Awakening is not something that exists in a vacuum or a mystical void. Awakening is insight into the true nature of all reality and the deep caring which springs from that insight. ·When Buddhahood is attained, the defilements are not simply rejected or forgotten. Instead, they are seen as part of the dynamic and interdependent nature of life. One who is awakened to their true nature is no longer under their power and, in fact, is able to see them in their essence as a part of the dynamic and interdependent nature of all things, pure without the taint of our clinging. Greed, hatred, delusion, pride, false views, and doubt are transformed through awakened awareness into their positive equivalents, just like solid blocks of ice can melt into water in sunlight. Through Buddhahood, we turn greed into devotion, hatred into healthy criticism, delusion into openness to the truth, pride into self-confidence, false views into careful reasoning, and doubt into careful consideration. We will also be able to use the knowledge we have gained of our own inner life to understand and help others deal with the defilements in their lives.