My dear friends,

The final verse of Geshe Langri Tangpa's Eight Verses for Training the Mind is:

We have already considered the first three lines of this verse. Now let's consider the last three lines, reflecting on two key ideas: how the realization that all phenomena are illusory frees us from clinging, and how this enables us to contribute to the liberation of all beings.

Freeing Ourselves from Clinging

To regard phenomena as illusory means to recognize that all things—our thoughts, emotions, relationships, and even our sense of self—are ultimately empty of inherent, permanent existence. Attachment or clinging arises from that mistaken view that things exist as solid, unchanging entities. This misperception fuels our desires, fears, and suffering.

When we truly see the illusory nature of phenomena, we understand that the things we cling to (whether material possessions, social recognition, or even emotional states) do not have the enduring substance we imagine them to have. This realization naturally weakens our attachment because it becomes clear that there's nothing truly solid to cling to.

For example, the desire for praise, wealth, or pleasure—and the fear of their opposites, such as criticism, loss, or pain—diminishes because we recognize that all such experiences are fleeting and insubstantial, just like a dream. The mind becomes more flexible, open, and peaceful, no longer grasping at things that ultimately have no inherent existence.

This understanding leads directly to freedom from the eight worldly concerns: gain and loss, praise and blame, fame and disgrace, pleasure and pain. Seeing through the illusion of these dualities, we stop seeking after their positive aspects and avoid fearing their negative counterparts. Thus, we are no longer driven by the cycles of desire and aversion that define the ordinary, samsaric mind.

Liberating All Beings

When we free ourselves from clinging, we naturally open our hearts to the liberation of all beings. This freedom from attachment allows us to practice the Bodhisattva path with greater purity, as our motivation is no longer tainted by selfish desires. Instead of acting out of a wish for personal gain, we act out of compassion and wisdom, seeing that all beings are suffering from the same clinging and mistaken perceptions that once bound us.

Because we have recognized that the phenomena we once clung to are illusory, we also see that the suffering of others arises from the same misperception. This insight allows us to cultivate deep compassion for all beings, knowing that their bondage to karma and the untrained mind can be undone through wisdom. In this sense, by liberating ourselves from attachment and delusion, we simultaneously cultivate the means to help others see through their own illusions.

The practice of viewing phenomena as illusory does not imply indifference or a detached disregard for the world. On the contrary, it enhances our ability to help others with wisdom and compassion. We engage fully in the world, but with the awareness that all is impermanent and without inherent existence, thus acting from a place of pure Bodhicitta — the wish for all beings to be free from suffering and reach enlightenment, and the wisdom that enables us to help them on that path.

Conclusion

In summary, regarding all phenomena as illusory:

• Frees us from clinging by dissolving the mistaken belief in the inherent reality of things, allowing us to transcend the dualities that fuel desire and fear.
• Enables us to contribute to the liberation of all beings by purifying our motivations, leading to a compassionate, wise engagement with the world where we work selflessly for the freedom of others.

This is the essence of the Bodhisattva path—freeing ourselves from attachment to the illusory, and using that freedom to help liberate all beings from suffering.