Flying over rooftops, passing through solid rock, walking on water without sinking—these feats of extraordinary ability have long captivated the minds of practitioners. Yet if they are not accompanied by compassion, if they lack a heartfelt gratitude toward the Three Jewels, then even the most dazzling attainments remain outside the True Path.
Why? Because they have not uprooted the self-grasping—indeed, they have only fortified it.
As Dharma King Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche states in A Commentary on the Essential Instructions on Trekchö: “If one has not even a trace of faith in his Guru and the Three Jewels, nor any compassion for sentient beings, then even if one can pass through cliffs without obstruction, fly through the sky like a bird, swim beneath water like a fish, shrink the great or enlarge the small, heal the sick with a single glance, retrieve sacred statues and hidden treasures from mountain crags or empty space, subdue hordes of demons and gather them as followers—all these are merely contaminated, conditioned signs arising under the influence of demonic forces. Never mistake them for the True Path. Only when one subdues demons with great compassion, beholds all beings with the wisdom-eye of compassion, cherishes every living creature, and guides them toward liberation—that alone is the sublime and genuine path.”
If even miraculous powers are not the point, then what of those who have merely read a few books? That counts for even less. Of course, we may grasp the teachings within those texts, and even draw upon what we have learned to propagate the Dharma and benefit sentient beings. But that does not mean we have eradicated our self-grasping.
Take the story of Master Huineng: once, while staying at an inn in Lingnan, he overheard someone reciting the Diamond Sutra. At the line, “Awaken the mind without abiding anywhere,” Huineng attained enlightenment on the spot. Yet the ordinary reciter—where is he now? Still wandering in samsara, for all we know. If spiritual practice truly eradicates the self-clinging, then even an ordinary person can become an Arya—at the very least, an Arhat.
The very heart of spiritual practice lies in eradicating the twofold self-grasping—grasping at the personal self and grasping at phenomena—rather than building up superpowers, spiritual abilities, or so-called “views” upon the mistaken recognition of a truly existent “I”. If your view does not serve to dismantle the self-grasping, it is, in essence, a wrong view. Even if every word you speak aligns perfectly with the Dharma, if it is used to reinforce and fortify the self, then you may bring benefit to others yet ultimately harm your own path to liberation.
Remember this: whenever painful emotions—such as suffering, anxiety, unease, doubt—arise within us, it is almost always self-grasping at work. In itself, it is neither good nor bad. But if you recognize it as self-clinging and strive to unravel it, then it becomes a supportive condition for your practice, because it spurs you to apply the Dharma. On the other hand, if you remain indulged in that pain, blaming everyone and lashing out at everything around you, then you are simply sowing further negative karma.
Spiritual practice may seem mysterious, but in truth it is not. Why do we so often fail to make progress? Because we are not truly determined to commit wholeheartedly to the practice. Instead, we only want to use spiritual practice to make ourselves more comfortable. As Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö puts it, this mindset is merely “maintaining samsāra.” The root of samsāra is grasping at the personal self. And that “self”—in reality, it does not exist. What exists is merely a clinging itself. And that clinging, when examined at its ultimate essence, is devoid of true existence.
As practitioners, we must examine our own self-clinging repeatedly and earnestly. The purpose of this observation is not merely to see it, but to dismantle it entirely. There is no other “liberation” apart from this. The moment grasping at the personal self begins to loosen, the first glimmer of liberation will appear.
This article is a preliminary translation draft and has not yet been reviewed or proofread by the speaker.
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