More Obstacles When Practicing? A Sign Of Good Practice?

[Csillag 0]

Tashi delek,

 

I have questions to 2 topics:

 

1.It is often said that when we start to engage more seriously into dharma practice, then more obstacles, more negative karma and more kleshas are coming up. They say it is because bad karma gets quicker ripen in order that we can purify it, but it will be lighter experienced than if we would not practice. Because this bad karma could ripen in future lifes not just one time but many times and also bring us in a lower realm. So it is better to experience this bad karma now but in a lighter form.

So people who are practicing more seriously would experience more disturbing emotions and other obstacles.Because of this it is sayed in order that we will not sink with our boat when those great waves of obstacles/ kleshas are coming, we have to practice dharmpala/protectors pujas like mahakala for instance.

 

Another position is that when we are practicing, then actually a good sign of practice is that our kleshas are getting more less, we become more peaceful and compassionate. Especially when we are having a proper guru devotions we will be free of obstacles on our path.

This position is completely contradictory to the above one.

 

Both positions I`ve heared from high Lamas, I am sure both statements must be true, nethertheless, I still have some confusion on this topic, as with those informations it is hard for me to judge my own practice. When more kleshas , obstacles are coming is it now sign of good practice or not? Or maybe it is like this: I will experience more obstacles/kleshas, but I will be able to transcendent them very quickly, more quickly than before and "generally" I will feel more in peace, more compassion?

 

2.Then another thing: Some say it is sometimes better to choose a more difficult way, than the light one, as when going through obstacles and mastering them, our realisation will grow accordingly with it. There is a text from Patrul Rinpoche on the different kinds of maras/obstacles, and there it is sayed that obstacles are seen by a practitioner as a blessing of the Buddhas, make you more to practice etc. How can we judge if we really can master obstacles?

I mean when we experience now anger than even just the mental formation of anger destroyes a huge amount of our good merit accumulated my physical and verbal deeds. Now the question is when we do not follow the anger, do not act it out and do not keep it in our mind, but work on it to transmute it either the Hinayana or Mahayana way, do we than accumulate more merit, and do not loose the merit, so the obstacle became now a source of blessing for us?

Or is it already too late when we experienced the anger?And it is then just an illusion for us as beginners that we think we could really use the obstacles for our path?

 

I would be very thankful for a clarification on this.

Best wishes

Csillag

[Pamo 0]

Tashi delek dear Csillag,

 

i hope there will soon be some thoughts and clear replies to your above brought ahead questions. But to this last one, i would too like to share my belive with you,

 

Or is it already too late when we experienced the anger?And it is then just an illusion for us as beginners that we think we could really use the obstacles for our path? I would be very thankful for a clarification on this.

 

that i think that every abstacle is only a clear information for you, a factual truth about the moment of your being; and that we should not think we could not use it for our path, for it can be a fuel or a stopping point to think over where you want to go, what you want to think, do and act and why you are where you are - about the sense and meaning of your life. If you find yourself feeling angry, it is just an information...it's never too late to decide to want to become different about perceiving reality. Anger can teach us patience; and the answers to why we are angry at this moment can give us a better understanding of who we are (not). Observing this can make us freer - feeling angry and making it a movie for us lo learn from. Getting familiar with our habitual action (compulsive reaction) can make us stronger within; because we start to see there's nothing new really in all these moments that people, thoughts, actions, words, situations....make us angry; only repetative song, starting to sing when the right switch is turned on. This can become quite boring But in spite of that, even though we see better all the reasons why it appeared, the anger can still be quite overwhelming for some time. That's why it is always so comforting hear Teachers say: "It takes time." Thank you

Pamo

[Wangmo 0]

Good evening

 

Maybe it is like this: if due to serious practice more obstacles and negative karma are ripening, the mind may get less disturbed by them, and less inclined to develop further negativity by clinging to negative emotions.

So despite the fact that we may for example experience anger, it would be easier to overcome it and turn to compassion (and not for example cling to this anger and let it develop into hatred).

 

All the best.

[Simona 0]

Good morning. I have read about the disciples of Adzom Drugpa (he was also The Teacher of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche), that when they were practising giving and taking (Tonglen), often happened their understanding would become clouded and they would feel that their obscurations had increased. But, I understand, the negative and heavily actions of others, which one take upon himself during that pracice, are in fact not stored for oneself. What is stored for oneself, in the alaya, is seed of one`s own negative and evil actions. The effects of every one of ones actions must be exhausted (sooner or later) in two possible ways; either through purifying and confessing them or through the experience of their consequences. I think the seeds ripen in their own dynamic. Yet, I have noticed, that negative actions ripen more easily when one`s mind is negatively directed. There is a saying "when evil has children, it has plenty of them". For the end, I would say that entering The Path, it means in general to become more aware and may be this could also be a reason, that we see more, that our view became broader and we notice how everything in fact is connected and dependant.

 

Best regards,

Simona

[billytiss 0]

When we decide to clean the room...at the beginning we notice how dirty it is. If we proceed with cleaning and not like sit on the floor and start crying because it is so dirty (and then never finish the cleaning)...we will slowly make the room shiny and nice

 

In terms of mind there can be different difficulties, things from past, our negative inclination that we notice and other rubbish ...yet if we proceed with practice and if we do not give too much attention to the 'dust', I believe we will eventually clean it and be much more happier and much more healthy for the others.

[Michael John Smith 0]

The best advice I have heard is from Suzuki Roshi in Zen Mind Beginner's Mind when he said "In the mind of the beginner the possibilities are endless, in the mind of the expert there are none". We should in other words continously maintain our beginner's mind. If we remember back to our first experiences of meditation, when our mind was rushing about, thoughts coming faster than before, etc. it was because we were now making the effort to observe them for the first time. As we grasped at them less, mentally gossiped about them less, they appeared to arise slower and with practice we learned how we could examine them. I think it's the same as you progress. The situation is repeating itself - obstacles appear to be more and greater than they really are. We need space and time for the mind to settle and definately the attitude of the beginner's mind.

As far as karmic consequences are conerned, I don't know anything about that. I just try to progress steadily whilst realising the urgency of my commitment for myself and others.

From a beginner,

Tashi delek

[Shenpen.Rinpoche 0]

This position is completely contradictory to the above one.

No, they are not. 1) Engaging into the practice might very well increase the ripenning of some negative karma, but 2) because you practice, you are taking these negative situation with a much better and pacified mind. More clear now?

 

Now the question is when we do not follow the anger, do not act it out and do not keep it in our mind, but work on it to transmute it either the Hinayana or Mahayana way, do we than accumulate more merit, and do not loose the merit, so the obstacle became now a source of blessing for us?

First, if you have dedicated well the positive karma you have accumulated, which transform it into merits, it then can't be destroyed by subsequence negative actions.

 

then, if you can catch the anger at the moment it starts, or even before (anger is preceded by irritation), and apply the right antidote, it won't accumulate negative karma but positive ones.

 

When it is said to follow the toughest way, it means that we should not be lazy, always following the easiest way, demaning less efforts. It doesn't mean that always, we should engage ourselve in complication! In front of choices, we have to evaluate them at the light of our wisdom and undertanding of Bodhicitta, and see what we should follow or not.

Sometime, we don't have to take the most complicated choice, but the easy one. Importance is not to choose from laziness point of view, but from fruitfullness point of view...