Page 93 - Because I know, I can let go

Greed, aversion, and delusion are like fires, whenever they’re present the mind is hot.

We may have money but we can’t quench the fires of greed and aversion; we might be
famous, have power, good fortune, stature, but we can’t get rid of greed, aversion, and
delusion, hence the mind is hot, it shakes and trembles, it’s agitated. There are problems
because of these defilements. If one has strong defilements then there’s a lot of mental

heat, and we might harm those close to us, our children, wife, mother, not to mention
other people. Especially is that the case with those who have power, like national leaders,
community leaders, if they fall under the power of greed, aversion, and delusion they
can create problems for the world, history bears witness to the deaths of tens, hundreds

of thousands of people because world leaders operated under the power of the greed,
aversion, and delusion. Hence the world is ‘hot’ and there are problems, there’s dukkha.

Human society at present is like that, the many and various things we put our faith in

mostly encourage greed, aversion, and delusion. In truth some things are useful, like the
radio, the television, etc. that is, we’re able to use them to spread Dhamma, but when
people fall under the power of greed, aversion, and delusion such tend to become Māra’s
agents, not things which encourage mental peace and coolness. There are some which

encourage that, but they’re too few in number, representing just a small percentage of
those things we see and hear, mostly such disturb the mind so that it’s not peaceful, and
when that’s the case there’s no real happiness.

Practising Dhamma in the Buddhist manner is for defeating the enemies within, that is,
the kilesa, the defilements. Practising Dhamma is about making the defilements subside,
when the defilements subside selfishness weakens, and when selfishness is gone so will
all the social disturbances be gone too. Selfishness comes from the feeling of being ‘self.’

If we want to help to build a peaceful human society then we must also help to persuade,
to induce people to reject defilement, to eject the enemies within. This is very important.
As the Buddha said: if we value the well-being of our relatives, of our friends, of anyone at

all, then we should try to get them interested in the Dhamma, and in practising Dhamma.

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