Whatever doctrine creates desire directly or indirectly cannot become the
cause of freedom from desire. Know that such a doctrine is not the Buddha’s
teaching, nor his discipline, nor his exposition.Whatever we may call it, if it is an attachment, it does not go beyond the circle of
suffering. If it is a pure event, on the other hand, it will benefit both self and
others. Take compassion, for instance, which brings benefit to all beings and is the
root of peace and the heart of buddha: if we have attachment to it and assert any
kind of control, such compassion will certainly neither provide much benefit to
the world nor become a support for the attainment of buddha. Like gift-wrapped
dog vomit, it is outwardly attractive but inwardly utterly revolting. It is important
that compassion not be stained by attachment.
In Entry into the Middle Way, Chandrakirti says,
Compassionate mind, nondual perception,
And luminous mind create bodhisattvas.Objectless compassion inseparable from insight into emptiness is attainment of the
bodhisattva level. When compassion is tainted by attachment, it cannot become a
support for the realization of buddha. Attachment to one’s nation, country, fellow
citizens, and so on, inevitably leads to perennial sufferings in this life and the next.
It is vital to train in nonattachment. In the Vinaya, the Bhagawan Buddha says,
If any person in anger destroys or burns a symbol of my mind such as a stupa,
a symbol of my speech such as a scripture, a symbol of my body such as a
temple, in that event no disciple of mine should fight that person or abuse him
or protect those things with anger.And in Entering the Way of the Bodhisattva, Shantideva says,
Don’t show anger to those
Who destroy images, stupas, or scriptures,
As they are not harming the Buddha or anyone else.Any happiness there is in the world ultimately turns to pain. Why? Consider the
two sides of a coin: just because what we desire is to be seen on the front does not
mean that dislike won’t soon appear on the back. Likewise, hope and fear are a
single coin, one entity with two faces—on the other side of a moment in which we
hope for more happiness will be our fear of more suffering. Until attachment is
eliminated, we can be certain of having both hope and fear. As long as there is
hope and fear, the delusions of samsara will be perpetuated and there will be
constant suffering. Thus attachment is the nature of both hope and fear: looking at
the ultimate emptiness of the self-envisioned magical illusion of hope and fear, we
should hang loosely in the flow.
It is not enough merely to look into the space of happiness or sadness; it is
important to have pure presence constant in that flow. If the power of meditation