THE TRAP OF MEDITATION

Meditation and Buddhist studies are beneficial and represent the most viable path for the development of intellect, consciousness, and ethics available to humanity today. However, the trap of attachment still lies within them.

The First Trap: Willfulness and Arrogance

Those who practice meditation and follow a vegetarian diet often consider themselves superior. They have a tendency to scrutinize others' egos and make biased and narrow-minded judgments. For example, they may believe that those who do not meditate have unstable minds, with a larger ego and sense of self than theirs, as they are constantly meditating and discussing Buddhist teachings.

However, the reality is different. In life, just living ethically and abiding by the law is already challenging enough, let alone attaining enlightenment and eliminating the ego. For some meditators, while the path to overcoming the ego remains uncertain, their biases and stubbornness have already reached extreme levels.

A butcher or a prostitute may sometimes have a clear moral vision and live honorably, even more so than those who have meditated for ten years. Characters like Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, and Li Shishi serve as typical examples. Compassion and the size of one's ego are not solely dependent on meditation.

Figures like Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, and Mother Teresa are often regarded as living Buddhas, yet they never meditated or studied Buddhist scriptures. In other words, they meditated and practiced in their own way.

The Second Trap: Subjectivity and One-Sidedness in Judging People

Meditators and Buddhist scholars often believe they can accurately judge others. However, evaluating a person is an exceedingly difficult and complex task. Even Buddha himself acknowledged this, stating: "There is nothing harder than discerning the heart and evaluating a person. Therefore, one must be extremely cautious."

Human character is dynamic; it does not resemble a machine or a house. It constantly changes states, and judging someone by appearances does not necessarily reveal their true nature. For instance, someone with a fiery, direct temperament is often seen by meditators as having a large ego. Conversely, those who are quiet, timid, and introverted are often viewed as having a smaller ego or as being enlightened, humble, and good listeners.

In reality, being quiet, gentle, and introverted does not necessarily indicate a small ego. The writer Nam Cao is a prime example. According to those who knew him, Nam Cao was typically quiet and shy. In social settings, he would often remain silent, speaking hesitantly. However, once during a drunken moment, he shattered a bowl and declared, "Damn it, I don’t admire Gorky at all, only Chekhov."

At the time, Maxim Gorky was widely praised, yet Nam Cao considered him mediocre and far inferior to himself. Nam Cao's inner self was thus revealed—he only admired Chekhov, indicating a strong sense of ego. This contradicts the observations others made about his external demeanor.

Was Cao Cao truly as suspicious and ruthless as ancient texts suggest? If he were so suspicious, how could he have achieved great success? Suspicion implies a lack of trust in anyone, doing everything by oneself. But if one does everything alone, how much can be accomplished? How could he have built an empire from nothing if he alienated everyone?

In conclusion, the more I study, the more I realize, just as Buddha said, that making conclusions about a person is no easy task.

Of course, the traps of meditation only affect those who are still inexperienced. For enlightened masters, these biases and judgments no longer exist. To them, everyone is both right and wrong; the concepts of right and wrong lose their importance. They radiate love and compassion toward all, abandoning all intricate reasoning and analysis.

Let me reiterate: Meditation and Buddhist studies are beneficial, representing the brightest path for the development of intellect, consciousness, and ethics available to us today.

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WANTING TO PRACTICE SPIRITUALITY IS NOT EASY

I have discovered an interesting truth about spiritual practice. Those who stay close to enlightened masters constantly are more prone to developing a swollen ego. Their spiritual journey is fraught with more obstacles than we might think.

History provides many such examples. Ananda, who stayed beside Buddha for decades, was the last and most difficult disciple to attain the level of Arhat, compared to others who were not close to Buddha.

According to some who are knowledgeable, Vu Ky, who served closely under Ho Chi Minh, had a very large ego. Wherever he went, he mimicked Ho Chi Minh’s style, from his laughter to the way he wore his scarf, his speech, and his body language. Nguyen Dang Manh made a rather interesting observation: "A servant will always be a servant, no matter whom they serve. The nature of a servant never changes."

Recently, I’ve noticed that the disciples who serve closely beside great monks like Thich Minh Niem and Thich Nhat Hanh exhibit similar behavior. They make a deliberate effort to appear as though they’ve transcended worldly desires. In reality, their ego and arrogance are blatantly evident in their words, expressions, and laughter.

Consider the following statement:

"Dear community, our master is currently doing ABC. His health is... Tomorrow, our master will..."

At first glance, it seems humble and appropriate. But in reality, the ego and arrogance are clearly visible in this statement. The master belongs to everyone, to the universe, to us all. The master is like a cool breeze that spreads peace and enlightenment throughout the world; there is no such thing as “our master.” Repeating “our master” multiple times reveals a strong sense of ego and ownership.

Perhaps the reason for this is that they are responsible for scheduling and arranging meetings for their teacher, leading to many people seeking their favor. And when many people seek your favor, it’s easy for pride and arrogance to arise. So, wanting to practice spirituality is not easy.

Remember:

THE EIGHT WINDS THAT DESTROY PEOPLE

1. Gaining great fortune breeds arrogance and rashness.
2. Losing great fortune breeds despair and pessimism.
3. Being slandered breeds anger and resentment.
4. Being praised breeds arrogance and complacency.
5. Being despised breeds discouragement and hatred.
6. Being respected breeds conceit and indulgence.
7. Facing hardship breeds whining and weakness.
8. Feeling too much joy breeds recklessness and corruption.