My Nature Is the Greatest Obstruction to the Path

Afflictions and afflictive obstructions (kleśāvaraṇa) obstruct not only meditative concentration (samādhi) but also wisdom, blocking the arising of the light of wisdom, just like a wall blocking the light. Only when afflictions are removed and the obstruction is gone can the seventh and sixth consciousnesses transform consciousness into wisdom, and only then can their wisdom become vast and unobstructed. Those with heavy afflictive habits and a narrow mind cannot observe the profound and subtle Buddhadharma; they merely circle around on the surface of the Buddhadharma, unable to go deeper. The manas is greatly constrained by afflictions and habitual tendencies; it revolves around a self and cannot break through, so everything it perceives carries the characteristic of self, and its wisdom is narrow. This shows that the wisdom of selflessness is indeed vast. Therefore, we should frequently observe whether our own mind carries the characteristic of self, whether it possesses unfairness; once we discover self-centeredness and selfishness, we should find ways to subdue them as much as possible, because this is inconsistent with the Buddha's mind and will inevitably obstruct the Path. Compared with the Path, the characteristic of self is like the relationship between ox hair and the ox itself: it must be removed so that one obtains the ox rather than the ox hair.