My dear friends,

The fifteenth precept under the seventh point in Geshe Chekawa's Mind Training in Seven Points is:

This is an essential point in understanding and applying the teachings of the lojong tradition. It is a critical reminder to align our actions with the true spirit of the teachings, rather than allowing them to be corrupted by egoistic or worldly motivations.

As an example, let us consider how the paramitas, or perfections, can be misunderstood or misapplied when our intentions are not pure. The paramitas are meant to cultivate qualities that transcend ordinary, self-centered concerns, guiding us towards a Bodhisattva's way of being. However, when these qualities are practiced with the wrong motivations, they can lead to inverted deeds—actions that appear virtuous on the surface but are actually driven by attachment, aversion, or ignorance.

True generosity is free from possessiveness and the desire for recognition. If our giving is motivated by a need for praise or self-satisfaction, it becomes an inverted deed.

The highest form of morality arises from a tranquil mind, not from rigid adherence to rules out of fear or a desire to appear virtuous.

Genuine patience is rooted in humility, not in passive acceptance of injustice or harm.

Perseverance should come from a place of joyful effort, not from an attachment to the outcome or the identity of being "the one who endures."

True concentration is uncontrived and natural, not forced or strained.

The deepest wisdom arises from non-attachment to the ego, the sense of "I am," and it sees through the illusory nature of all phenomena.

To avoid following inverted deeds, it is essential to develop mindfulness and introspection, ensuring that our actions genuinely reflect the principles of the Bodhisattva path and are not tainted by the eight worldly concerns: gain and loss, praise and blame, fame and disrepute, pleasure and pain.

This verse serves as a powerful antidote against inverted deeds. When we see the illusory nature of phenomena^(*), we are less likely to grasp at and cling to those that seem pleasurable, and to fear and hate those that seem unpleasurable, and our actions are more likely to be pure and aligned with the Bodhisattva path.

In this light, "Do not follow inverted deeds" is a call to constantly check the purity of our motivation and to ensure that our practice is free from self-centeredness – a reminder to align our actions with the wisdom that sees beyond the superficial and into the profound nature of reality, leading to practices that are truly undefiled. By doing so, we keep our spiritual practice on the right path, guided by the light of wisdom and compassion.

(*) That is, we may perceive phenomena as permanent and inherently existent, when in fact they are impermanent and arise in dependence on causes and conditions.