By –Ven,Geshe Dorji Damdul,Director Tibet House,New Delhi
There is a hidden treasure of enlightenment and divinity which existed in everyone irrespective
of the individual’s caste, creed, nationality, religion and gender. When this treasure is unveiled, it
is described as Nirvana or Enlightenment, but only in relation to the perceiving mind which is
absolutely clean and pure.
A glass of water is seen very murky when looked through the tainted pair of lenses. Whereas it is
so pure when looked through the lens which is cleansed. The purity of the object all depends on
the purity of the subjective viewer. Likewise we see the whole world as so imperfect, as of now,
when looked through the lens of our own mind which is acutely defiled by ignorance and its
offshoot-afflictions such as attachment anger and their corresponding contaminated karmas.
As one cleanses the mind of these afflictions and karmas and views the same world again, it will
be seen very differently as so pure and perfect. As the mind is cleansed for good, one lives in the
world of purity and perfection. This is the experience of nirvana and full enlightenment in the
same world which is seen as samsara by the ordinary beings. Whether you experience full
enlightenment or just a simple nirvana is dependent on with what degree of purity of the mind
one interacts with the world. One is then posed with the next question. How can one possibly
give rise to such a pure vision? Will be continued next time.
