..續本文上一頁ient India, this law was called ṛta, the essence of Dhamma. If you defile your mind, you are bound to become miserable. If you remove these defilements, you are bound to become happy. This law of nature is immutable; no one can change it. If you plant a seed of suffering, the fruit will also be of suffering. If you plant a seed of happiness, the fruit will be of happiness. So simple, and yet we forget it. Vipassana was lost in India because this simple law was forgotten.

　　There were many reasons why it got lost. One reason was the belief that someone would bless us and liberate us. You may spend your whole life deceiving yourself. Why would someone bless only you and not others

　　 Such a being is called all-powerful and all-compassionate. Either the one who liberates does not have the power to liberate everyone or he does not have compassion for all. You delude yourselves and forget Dhamma when you believe that someone else will liberate you because you have sung his praises, flattered him, glorified him, and worshipped him. What kind of liberator is this who takes delight in listening to praise and flattery!

　　Understand that it is your responsibility to remove your own defilements. Someone may do you the favour of compassionately showing the way. When people start realizing that they have to liberate themselves by moulding their lives according to the laws of nature-or the laws of God Almighty-they start to walk on the path of Dhamma, the path of liberation. But when people start realizing this, the priests feel threatened that their influence will decline. If people feel that they can liberate themselves, there will be no need for priests. So the priests spread this propaganda: "You are too weak, too impure to liberate yourself. Come to us, we will perform this rite or ritual or recite the sacred texts, which will wash away all your sins."

　　It seems to be a very easy way compared to the strenuous effort of practising Vipassana and gaining mastery over the mind. "This effort is too much for us. These priests will do everything for us and we will be liberated. Someone will bless us." You should be careful not to fall into this deceitful trap. Why is the whole world suffering

　　 So many people pray, yet why is their suffering not removed

　　 You have stopped understanding, and as a result, you have stopped improving yourselves.

　　You may believe that the world has been created by God Almighty and that he has made all these laws. If so, and if you want to please him, you must follow these laws and he will be pleased. Instead, you break his laws but sing his praises! Just like you break the laws of the state and send a bribe to the government officer to get your work done. You have brought your God to the same level as that of the corrupt government officer.

　　Why was this technique lost in India

　　 It was lost because it went into the hands of the priests. This happened in all sects and not just in any one sect. The tradition of the Buddha was no exception and the priests of this tradition also started doing the same thing: "Come, we will perform this ritual, we will give mettā to you, we will liberate you from all your sins."

　　Further, some of them said, "We don”t ask you to do any ritual. We don”t ask you for any offering. We will give you mettā for one hour and pull out your negativity." Why will anyone work if it is possible to get rid of all sins by sitting in front of a teacher and receiving mettā for one hour

　　 Such teachers are enemies of Dhamma.

　　Dhamma is Dhamma only if it makes us self-reliant. So it is the duty of every Vipassana teacher to teach people to become self-reliant. "Attā hi attano nātho" You are your own master and no one else. "Attā hi attano gati" You make your own future, both wholesome and unwholesome and …

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