His Holiness the Sakya Trichen (the 41st Sakya Trizin) gave this explanation as part of his teaching on Parting from the Four Attachments in Alicante, Spain, which was subsequently shared by the organizer, Paramita, in 2014.
This teaching begins with a simple but uncompromising point: merely being present at a Dharma teaching does not make it beneficial. His Holiness the Sakya Trichen explains how motivation can turn even receiving teachings into “wrong medicine,” or transform hearing even a single line into something profoundly meaningful. From worldly aims to personal liberation, and finally to the Mahayana path, the teaching shows how the mind must be directed before practice can truly become Dharma.
Source: This teaching was obtained from Paramita Youtube.
Motivation is often hidden, but it quietly shapes the result of everything we do. The same action may become a cause of benefit, harm, or mere habit, depending on the intention behind it.
In this sense, motivation is like a seed: what grows from it cannot be separated from what was planted.
This teaching invites us to look honestly at that seed before we act, study, practice, or pursue any goal.
This Dharma teachings e-library is made possible by a grant from Sachen Foundation, and the generous donations of the Yueh Family Charitable Fund, and the Chan Family.