Question:

Dear Sir
I bow down to you and look forward to receiving compassionate instruction on a matter of great concern. It is a question of the right path.

I have practiced letting go of the idea that these five aggregates is me, mine. I see that the knowledge and concepts in my head are the problem. Including the concept of Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, about the path, about meditation, about what is right.

I have learnt to let go of what my ego likes most: thinking that it yearns for enlightenment, that it is noble because it seeks the way.

I practice letting go of everything until there is nothing left to let go of, I let go of the desire to let go of everything.

With such a mindset, although greed, hatred and delusion still appear, I often open the door of my heart to see the Dharma and meet the teacher in any form.

Until I met a person who claimed to have attained very high results that made me extremely shaken and tested.

All of this person’s behavior inside and out, his speaking and teaching give a feeling of openness, closeness, letting go, sincere help and upward love.

The contagious knowledge and confidence from this person makes it easy for religious seekers like me to bow down.

Only the dharma that this person guides me to practice is towards a creator, letting go of the ego, entering the great Self, and returning to the immortal whole soul.

Or that this person can always explain how Buddha nature is equivalent to the immortal soul, making me both respectful and shy, wanting to learn more and wondering.

My heart is confused and afraid of losing the opportunity to practice directly with the awakened person, on the other hand, afraid of going the wrong way and not reaching the end.

Writing these things down makes me feel stupid myself, but it’s better to be stupid to ask for clarity than to go miles away on the wrong path

So my question to you is:

1. How to distinguish the true Dharma and the true practitioner beyond words/concepts/appearances/sects?

2. Is the mentality of seeking the path a hindrance? When I have a mind to seek the Way, I find life is attentive and observant, but it is suffocating and heavy with me and with people. When I let go of my mind to seek the way, I feel light-hearted, cheerful and easy-going with people and with me, but I am distracted and lethargic, and at the same time I have an uneasy feeling that I am not diligent.

3. Is it necessary to stop thinking to go to wisdom?

I hope you can point out my mistakes, where I am still confused. I am extremely grateful to you.

Answer:
The “enlightened” teacher you speak of is a Brahmin-style enlightenment, still wants to work hard to become the ideal of the great self, no matter under what name.

In your practice, there is still a similarity to that, although it seems to be the opposite of letting go of the ego, but there is still a purpose to achieve. So when you heard that guru speak, you was immediately intrigued.

But Buddhism is the way of enlightenment, which means seeing the truth, seeing the working principle of the dharma right here and now.

So the point is seeing or not seeing – knowing or not knowing – but not achieving anything. Enlightenment is seeing the truth, liberation is getting rid of illusions about self, about the world, about the so-called Great Self, God, Buddha nature, Immortal Soul, Ultimate Bliss or Nirvana or something. .

To put it bluntly, it is better to see clearly with a pure mind that you are pooping, than trying to train to achieve an Immortal Soul.

Venerable Monk Vien Minh
trungtamhotong.org