Delusion Series, Part 17–Inner Journey4
Hello, dear friends!Welcome to this episode of the podcast, brought to you by the Australia Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated.
Today, I’d like to share a profound and practical wisdom for spiritual practice: Knowing the Illusion Leads to Letting Go, and Letting Go of Illusion Is Awakening. This is the earnest instruction from our teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, to bodhisattvas, and it is the ultimate path followed by bodhisattvas of the past, present, and future to attain Buddhahood. The core of this teaching is to help us see the truth of the world, dispel ignorance, transcend illusory suffering, and realize awakening.
1. What Is Illusion? What Is Truth?
The world we live in is filled with people, events, and things that seem undeniably real. Yet, our teacher tells us: all of this is illusory existence. What is illusory existence? It is a false existence—like a dream, dew, or lightning, arising and ceasing in an instant. It is not complete nothingness, but neither is it truly real. It arises from past karmic causes combined with corresponding conditions, manifesting as the present result, which remains illusory.
For example, our preference for certain foods often comes from conditioning. A particular taste is labeled as “good,” so we crave it, believing it to be real, something we must obtain and cannot lose. But those with wisdom see that all of this is merely a fleeting phenomenon, like the moon reflected in water or a flower in a mirror. Clinging to these phenomena as real is ignorance. Recognizing their illusory nature is true understanding.
The essence of illusory existence is karma. Past karmic causes give rise to present karmic effects, while our current actions shape future outcomes. This process flows ceaselessly, like a cascading waterfall. Our thoughts, feelings, and impulses surge like this waterfall, constantly arising. Yet, sentient beings chase these delusions, mistaking them for truth, and thus remain trapped in the cycle of suffering.
2. Knowing the Illusion Leads to Letting Go, Without Contrivance
How do we break free from ignorance and let go of illusory existence? The Buddha’s teaching is simple yet profound: Knowing the illusion leads to letting go, without need for contrived methods. This means that once you truly understand that everything is illusory, you naturally let go, without requiring additional techniques or methods.
What does it mean to “know the illusion”? It is to deeply realize that everything—people, events, things, feelings, good, bad, right, wrong—is a manifestation of karma, a flow of energy and frequency. These appear real but are as fleeting as a dream. When you truly grasp this, you stop clinging to illusions. Just as you wouldn’t try to change a movie’s plot because you know it’s fictional, a wise person doesn’t cling to, crave, or resent worldly illusions, knowing that clinging only creates more painful karmic consequences.
This understanding is called right understanding and right view. It is not an empty theory but a wisdom of clear observation. When you establish this view, you become a bodhisattva. Conversely, if you fail to recognize the illusory nature and cling to things as real, you are a false bodhisattva, deceiving yourself and others.
3. Letting Go of Illusion Is Awakening, Without Gradual Steps
Even more wondrous is this: Letting go of illusion is awakening, and there are no gradual steps. Once you truly know the illusion and stop chasing it, awakening arises in that very moment, without waiting or progressing step-by-step. Why? Because illusions are inherently false, and the awakened nature has never left us. When you let go of chasing illusions, the pure mind naturally shines forth.
This awakening brings the ultimate bliss of Nirvana. What is true bliss? It is not the fleeting pleasures of the world but the abiding state of eternal joy, true self, and purity. It is unborn and undying, ever-present, yet we overlook it, entangled in delusions. When we view the world with right understanding and right view, recognizing all as illusory, we return to this inherent bliss.
4. The Truth of Suffering and Bliss
Why do sentient beings struggle to know and let go of illusions? Because we often mistake suffering for bliss and bliss for suffering. What is suffering? Suffering is anything that causes pain. The eight types of suffering bring pain, whether physical or mental. And worldly pleasures? They come and go, arising and ceasing. When they fade, they bring the pain of separation; even when attained, they bring the fear of loss, leading to the suffering of unfulfilled desires.
True bliss is the bliss of Nirvana, independent of external conditions. It requires no pursuit because it is already within us. In contrast, worldly pleasures are conditioned habits. We mistake them for real and chase them relentlessly, only to reap suffering. For example, someone may crave a certain food, believing it brings happiness, but that happiness is fleeting and may even lead to harm if overindulged. These are the traps of illusion.
With right understanding and right view, we can precisely discern what is suffering and what is bliss, what is true and what is illusory. Without this wisdom, we invert reality, mistaking suffering for bliss, bad for good, and remain trapped in the cycle of delusion.
5. The Path for Sentient Beings in the Age of Dharma Decline
In this age of Dharma decline, where delusions run rampant and attachments grow heavy, how do we practice? The Buddha teaches us: Practice in this way, and you will forever let go of all illusions. The method is to constantly observe and recognize all as illusory. When thoughts, impulses, or feelings arise, immediately examine them with right understanding and right view: Is this real or illusory? Is it substantial or fleeting? When you see it as illusory, you cease to chase it, and the mind naturally becomes clear.
A clear mind, free from greed and suffering, cultivates the virtues of the senses. This practice enables us to forever let go of suffering and attain ultimate liberation. The key lies in knowing.
Conclusion
Dear listeners, knowing the illusion leads to letting go, and letting go of illusion is awakening. This is the supreme treasure left to us by the Buddha. By facing the world with right understanding and right view, we can discern suffering from bliss, truth from illusion, and rediscover the inherent bliss of Nirvana.
Thank you for listening! Until next time!
