practices “real” and helpful?
Kendall responds: The idea behind purification practices is that our mind’s basic nature is pure and blissful. What prevents us from experiencing it this way? The defilements of misknowing the nature of reality and the actions we have engaged in with our body, speech, and mind for countless lifetimes under the influence of this knowledge. Because of the presence of so many “bad habits” of body, speech, and mind, it is difficult for us to gain realizations on the path. This negative karmic residue also makes it difficult for the seeds of wisdom and compassion within us to grow and blossom. Our minds are currently like an unkept garden, full of weeds and stones and not so conducive for healthy plants to grow. When we purify, we clean up the field. It is for these reasons that purification is said to be absolutely essential for gaining realizations on the path of spiritual awakening and why one of the great Tibetan Masters, Pabongka Rinpoche, actually said it was more important to purify
