Which Is The Correct Path?

Again, this morning’s walk was beautiful because the mind was wholesome. It still remembered the sharings by Teacher Tuck Loon, moving the mind from dark to bright. It gave the mind a deeper understanding as more jigsaw puzzle pieces came in to fit the picture of the spiritual journey. It reminds me of what was mentioned in a text that I read somewhere that there are 84,000 paths to reach the destination of the spiritual journey. Whether this was a figurative meaning or not, I am not sure. But I am beginning to understand the truth of this. With all types of minds that we all are, it is not surprising that we see things differently. Hence, at some point in our lives, we need such and such a path and as we progress, we find that it is not for us anymore so we decide to move on and engage in something else.

In the past, I would think that only such and such a path is the right one. But, it is not true if I look at myself. I started off engaging in a religious approach in my early twenties. At that time, the mind was seeking for truth and all it wanted was a relief to soothe the discomfort of the seeking. If this present path had come in then, this mind may not understand for all it could understand was just that much. Teacher Tuck Loon used to say that whatever happens is perfect. This is so true in my understanding now. At that time, what came to me was perfect to lift the dust out of my eyes. The mind rejoiced when it heard the teachings given by a monk teacher who is still alive. It was so happy that it had found the path it was searching for. Many years down the road, the path didn’t suit my mind anymore. More problems had surfaced in my life and I couldn’t handle them anymore. Then, another teacher appeared who brought me relief through the understanding gained from his sharings. Much later, the problems seemed to resurface and nothing worked anymore until I embarked on this wisdom journey.

This mind is beginning to see that indeed, everything that happened was perfect. The teachers who appeared were perfect because that was what I needed then. Had another teaching come in then, this mind would not be able to fathom it. How true it is that there is nothing wrong outside but all are within. The teacher appears when the student is ready. It is not about the teachers or the religious approaches. It’s all about this mind that has to go through such experiences for it to gain clarity from different perspectives. Grace has entered my life all the way leading me to where I am. Turning in is becoming more natural as the illusory world is seen in helping this mind to do so. The illusion that still appears real is needed for the so-called cultivation and wisdom to bear fruit. It understands now why the teacher always says that there is nothing wrong with the defilements. They are for us to see them for the last time in every new moment. This is powerful because it brings the mind back to the present moment. Even to be able to talk about the defilements is giving relief to the mind because it releases ownership of them. It sees that they are not me but a consequence of wrong views. Defilements will arise because the views are not rectified. So that is a natural cause and effect. Each time I forget the 3MJ, I am conniving with ignorance to bring about more defilements. The teaching is simple but the mind will keep on doing that when habitual tendencies take over. That again is the nature of ignorance.

The teaching is simple but the problem is craving. It wants what is good and rejects what is bad. But is craving bad? No because it is the nature of craving to do that. It is not us but ignorantly, we take possession of it. How can understanding happen when we keep on perpetuating ignorance again and again. We want to stop the defilements because the defilements cause pain to the mind. Instead of understanding that the nature of defilements is such, we use defilements to solve the problem. We are given a simple method of 3MJ but the mind either forgets or resorts to the same tendency of doing the same approach of fixing the problem. The loop of delusion perpetuates. But the moment that tendency is seen, haha, we can laugh at how foolish we are. Time and time again, we have been fooled by our defilements and we use the same approach to tackle them. Instead of seeing them for their nature, we treat them as enemies. This is what is meant by seeing things as they are. But we can’t see as long as the veil covers us.

The `I’ is seen more and more. It likes to do, fix, defend, calculate, strategize, help, reach out, give opinions, and so on so forth. In short, it likes to be in control. One minute it plays the good guy and the next minute, it can be the bad one. It feels comfortable following the same tendency. In short, it needs to exist and be felt. When that is seen more and more, the heart feels a kind of peace. How true it is that amid uncertainty, there is certainty. So, the spiritual journey is for the mind to learn and be willing to release the holding on. It is for the so-called `I’ to die to what is. Is the mind willing to be at peace with whatever is arising in its space at any given moment? To say willing may not be so easy. The habitual tendency can be so strong that we think we are willing but actually, there is a subtle wish to do it our way. Hence, the wisdom factor is crucial for this willingness to embrace the turmoil of the present moment. It is in this acceptance that the heart knows that it is alright to be uncertain, alright to be not okay. Very paradoxical if we think about it but the mind cannot understand. The heart knows (or wisdom) that the journey is about seeing what is happening inside us more and more. Even if we cannot understand, can we still have the faith to discover that the block will be seen as the journey is undertaken? No one can help us, not even our teachers though without the `right’ teacher at that time, we will be more lost. But, the real teacher is within us as we begin to see more and more of the wrong views, the defilements, the wrong thoughts, etc that trap us in the web of delusion. Everything is personalized and the more we resist or hold on, the more trapped we become.

This reminds me of the monkey trap used to catch monkeys. The trap consists of a hollowed-out coconut, chained to a stake. The coconut has some rice inside which can be grabbed through a small hole. The monkey’s hand fits through the hole but his clenched fist can’t fit back out. The monkey is suddenly trapped. We are just like the monkey that refuses to let go due to the views that are running in our minds. We are so programmed that we cannot get out of the conditioning. Everything arises due to causes and conditions. That is a powerful statement. We are not in control and there is no one to be blamed in the whole event of causes and effects. Once the mind fully understands this due to seeing the happenings again and again, letting go happens naturally. Hence, we keep on learning from the defilements until there is no need to learn anymore. In the meantime, we are all the same and as the teacher points out very often, seen from a linear perspective, it may seem that one takes a shorter time than another person. But seen from a vertical perspective, it is just the way it is. When conditions are ripe, the results happen. We do not have a role in this grand scheme of events. This journey is for us to embark on. But, if taken as a piece of reading and thinking, nothing will happen. It is to be explored, internalised, and understood. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. So right understanding has to evolve through the initial mundane understanding, as aptly mentioned by the teacher. To support the journey, many other conditions are needed and one of them is kalyanamittaship (spiritual friendship). May we support one another when the going gets tough. The journey is simple but not easy.

In grace,
Chee Guit Yeng
31 August 2021