ONE WHO STUBBORNLY HOLDS ONTO HIS OPINION WILL NEVER BE WISE
Master Jun Hong Lu: Buddhist practitioners should not stick to a single perspective regarding any issue. We should never hold onto our own views stubbornly; otherwise, it is considered as ‘attachment’ and this inflexibility will lead us to ignorance.
When you say, “He is so detestable, I just don’t like him”, “This job is too boring and I hate it” or “I want my son to make it into the elite school, no matter what”, these are all examples of attachments.
Many people become highly opinionated after gaining some degree of Buddhist knowledge to the extent that they cannot accept what I teach anymore.
To this, the Buddha says, “A person who stubbornly holds onto his opinion and becomes disdainful towards differing views is ‘despicable’.” The word ‘despicable’ carries a serious connotation and the wise regard this phenomenon as an entangled mind.
This is because you are unwilling to listen to others’ opinions and you think you are always right. In reality, you are ‘bound’ by your views and you will never be able to give rise to wisdom.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse, Guan Yin Hall, Sydney, Australia, 20 March 2020