When we put all our energies into a practice, it is quite common for bad deeds from the past to surface, so that all sorts of unwanted things happen to us: we fall physically ill, feel mentally anguished, experience the manifestations of negative forces and obstacle makers, fall victim to hostile people, bandits, and thieves, find ourselves subject to people’s criticisms and false accusations, and so on.

These are said to be signs that we are purifying ourselves, like the dirt that comes out when one washes a container. Therefore, when such things happen to you, don the great armor of diligence that renders the practice impervious to unpleasant circumstances.

Although it may happen that we get one or two good qualities here and there as signs of progress on the path, it can be hard to distinguish whether they are genuine signs or obstacles caused by demons.

Even supposing they are genuine, the moment we attach any importance to them, they will turn into demonic obstacles, so get rid of all expectation, apprehension, and doubt, and do not be attached to good signs or frightened by bad ones.

It is said that while we are on the path, there are many mistakes we can make and ways in which we can go astray, but the principal errors are: to treat the teacher as an equal; to be lacking in pure perception with regard to one’s spiritual brothers and sisters; to criticize other philosophical systems while being proud of one’s own; to act hypocritically with regard to the commitments; to give the five poisons free rein; to have no respect for the law regarding actions and their effects; to air one’s views and indulge in big talk about emptiness and so forth; to tell all and sundry about one’s experiences; and to lie that one has sublime qualities that one does not have.

To make these the basis of one’s practice is obviously the greatest error, yet even if the Buddha were to appear in person, it would seem difficult to block this perilous path onto which one can stray, for we ourselves mm are blessed by demons, and beings in the decadent age have but little good fortune, so that there is much running after purely meaningless talk without understanding the real point of the Dharma.

Even though we follow a teacher, train in acquiring good qualities, practice in retreat, and read many profound texts, it does not do the slightest bit of good to our minds and our characters get worse and worse. We grow ever more proud, the eye of pure perception grows dim, and we pass the time only in examining others’ faults.

People like us are impervious to the Dharma, we are breakers of the commitments, burdened with evil deeds from the past; we have truly been blessed by demons.

Our kind Teacher, the Buddha, summed up the Dharma as follows:

Abandon all evildoing,
Practice virtue perfectly,
Completely subdue your mind:
This is the Buddha’s doctrine.

If we were to summarize the whole result of practicing the Dharma, it is that the mind has to be tamed. And yet nowadays there are practitioners who devote themselves principally to harming others for the sake of the Dharma, getting involved in disputes using the teachings as a pretext, tricking and deceiving people with the excuse that it is for the sake of beings—everything in fact that the Buddha taught as being at variance with the Dharma. Do not follow such ways.

In particular, there are the eight ordinary concerns, of which Nagarjuna said:

You who know the world, take gain and loss,
Or bliss and pain, or kind words and abuse,
Or praise and blame—these eight mundane concerns—
Make them the same, and don’t disturb your mind.

These eight ordinary concerns, not to speak of others, seem to stain even those who claim to be genuine Dharma practitioners without their noticing, so it is very important to remain thoroughly attentive.

Moreover, there are six mistaken qualities we must avoid:

• mistaken patience, where we are unable to put up with difficulties in practicing the teachings but manage to put up with the most grueling tasks in order to see through our projects for this life;
• mistaken aspiration, where we have no wish to practice the Dharma but are full of enthusiasm when it comes to achieving the eight ordinary concerns;
• mistaken enjoyment, where we have no taste for listening to the Dharma, reflecting on it, or meditating, but have plenty of appetite for material enjoyments;
• mistaken compassion, where we have no compassion when we or others perform negative actions, but feel compassion for people who are experiencing hardship for the sake of the Dharma;
• mistaken care, where we fail to introduce our dependents to the Dharma but help them succeed in this life;
• and mistaken rejoicing, where rather than meditate on joy with regard to people performing positive actions, we are delighted when our enemies meet with difficulties.

If we are always able to take the lowest seat, there will be no way for pride and jealousy to creep in. And as long as pride does not arise, obstacles cannot occur. But the moment we start to feel proud and think, “Even my teacher is no better than I am,” “Other practitioners do not know as much as I do,” and so on, obstacles will happen.

Dudjom Rinpoche – A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom ~ Shambhala Publications

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