Delusion Series, Part 8 –Delusion and Affliction
Hello, dear friends!Welcome to this episode of the podcast, brought to you by the Australia Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated.
Have you ever wondered why our minds can never seem to settle down? Why, despite chasing happiness, we often end up in suffering? Today, we’ll dive into a profound topic in Buddhism—delusion and affliction. These are like invisible directors in our minds, constantly manipulating our emotions and actions. If we don’t recognize them or let them go, true peace and liberation will remain out of reach. Let’s explore together how afflictions work and how we can transcend them through practice to attain clarity and freedom.
1、Understanding the Nature of Delusion and Affliction
First, what is delusion? Delusion isn’t just the information gathered by our six senses—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. That information is merely raw material. What truly shapes delusion is our attachment, specifically the five poisons: greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt. These poisons act like a director behind the scenes, stitching together fragments from our senses to instantly create dramas in our minds. For example, when you see a picture, your mind starts piecing things together: with greed, you think, “I want this”; with doubt, you wonder, “Is this real?”; with pride, you might think, “I’m better than this.” These reactions happen so quickly that you don’t even notice them—they’re subtle and swift, yet they control your emotions and behavior.
In Buddhism, these five poisons—greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt—are also called “consciousness,” or attachment. They are the root of our suffering, the most subtle and hard-to-detect habits. You might think you’re in control, but in reality, delusion is running the show. Only by recognizing the harm of delusion can you understand what “no-self” truly means. The “self” you cling to is just a pile of delusions, an illusion. What happens if you let go of delusion? The Buddha taught us: “If you abandon delusion, the wisdom of all, natural wisdom, and unobstructed wisdom will manifest.”
2、How to Observe Delusion and Affliction
So, how do we recognize delusion? It requires careful observation. You need to act like a scientist, studying how each delusion arises, how it’s pieced together, and how it collaborates with greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt. For instance, when you’re in a good mood, it might be because a delusion aligns with your greed. When you’re upset, it could be because something contradicts your pride. When doubt arises, you start making assumptions, labeling others without knowing the truth, just based on your own guesses.
I suggest setting aside a little time each day to quietly observe your mind. Don’t try too hard, because if you exert too much effort, the delusion will hide. Be as if you’re aware but not overly intentional—watch it with clarity when it surfaces, but don’t pull it away. See clearly: What label is it attaching now? Which affliction is it aligning with? Is it greed, pride, or doubt? The more detailed your observation, the more you’ll uncover its patterns. You’ll see how a delusion unfolds, where it leads, and what the outcome will be—you’ll be able to predict it all.
What happens when you observe for a long time? You’ll start to feel afraid! Because you’ll realize that delusion and affliction have never once brought a good result. If you observe for ten years, you’ll see that not a single delusion has led to anything positive. Every time you follow a delusion, it ends in suffering. At this point, you’ll develop a fear of delusion—this is the beginning of natural wisdom. You’ll think, “Delusion is so terrifying; if I keep following it, I’m doomed!” Once you truly see its harm, it loses its appeal. For those with sharp faculties, once they realize this, they stop chasing delusions altogether. In such cases, it might not take ten years—maybe five or three years—and you’ll make a breakthrough.
3、Letting Go of Delusion, Entering Wisdom
Once you stop following delusions and attachments, you’ll quickly enter a state of Chan practice What is Chan practice? It’s a state of purity where your mind is no longer dragged around by delusion. At this point, all forms of wisdom will begin to manifest. The Buddha spoke of “all wisdom, natural wisdom, and unobstructed wisdom,” which will gradually reveal themselves.
This wisdom doesn’t come out of nowhere. It requires you to first recognize all afflictions, and the more detailed your understanding, the better. Only when you deeply observe delusion and affliction will natural wisdom gradually arise. When you enter Chan practice and wisdom manifests, the six senses you were born with will also become imbued with merit and function properly. If you go further and develop the divine eye, or even attain the six spiritual powers, you can become an Arhat.
However, some Arhats choose not to use their spiritual powers. Why? Because true liberation isn’t about these abilities—spiritual powers and wisdom both require practice to master, just like any skill.
Conclusion: From Observation to Liberation
Dear friends, delusion and affliction are the greatest obstacles on our path of practice, but through careful observation, we can truly recognize their harm and stop being swayed by them. Then, wisdom will naturally arise. I hope you’ll take a little time each day to observe your mind and see how these delusions and afflictions operate. Over time, you’ll realize they never bring anything good. May we all let go of delusion, attain freedom, and realize all wisdom, natural wisdom, and unobstructed wisdom! Thank you for listening!
