Slave to the command of our habits, goaded by the whip of our worries, led by the carrot of our desires— this is the story of sentient beings, this is what keeps the wheels of samsara churning. The original nature of our afflicted mind is clear light. To recognize the essence of emotional affliction is to achieve nirvana. Samsara and Nirvana are inseparable. Without samsara, there is no nirvana. Only when we have recognized samsara for what it really is can we achieve liberation. If we penetrate to the root of samsara, we discover that it is no different from Nirvana. The two are inseparable. Reality is one. Only a realization of this depth brings release from the endless, deluded, tormented existence that is samsara.