Everything Is Illusion: A Teaching by The Venerable Wangchen Rinpoche

In a profound teaching offered during Nyungne retreat, The Venerable Wangchen Rinpoche illuminated the subtle understanding of illusion, emptiness, and unconditional love as pathways to liberation. What follows is a reflective summary of his words, rooted in deep Dharma wisdom and intended for sincere practitioners seeking to integrate these insights into daily life.

The Sound of Illusion

Rinpoche began with a simple yet striking observation: “Today’s day is illusion.” Like the sound of a gong—clear, beautiful, yet vanishing without a trace—our experiences arise and dissolve in the space of mind. This understanding is not theoretical; it is a gateway. By truly understanding illusion, we come closer to recognizing the empty, luminous nature of our own mind.

This is the essence of Mahāmudrā: reality is uncontrived, unfabricated, and without reference point. Yet because of our deeply ingrained habitual patterns—formed by the continuity of thoughts, sense impressions, and emotions—we find it difficult to let go.

True Dedication and Non-attachment

Rinpoche emphasized that even virtuous actions can become obstacles if we cling to them. Conditional virtue, no matter how noble, has limitations. It is only when we dedicate all merit with the understanding of emptiness—releasing self, action, and object—that our virtue becomes a cause for true freedom.

Quoting Lord Atisha, Rinpoche explained that dedication with a view of illusion is comparable to the highest form of offering. Without this, we remain in the realm of conditional goodness rather than unconditional liberation.

Understanding Thought and Identity

We often mistake the continuity of thought for identity. But Rinpoche pointed out that the true nature of thought is Dharmakāya—the expanse of ultimate reality. If we do not conceptually divide thought from its empty essence, we can recognize that even our thoughts are expressions of emptiness. When we let go of grasping at thought, we begin to taste egolessness.

Yet realization of egolessness of self is only part of the path. The deeper challenge is to see that the outer world—appearances, objects, and phenomena—are also without inherent existence. Grasping at them as real sustains samsaric delusion.

Dharma Practice Within Illusion

Even Dharma practice, Rinpoche reminded us, is illusion. But it is a meaningful illusion—a skillful means that leads us toward awakening. Without the support of virtue, purification, and the blessings of an enlightened Guru, the courage to let go cannot arise. Many conditions must converge, but when they do, genuine insight becomes possible.

Unconditional Love and the Path of the Bodhisattva

Turning toward the topic of love, Rinpoche made a distinction between conditional love—which arises out of attachment and identity—and unconditional love, which is rare and difficult but possible through training. He shared that true Bodhisattvas alone possess such love in its pure form, cultivated over many lifetimes.

Rinpoche offered moving stories to illustrate this. One such story was of a mother and daughter caught in a powerful river. As they drowned, each prayed sincerely for the other to survive, letting go of all concern for themselves. Because of that single moment of selfless compassion, both were reborn in the god realms. Even brief, pure moments of altruism can have vast karmic effects.

Training in Seeing All Beings as Mother

Rinpoche shared from his own life, noting that even as a child he felt natural compassion. Through training—particularly in the practice of seeing all beings as one’s mother—he learned to extend that compassion universally. With effort, he said, it becomes possible to see elders as parents, peers as siblings, and the young as one’s own children. Through teachings like The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, such training bears fruit.

Are Emotions to Be Conquered?

A question arose about the role of emotions on the path. Rinpoche clarified that not all emotions are afflictive. Joy, kindness, and compassion are positive mental states that support awakening. It is the afflictive emotions—rooted in greed, hatred, and delusion—that bind us. The goal is not to suppress feeling, but to purify and transform it.

The Heart of the Teaching

At the core of Rinpoche’s teaching is this: Everything is illusion, and yet it matters deeply how we relate to it. Letting go of clinging—while cultivating wisdom, compassion, and devotion—is the path. Even amidst illusion, we practice, we love, and we dedicate—not because things are ultimately real, but because they are relatively meaningful and point us beyond themselves.

This is the subtle dance of the Dharma: working within illusion to awaken from illusion.

May all beings benefit from these profound teachings.

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