How to Repent of Demons and Remove the Karmic Nightmare

After many people begin studying and practicing the Buddha-Dharma, they shift from pursuing worldly benefits to pursuing the benefits of studying and practicing the Dharma. Yet the inner "I" is not severed, self-grasping is not severed, and they only reinforce self-view and self-grasping. "I want more and more disciples, I want greater and greater power, I want higher and higher fame, I want the reverence of more and more sentient beings"—all of these aims are simply for the sake of feeling comfortable psychologically. But does this comfortable feeling of the mind have any real meaning? When the crowd fawns over me, I feel comfortable; this comfortable feeling is a sensation of the mind consciousness, and this mind consciousness is arising, ceasing, illusory, and transformed—it is inherently false and cannot exist for long; it arises and passes away, and is extinguished day and night.

A true practitioner should frequently calm the mind and constantly reflect inwardly upon one's own mind: What exactly am I pursuing? I grasp at wealth and possessions—what is the purpose of grasping at wealth and possessions? Right now I crave enjoyment and crave pleasant feelings—what is the purpose of that? What meaning does it have? What faults does it entail? I have all kinds of desires—what will be the final outcome of these desires? See your own mind clearly, and bravely face your own mind; make clear what the ultimate purpose of your study and practice of the Buddha-Dharma is, and how to reach that purpose through practicing the Dharma in accordance with reason and in accordance with the Dharma, so as not to run contrary to your ultimate goal. If the mind seeks nothing, the goal can be reached quickly—so what more am I pursuing? One must often ask oneself: What do I want? What am I striving and scrambling for? Can it bring liberation? Does it have any real meaning? Is everything I pursue merely an illusory image conjured by the tathāgatagarbha? Will what is gained be lost again, or even more be lost? Do such unreasonable mental engagements (manaskāra) and pursuits bring more shackles of bondage, or more merit and beneficial enjoyment of liberation (puṇya-bala)?

The more a person wants to gain, the more one tends to lose. In learning Buddhism, we are meant to lighten the burden on the mind; we must not let the false appearances of the world blind our eyes. We should see others clearly, and see ourselves even more clearly, reflecting on ourselves in this way at all times. If in learning Buddhism one only covets appearances and does not work on the mind, then because of craving and attachment to appearances, one scrambles and fights in the world, sells out one's own soul, and acts against one's conscience—this can only increase one's afflictions and the burden on the mind. To use the Buddha-Dharma as a tool for contending for worldly benefits, as a tool for personal greed, as a tool for overpowering others—this is truly a grave offense, bringing endless calamity. If a practitioner, instead of seeking to lessen the afflictions on the minds of oneself and sentient beings, piles layer upon layer of shackles onto those afflictions and commits all kinds of unwholesome karma, this will bring harm upon Buddhism and sentient beings—seeking life yet falling instead, the loss far outweighing the gain. This is truly a foolish act; one should quickly repent and reform, and remove the nightmare of sin (karmic nightmare).