The Sweet Trap of Illusory Light

The atmosphere in the meditation hall at Phap Van Pagoda that afternoon was so still that one could hear the wind slipping through the gaps between the leaves. Rows of long benches were neatly arranged, yet the minds of many seated there were churning with waves. Venerable Thich Chan Quang stood before the assembly, his voice deep and warm but sharp as he recounted a story. If one is not careful, any practitioner on the path could easily become the protagonist of this tale.

A few years ago, among the young monastic disciples studying meditative concentration here, there was a bright and diligent man. However, his heart always craved quick results. One day, he decided to leave his teacher and the familiar temple grounds to seek another shortcut. Before departing, he spoke with confident arrogance, even showing disdain for his former master’s slow method. He said, "Venerable Master, I ask permission to leave. Practicing your way takes too long to attain realization. I have found a new system where enlightenment can be achieved in just six months."

His teacher looked at him with sad eyes but remained calm, neither clinging nor stopping him. Ten long years passed. That disciple wandered from place to place, experiencing various methods, yet never attained the promised realization. Finally, by chance, he met his old teacher again. He eagerly presented his supposed achievements, his eyes shining with excitement. He exclaimed, "Master, I have seen it! When sitting in meditation, my mind overflows with wonderful joy. I see light radiating from within myself. Clearly, practice yields results, unlike the vague state when I was with you."

The teacher listened gently, then asked a question that revealed his profound understanding of cause and effect (karmic law) and the physiology of meditation. He asked, "You see light inside, but how does your face appear outside?" The disciple was stunned and could not answer. The teacher continued, each word piercing like a needle into rising pride. He explained, "Inside you see brightness, but outside you are growing darker and more emaciated. This is because your blessings from merit are depleting. That feeling of joy and the vision of light are not enlightenment. They are the third obstacle in meditation: hallucination. It is caused by the pituitary gland secreting hormones that create euphoria. When you enjoy this sensation, positive energy rises entirely to the brain. If you remain intoxicated by this illusion, eventually the brain cannot withstand it, leading to madness or severe mental collapse."

This explanation sent a chill down the disciple’s spine. He recalled sleepless nights and intense headaches whenever he tried to recreate that "light." He had mistaken pathological bodily states for spiritual awakening. He had been deceived by his own pleasant sensations, turning them into chains that bound him in the vortex of ego and attachment.

The story did not end there. The teacher also mentioned another case: a famous monk known for entering meditative concentration for six days and nights. His sect admired him, regarding him as an enlightened master. Yet one day, he returned to lay life, married, and vanished from the monastic community. No one could explain why someone who could sit motionless for weeks would so easily abandon everything for worldly life. Only the teacher, grounded in the law of cause and effect (karmic law), understood. Meditative concentration is also a form of enjoying merit. Without wisdom to illuminate the path and merit accumulated steadily, special powers or temporary peace are merely straw fires. They burn brightly and then extinguish, leaving behind ashes of disappointment and lost direction.

The core lesson Venerable Thich Chan Quang wished to convey is the clear distinction between attaining meditative absorption and attaining saintly realization. Many practitioners mistakenly believe that feelings of joy, visions of light, or even supernatural powers are the final destination. In reality, these are obstacles—particularly hallucinations and ego—on the path of meditation. Clinging to these experiences leads practitioners into the trap of pride, depletes their blessings from merit, and risks mental collapse. True enlightenment requires wisdom to see through psychological phenomena and overcome all obstacles to reach genuine liberation, rather than chasing fleeting supernatural sensations.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Venerable Thich Chan Quang