SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS CAN TRAP YOU AND THEY CAN ALSO FREE YOU. HERE’S HOW:

Studying spiritual teachings alone is not enough; understanding and applying them correctly is key. Just like a raft is meant to help people cross a river, teachings are meant to help people overcome suffering and attachment. If you don’t use the raft or teachings correctly, they won’t serve their purpose.

It’s important to not get too attached to the teachings themselves. Just like someone who builds a raft shouldn’t carry it on land after crossing the river, people shouldn’t cling to teachings once they’ve served their purpose. This is because getting too attached to the teachings can lead to more suffering, rather than freedom from it.

Buddha’s teachings, like permanence, no self, emptiness, and nirvana, are not just theories but practical tools for spiritual practice. Using these teachings just as ideas to think about, rather than as guides for how to live and practice, can trap you instead of freeing you. The teachings are more helpful when discussed and understood with others who are also practicing them, to shed light on how to live a better, more enlightened life.