Miscellaneous Discussions on Buddhism (Part One)

Chapter Ten: On the Meaning of the Dharma

1. What is Dharma

Dharma means that which upholds the norm. Anything that can manifest in the world, no matter how illusory, whether oneself or others can recognize it or experience it, as long as there is an image, it is Dharma.

For example: People, events, objects, principles—regardless of what kind of person or sentient being, as long as it exists, it is Dharma. Events, no matter what events—eating, dressing, walking, moving, sitting, lying down, talking, laughing, flowers blooming and falling, human harmony and disputes, great undertakings and trivial matters—as long as they exist in the world, no matter when they exist, whether currently happening or imagined in the mind, are all Dharma. Things imagined or fantasized in the mind are all Dharma; as long as it is an image in the mind, it is Dharma; the mind itself is also Dharma.

Objects, whether in front or behind, past or present, whether imagined or recollected, whether they can be contacted or not, as long as there is an image, are all Dharma.

Principles, all worldly rules, laws, systems, regulations, good and evil, right and wrong, all thoughts and ideas, all notions, all truths and viewpoints within the Buddha Dharma that can manifest in the mind, are all Dharma.

All these dharmas are images in the mind, illusory appearances in the mind, all produced by the functioning of the sentient beings' five aggregates body, produced by the combined functioning of the twelve sense bases, born from the revolving within the eighteen elements, endless and boundless. The ultimate, most fundamental Dharma is the Tathagatagarbha. Regardless of whether sentient beings recognize it, know it, or perceive it, it exists as the ultimate truth.

2. What is Dharma

Dharma is the true reality, it is the truth. Therefore, when a Bodhisattva expounds the Dharma, they must speak the true reality, speak the truth. The true reality of each thing is only one. When each person observes from their own perspective, if the observation is accurate and without error, then the observed true reality is the same, meaning there is only one true reality. If the conclusions drawn by different observers differ, it means many people have made errors in observation; they did not observe things as they truly are. There are many reasons for not observing correctly, and each person's reasons are not identical, but the common characteristic is insufficient power of observation.

Since expounding the Dharma is speaking the true reality, it is best if this true reality has been personally verified by oneself; speaking it out this way is the most convincing and intimate. If one can only quote the words of others when expounding the Dharma, one must still possess considerable discernment to be able to distinguish and verify that what others say is indeed the true reality. Currently, we can only ascertain that what the Buddha said is all true reality, but we ourselves lack the ability to actually verify it; it is merely a reliance on faith and reverence for the Buddha's sacred words, not yet reaching correct faith or true faith. True faith requires the measure of realization. Therefore, for people other than the Buddha, relying on faith and reverence carries a certain risk; only correct faith, verified faith, and true faith are reliable. However, verified faith is extremely, extremely difficult. Thus, in the Dharma-ending age, most sentient beings rely on faith, blind faith, and reverent faith, not correct faith, verified faith, or true faith.

3. What is the Dharma Realm (Dharmadhatu)

The Dharma Realm is divided into the supramundane Dharma Realm and the mundane Dharma Realm. The mundane Dharma Realm is divided into the eighteen elements, the ten Dharma realms, and the three realms of existence. The eighteen elements are the sentient beings' six sense faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses realms. The ten Dharma realms are the four sagely and six ordinary realms. Realm (dhatu) means function, boundary, seed distinction; it is a dividing line. Different realms have different functions and roles. The function of the six faculties differs from that of the six objects, and differs from that of the six consciousnesses. Sentient beings in the six destinies each have their own boundaries; the four kinds of sages each have their own boundaries; the ten Dharma realms each have their own boundaries. The three realms—the desire realm, form realm, and formless realm—also have boundaries; they can also be called Dharma realms, and each has its own distinctions and boundaries.

The supramundane Dharma Realm is called the One True Dharma Realm, which is the True Suchness Tathagatagarbha. It does not belong to the three realms of existence; it is not within the three realms and has no characteristics of the three realms, yet it is not outside the three realms either. All dharmas of the three realms, as well as the Buddha lands of the ten directions, the Flower Treasury World, and the World Sea, are all within the One True Dharma Realm; none are outside the True Suchness Mind. When sentient beings cultivate to the stage of Wonderful Enlightenment before becoming Buddhas, they must wait in the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven, awaiting the maturation of causes and conditions to descend into the human world and accomplish the eight phases of Buddhahood. When the faculties of human sentient beings mature, and the time for the Wonderful Enlightenment Bodhisattva's enlightenment arrives, they must descend to the human world to accomplish the eight phases of Buddhahood. Therefore, all Buddhas attain Buddhahood in the human world.

4. What is Merit (Gongde)

Merit is the benefit of wisdom; having wisdom eliminates karmic obstacles. Severing the view of self and realizing the mind eliminates the karmic obstacles leading to the three evil destinies. Wisdom-based repentance also has merit and can eliminate karmic obstacles. The growth of wisdom during the cultivation process can eliminate karmic obstacles of varying degrees; when evil karma is exhausted, one becomes a Buddha.

5. What is Dry Wisdom (Ganhui)

Dry Wisdom: "Dry" means without water. Dry Wisdom is wisdom without the moisture of concentration (samadhi), wisdom that is dry and barren. Such wisdom has no practical guiding function, just as earth without water cannot become mud, lacks the stickiness of mud, cannot be used to plaster walls, cannot pave the ground, and cannot be used for construction. Dry Wisdom is the same: it is wisdom spoken until the mouth is dry and the tongue is parched, yet it does not actually come from one's own realization; it is not verified; it is learned through consciousness, deduced, analyzed—this is merely the flow of learned speech, not true wisdom. This is the initial stage of cultivation. If one remains only at this stage, thinking it is the ultimate, then one stagnates and cannot enter the true treasure mountain.

6. The so-called True Dharma (Saddharma) is the Dharma that enables sentient beings to move towards dispelling ignorance and towards liberation. The true True Dharma refers to the Dharma of the True Suchness Self-Nature. True Suchness is the most true in the world and beyond the world; it is the root of all dharmas, from which all dharmas arise. The Self-Nature enables sentient beings to rely on it to attain liberation, rely on it to realize Nirvana, rely on it to accomplish the Buddha Way, and be free from all suffering and calamities. Therefore, the True Suchness Self-Nature is the True Dharma, and the Dharma concerning the True Suchness Self-Nature is also the True Dharma.

Apart from the Dharma spoken by the Buddha, and the Dharma concerning liberation and prajna that accords with what the Buddha said, which is the True Dharma, other dharmas, such as non-Buddhist paths and worldly wholesome dharmas, cannot enable sentient beings to attain liberation, realize the mind, see the nature, and dispel ignorance; therefore, they are not the True Dharma. Worldly wholesome dharmas can enable sentient beings to subdue evil and cultivate good, to be good people and qualified humans, but at best, they can temporarily preserve the human body or lead to rebirth in the heavens to enjoy blessings; they cannot lead towards liberation; therefore, they also do not belong to the True Dharma. Even if sentient beings cultivate worldly wholesome dharmas, it does not necessarily cause them to generate the mind of renunciation, the mind seeking liberation; it might even increase the bonds of birth and death.

The Buddha Dharma and worldly wholesome dharmas are not contradictory; they do not conflict with each other. On the contrary, the two are complementary. Initially, the Buddha also taught the wholesome dharmas for humans and devas, teaching the five vehicles, but ultimately returned to the One Buddha Vehicle, all being the Dharma for becoming a Buddha. Wholesome dharmas within the world are very necessary and should be vigorously promoted; they are the foundation for studying the Buddha Dharma. However, worldly wholesome dharmas are, after all, not the Buddha Dharma and cannot replace the Buddha Dharma. If wholesome dharmas within the Buddhist community increase and these wholesome dharmas are mistaken for the true Buddha Dharma, then they will flood the true Buddha Dharma, and finally, the true Buddha Dharma will be diluted and replaced; the Buddha Dharma will quickly perish, and then the worldly wholesome dharmas will also cease to exist.

7. Question: The internal six sense objects are form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and the form included in the dharmayatana (mental sense base). Is the form included in the dharmayatana the same as the dharmadhatu (mental object)? What is its specific definition? What is the relationship between the five sense objects and this dharmadhatu—is it equal, parallel, or a relationship of inclusion?

Answer: The form included in the dharmayatana is the dharmadhatu (mental object). It is the dharmadhatu that is additionally transformed based on the internal five sense objects. It is also composed of the four great elements' subtle particles, belongs to material form (rupa), and combines with the five sense objects to constitute the complete form, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The five sense objects are only a small part of the content of form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; they are not the complete rupa dharmas of the five sense objects. The dharmadhatu constitutes the major part of form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; combined, they form the complete rupa dharmas. For example: The form object combined with the dharmadhatu on the form object constitutes the complete internal form object. The sound object combined with the dharmadhatu on the sound object constitutes the complete sound object. The five sense objects and the dharmadhatu have a parallel and co-existing relationship; they are interdependent. The dharmadhatu depends on the five sense objects for its birth and existence. The internal five sense objects are discerned by the five consciousnesses; the dharmadhatu is discerned by the mental consciousness. From this, it can be seen that the five consciousnesses alone cannot discern the complete form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; the mental consciousness alone cannot discern the complete form, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Only when the five consciousnesses and the mental consciousness combine can they discern the complete form, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

8. The external five sense objects are the living environment jointly manifested by the Tathagatagarbha of sentient beings sharing collective karma. This is necessary; the Tathagatagarbha relies on the external five sense objects to manifest the internal six sense objects discerned by the six consciousnesses. The external five sense objects are not something that a single sentient being can possess alone, nor are they something that a single Tathagatagarbha can manifest alone. Because there are external five sense objects, our own Tathagatagarbha can, based on the external five sense objects, manifest within our subtle root in the back of the brain (the indriya) the internal five sense objects identical to the external ones. The internal dharmadhatu is also manifested simultaneously along with the internal five sense objects. Then, the six sense faculties contact the six sense objects, and the Tathagatagarbha gives birth to the six consciousnesses to discern the internal six sense objects. However, sentient beings mistakenly perceive the discerned six sense objects as real, taking the six sense objects seen, heard, felt, and known by their six consciousnesses as real, clinging to them incessantly, creating various karmic actions, not knowing that they are all illusory manifestations. Thus, the cycle of birth and death continues without end, bringing constant suffering.

9. How to Prove the Existence of the External Five Sense Objects

For example, the external mountains, rivers, and earth are the external form objects. These are shared by many sentient beings, not possessed by one person alone. Therefore, you can see the mountains, rivers, and earth, and other sentient beings can also see the mountains, rivers, and earth. When you are asleep, unconscious, or dead, you cannot see the mountains, rivers, and earth, but other sentient beings can still see them. This shows that the mountains, rivers, and earth are not possessed by one person alone but are shared by all sentient beings.

Another example: Your house is not possessed by you alone. Your family members can also enjoy the house and live in it. When you leave home and are not in contact with the house, the house still exists; your family members still live in it, and the house also belongs to them. When your whole family leaves the house, others can still see the house, can also move in to live, and they can become the owners of the house.

Without external five sense objects, there would be no internal five sense objects. The internal five sense objects depend on the external five sense objects to exist, just like the reflection in a mirror. We all live within the reflections in the mirror, yet outside the reflection, there is the actual entity. The Tathagatagarbha of other sentient beings can still transform that entity into reflections for other sentient beings to discern. Without the actual entity, there would be no reflection; a mirror does not manifest a reflection without reason. The external five sense objects are like the moon in the sky; the internal five sense objects are like the moon in the water—a thousand rivers with water reflect a thousand moons, all being reflections of the moon. Yet there is only one moon in the sky, which is the external form object among the five sense objects.

The external five sense objects are also manifestations of mind-only, created by the Tathagatagarbha, illusory and unreal, subject to birth, cessation, change, and destruction, not enduring long. Before we were born on Earth, the Earth already existed. Was the Earth created solely by your mind? Obviously not; it was jointly manifested by the Tathagatagarbha of sentient beings sharing collective karma; it is one of the external five sense objects. After we die, the Earth still exists as it is, used by other sentient beings. Only when the karmic connection between all sentient beings and the Earth ends, and all sentient beings have died, will the Earth be destroyed.

10. Space (Akasha) and Form (Rupa)

Space is the boundary of form; it is a kind of form without characteristics. This is the definition of space, which might be difficult to understand. Space can be revealed based on form, but it does not depend on form for its existence. The source of space is the Tathagatagarbha; it exists depending on the Tathagatagarbha. Because there is the Tathagatagarbha, space can manifest. This is the fundamental source of all dharmas. Their superficial illusory phenomenon is that form is revealed based on space, and space is revealed based on form; the two mutually set each other off. When there is no form, space still exists. Before the universe was formed, it was a void of space without any form at all. This shows that space does not depend on form for its existence.

11. The Difference Between Space (Space) and Void (Akasha)

Space (space) is sometimes equivalent to the void (akasha), sometimes not, depending on the reference object used for division. For example, a room: with a house, there is the space of the house; without a house, it is void. For example, China's territorial airspace is also called China's space; with China, there is China's territorial airspace; without China, there is no China's space. Space is also one of the targets of contention among sentient beings; all wish to expand their own living and activity space, hence there is contention.

Humans find the space on Earth insufficient and even want to occupy the space of other planets. Without the Earth and all the planets, there would be no planetary space. Dharmas that depend on others for existence are of dependent origination nature (paratantra-svabhava); they are illusory and unreal. The external universe and starry sky are the first manifestation, unreal like an illusion; the internal starry sky manifested based on the external starry sky is the second manifestation, even more illusory and unreal; the internal and external space set off based on the starry sky form dharmas are especially illusory and unreal.

12. The sixth and seventh consciousnesses of ordinary sentient beings all possess ignorance, including momentary ignorance (ksanika-avidya) and beginningless ignorance (anadi-avidya), as well as boundless and countless dust-like delusions (rajas-pramoha). Momentary ignorance is the craving and attachment to the self's five aggregates and to all dharmas of the three realms of existence. Due to momentary ignorance, there is the suffering of birth and death in the three realms. To eliminate the suffering of birth and death, one must extinguish momentary ignorance. First, one must sever the view of self that takes the five aggregates as "I," then cultivate the first dhyana, and progressively sever the bonds of afflictions such as greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, etc. Only then can the craving and attachment to the self's five aggregates be completely severed, the attachment to the dharmas of the three realms of existence be completely severed, and the extinction of momentary ignorance liberate one from the suffering of birth and death.

The beginningless ignorance within the seventh consciousness means that since beginningless kalpas, sentient beings have never known what the true reality of the Dharma Realm is; they have never known the existence of the True Reality Mind, the Tathagatagarbha, which gives birth to all dharmas of the three realms of existence. Thus, they cling to the dharmas of the world as real; this is beginningless ignorance. When one realizes the True Reality Mind of the Dharma Realm and sees the nature (attains enlightenment), one breaks through beginningless ignorance. When the seventh consciousness recognizes the true reality of all dharmas and attains the great wisdom of prajna, and later when beginningless ignorance is completely severed, the ignorance of the seventh consciousness is extinguished, completely transforming consciousness into wisdom, ultimately attaining Buddhahood, and the Tathagatagarbha is then renamed the Immaculate Consciousness (Amalavijnana).

13. The part shared by sentient beings is their collective karma, the shared external mountains, rivers, earth, universe as the vessel world, and shared living environment. Other aspects are not shared; each experiences their own five aggregates, eighteen elements, and eighth consciousness. Each sentient being has their own eight consciousnesses, not shared with others. Therefore, sentient beings are vastly different, each mind distinct, each person having their own thoughts, their own actions, and their own karmic retribution.

The eighth consciousness is neither born nor ceases; it originally exists, and no one can manifest it. The eighth consciousness manifests all dharmas when conditions are present; when conditions are absent, it does not manifest. While manifesting according to conditions, it itself never changes.

14. So-called false thoughts are the mental faculty (manas) clinging and applying attention, giving rise to thoughts and ideas in the mental consciousness. Sometimes, it is the combined arising of thoughts from the seven consciousnesses. As long as the seven consciousnesses exist, they must function. When the seven consciousnesses function, thoughts inevitably appear. All eight consciousnesses have the five universal mental factors (sarvatraga): attention (manasikara), contact (sparsa), sensation (vedana), perception (samjna), and volition (cetana). Volition (cetana) means thinking, pondering, choosing, deciding, acting; perception (samjna) means grasping an image in the mind, recognizing an image, identifying an image; sensation (vedana) means experiencing, receiving, accepting; attention (manasikara) means directing the mind to an object, focusing on the object; contact (sparsa) means the conscious mind contacting a sense object. The image grasped by the eighth consciousness differs from that of the first seven consciousnesses; the content of its pondering differs, the object and content of its experiencing differs, the object of its attention differs, the object of its contact differs—in every way, it differs from the first seven consciousnesses.

Consciousness (vijnana) means discrimination. To have no discrimination, one must extinguish consciousness. That means the eye consciousness is extinguished and does not see; the ear consciousness is extinguished and does not hear; the nose consciousness is extinguished and does not smell; the tongue consciousness is extinguished and does not taste; the body consciousness is extinguished and does not feel touch; the mental consciousness is extinguished and does not know or perceive; the mental faculty is extinguished and does not make decisions. Then, all dharmas would also cease accordingly. However, without attaining the state of a fourth-stage Arhat, one cannot extinguish the mental faculty. If the eighth consciousness were also extinguished, everything would cease, and all would end. Even the Buddha cannot extinguish the eighth consciousness, let alone others.

15. Question: The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment says all sentient beings mistakenly take the four great elements as their own body and the reflections of the six sense objects as their own mind. Solving this riddle means the Buddha Dharma is fully explained. But how are the seeds of love and hatred accumulated over many lives and kalpas removed?

Answer: Solving the problem of body and mind does not mean the Buddha Dharma is fully explained; there are still the extremely numerous and vast issues of consciousness-only wisdom (vijnaptimatrata-jnana) that need to be studied and cultivated. Sever the view of self, then realize the mind and see the nature, possess consciousness-only wisdom to enter the first ground (bhumi), and the defiled seeds will gradually be cleared away. When the seeds of love and hatred are completely severed, one becomes a Buddha. One needs to clear away the afflictions and habits within the mind when the causes and conditions arise, thus severing the defiled seeds.

However, when the problems of body and mind are completely, thoroughly, and ultimately solved, one also becomes a Buddha. The Buddha Dharma is precisely for solving the problems of body and mind. "Body" includes the internal body, the physical body, and also the external body—the universe as the vessel world, the living environment. "Mind" refers to the seven consciousnesses. When all seven consciousnesses are transformed into wisdom, the body, mind, and world completely fall away and transform; the Reward Body (Sambhogakaya) and Emanation Body (Nirmanakaya) of the Buddha are both accomplished, and the world becomes a pure Buddha land.

16. The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment entirely expounds the wondrous function of the Buddha-nature, expounding the nature of the Tathagatagarbha. It is not instructing the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses with their perceiving and knowing nature to act like the Buddha-nature. If the meaning of the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment is understood as describing the actions of the seven consciousnesses, that is a great misunderstanding. It is just like the Sixth Patriarch in the Platform Sutra always speaking of the True Suchness Self-Nature, yet countless people mistakenly think he is talking about the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses with their perceiving and knowing nature—a truly enormous misunderstanding.

All dharmas are the Tathagatagarbha; all are the nature of the Tathagatagarbha. If one has not realized this principle, one should not cite scriptures to validate one's own views. Citing scriptures to validate one's incorrect views as correct is slandering the Buddha and the Dharma, a grave offense. Only if you can presently observe how the nature of greed, hatred, and delusion is precisely the Buddha-nature, how it is the ultimate enlightened nature and enlightened appearance, then you can say that all lust, anger, and ignorance are precisely ultimate enlightenment, that wisdom and ignorance are both prajna. Otherwise, please remain silent.

Without the measure of realization, it is better not to discuss sutras with profound and difficult meanings or deep Dharma principles. Especially regarding the state of Buddhahood, which is too distant from us, we choose silence. I myself do not speak of how Buddhahood is or isn't; others should even less discuss it. What basis is there to discuss? What is called empty talk? Content that exceeds one's own measure of realization and scope of understanding, if spoken, is empty talk.

17. What are the Mental Factors Not Associated with Mind (Citta-Viprayukta-Samskara)?

The mental factors not associated with mind, in total, are twenty-four: Attainment (prapti), Life faculty (jivitendriya), Homogeneous character (nikaya-sabhaga), Differentiated nature (prthagjanatva), The meditation of non-perception (asamjni-samapatti), The cessation meditation (nirodha-samapatti), The state of non-perception (asamjni), Name (nama), Phrase (pada), Syllable (vyanjana), Birth (jati), Continuance (sthiti), Decay (jara), Impermanence (anityata), Flux (pravrtti), Definite differentiation (pratiniyama), Connection (yoga), Speed (java), Sequence (anukrama), Time (kala), Direction (desa), Number (samkhya), Combination (samagri), and Disjunction (anyathatva).

The mental factors not associated with mind are manifested by the combined functioning of the eight consciousnesses (citta), the fifty-one mental factors (caitta), and the eleven form dharmas (rupa). For example, the mental factor not associated with mind called "impermanence" is manifested by the combined functioning of the eighth consciousness, seventh consciousness, sixth consciousness, and the five sense consciousnesses. It is manifested by the mental factors of attention, contact, sensation, perception, and volition of the eight consciousnesses towards all dharmas. It is manifested upon the eleven form dharmas. Impermanence can also manifest upon mental dharmas, also manifested by the combined functioning of the eight consciousnesses and mental factors. These impermanent dharmas are not determined by the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses; their impermanent nature does not change according to the cognition of the seven consciousnesses. Therefore, they are called mental factors not associated with mind.

The impermanence of the five aggregates is manifested by the combined functioning of the eight consciousnesses. The eight consciousnesses together with the mental factors give birth to the five aggregates, give rise to feelings, give rise to discernment, give rise to various actions, and manifest at the conjunction of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body; form, sound, smell, taste, touch; and the form included in the dharmayatana; they manifest at the six consciousnesses and the location of mental factors. The other mental factors not associated with mind are similarly manifested. They are not determined by our conscious mind. Regardless of how our mind is or what it cognizes, impermanence is impermanence; it cannot become permanent just because of our craving. This is not determined by the mind. Similarly, the twenty-four mental factors not associated with mind—time, direction, number, decay, etc.—are all manifested by the combined functioning of the eight consciousnesses, mental factors, and eleven form dharmas; their existence or non-existence is not determined by the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses.

18. Time is manifested based on material form dharmas. The birth, cessation, and change of material form dharmas manifest and set off time. Material form dharmas are manifested based on mental dharmas and mental factors. Mental factors operate depending on mental dharmas, and mental dharmas return to the eighth consciousness. The sequential flow and transformation of material form dharmas illusorily manifest the mental factor not associated with mind called "time." Time is a mental factor not associated with mind.

When material form dharmas appear and conscious minds appear, the conscious minds can rely on the material form dharmas to recognize, judge, and perceive time and space. Without material form dharmas, time cannot be manifested, nor can space. Without conscious minds, it is even more impossible to recognize, cognize, and judge time and space; even if they exist, it is as if they do not. Imagine: without the sun, without trees, houses, mountains, and forests, how could one perceive time? If there were not even void, let alone mountains, forests, rivers, pools, oceans, and high mountains, how could space be divided and defined? Therefore, dharmas that manifest only by relying on other dharmas are the mental factors not associated with mind; they are even more illusory than material form dharmas, even more illusory than the seven consciousnesses.

Void (akasha) does not rely on material form dharmas to set it off; it has a slight difference from space with landmarks. Void is not a mental factor not associated with mind; it is a form dharma different from material form dharmas, generated by the Tathagatagarbha using the seed of the space element (akasha-dhatu); it is form without characteristics.