Mundane Worldly Obsessions

2025, February, Issue 137

If you wish to awaken,

you must have some focus in this regard,

you must aspire to awaken,

you must not become distracted!

Awakening requires your full attention,

not some secondary afterthought;

If you think you must engage in politics,

or barroom brawls, or family squabbles,

placing that sort of mess above awakening,

then you are distracted;

If you think you must obtain great riches,

then awakening has been forgotten;

If you think that the world must love you,

or your childish mind needs praise,

then you are only obsessed with ego;

Awakening requires the cultivation,

the careful cultivation of Bodhicitta,

a constant adherence and devotion

to great love and compassion,

great compassion suffused with this

tiny spark

that is your own aspiration

to awaken;

Cultivate this spark within your heart center,

without being distracted by anything;

Cultivate this in your life

by doing what you can to help others,

but not by becoming embroiled

in endless fights and struggles;

Cultivate Bodhicitta

with all your heart and mind,

until you awaken,

going beyond all worldly concerns,

with pure altruistic intention

for the pragmatic evolution,

the transformation of all this nonsense,

turning this

into something beyond

what we now think is possible,

a realization that truly brings benefit,

creating causes and conditions

for all beings to awaken,

finding our Real Nature,

within and beyond

this bright condition,

as it is.

A poem by Robert Aho © 2025

It’s important to live your life; however, this does not mean that we must get distracted with worldly concerns. We must live at ease, remaining in constant presence, keeping our attention on our own awakening. Treat everything you encounter in life with a light touch. Don’t engage or allow anything to let you become distracted. Don’t obsess about the way the world is, simply observe that it has always been in turmoil and always will be this way. Remain at ease, despite the endless agitation surrounding all sentient beings, despite all the confused beings who perpetuate endless nonsense, hate, fear, anger, destruction, pain, loss. Let them go as you aspire to awaken. The only thing you can do to help is to awaken. This is my heartfelt advice to you.

People who are wrapped up in this world engage in politics, popularity, seeking fortunes and attention, as well as endless praise. They are obsessed with finding pleasure or happiness, and fearing pain and suffering. They are obsessed with the possibility of fame, while fearing insignificance and disrepute. They are obsessed with gaining treasures and losing them. They are obsessed with receiving praise, as they fear being blamed for anything.

None of this will help you to awaken. Don’t think for a second that plunging into arguments or running for political office will help you in any way. In order to awaken, we must be totally unconcerned about the affairs of this world. We must look within, opening our heart and mind to the ineffable. This world has nothing to offer us that has any lasting value.

When you delve into mind, you are making an inquiry into reality, not seeking more fantasy, confusion and nonsense. This is how we awaken. It’s not possible to awaken if we are distracted by the nonsense of this world, all the agitation and bad feelings. We must cut through all of that in order to discover directly what awaits us all.

Sometimes people think that this means we must renounce the world and all it has to offer. That’s not what I’m saying. Renunciation is a deep commitment, one that must be taken seriously; however, what I am saying is that we can simply see the world for what it is without needing to formally renounce. If we have the spark of Bodhicitta, we can live a life that is fulfilling, without engaging in all the traps, the noise, the manipulation and the struggle. We can live life with a light touch, simply taking care of ourselves and others, creating situations where we can spend our time in meditation, finding ways to open our heart and mind.

I’ve seen all too often people with the best of intentions, doing various activities that soon become all wrapped up in worldly concerns and obsessions. They no longer give themselves time to awaken. They become obsessed with money or politics, focusing outwardly on things that ultimately don’t matter, things that will not help us in the least to traverse the death bardo.

The world might be raging around us; however, we can’t let that distract us from this precious time where awakening is possible. We need to remain at ease, fully engaged with our own Spiritual Practice. This is how we help this dysfunctional world. It’s not by signing on to more dysfunction and mayhem. We help all beings by remaining steady, by remaining solid like a mountain, fully present in our own awakening.

The world can rage around us, and we remain at ease, taking full advantage of the time we have. We can still work a job or vote; however, those things only help in the short term. Whatever we do, we must find ways to be compassionate, loving and kind. If the fears and hopes are set aside, we clear the way to awakening.

Blessings in Light,

Robert Aho