Phenomena That Arise After One's Cultivation Gains Strength

After practicing right effort, if the direction of practice is correct, one will derive benefit: desires become lighter, grasping and afflictions diminish, and both body and mind undergo certain changes. Knowing the impermanence, non-self, and emptiness of the world, craving for material things will fade, attachment to material form will lessen, and greed will decrease. As long as material desires are few and one does not crave enjoyment, living in this world basically does not require much money or material goods. Those accustomed to depending on worldly material things certainly have blazing greed; their demands for money and material goods will quickly multiply, and no matter how desperately they make money, they still feel it is not enough. Enough or not enough lies in the mind, not in the amount of money and material things. Only by knowing contentment and knowing when to stop can one have peace of mind and happiness.

After right effort in practice becomes effective, in order to eliminate karmic obstructions and hindrances, one will encounter adverse conditions. The Diamond Sutra says: 以世人轻贱故，是人先世罪业则得消灭。Once practice gets on track, some adverse conditions will be drawn forth, and these adverse conditions are also conducive conditions for practice. Adverse conditions can eliminate the karmic offenses of practitioners: at the minimal cost of being despised by others, grave karmic offenses can be eradicated. Therefore one should joyfully accept adverse conditions. Sometimes, even though you have done nothing at all, someone will still frame and slander you. If you endure it silently, the matter will pass and the karma will be dissolved; if you cannot endure it and strike back, not only will you create new karma, the old karma will also not be dissolved. Therefore the Buddha said that forbearance is a virtue, that it has merit, and that it increases both merit and wisdom. Treating such circumstances well can aid the Path.