Delusion Series, Part 12 –Abandoning Delusions
Hello, dear friends!Welcome to this episode of the podcast, brought to you by the Australia Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated.
Today, we’ll explore a crucial topic—how to break free from the shackles of delusion and truly embark on the path to liberation.
1. Delusion and Suffering
Delusions are like movie clips, flashing one after another, seemingly continuous but actually fragmented. They select materials of greed, anger, and ignorance, weaving illusory scenes that ensnare us, causing immense suffering.
Suffering isn’t like a sugar-coated bullet that kills swiftly; instead, it’s like a chronic poison, tormenting us endlessly in the eight types of suffering. If you submit to delusions and obey them, they drag you into the abyss of pain. But if you see through them and distance yourself, they become as powerless as dirt. The problem is, we often know they’re the source of suffering yet cling to them tightly—what foolish behavior!
2. The Practice is in the Training
Spiritual practice isn’t about empty theorizing; it requires real, consistent effort. It’s like learning to drive: even if you own a car, without practice, you can’t drive it. The same applies to the Dharma. How do we train? First, “memorize”—commit the sequence and methods of the Dharma to heart. Then, “practice” diligently, day after day, until proficiency arises naturally, like driving with ease.
The first step in practice is recognizing the true nature of afflictions. Observe them daily, study how they ruin your life. Where does greed lead you? What are the consequences of anger? Every affliction ends in suffering and misfortune, without exception. If you don’t thoroughly understand their harm, you’ll never truly let go. When you see through the falsity of afflictions, fearing and fleeing from them, they lose all power over you.
3. Magnifying and Diminishing
The terror of suffering lies in our unconscious magnification of it. The more you dwell on pain, the stronger it grows, lasting longer and increasing in intensity. Conversely, if you ignore it and don’t indulge, it shrinks or even vanishes. For example, when you’re in agony but suddenly chased by a ferocious dog, you instantly forget the pain, focusing only on escape. Why? Because you didn’t dwell on it, the pain had no foothold. This shows that suffering is illusory, arising and ceasing with the mind. You have the power to amplify it, diminish it, or make it disappear entirely.
Thus, the key to practice is awareness. When delusions arise, note them and analyze afterward: What triggered them? What materials did they use? Where are they leading you? Through repeated observation, you’ll realize delusions are merely fleeting fragments, not the real you. The real you is the pure mind（spirit）that observes them. After ten thousand such observations, you’ll awaken with unshakable certainty: I can control them; I don’t have to be led by them!
Conclusion
Dear Dharma friends, may you all deeply reflect, diligently practice, and soon attain freedom from suffering and true joy. Thank you all! See you next time!
