Delusion Series, Part 4 –The Weaving of Delusion
Hello, everyone! Welcome to this episode of the podcast, brought to you by the Australia Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated.
Today, I’d like to explore a profound yet relatable topic: how delusions are woven and how we can awaken from the fog of delusion to walk toward the light of wisdom. This is not only an analysis of our inner world but also a necessary path to liberation.
1. The Automatic Weaving of Delusion: Where Does It Come From?
Have you ever noticed how countless thoughts flow through your mind like a stream, as if playing an endless drama? These thoughts may seem chaotic, yet they skillfully weave scenes that can feel so real you mistake them for truth. This is delusion.
Delusion doesn’t arise out of nowhere—it’s the result of lifelong practice. Like a precision machine, through repeated training, delusion becomes fully automated. So, how is this “delusion machine” built?
Conditioning from the Womb
Even in our mother’s womb, we were “connected” to the outside world through her perceptions. Her emotions and experiences formed our initial “database.” Though we couldn’t express ourselves, these impressions were already embedded deep in our consciousness. After birth, this “connection” was severed, and we became independent beings, beginning our own exploration and imitation.
Childhood Imitation and Practice
As children, we learned to walk and talk by imitating our parents and teachers. These actions seem simple but mark the starting point of weaving delusions. Children play “house,” mimicking adults’ behaviors and even arguing about how “Dad should do this” or “Mom should do that.” This is the earliest practice of weaving. Their delusions are simple and clumsy, easily seen through by adults, because the skill is still unrefined.
Adolescence: Mastery and Automation
By middle and high school, our ability to weave delusions advances rapidly. We begin to fantasize about future careers, marriages, or even entirely fictional scenarios detached from reality. These fantasies aren’t based on truth but are pieced together from fragments of past memories and experiences. Through repeated practice, delusion becomes less intentional and more automatic. A single thought or trigger can set off an entire “drama” in our minds.
Adulthood: Full Automation
By adulthood, especially after college, the weaving of delusion reaches its peak. Day or night, awake or dreaming, the process runs constantly. Can you stop it? Almost impossible! The “delusion machine” has been trained so thoroughly that it’s become part of our consciousness.
2. The Driving Force of Delusion: Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Pride, and Doubt
Why are we so attached to weaving delusions? The answer lies in our afflictions: greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt. These are the fuel that powers the “delusion machine.”
When reality fulfills our desires, we weave pleasant fantasies to amplify our satisfaction. When reality contradicts our expectations, we craft stories of anger, resentment, or escapism to shield ourselves.
Where do these delusions come from? They rely on our consciousness, the repository of memories and experiences. Some delusions are based on past records, while others are spontaneously fabricated. But regardless, they always start with a trigger—a memory or emotion—that spirals into an endless internal drama.
3. The Nature of Delusion: A Neurosis Detached from Reality
If you closely examine your delusions, you’ll see they bear no resemblance to reality. Delusion is like a self-written, self-directed absurd play, sustained entirely by imagination. From childhood to adulthood, our delusions never align with reality: as kids, we fantasized about future jobs without knowing what they entailed; as teens, we imagined love and marriage, oblivious to the realities of relationships.
These delusions may seem fantastical, but they follow a pattern. Their raw material comes from what we’ve seen or felt, randomly stitched together into narratives that are completely at odds with reality. Worse, once delusion becomes automated, it’s like a runaway machine, endlessly spinning and trapping us without our awareness.
4. Wisdom: Awareness Aligned with Reality’s Rules
If delusion is so false, what is true? The answer is wisdom. Wisdom is the precise understanding of the laws governing reality, a cognition and action perfectly aligned with those laws.
For example, recording a podcast requires a microphone, computer, and software, with every step executed precisely. If one element fails—a broken cable or missing software—the recording fails. This is the power of rules. Delusion is like trying to record into a fan instead of a microphone; no matter how hard you try, violating the rules guarantees failure.
Wisdom demands we follow these rules purely, untainted by ignorance. In Buddhism, Bodhisattvas at the seventh stage master the laws of all phenomena, achieving omnipotence. Every action they take aligns perfectly with reality’s rules, ensuring optimal outcomes.
5. The Practical Path from Delusion to Wisdom
Since delusion is the result of practice, wisdom can also be cultivated through practice. How do we “unplug” the power source of delusion and “install” the program of wisdom? Here are practical steps:
Observe Delusion Without Following or Rejecting
First, learn to observe your delusions. Don’t forcibly suppress them or let them lead you astray. Treat them like a movie—you know it’s fake, but you can still see the plot clearly. When you stop engaging with delusions over time, they wither, lacking the “power” of your attention.
Cut Off Delusion’s Fuel
Delusion is powered by your mind. When you stop giving it attention, it loses energy. The key is to maintain awareness, neither ignoring nor clinging to delusions. This allows them to fade naturally.
Cultivate Automated Wisdom
Wisdom requires starting from scratch, like learning to walk or talk as a child. Begin by memorizing Buddhist scriptures and understanding the law of cause and effect. For example, what are the consequences of killing? What are the benefits of not killing? Once you master these laws, you’ll naturally choose the right actions.
Additionally, study dependent origination to understand the conditions required for a seed to become fruit. This knowledge forms the foundation of wisdom, gradually replacing delusion’s automation.
From Semi-Automatic to Fully Automatic
Delusion evolved from conscious effort to semi-automatic, then fully automatic through years of practice. Wisdom follows the same path. Early on, it requires deliberate effort, like fine-tuning every detail to align with reality’s rules. With enough practice, you’ll act with the effortless perfection of a Buddha.
6. Turn Back to the Shore, Walk Toward the Light
Delusion is the result of lifelong practice, a “weaving machine” detached from reality. It traps us in false narratives that serve no purpose in life. But when we recognize delusion’s falsehood, observe its workings, and replace it with wisdom, we can turn back from the sea of suffering and reach the shore of liberation.
Dear listeners, delusion isn’t frightening—what’s frightening is never confronting or transcending it. Starting today, let’s practice awareness, cultivate wisdom, and stop the “drama” in our minds. Let reality’s laws guide our actions. The sea of suffering is boundless, but turning back leads to the shore. With one resolute step, the light of wisdom awaits us!
Thank you all! See you next time!
