The Enemy Within
The Dalai Lama
tricycle
The Dalai Lama on why the inner enemy is the most dangerous
one.
Our
history abounds with stories of individuals perpetrating the most
destructive and harmful acts: killing and torture, bringing misery
and untold suffering to large numbers of people. These incidents in
human history can be seen as reflecting the darker side of our
common human heritage. These events occur only when there is
hatred, anger, jealousy, and unbounded greed. World history is a
record of the effects of the negative and positive thoughts of
human beings. This, I think, is quite clear. By reflecting on these
past occurrences, we can see that if we want to have a better and
happier future, now is the time to examine the mindset of our
present generation and to reflect on the way of life that it may
bring about in the future. The pervasive power of these negative
attitudes cannot be overstated.
Despite being a monk and a supposed practitioner of
the Bodhicaryavatara [“The Way of the Bodhisattva”], I
myself still occasionally become irritated and angry and, as a
result, use harsh words toward others. Then, a few moments later
when the anger has subsided, I feel embarrassed; the negative words
are already spoken, and there is truly no way to take them back.
Although the words themselves are uttered, and the sound of the
voice has ceased to exist, their impact still lives on. Hence, the
only thing I can do is to go to the person and apologize, isn’t
that right? But in the meantime, one feels quite shy and
embarrassed. This shows that even a short instance of anger and
irritation creates a great amount of discomfort and disturbance to
the agent, not to mention the harm caused to the person who is the
target of that anger. So in reality, these negative states of mind
obscure our intelligence and judgment and, in this way, cause great
damage.
One of the best human qualities is our intelligence,
which enables us to judge what is wholesome and what is
unwholesome, what is beneficial and what is harmful. Negative
thoughts, such as anger and strong attachment, destroy this special
human quality; this is indeed very sad. When anger or attachment
dominates the mind, a person becomes almost crazed, and I am
certain that nobody wishes to be crazy. Under their power we commit
all kinds of acts—often having far-reaching and destructive
consequences. A person gripped by such states of mind and emotion
is like a blind person, who cannot see where he is going. Yet we
neglect to challenge these negative thoughts and emotions that lead
to near insanity. On the contrary, we often nurture and reinforce
them! By doing so we are, in fact, making ourselves prey to their
destructive power. When you reflect along these lines, you will
realize that our true enemy is not outside ourselves.
Let me give you another example. When your mind is
trained in self-discipline, even if you are surrounded by hostile
forces, your peace of mind will hardly be disturbed. On the other
hand, your mental peace and calm can easily be disrupted by your
own negative thoughts and emotions. So I repeat, the real enemy is
within, not outside. Usually we define our enemy as a person, an
external agent, whom we believe is causing harm to us or to someone
we hold dear. But such an enemy is relative and impermanent. One
moment, the person may act as an enemy; at yet another moment, he
or she may become your best friend. This is a truth that we often
experience in our own lives. But negative thoughts and emotions,
the inner enemy, will always remain the enemy. They are your enemy
today, they have been your enemy in the past, and they will remain
your enemy in the future as long as they reside within your mental
continuum. Therefore, Shantideva says that negative thoughts and
emotions are the real enemy, and this enemy is within.
This inner enemy is extremely dangerous. The
destructive potential of an external enemy is limited compared to
that of its inner counterpart. Moreover, it is often possible to
create a physical defense against an external enemy. In the past,
for example, even though they had limited material resources and
technological capabilities, people defended themselves by building
fortresses and castles with many tiers and layers of walls. In
today’s nuclear age, such defenses as castles and fortresses are
obsolete. In a time when every country is a potential target for
the nuclear weapons of others, human beings still continue to
develop defense systems of greater and greater sophistication. The
strategic defense project initiated by the United States, widely
known as “Star Wars,” is a typical example of such a defense
system. Underlying its development is still the old belief that we
can eventually create a system that will provide us with the
“ultimate” protection. I do not know if it will ever be possible to
create a defense system capable of guaranteeing worldwide
protection against all external forces of destruction. However, one
thing is certain: as long as those destructive internal enemies are
left to themselves, unchallenged, the threat of physical
annihilation will always loom over us. In fact, the destructive
power of an external enemy ultimately derives from the power of
these internal forces. The inner enemy is the trigger that
unleashes the destructive power of the external enemy.