We only have two basic problems: wrong views and afflicted emotions. Wrong views prevent us from seeing reality as it is, and afflicted emotions generate unending suffering.
We ascribe solidity, independence, and permanence to what is insubstantial, dependent and impermanent, and on the basis of this delusion, we generate attachment, aversion, and indifference toward the ego and those things related to the false self.
But realizing these two problems conceptually does not lead to immediate liberation and enlightenment. We must first overcome excessive attachment to this brief life, craving for the fleeting pleasures of ordinary existence, and longing for the peace of individual extinction. The fourth obstacle is ignorance of the path to enlightenment.
Only a spiritual friend can help us identify these two fundamental problems and overcome the four obstacles to enlightenment.
