“Do not be afraid of defilements; fear only not being mindful”—this should be everyone’s lifelong work and is what we should all strive for. Whenever we encounter events and conditions that give rise to mental defilements, not only should we be mindful of them but we should also diligently cultivate ourselves to overcome the inherent obstacles. The method by which we cultivate ourselves is to gradually meditate on the defilements until the mind becomes purified and steadily progresses toward perfection. We must embrace this process and make a wholehearted effort to allow it to transpire. People are often impatient. They wish to attain perfection instantaneously and seldom consciously exert themselves to experience the processes in between. In doing so, they readily experience setbacks. In general, people are reluctant to acknowledge their imperfections. As a result, when they discover that there are many faults and
deficiencies in their lives, the setbacks become more pronounced and can even be magnified. They are likely to forgo cultivation with the misconception that striving for perfection would be
unattainable.
unattainable.
Similarly, upholding the precepts is comparable in many ways. Few of us truly abide by the pure precepts taught by the Buddha due to all of the defilements that we innately possess. The only one who has perfected the practice of upholding the precepts is the Buddha himself. For us sentient beings, we are merely trying to learn how to uphold the precepts in a virtuous manner. If we have the desire to genuinely perfect this practice, there is a process by which we can achieve this lofty goal. We must first vow to cultivate this process with utmost diligence. In turn, we will gradually perceive the advancements and behold the benefits. Whenever we become cognizant of issues, we should consciously exert our efforts to cultivate it. This is the true essence of the phrase “Do not be afraid of defilements; fear only not being mindful.”
