All the violence, fear, and suffering that exists in the world comes from grasping
at self. What use is this great evil monster to you? If you do not let go of the
self, there will never be an end to your suffering. Just as, if you do not release
a flame from your hand, you can't stop it from burning your hand. Sometimes look
at the nature of self-appearing harmonious circumstances. By realizing them as
self-appearing, they arise as the support of spiritual experiences. Sometimes
look at the appearances of negative circumstances; it is very effective for repelling
attachment to the delusions. Sometimes look at friends and teachers; it inspires
you to train by learning their good and bad natures. Sometimes look at the display
of miracles of the four elements in space; it brings the realization of the dissolution
of mental efforts in the true nature of the mind. Sometimes look at the character
of your country, dwelling, and possessions; seeing them as illusions, repels your
attachment to those delusory appearances. In brief, appraise the nature or character
of the phenomena appearing in various capacities; it destroys your deluded attraction
to them as real.
As it is necessary to diagnose the sickness, to abandon its cause, attain the
happiness of good health, and apply medicine for it, the suffering should be recognized,
the cause should be abandoned, the remedy for cessation should be applied, and
cessation attained. When Enlightened, you may truthfully say: "Today my life
has borne fruit and has well achieved the essence of human life. Today I have
been born in the family of the Buddhas, and now I am one of the offspring of the
Buddhas." In the caves of empty valleys, where there are no people, there
is no time for the feeling of loneliness to cease, there is no time to dissociate
from the mind of devotion to the Guru and the Buddhas of the three times. So,
all are magical displays of mind. If liberated, it is the liberation of the mind,
and if bound, it is the bondage of the mind. Apart from the mind, there is neither
liberation nor bondage, neither happiness nor suffering and neither Buddha nor
beings.
When a Bodhisattva sees people who have lots of love, he should think: "May
all beings have lots of love and devotion to the Dharma." When the Bodhisattva
sees people with lots of dislike, he should think: "May all beings have the
feeling of dislike toward all conditioned phenomena so they will strive for liberation."
When a Bodhisattva sees beings with happiness, he should think: "May all
beings be extremely happy by obtaining the wealth of great joy of Buddhahood."
When a Bodhisattva sees beings with suffering, he should think: "May the
sufferings of all beings be pacified by planting the root of wisdom in them."
When you speak, speak with ease, relevance, clarity, and pleasantness, without
desire and hatred, in gentle tones and at moderate length. When you look, look
with honest and loving eyes, thinking: "By depending on this kind person,
I will become fully Enlightened." The Buddha who has realized the Truth,
has said: "All the recitations and ascetic trainings you have practiced even
for a long time, if you have done them with a wandering mind, will bear little
fruit." For a person who does not have diligence, neitheir intelligence,
power, wealth, nor strength will help him. He is like a captain with a boat, but
no sail.
