When there is no meditative experience—repeatedly familiarize yourself with the practice and observe the mind to relinquish attachment.
Many people say they have practiced for a long time but have no meditative experiences. But what they mean by “no experience” is not that there is no experience at all—it is that they are filled with experiences of attachment and suffering. When the mental continuum is packed with attachment and pain, how could there be any sense of release? A cup has only this much space—if it is filled with the water of saṃsāra, how can it contain the water of liberation (Moksha)?
Liberation is actually very simple: just pour out the water in the cup, and that is liberation. There is no other liberation. Do not think that, in addition to holding onto all kinds of saṃsāric attachments, you can also grab something else called “liberation.” That is a mistaken view. What is liberation ? Liberation is precisely letting go of what we are now holding onto.
Of course, letting go has different levels. Renunciation (nekkhamma) is to recognize the nature of suffering; bodhicitta is to recognize that it is unacceptable for others not to be liberated; emptiness (śūnyatā) means that things are originally liberated—it is only your own grasping, and once you let go of that grasping, that is enough. Emptiness is explained from the perspective of wisdom that sees through reality. What kind of pith instruction (upadeśa) are you looking for? If there truly were such an instruction—something that, once told to you, would immediately free you—it would have been taught long ago! There is no such thing, truly none! Renunciation, bodhicitta, the correct view of emptiness, and the application of that view—these are the real pith instructions.
You must repeatedly familiarize yourself with the practice. Even for a simple worldly skill, repeated training is required to succeed. When I was young, I played table tennis. I remember practicing swings: a large basket full of balls was used for training, and the coach required me to swing a heavy paddle thousands of times, repeating the same motion until my hand became swollen. But this training worked—when I struck the ball, I could finish the point decisively and with great precision.
Even a worldly skill requires such repeated practice! Yet when you cultivate renunciation, you only glance at the concept, and after reading it, you do not actually practice renouncing—how could it have any effect? How could experiential signs arise? They won’t. To cultivate renunciation is to repeatedly familiarize yourself with it—until what is initially artificial becomes genuine.
Repeated familiarization also requires supportive external conditions. That is why we formed groups and now have meditation centers. You should immerse yourself in such environments and constantly observe yourself. Whether it is a group or an individual, there is a process of maturation. During this process, you may sometimes feel that you are not doing well—that’s okay. We must learn to forgive ourselves and forgive others.
We are all ordinary beings, filled with all kinds of messy afflictions. We cannot always focus on what is wrong with others without observing ourselves; yet when we do notice our own faults, we fail to forgive ourselves, becoming tangled and discouraged. In fact, both tendencies are mistaken. To be an ordinary being means that we are full of attachments driven by ignorance (avidyā). Because of these attachments, we manifest all kinds of distorted behaviors, our minds become conflicted, and we find others displeasing.
Once we observe this, we should gradually let go of these tendencies—learning to forgive others and forgive ourselves. However, we must not excuse ourselves for repeatedly indulging in the same attachments again and again. Forgive your past, and do not remain fixated on previous mistakes, because that too is a form of self-grasping (ātmagrāha). Some people keep saying, “Why was I so foolish before?” endlessly regretting, as if they should have been wiser in the past—this is unrealistic. Therefore, let go of the past. At the same time, through confession (kṣamā) we can purify past negative karma and make the resolve not to repeat those actions. When others make similar mistakes, we should also forgive them, because we are all ordinary beings.
In this way, your mind will gradually become liberated—more open, more generous, more kind, and naturally likable to others. Try it if you don’t believe it! When you practice like this, even your appearance will change—you will no longer carry a hostile air or feel displeased with everyone. When you see everyone in a positive light, even if you are not physically attractive, others will still find you pleasant. “I may not be beautiful, but I am gentle”—it really becomes like this. As you progress further, bodhicitta and the realization of emptiness will grow stronger. But renunciation is the foundation: it means letting go of the things that make our mental continuum chaotic, painful, and constantly conflicted, and making liberation the most important priority in our lives.
What is liberation? Liberation means, through practicing the Dharma, recognizing the illusory nature of saṃsāra. But first, we must remove the obstacles that prevent us from seeing this clearly. These obstacles are, above all, many coarse attachments, as well as subtle ones that are hard to detect yet exert powerful influence over us. This requires repeatedly observing our own mind through introspection. It is not difficult—if you do it consistently, over time it will accumulate into genuine familiarity. But if you do not practice it, then nothing will change.
—Excerpted and compiled from Conceptual Renunciation and Genuine Renunciation
This article is a preliminary translation draft and has not yet been reviewed or proofread by the speaker.
