Learning to Grow in Adversity
Teachings from Ashvaghosha Bodhisattva
An Interview Recorded on April 18, 2019
The Art of Remaining Unmoved
To learn how to grow in adversity, one must first understand that the true essence of growth lies within the challenge itself. When you are faced with difficult circumstances, you must learn to navigate through them without being swayed by external conditions. It is essential to find a way to survive and thrive even in the midst of hardship. You must truly realise that the path of practice requires you to pass every test, regardless of how the environment changes.
Whether you are experiencing favourable conditions or facing severe adversity, you must maintain a heart that is unmoving. You should pass through every process of life with a sense of ease, following the conditions as they arise. Do not allow your resolve to be shaken during these tests; instead, you must possess a heart of great courage, capable of breaking through any barrier.
Overcoming the Desire to Retreat
Practising the does not mean that you should fear obstacles. What you should fear most is the retreat of your own heart. If you lose the sincere heart you had when you first began your practice, that is the greatest difficulty you will ever face. However, even this hurdle must be overcome. You must understand that every test is an opportunity for you to grow and to break through your limitations.
Even if you feel a sudden desire to give up, you must recognise that this is merely a test of how you handle the impurities within your heart. Have you ever felt the sudden urge to stop living? That feeling is actually a mutation of your character. To put it plainly, your inner world is easily controlled by external influences. Why does this happen? It is because your heart still harbours worldly thoughts. This includes the temporary influence caused by a momentary desire to retreat. These should not be allowed to become reasons for you to be obstructed or interfered with. Even when you encounter such adversity, your resolve must remain firm. While the external environment may move, your internal world must remain completely unaffected.
The Illusion of Gain and Loss
The practice of the Dharma involves many different changes and tests, all of which influence the heart of the practitioner. If your heart is not sufficiently firm, you will allow adversity to interfere with your progress. You will begin to listen to the messages within the adversity, which will disturb your heart and prevent it from being pure. This difficulty can be described as a lack of faith in your true self, or it can be attributed to the interference of . Therefore, when your heart cannot find peace, especially when your resolve has been compromised, you must make a decisive choice. You must understand clearly what the correct direction is. Between light and darkness, you must know how to turn towards the light, rather than allowing yourself to be covered by darkness. You must keep your original, most sincere vow clearly in your heart.
The difficulties that appear in your life are merely illusions. Why is there a difference between favourable and adverse conditions in your practice? It is because you still harbour a heart of gain and loss. You enjoy praise and glory, while you despise setbacks and difficulties. Those with such a character are easily tested by both favourable and adverse conditions. For those whose character is particularly fragile, their hearts are like tofu—easily shattered at the slightest touch. They cannot handle any difficulty or pressure and can only survive when they are surrounded by tolerance and protection. Such a heart cannot accomplish great things. It is easily trapped in its own cycle of birth and death, unable to escape the suffering of the cycle of reincarnation. Consequently, their practice often becomes futile, which is a great pity.
Purifying the Modern Mind
In the modern world, the character of practitioners is multifaceted. It is easy to see many lingering habits and personality traits that were previously hidden. Because of the rapid changes in modern society and the fast-paced dissemination of information through new technology, many people's hearts are easily shaken. They cannot maintain a stable heart, and naturally, they find it difficult to overcome the changes within themselves. In truth, even if you are truly affected by the pollution of this era, you must resolve to let the power of purification eliminate these causes of interference during your period of practice. You must allow the various memories and impressions of the past to be erased. The key lies in knowing your heart—knowing your true self.
Even if your body carries the pollution of this world, your true self understands that the heart is turning towards purity and light, rather than remaining in the original state of worldly pollution. Naturally, when the direction of your heart changes, the power of the influence will also change. When your heart is no longer affected by the world and you know the path of righteousness and light, then even if images of pollution appear, your heart will already know how to turn towards the light.
Adversity as a Path to
Adversity is a test for your heart, and it is also a process of purifying your body. Practice is meant to change you; therefore, in the process of purification, you must adjust the unnecessary components within your body, which are your various karmic habits. As long as there is , there will be tests. But when you have a vow, the test is no longer a test; it becomes a power that elevates you. Therefore, when you are in the midst of adversity, your heart should have an . You should not be affected by the adversity. You must know what is being tested while you are in the midst of these conditions, and you must know what your awakening is.
To elevate your practice, you must understand that without conditions, there would naturally be no difficulties. Without the desire for gain and loss, you will naturally be able to find yourself in purity—the pure true self. Namo Amituofo.
Ashvaghosha
This interview was recorded and transcribed by the chief writer, Buddhist practitioner Shi Faxi.
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