Khenpo Yeshe Phuntsok
Why do we need to act with more virtue? Because each time you have a virtuous thought, your body’s subtle energy channels open up and your heart opens up. The more virtues you do, the more your heart opens, and the greater the power of your practice becomes so that results come fast.
There is a direct correlation between creating virtues and the three activities of listening, contemplation and meditation. Even Amitabha Buddha needed to continuously perform virtues while he was on the path so that he could create his pureland. Otherwise, it would not have been possible.
Engaging in non-virtue, acting against your own conscience or against universal principles of truth, carrying out shameless deeds all cause the mind to be enveloped by darkness and become closed. For example, if you steal something and do not confess/purify, this karma will obscure you, making it difficult to read or understand Dharma teachings.
If you get into a fight, tell lies, sow discord, or show disrespect to those who have higher qualities than you or who are more senior or elderly, your mind will immediately be covered by this karma as this contravenes the universal order of things. Such actions do not align with your conscience. On a deeper level, they go against your Buddha nature and are a perverted form of conduct.
Not only will this inevitably lead to retribution, but it will also immediately distort your mind, causing your subtle winds, energy channels and drops to degenerate, your body and mind become increasingly unhealthy. Needless to say, it will be impossible to truly resonate with the Dharma.
The importance of accumulating merits lies here. When you help others today, your heart will open, become brighter and calmer. The more you do such good deeds, the easier it is to achieve the path. Attaining Buddhahood is indeed very difficult, but if you have accumulated a great deal of worldly merits, it becomes much easier.
You can also experience this yourself. When you cultivate kind thoughts and actions, isn't your mind peaceful and at ease? This is the working of interdependence — because you are functioning in accord with your Buddha nature, favourable conditions naturally arise. Conversely, if you harbor many negative thoughts and actions, each one will obscure your true nature, making it impossible to advance in your practice.
Even if your practice seems to improve temporarily, committing a heavy negativity will immediately cause you to regress, making it impossible to sustain your attainment or progress further. However, if your virtue and merits are strong, your heart opens, obscurations clear up and signs of accomplishments quickly appear.
Therefore, before the main practice, it is crucial to accumulate merits and purify negativities as a preliminary. With the support of these practices, one gradually opens the heart, increasing favourable factors; and eliminate obstacles, reducing negative factors.
One negative karma can bind the mind in knots; if it is not untied, it will always trouble you. Many people do not understand this principle and act recklessly, leading to no progress in their practice.
