness and manas are like this. If the consciousness constantly reminds the manas to be grateful, it shows the manas lacks conscience. A conscientious person needs no reminder from consciousness. It is like a consciousness that has attained fruition (realization) needing to constantly remind the manas not to have afflictions, not to cling to the five aggregates, knowing they are false. But when the manas itself attains fruition, the consciousness needs no constant reminder; it need not speak or chant about the five aggregates being illusory—the manas knows it.

10. What Exactly is the "Great Love" Spoken of by Worldly People?

Baixue Xiang expressed a view: "Worldly love has direction; no matter how great the love, it has direction. The expanded version of a small person's love is great love. For example, the love of a political great man is the expanded version of a small person's love; otherwise, wars would not occur. 'This is my motherland, you cannot invade it'—thus wars between nations arise; 'This is my religion'—thus religious massacres; 'This is my belief'—persecution between beliefs, etc. All are due to great love."

True compassion (karuṇā) has no conflict whatsoever; it does not distinguish between great and small. All problems arise precisely because true compassion has not been generated. Even humanistic love, while conflict-free among humans, is still based on "human" and inevitably involves slaughtering animals and poisoning living beings. As long as it is based on "human," no matter how loving, even advocating animal protection, when others kill animals, one becomes furious—this lacks love.

Baixue Xiang speaks well! Only by truly experiencing that emptiness can one speak like this. Without genuine experience, one could not fabricate it. Worldly people love love and emotions; without emotions and love, life seems unbearable. Emotions and love are the spiritual food of ordinary beings, not easily allowed to be taken away. All this arises from the premise of having self, person, and sentient beings. Some, having a bit of awakening, feel their small self and small love are insignificant, thus advocate a great self and great love, seeming to have sublimated. In truth, it is still the self; without a small self, how could a great self emerge?

For example, one's own group, including country and planet, is taken as the great self. Everything is for this great self; nothing else matters. One may even attack other groups for one's own, seeming selfless but actually selfish, because one's interests lie within this group. Without interests, one might not strive to maintain that group. And what is attacking other groups? Of course, it is unwholesome action. This is the manifestation of great self and great love.

Within the twelve links of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda), love (tṛṣṇā), grasping (upādāna), becoming (bhava), birth (jāti), and aging-death (jarāmaraṇa)—all causes of birth and death—stem from this love. Because of love, there is grasping; birth and death follow. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do not speak of love; they speak of compassion (karuṇā), loving-kindness (maitrī), sympathetic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekṣā); they speak of the Bodhisattva's four means of attraction (catvāri saṃgraha-vastūni), using the four means to attract sentient beings, without emotional attachment, for emotional attachment is the cause of birth and death. The "great love" spoken of by worldly people all involves birth and death; it is not empty. Acting with an empty mind, compassionate and sympathetic, has no faults. Otherwise, great love also has faults; having grasping nature, it must be so.

For example, doctors treating patients need only do their best to heal. If they invest emotions, grieving like the patient or their family, the doctor's body and mind will be constantly affected by the patient. Before long, they themselves will fall ill; over time, they may die of illness. How then can they continue to treat patients? Handle matters without love or emotions; separate body and mind, then both remain healthy. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are the same. If they invest love in sentient beings, their body, mind, and world become the same as sentient beings; how then can they speak of liberating sentient beings? In that case, it would mean the love of sentient beings infected the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, pulling them back to the ordinary realm; thus, there would be no Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, only loving ordinary beings.

The essence of love is greed, called greedy love. Regardless of the type of love or what is loved, it is an afflictive emotion within the desire realm, unable to rise to the form realm. Even dharmas of the form and formless realms are still within the three realms of birth and death. Eradicating love is the practitioner's duty; replacing it with compassion expands the mind, freeing it from the faults of birth and death.

12. Why Do Obstacles Increase with Diligence?

Studying Buddhism and practicing is like driving against the wind or sailing against the current; the faster the vehicle or boat, the greater the resistance. Karmic conditions are like wind and water; following them leads to birth, death, and the three lower realms; opposing them leads to liberation and nirvāṇa. Of course, following is comfortable, requiring no effort to slide down automatically. Opposing brings layer upon layer of resistance, making progress arduous. But practitioners should be brave, undaunted by hindering conditions. The greater the resistance, the greater the hindrance, the more fiercely one must break through, absolutely unwilling to be controlled and manipulated by karmic force.

Breaking through the barrier of karmic hindrances in one vigorous effort is the most effortless method. Retreating upon encountering resistance leaves barriers always before one, obstructing liberation. Those who study Buddhism and practice lukewarmly encounter no hindering conditions: family harmony, career success, good health, increasing wealth—everything in the secular world goes smoothly, without interference or demonic obstacles. Because you are not diligent, showing no sign of renunciation, there is no need to disturb you. After all, you are a guest of the three lower realms; creditors need not worry, enemies are not concerned about you escaping their grasp. Because you are not diligent, you also do not stir karmic seeds, unable to cause them to ripen and bear fruit prematurely. After retribution is undergone, one is debt-free and light, practicing smoothly. But if karmic seeds do not ripen, karmic conditions do not appear, remaining dormant in the ālaya-vijñāna, binding one to wander helplessly in the six realms—forever an obstacle to liberation.

13. The Use of Adversity

Human weaknesses, shortcomings, habits, faults, afflictions, and various obsessions are not all eliminated by one's own initiative. Some are eliminated because environmental conditions do not permit them, forcing one to change—that is, hitting a wall. A thick wall appears ahead, indicating this path is blocked, please detour. Thus, forced to turn or turn back, a weakness is overcome, a shortcoming vanishes, a habit or affliction disappears, an obsession fades.

The various dissatisfactions and adversities in life are like walls, preventing us from continuing along the ingrained cognition and habits, thus taking another path, which often turns out better. Therefore, adversity and setbacks are not enemies; walls are even less enemies—they are life's mentors, guiding us to another bright path. For those with heavy habits and afflictions, unable to restrain themselves, hitting walls more often is beneficial, as it provides opportunities to awaken and turn. Those creating unwholesome karma should receive retribution immediately upon committing the act, so they understand unwholesome actions must not be done, gradually restraining evil thoughts. Reflect deeply at points of adversity; know when to turn, transform thoughts and cognition, and the opportunity for a change in fortune will soon appear.

If a person's life is smooth and successful, they remain forever as they were—afflicted, ignorant, deluded, fearless in ignorance, endlessly cycling through birth and death. Only by hitting walls more often, finding the old path impassable, can they learn flexibility; only then can old obsessions change, wisdom arise. Therefore, adversity is also good; walls are also good. At certain times, good people are evil, good deeds are bad; at other times, evil people are good, bad deeds are good. This must be viewed dialectically, considering the outcome, especially the ultimate future result.

When, due to deep obsessions, you cannot let go of all worldly dharmas, if all worldly dharmas could actively leave you, leaving only the basic resources for living to practice, that would often be a blessing! But at the moment of death, indeed, all dharmas leave oneself, vanish. Yet, no one's manas seizes this opportunity to sever self and attachment, nor does anyone perceive any dharma as impermanent and unobtainable. Why is this? Under such circumstances, if someone tells you about the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna), can you attain enlightenment?

14. How to Deal with Adversity

Question: When unfavorable circumstances arise (e.g., being subjected to malicious slander), what is the wisest way to handle it? Is it repentance? Or maintaining a pure mind, unmoving like thusness (tathatā), based on the principle that "all phenomena are illusory," treating the circumstance as non-existent, neither contending nor arguing? Or is it making a vow to bear this adversity for all sentient beings, wishing all sentient beings to encounter auspicious and perfect favorable circumstances? Or another method, such as Buddha recitation?

Answer: At different stages of Buddhist study, methods for dealing with adversity should differ. Different adversities also require different handling methods. The difference lies in whether the adversity arises from one's own ignorance, afflictions, and past karmic hindrances. If so, one should examine one's faults, understand causes and effects, and repent of karmic hindrances and ignorance. When one clearly has karmic hindrances and faults, one cannot remain "unmoving like thusness," nor can one treat these circumstances as illusory and ignore them. Doing so only perpetuates ignorance and increases delusion. The adversity you encounter is your own problem, needing your own endurance; it is not bearing it for sentient beings—this has nothing to do with them. When you have no faults, and adverse conditions are imposed upon you without cause, then to subdue your own mental afflictions, you should view external circumstances as empty, maintain an unmoving mind toward circumstances, willingly endure everything, yet without anything being endured.

When one's afflictions are heavy and wisdom is lacking, encountering adversity should prompt introspection into one's own mind, examining one's ignorance and afflictions, clearly understanding the causes and effects involved. If examination reveals it is one's own problem, one should repent promptly and correct the mistake. Only then can wisdom increase and ignorance and afflictions lessen. At this time, one should not treat adversity as empty. If one empties one's own ignorant afflictions, one cannot recognize them, cannot increase wisdom or lessen afflictions, and Buddhist study yields no real results. When wisdom is severely insufficient, one cannot view adversity as empty and ignore it, nor can one remain unmoving toward circumstances, because at this time one is precisely deluded by circumstances, unclear about them. What is needed now is not the wisdom of emptiness (śūnyatā), but understanding causes and effects, clarifying causal relationships, thereby enabling the cessation of unwholesome actions and cultivation of wholesome ones. For example, when a child cannot yet read, they cannot view the act of reading as empty and thus not strive to learn; when unable to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, they cannot view right/wrong, good/evil as empty and thus not distinguish them. Doing so only perpetuates ignorance.

The vast majority of people are unclear about worldly and supramundane principles, lacking discernment. Regarding all codes of conduct and standards, they are utterly confused, quite ignorant, being at the initial stage of ceasing unwholesomeness and cultivating wholesomeness, the stage of understanding causes and effects. If they view all encountered circumstances and dharmas as empty, treating them as unimportant, ignoring them, then they cannot understand cause and effect, cannot recognize their own ignorance and afflictions, cannot correct their conduct, lack right thought (samyak-saṃkalpa), and thus cannot gain wisdom, remaining forever ignorant. After death, they still undergo retribution for ignorance in the three lower realms, especially prolonging their time in the animal realm. Many people study Buddhism practicing upside down: emptying when they should not, not emptying when they should, resulting in wisdom never arising. When correcting erroneous thoughts in one's mind, one absolutely cannot empty or easily let circumstances pass, ignoring them. When unclear about oneself and the five-aggregate world, one should apply right thought to these dharmas to achieve clear cognition of them, free from ignorance.

Under what circumstances can circumstances be emptied? When encountering sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and the mind generates greed, attachment, or stickiness, emptying the circumstances at that time can subdue greed and attachment, subduing the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. When one grasps circumstances because they are taken as real dharmas, then one should find ways to empty the circumstances, thus not grasping empty dharmas, thereby subduing the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion.