Misconceptions in Spiritual Practice

In the practice of learning Buddhism and cultivating the path, one can unknowingly fall into mistaken views. Some people fall into the misconception that since everything is empty and illusory, it doesn't matter what one has; since feeling is empty, then just feel it; since suffering is empty, then just suffer it; since afflictions are empty, then just be afflicted; since birth and death are empty, then let birth and death be birth and death; since saṃsāra is empty, then let saṃsāra be saṃsāra.

Others fall into another misconception, thinking: since the practice of cultivating merit is empty, why should I still cultivate merit and practice generosity (dāna)? Since meditative concentration (samādhi) is empty, why should I still cultivate meditative concentration? Since the bodhisattva path is empty, why should I still cultivate the six perfections? Since becoming a Buddha is empty, why should I still strive to become a Buddha? Since everything is empty anyway, practicing or not practicing makes no difference.

Some people, having studied the tathāgatagarbha teaching, fall into yet another misconception, thinking: the tathāgatagarbha never keeps precepts, so why should I keep precepts? The tathāgatagarbha never cultivates meditative concentration, so why should I cultivate meditative concentration? The tathāgatagarbha never cultivates merit, so why should I cultivate merit? The tathāgatagarbha never transmigrates through saṃsāra, so why should I still seek to end saṃsāra? The tathāgatagarbha is originally a Buddha, so why should I still strive to become a Buddha?

Yet these people never say: the tathāgatagarbha never has greed and desire, so why should I still have greed and desire? The tathāgatagarbha never has afflictions, so why should I still have afflictions? The tathāgatagarbha never kills, steals, commits sexual misconduct, lies, or drinks alcohol, so why should I still do these things? The tathāgatagarbha has never had ignorance, so why should I still have ignorance? Since you believe in emptiness, then empty out all dharmas—give only half a month's salary each month, and don't fuss over it. Why have a selective emptiness? Emptying out responsibility, but not emptying out self-interest and greed and desire—what kind of emptiness is this?