The eight worldly concerns that prevent a Buddhist practitioner from having a pure spiritual practice are:
1. Being pleased when receiving resources and respect
2. Being displeased when not receiving resources and respect
3. Being pleased when experiencing pleasure
4. Being displeased when not experiencing pleasure
5. Being pleased when enjoying a good reputation
6. Being displeased when not enjoying a good reputation
7. Being pleased when receiving praise
8. Being displeased when not receiving praise
Without these unbalanced minds our mind is stable and peaceful, and we can make sincere effort towards gaining realizations of wisdom and compassion. Normally we get excited when we experience pleasure, receive wealth or a good reputation. Then when we don’t get these things we become agitated and depressed. This is a sign of our attachment. Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso says, “To develop detachment to the pleasures of this life we do not need to abandon our wealth and possessions, our friends and family. Simply being poor and alone does not mean that we have no attachment to the good things of this life; many poor and lonely people are strongly attached to this world and its pleasures” (from Joyful Path of Good Fortune) . Developing renunciation does not mean that we escape our modern, busy lives and go retreat into a solitary cave. What we are renouncing is our attachment, anger and ignorance – the real sources of our suffering. In this context, we are renouncing our attachment to worldly pleasures and concerns. Nothing external has the power to cause us suffering, so simply having wealth, pleasure or a good reputation cannot harm us, but our attachment to these thing can and does. And while this attachment remains in our mind, we will continue to chase the transitory pleasures of this short life and will never get around to sincere study, meditation and practice of Dharma.
