Miscellaneous Discussions on Buddhism (Part One)
Chapter Fourteen Miscellaneous Discussions on the Dharma
1. Our vision is limited; we cannot see the entire Earth. Although we cannot see the Earth, we know we stand upon it, live upon it, relying on its support and sustenance. Is this knowing a direct, immediate perception (pratyakṣa) or a conceptual understanding? It is certainly conceptual understanding, for by understanding this principle, we can ascertain that we are indeed upon the Earth. Similarly, many principles taught by the Buddha are difficult to verify immediately, but through the good roots accumulated over lifetimes, when one cultivates to the point of possessing the discriminative wisdom eye (dharma-praveśa-cakṣus), one can know through proper reasoning and judgment that the Buddha Dharma is correct, that relying on it leads to liberation and the accomplishment of Buddhahood.
For example, Arhats have not yet entered Nirvāṇa, but through studying the Dharma and contemplation, they can understand that severing self-attachment and completely cutting off greed and desire for the three realms leads to liberation. They are certain that this method leads to liberation and entry into Nirvāṇa, even though they have not yet entered it; they do not need to wait until entering Nirvāṇa to know this method works. This is reasoning and judgment based on the principles taught by the Buddha, leading to a correct conclusion. Many things need not be personally experienced to know existence or non-existence, right or wrong. With wisdom-based cognition, one can understand many principles. Without wisdom, even personal experience does not lead to true understanding. I advise fellow practitioners: do not rashly declare things you do not understand as "not so," "incorrect," "non-existent," or "wrong." Always weigh the extent of your own wisdom: can you engage in correct reasoning, inference, and judgment? Your conclusions may not necessarily be correct, especially concerning the Dharma spoken by the Buddha. Making a wrong judgment constitutes slander, slandering the Buddha and the Dharma, and the consequences are severe.
2. Teaching the Dharma should not only match the capacities of sentient beings but should also transcend them, guiding and elevating their capacities. Because the capacities of sentient beings are vastly diverse, one should not only teach shallow Dharma; profound Dharma and even deeper Dharma should also be taught. Teaching them is not necessarily solely for the beings present now; it is also for beings of future generations and for those of superior capacity. Those with insufficient capacity may hear it and let it pass; if they do not understand, they should harbor doubt but refrain from easily drawing conclusions.
When I teach the Dharma, I first lay the groundwork, accommodating beings of all capacities, considering both the present and future lifetimes, and, more importantly, considering the overall development of Buddhism. Therefore, it is impossible to fully accommodate the specific circumstances of every sentient being. Naturally, some, or even many, will not resonate. This is normal. Even when the Buddha was in the world, not every teaching suited the capacities of all beings. All matters are arranged by the Buddha. Śākyamuni Buddha has an overall and comprehensive arrangement for the Dharma in the Sahā world, guiding it from behind. We do not know it, but we need only abide peacefully, temporarily absorbing the Dharma that resonates with us, setting aside the profound Dharma for the time being.
When the World-Honored One first attained enlightenment in the Sahā world, He taught the Avataṃsaka Sūtra to beings with the mind of a great bodhisattva. The innumerable heavenly beings and human disciples, especially the Śrāvaka disciples, were like the deaf and dumb. The World-Honored One knew this, yet He still taught the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, laying the complete foundation for the Buddha Dharma in the Sahā world, clarifying the path to Buddhahood so that disciples would understand the entire sequence of Buddhist practice and have a clear plan. After finishing the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the World-Honored One began to teach the disciples the most fundamental Dharma, guiding the assembly to practice the Four Āgamas, starting from severing the view of self to attain the first fruition (Sotāpanna).
3. Can One Measure Others or Things Without Having a Measuring Stick or With a Stick That Is Too Short?
In worldly affairs, to be a judge, one must be thoroughly knowledgeable about the subject matter being judged; one must be an expert. For example, to evaluate the teaching level of a university professor, one's own knowledge must be higher than or at least equal to that professor's. To evaluate the level of an undergraduate's thesis, one must be a university lecturer. In the cultivation and realization of the Buddha Dharma, to judge whether someone has attained enlightenment or seen their true nature, one must first be someone who has enlightened the mind and seen the nature oneself. Only after walking that path and becoming familiar with it can one know if another's path is correct and discern where they stand on that path.
Regarding judgment in the Buddha Dharma, the minimum requirement is to possess the discriminative wisdom eye. It is best to have few doubts about the main points of the Dharma; even better is to have realized that Dharma oneself, only then can one make relatively accurate judgments. Those who have cultivated to this level are very few. To judge whether others have attained fruition, one must first have attained fruition oneself. Only by attaining the first fruition can one sever doubt—doubt about whether one has attained fruition, doubt about whether the teacher has attained fruition, doubt about whether the Dharma can enable sentient beings to sever the view of self and self-attachment. Otherwise, one cannot judge others. When one lacks a measuring stick oneself, one cannot measure other things.
4. At What Stage of Cultivation Can One Achieve Non-Discrimination?
The existence of the seven consciousnesses in sentient beings is precisely what functions to discriminate. If one wishes not to discriminate, one cannot discriminate when the consciousness-mind is extinguished; after entering samādhi, discrimination becomes subtle. As long as there is a knowing nature, an object of knowledge, and a result of knowing, discrimination is accomplished. What ordinary people call "non-discrimination" means not making distinctions or treating things differently based on good/bad, right/wrong, you/me/him/her, but treating all equally. However, treating all equally is itself a form of discrimination; otherwise, one could not treat all equally. The mind feels that all are equal, thus treating them equally—having the perception and the act of viewing is precisely discrimination. Treating all equally is both the result and the process of discrimination.
The Buddha's Wisdom of Equality (samatā-jñāna) treats all sentient beings equally, without distinguishing good from evil. As long as conditions are ripe, He will teach and liberate them. The Buddha would never say, "I only liberate good people, not evil people," nor would He only pity the good and not pity the evil. Perhaps it is the opposite; the Buddha may be even more inclined to pity evil people, fearing they will suffer more, thus applying more effort to liberate them, observing when the conditions for their liberation ripen. This is due to the Buddha's Great Compassion and Wisdom of Equality. The Buddha is not like us, only caring for, sympathizing with, and pitying good and kind people while detesting evil and bad people. The Buddha has no such discriminating mind; He treats all sentient beings equally. Moreover, He often sees only the Buddha-nature of sentient beings; because the Buddha-nature of sentient beings is equal, the Buddha views all sentient beings with equal regard.
5. Why Didn't the Buddha Answer When Asked About the Dharma While He Was in the World?
Regarding some questions, when the wisdom of sentient beings is insufficient, the World-Honored One would not expound them no matter how He explained, because sentient beings could not understand. Speaking would be meaningless and would only increase their confusion. Therefore, the World-Honored One refrained from speaking. For example, when non-Buddhists asked the World-Honored One questions, He perceived that their capacity could not comprehend the answer and said their question was "avyākṛta" (indeterminate, not to be answered), and thus did not answer. Other disciples asked about the initial arising of the world, how the first Buddha attained cultivation, how the last Buddha could attain Buddhahood without sentient beings to liberate, etc. The World-Honored One did not answer these questions.
The Buddha Dharma is vast and boundless. The World-Honored One taught only a tiny bit in the Sahā world; the rest is not suitable for the sentient beings of this world to study and practice. The capacity of sentient beings to accept is truly limited; what they cannot understand, they slander. Therefore, the immeasurable and innumerable Buddha Dharmas are not something the World-Honored One was unwilling to teach; it is because sentient beings' own karmic obstructions are too heavy, their merit and virtue too thin, their wisdom too shallow. We should sincerely repent our karmic obstructions. Do not comment on or assert conclusions about principles you do not yet understand, lest you create the karma of slander and suffer evil retribution in future lives.
6. When nectar is poured into a poisoned cup, it immediately turns into poison—this is due to the impurity of the vessel. When the nectar of Dharma enters the minds of sentient beings, they give rise to wrong understandings—this is due to the impurity of their wisdom. The seeds of wrong views are in the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) field of sentient beings; encountering conditions, they give rise to wrong understandings. The appearance of the Dharma nectar is distorted by the consciousness-mind of sentient beings; the transformed inner perceived aspect is no longer nectar. When the consciousness-mind contacts this distorted inner perceived aspect, wrong views arise. These wrong view seeds are again planted in the eighth consciousness field, and in the future, they will still bloom as wrong view flowers and bear wrong view fruit. How lamentable! Eliminating the defilements of the mental faculty (manas) is the urgent task for Buddhists. This requires the conscious mind (mano-vijñāna) to often correctly contemplate correct Dharma principles, constantly perfuming the mental faculty. One day, after the wrong views of the mental faculty are transformed, cultivation can proceed on the correct path.
7. The mind follows the environment and turns. The external environment can influence the inner mind, causing waves. One reason is insufficient meditative concentration (śamatha), another reason is insufficient wisdom (prajñā), unable to correctly and rationally cognize, analyze, and face the encountered environment. What people like most is to follow their own minds, regardless of whether this mind is good or evil. Conforming to me brings joy; opposing me brings suffering. Because a person pays too much attention to inner feelings, their judgment of people and things is often incorrect. The same person may seem very good at times and very bad at other times; this stems entirely from one's own mental feelings, not from an objective and fair perspective. This illustrates the illusory nature of our consciousness and the environment; they are always in a state of constant change, not eternal and unchanging. That is, they are non-real dharmas, unreliable dharmas. We cannot completely rely on these things; otherwise, when these things cease, we will feel lost and helpless.
8. What Are the Symptoms of the Imbalance of the Four Great Elements?
When the Four Great Elements (mahābhūta) are imbalanced, all illnesses arise. All physical illnesses are caused by the imbalance of the Four Great Elements. One cause of this imbalance is karmic obstructions; another is the postnatal environment. Imbalance of the Four Great Elements means the composition of the seeds of the Four Elements changes, and the body must consequently change, giving rise to various illnesses. Imbalance of a single Great Element alone can cause corresponding illnesses. For example, imbalance of the Water Element (āpas) means the water in the body is either too much or too little. Whether too much or too little, it causes illnesses such as edema, dry skin, kidney disease, eczema, dermatitis, blood viscosity, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc.—all illnesses related to water.
Imbalance of the Wind Element (vāyu) can cause wind-related illnesses, such as respiratory diseases, urticaria, rheumatism, etc. Imbalance of the Fire Element (tejas) can cause fire-related illnesses, such as cold and heat illnesses of the body, chills, high fever, low fever, etc. Imbalance of the Earth Element (pṛthivī) can cause illnesses related to the solidity and supportive nature of earth, such as calcium deficiency, weakness in limbs, physical weakness, hunchback, body aches, etc. Imbalance of one Great Element causes a multitude of illnesses, let alone when all Four Great Elements are imbalanced—then the obstacles of illness are even more numerous. In summary, they are all karmic retributions resulting from sentient beings' actions since beginningless time. In very few cases, they are caused by occasional changes in the external environment that the body temporarily cannot adapt to; mostly, they are karmic obstruction illnesses.
Whether it is a karmic obstruction illness or one caused by occasional environmental discomfort, the change is all the work of the Tathāgatagarbha. The seeds of the Four Great Elements are transmitted from the Tathāgatagarbha; when their proportional composition changes, the material body must undergo corresponding changes. The change in the composition of the seeds of the Four Great Elements is determined by the Tathāgatagarbha. What does the Tathāgatagarbha rely on to decide to change the output of the seeds of the Four Great Elements? One is relying on karmic seeds; the Tathāgatagarbha can discern karmic seeds; its operation must proceed according to karmic seeds. Another is relying on the environment contacted by the body, because the Tathāgatagarbha can discern the body faculty and the environment of the material world. The Tathāgatagarbha, relying on these, continuously adapts to the environment and the body faculty, changing the structure of the seeds of the Four Great Elements. Thus, the body is constantly in various states of change. The physical body of every sentient being changes moment by moment like this; none are unchanging. It is all the work of one's own Tathāgatagarbha.
9. Is It Good or Bad to Be Attached to the Dharma?
Regarding attachment: attachment to the self's five aggregates (skandhas) exists before the fourth fruition of Arhatship. Attachment to the Dharma exists for bodhisattvas who have not yet reached the stage of non-learning (aśaikṣa) in the Mahāyāna; extinguishing attachment to dharmas (dharma-grāha) is Buddhahood. Eighth-ground (aṣṭamā-bhūmi) bodhisattvas cultivate to attain non-mind and non-action, but regarding the cultivation and realization of the Buddha Dharma, there are still many dharmas to cultivate, and they have not yet exhausted attachment to dharmas.
The Dharma is a miraculous medicine, a guiding light for sentient beings to escape the sea of suffering, a wish-fulfilling jewel (maṇi), a great treasury, a ship in the ocean of birth and death, a lifeline—all good words can be applied to the Dharma. The various sūtras have already explained it very well, very clearly, and with extremely many similes. The Dharma is like a boat for crossing a river; only upon reaching the shore can the boat be abandoned. Sentient beings drift in the sea of birth and death; if they do not hold tightly to the boat, they will fall into the sea and drown. Ordinary beings who have not attained the Way should hold even tighter to the Dharma to save their own lives, hoping to leave suffering and attain happiness.
The vast majority of ordinary people are not attached to the Dharma; those attached to the Dharma are very few, too few. If one can be attached to the Dharma, one will no longer be attached to the self or to worldly dharmas, causing the continuous cycle of birth and death. Being attached to the Dharma is a good thing. Only after fully learning, penetrating, and mastering it, and then severing attachment to dharmas, can one reach the other shore. If one is still an ordinary being bound by birth and death and not attached to the Dharma, one will surely be attached to worldly dharmas and be lax in the cultivation of the Buddha Dharma. A person whose body is lax and mind is lax is certainly not attached to the Dharma; whether to cultivate or not is indifferent, what to cultivate is indifferent, how to cultivate is indifferent—undoubtedly so.
When initially learning and cultivating Buddhism, being attached to the Dharma still has many benefits. Craving the Dharma is wholesome craving; it can bring benefits, transferring attachment to the self and the worldly to the Dharma, turning craving for the five aggregates of self and craving for worldly five desires and six dusts into craving and attachment to the Dharma. The mind-ground can then attain liberation. After the Dharma is penetrated and mastered, gradually remove the craving and attachment to the Dharma, and only then can one accomplish the Buddha Way.
10. Worlds are established in space; space is within the Tathāgatagarbha, like a speck of cloud in the vast sky. The Sahā world and the Land of Ultimate Bliss are closest, yet separated by one hundred thousand Buddha lands. How vast must the great chiliocosm with its sands be! Conquer your own mind, and you conquer the universe, conquer the ten-direction worlds, conquer the One True Dharma Realm. Take out your mind, clarify all the dharmas within it, and the immeasurable worlds belong to you. In reality, conquering the world is conquering one's own mind; there are no dharmas outside the mind.
We still cling to trivial worldly dharmas every day, generating thoughts over minor matters, appearing far too insignificant. Observing from the perspective of the universe and space, what worldly matter can be considered a matter? When will our mind's capacity expand to be like the Tathāgatagarbha? When it does, we will possess the ocean of worlds in the ten directions. The Buddha said: "It is like abandoning the clear, vast expanse of hundreds of thousands of great oceans, recognizing only a single bubble as the entire ocean, exhausting the great seas. You are thus people doubly deluded." Hearing the Buddha's words, we should truly wake up quickly and no longer be deluded and attached.
11. Hīnayāna cultivation should still be based on the Āgamas taught by the Buddha, especially the Saṃyuktāgama. The treatises written by others all contain more or less incorrect points; their details are inconsistent with the Buddha's teachings. Even the treatises spoken by fourth-fruition Arhats have discrepancies with the Buddha's words; they cannot be entirely accepted.
The errors and disputes in those Hīnayāna treatises are even more numerous than the disputes in ancient Vijñānavāda. Such simple Dharma, yet they argue back and forth, opinions differing—this shows that cultivating the Dharma is not easy. Because the cultivation level of the Hīnayāna path of liberation is relatively low, many people write books and treatises, the content is relatively disorganized, and there are many instances of each saying their own thing. This is all due to the karma of sentient beings in the Sahā world; other worlds do not have such situations.
The sūtras say that after the first fruition (Sotāpanna), one must cultivate the first dhyāna to successively sever the afflictions of greed, hatred, delusion, etc., and only then can one become a wisdom-liberated Arhat (prajñā-vimukta). However, those Hīnayāna treatises say that wisdom-liberated Arhats do not need the first dhyāna, nor even the access concentration (anāgamya-samādhi). Without cultivating any samādhi at all, they can sever afflictions and become fourth-fruition Arhats—this is a fantasy.
If we do not diligently cultivate in this life, lay a good foundation, and achieve some attainment, the Buddha Dharma in future ages will evolve into even greater disorder, making it practically impossible to distinguish right from wrong, easily falling into the pit set by Māra and unable to get out. Māra's tricks are extremely numerous, impossible to guard against entirely. Therefore, we should still vow to take refuge in the Three Jewels, rely on the Buddha's power for rescue, and embark on the correct path of liberation. This world is full of demonic obstacles everywhere; if one's merit and virtue are slightly deficient, one is obstructed, unaware, or aware but powerless to liberate oneself. Cultivating more merit and virtue, enhancing meditative concentration, and subduing karmic obstructions are most crucial. When karmic obstructions manifest, one will have the ability to break through them.
12. Regarding the meanings of Chinese characters, we must contemplate, analyze, and research them more to understand their true meaning. Only those without obstacles regarding words can easily understand the Buddha Dharma correctly and continuously give rise to wisdom. Those with obstacles regarding words, upon reading a passage, cannot truly understand its essential meaning, often misunderstand, and their wisdom cannot increase. In interactions between sentient beings, if there are obstacles regarding language and words, causing mutual incomprehension and inability to communicate, then interaction becomes painful and frustrating. People who are good at understanding others' intentions all have fewer obstacles regarding language and words; they are good at seeing through others' psychology, easily communicate with people, and have fewer obstacles in interpersonal interactions.
Each person's level of understanding of words varies greatly. Why do some people have a very low level of understanding of words? A coarse mind lacking refinement, insufficient meditative concentration, lack of wisdom, deficiency in merit and virtue—these are the main problems. The words clearly do not mean that, yet some people understand them that way, unwilling to reflect on themselves, unwilling to turn the light inward. Many people only illuminate others, not themselves—this is a manifestation of heavy self-attachment. Then they consider their own understanding correct and without hesitation negate others, debating with them. This impulsiveness precisely shows a lack of meditative concentration, lack of wisdom, inability to introspect, and inability to correctly evaluate oneself and others. A wise person is someone whose mind is extremely refined, able to observe others as they truly are and also truly introspect upon themselves. Lacking observational and introspective power indicates poor meditative concentration and insufficient wisdom.
13. In the Aggañña Sutta (Discourse on Primordial Origins) in the Āgamas, it is said that one great kalpa (mahākalpa) consists of four intermediate kalpas (antarakalpa). One intermediate kalpa consists of twenty small kalpas. One small kalpa is 16.8 million years. One cycle of the Earth's formation, abiding, decay, and emptiness is 80 times 16.8 million years. This is one day in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. One great kalpa in the Land of Ultimate Bliss equals one day in other worlds; one day in those other worlds equals one day in yet another world, and so on continuously. The time in each Buddha land is different.
The Sūtra on the Manifestation of the Immeasurable Merits of Pure Lands says that among the Buddha lands in the ten directions, the kalpa of the Sahā world is the shortest. Cultivating in this land is the fastest. One cycle of formation, abiding, decay, and emptiness in the Sahā world, which is one great kalpa, is only one day in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Comparing one day and one kalpa, the latter involves an immense amount of cultivation; progress on the path is extremely rapid compared to other worlds. Cultivating in each world has its advantages and disadvantages. In worlds of suffering, kalpas are short, cultivation is fast; in worlds of bliss, there is great enjoyment, but kalpas are long, and cultivation is relatively slower.
14. Every Buddhist cultivator will experience various trials and tribulations; this is inevitable. Resisting karmic forces from beginningless time is extremely difficult; even bodhisattvas who return are like this, facing too many adverse conditions. Cultivation is like sailing against the current; it requires the courage to fight against great winds and waves and tenacious perseverance. One must have the great vows of a bodhisattva to avoid being suppressed by the wind and waves.
As the path rises a foot, demons rise ten feet. As long as there is an upward aspiration, one will inevitably undergo trials. Whenever there is obvious progress in cultivation, karmic obstructions will surely manifest. One's own resolve for the path and courageous, diligent mind are inconceivable; the Buddha's power is equally inconceivable. As long as one generates long-term diligent resolve, the Buddha's power will surely protect one; demonic obstacles will be unable to harm us. Believing this, one can overcome all difficulties. "A person without long-term considerations will have immediate worries." As long as we set our sights far ahead, focusing on the future, the path beneath our feet becomes easier to tread, and the difficulties before us become easier to overcome.
15. Genuine correct faith requires the wisdom of immediate observation (pratyakṣa); otherwise, faith inevitably tends towards partiality and blind faith. Even regarding the Buddhist sūtras, truly wise people should harbor doubts and seek ways to verify them through actual experience, let alone what is not spoken by the Buddha?
On the internet, many people say that the Sixth Patriarch (Huineng) was a Buddha's manifestation, that his teachings possess a Buddha's level of realization, and that the Sixth Patriarch had already attained Buddhahood. I truly do not know what basis these people have for such definitive statements about the Sixth Patriarch. To certify someone as a university professor level, one's own level should be higher than that professor's, or at least equivalent, to grant them certification. Nowadays, sentient beings in the Dharma-ending age seem to have all become Buddhas, then, with a Buddha's wisdom, certify that the Sixth Patriarch has become a Buddha, possessing a Buddha's wisdom and realization. The Sixth Patriarch's Platform Sūtra is a thin booklet; I estimate none of these people can understand it, otherwise no one would dare make such a definitive statement.
16. The karma of sentient beings still needs to be resolved by the sentient beings themselves; mainly, it is resolved by resolving the mind. Only when the mind is resolved can karma be resolved. To resolve the mind, relying solely on the Buddha's power and blessings is insufficient; one must actively cooperate oneself, transform one's own mind, and eradicate ignorance; only then can karma be resolved. If you have the karma of killing, and Buddhas and bodhisattvas resolve it for you, but you still have the mind to kill, you will create evil karma again in the future—what karma can be resolved then? The karma of poverty—who can resolve it for you? Merit and virtue are cultivated individually; others cannot cultivate for you. Meditative concentration is cultivated by oneself; others cannot cultivate it for you. Precepts are upheld by oneself; others cannot uphold precepts for you. Enlightening the mind is done by oneself; others cannot enlighten your mind and see your nature for you. Buddhahood is attained by one's own cultivation; others cannot become a Buddha in your place.
17. What Kind of Person Can Truly "Follow Conditions"?
If an ordinary person "follows conditions," what kind of conditions are most prevalent day by day, year by year, life by life? Where can following conditions lead? "Following conditions without changing, unchanging yet following conditions"—only the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) can fully accomplish this. Bodhisattvas before the first ground (bhūmi) cannot do it; it is impossible to be unchanging. Bodhisattvas after the first ground, before the eighth ground, also cannot fully accomplish it. As long as the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are still subject to defilement, it is impossible to be unchanging while following conditions. The Buddha, no matter what conditions He follows, His mind does not change, because the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are no longer subject to defilement.
The meditative concentration of non-Buddhists is so good; they enter samādhi for eighty thousand great kalpas, subduing all afflictions. However, because they have not eradicated afflictions, in future lives born in the desire realm, they still follow conditions and create the karma of greed, hatred, and delusion, again flowing in the suffering of evil karma. Arhats, fearing being defiled by worldly conditions of the three realms, avoid the three realms and enter the remainderless Nirvāṇa (nirupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). The mind of an ordinary person, once it "follows conditions," will definitely change; it is very unreliable. Anyone who places all hope in an ordinary person will surely regret it.
18. The Liberation Body of All Buddhas
After Arhats attain liberation and transcend the three realms, their five-aggregate body ceases and no longer appears; though liberated, they have no body. Although the Buddha has attained ultimate great liberation, He still retains a physical body of five aggregates to benefit and bring happiness to immeasurable sentient beings. Therefore, the Buddha's five-aggregate body is called the "Liberation Body" (vimukti-kāya). The Buddha attains the non-abiding Nirvāṇa (apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa); He will never extinguish His body and annihilate His wisdom, nor will He abandon sentient beings uncared for while enjoying Himself alone. The Buddha universally liberates beings according to conditions in immeasurable worlds, abiding in no dharma in His mind. When the conditions in this world are exhausted, He manifests another physical body in another Buddha land to extensively benefit sentient beings again. Therefore, it is called the non-abiding Nirvāṇa.
The Buddha manifests an emanation body (nirmāṇa-kāya) in whichever world He is in; that body is manifested for benefiting others and is called the "Body of Enjoyment for Others" (parasaṃbhogakāya). The Buddha's five-aggregate body has attained great liberation and great freedom, without any attachment or bondage; therefore, it is also called the "Liberation Body." After sentient beings become Buddhas, they all have immeasurable manifestation bodies and transformation bodies (nirmāṇa-kāya), able to freely establish immeasurable Buddha lands. Śākyamuni Buddha alone has immeasurable, boundless manifestation Buddhas, all with different names. The Buddha has only one Reward Body (saṃbhogakāya), but the Emanation Buddhas and Transformation Buddhas are immeasurable and boundless. An Emanation Buddha must descend to the human world, undergo the eight phases of a Buddha's life (aṣṭamahāpuruṣa-lakṣaṇa), be born from a mother's womb, and appear the same as worldly people. A Transformation Buddha is not constrained by form; He manifests freely without the eight phases, and can also appear like an ordinary person. According to the sūtras, Śākyamuni Buddha has one hundred manifestation bodies, serving as Emanation Buddhas in one hundred Buddha lands. Amitābha Buddha is one of them. In reality, there may be even more. Śākyamuni Buddha's transformation bodies are countless, spread throughout the ten directions, liberating immeasurable sentient beings.
19. After All Buddhas Enter Nirvāṇa, Will There Still Be Worlds?
No worlds, nothing at all, not even emptiness. Worlds exist because of people, because of people's karma, because of people's conditions, because of people's vows. If there are no people, there is no karma, no conditions, no vows—how can worlds exist alone? Sentient beings have five aggregates and eighteen elements (dhātus). Without the five aggregates, there would be no eighteen elements. When there are no worlds, it is empty and silent, not even "empty and silent," because "empty" represents the world, "silent" represents a state. Without worlds, there is no space and no state.
After sentient beings become Buddhas, and there are no more sentient beings to liberate, what do the Buddhas do in the Buddha lands and worlds? Nothing to do, no mind to use; only entering samādhi. Entering samādhi long-term is no different from entering Nirvāṇa; the result is the same, no difference. Arhats do not engage in any worldly undertakings; what can Buddhas do? Entering samādhi all day—what is the use of entering samādhi? Whatever Buddhas do is useless; not doing anything is even more useless. Entering samādhi and Nirvāṇa are no different. When sentient beings are together, they can still fight with each other; after becoming Buddhas, the mind is absolutely peaceful, with nothing to do.
After becoming a Buddha, the only thing to do is liberate sentient beings. If there are no sentient beings to liberate, there is nothing to do; after becoming a Buddha, everything is superfluous. So why do we do so many things now? Similarly meaningless. Now, gathering together, fighting each other—what's the point? What is there to fight over? Nothing is of use. We should start restraining ourselves now, try not to do a single evil dharma, do good dharmas, and finally, even good dharmas are superfluous—do not do good dharmas either. Only then can the mind become increasingly non-active (anabhisaṃskāra), and Buddhahood will be attained quickly.
20. Why Is the Buddha So Compassionate, Yet He Can Serenely Watch Sentient Beings in the Sahā World Suffering Various Miseries? Can the Buddha Bear to Watch?
When my mother passed away, I was just passing through the gate of the "Mirage Observation" (mṛga-tṛṣṇā). Years before, I had prepared how to face my mother's death. My mind always contemplated: what is mother composed of? Is there really a person called mother? During the process of handling my mother's funeral, I observed the sixth and seventh consciousnesses of each person, observed the psychological states of everyone, and thus realized the "Mirage Observation." All people were so illusory in my mind; I was like a walking corpse dealing with everything, though I still felt very sad inside.
Then, with the Buddha's immeasurable wisdom, observing sentient beings, what are sentient beings? The universe, the world, human affairs, principles—what are they? The physical bodies of sentient beings are particles of the Four Great Elements; the consciousness-mind is seeds of consciousness. The Buddha sees sentient beings—there are no sentient beings, nor their affairs and principles. That is one point. Secondly, sentient beings have their own karmic conditions and forces for suffering. When conditions are not ripe, rescuing is useless; one can only watch sentient beings drift in the sea of birth and death, surfacing and sinking. Only when conditions ripen can one extend a hand to rescue them.
21. Can Sentient Beings Be Liberated Completely?
One Tathāgatagarbha corresponds to one sentient being, giving birth to one sentient being; therefore, the Tathāgatagarbha is also called the realm of sentient beings (sattva-dhātu). The Heart Sūtra says the Tathāgatagarbha neither increases nor decreases; the realm of sentient beings neither increases nor decreases. "Neither increases nor decreases" means unchanging; "neither arises nor ceases" means it never needs to arise and cannot cease. Therefore, the number of Tathāgatagarbhas is eternally fixed and unchanging, and infinitely numerous. Because there are too many sentient beings, too many Tathāgatagarbhas, impossible to count clearly, it is said to be immeasurable.
With this number of Tathāgatagarbhas corresponding to this many sentient beings, can sentient beings be completely liberated? As long as the realm of sentient beings does not increase, and Buddhas and bodhisattvas become more and more numerous, sentient beings will eventually all be liberated. No matter how many, there will be a day when all are liberated; only the time is indefinite, infinitely long, unspeakably, unspeakably long. When all sentient beings become Buddhas, there are no sentient beings to liberate, and the abiding of all Buddhas in the world is no longer necessary, no longer meaningful; they should all enter Nirvāṇa. Buddhas have no need to seek things where there is nothing to do; the worlds of the ten directions also have no need to exist. The last group of sentient beings to become Buddhas will cultivate with very little effort; one Buddha supports one sentient being; their cultivation will be like riding a rocket. The last group of sentient beings will no longer have the opportunity to create evil karma; the elimination of ignorance and karmic seeds will be extremely fast; they can become Buddhas without liberating others because they become Buddhas when ignorance is gone.
22. So-called "liberating sentient beings" does not mean forcibly liberating sentient beings with deep afflictions and karmic obstructions into sages all at once. Rather, it means raising the cultivation level of sentient beings to a corresponding degree, achieving a significant improvement compared to before; it is impossible to become a sage instantly. The result of "pulling up seedlings to help them grow" is liberating sentient beings to death, liberating them into the three evil paths, and destroying Buddhism. When the conditions for becoming a sage are not ripe, one can only engage in long-term influence until their character approaches that of a sage; only then can one liberate them beyond the ordinary. Hastily liberating people with impatience for quick results can only "liberate" their heads; the mind remains ordinary, head and hands separated.
23. How Does the Bodhisattva Nature Arise?
When sentient beings have only the seventh and eighth consciousnesses without a five-aggregate body, which sentient being has the bodhisattva nature? If there is no bodhisattva nature, one cannot become a Buddha. Where did all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the ten directions come from? The mental faculty (manas) has no innate bodhisattva nature since beginningless time. But after acquiring a five-aggregate body, through the influence of the postnatal environment, upon seeing the suffering of oneself and others, the bodhisattva nature arises, and ultimately one can become a Buddha. The act of being able to generate the bodhisattva nature is most precious. Seeing the suffering of sentient beings and generating a compassionate heart is most precious; this is the bodhisattva seed-nature (gotra).
24. Is the Buddha's Compassion Also Illusory?
The Buddha's compassion is of two kinds. One is the great compassion (mahākaruṇā) inherently possessed since beginningless time, which has always compassionately benefited things, especially people. Although this mind does not actively generate compassionate feelings, nor does it know that sentient beings are worthy of pity and compassion, its actions are selflessly in accordance with sentient beings, and its result is to benefit and care for sentient beings. This is the compassion possessed by the Buddha's Tathāgatagarbha, the undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna).
The Buddha's other kind of compassion is cultivated through practice after enlightenment; it is the compassion for sentient beings manifested by the Buddha's conscious mind, i.e., the Wisdom of Subtle Observation (pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna). This mind can arise with the appearance of the Buddha's conscious mind, the Wisdom of Subtle Observation, and cease to appear with its temporary cessation. It is subject to birth and change, not eternally existent. Since it is not an eternally abiding mind but an illusory production born from the Buddha's undefiled consciousness, it is illusory.
Both kinds of the Buddha's compassion are unmoving. The compassion of a bodhisattva's conscious mind still moves and changes. The occasional compassion of an ordinary being's conscious mind entirely follows the environment; it is not present at all times, cannot abide constantly, is not ultimate, and lacks wisdom-nature. When the Buddha generates compassion, it does not follow the environment and flow, does not regard the environment as real, does not distinguish objects, truly being "unconditioned great compassion" (apratihata-mahāmaitrī) and "same-body great compassion" (samatā-mahākaruṇā), without the discriminating treatment of you/me/him/it, viewing all sentient beings equally.
Sentient beings often treat people unequally, taking the self as the center point, extending outward bit by bit. The further out the people are, the less compassion arises, or none at all. Some people do not generate even a trace of compassion for their closest relatives. Therefore, sentient beings are relatively heavy with selfishness, heavy with self-attachment, rarely consider others, or do not consider them at all, unable to consider problems from others' perspectives, far removed from the Buddha's unconditioned great compassion.
25. Regarding the issue of "attaining Buddhahood in this very body" (kāyeṇa buddhatva), whether it means in this very body or in this very lifetime, it is only for the final-body bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva of Wonderful Enlightenment (miàojué púsà), like Maitreya Bodhisattva. Even then, one must choose the appropriate time and conditions. Apart from this, there is no "attainment of Buddhahood in this very body."
The cultivation of sentient beings has stages; it is impossible to skip high levels, leaping from an ordinary being directly to Buddhahood, unless it is a manifestation by one who is already a Buddha for the purpose of teaching. However, this would not occur in a world where a Buddha is already present, for one world does not have two Buddhas. Ordinary sentient beings should first study the principles of liberation in the Āgamas, realize the fruition of liberation, then study the principles of Mahāyāna Prajñāpāramitā and Vijñānavāda, progressing step by step. To enlighten the mind and see the nature in one lifetime is already a very good capacity. For ordinary sentient beings, severing the view of self and realizing the first fruition is already extremely difficult, impossible to grasp the key points. Therefore, do not think about "attaining Buddhahood in this very body." Ordinary sentient beings cannot even fully understand the Tathāgatagarbha Dharma in one lifetime; it is impossible to realize all the seed functions and roles within the Tathāgatagarbha and attain All-Knowing Wisdom (sarvajñā-jñāna). Ordinary sentient beings cannot even cultivate access concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) before the four dhyānas and eight samāpattis, let alone cultivate the four dhyānas, eight samāpattis, and the cessation of perception and feeling (nirodha-samāpatti), attain immeasurable spiritual powers and wisdom, and immeasurable, countless manifestation bodies—this is fundamentally impossible.
Ordinary sentient beings find it difficult to liberate even themselves, let alone liberate immeasurable, boundless sentient beings to become disciples in their own Buddha land—even more impossible. Without liberating sentient beings, one cannot have immeasurable disciples; without disciples, one person cannot establish a Buddha land. Even a king has ministers and armies to assist in building and maintaining the country; becoming a Buddha requires even more great bodhisattvas to assist in propagating the Dharma and liberating beings. Without having liberated sentient beings, there will be no great bodhisattva disciples to serve as right and left arms to assist oneself in propagating the Dharma. Therefore, sentient beings in the Sahā world should still cultivate step by step with down-to-earth diligence, not aim too high beyond their capacity, thus delaying their own path.
26. Cultivation is not merely "living in the present moment" or "only concerning oneself with the present." Most importantly, one must consider the future, ensuring no more suffering in the cycle of rebirth, no more delusion and ignorance, no more ignorance. If one only lives in the present, without the future in mind, one cannot see the road ahead clearly and easily goes astray. Moreover, this "present moment" is thought-instant after thought-instant arising and ceasing. By the time one says "this present moment," it has already become the past. Where is the present moment? Countless past present moments have vanished; this present moment is perishing right now; future present moments have not yet come. Which present moment do you want? Past consciousness-mind has already ceased; present consciousness-mind is ceasing moment by moment; future consciousness-mind has not yet come. Which mind do you want to obtain? The three minds are unobtainable; what is unobtainable is the consciousness-mind, the impermanent, illusory mind. How can what is subject to birth and cessation be obtained? How can it be grasped?
But there is one mind, not acquired later, inherently possessed since the beginning. Even if you do not want it, it does not abandon you. You go to heaven, it goes with you; you go to hell, it goes with you too. Wherever you go, it follows. You suffer, undergo evil retribution; it does not disdain you. Since beginningless time, it has never left you. How excellent is this mind! Cultivation is to realize this mind, understand this mind, explore its mysteries; only then can great wisdom be developed. With great wisdom, one can become a Buddha or a Patriarch.
27. The so-called world is merely a kind of sensation. Different mental states have different sensations; different people have different sensations. So what are these sensations? Nothing at all—mere illusions. So what to do? Change the sensations that are not true, not in accordance with principle, to sensations that are true and in accordance with principle; then return to reality, return to awareness, return to the One True, return to Nirvāṇa, return to stillness.
28. For those who genuinely practice, there is no need to specifically discuss the mental faculty (manas); they can realize it through practice. For those who do not genuinely practice, it is essential to tell them the difference between intellectual understanding (解悟 jiěwù) and experiential realization (证悟 zhèngwù), urging everyone not to be satisfied with intellectual understanding but to strive for experiential realization. This is special treatment for the restless sentient beings of the Dharma-ending age. Sentient beings' minds are extremely restless, unwilling to exert hard effort, unwilling to uphold precepts, unwilling to cultivate concentration. Even if they wish to uphold precepts and cultivate concentration, environmental factors make it impossible to accomplish. Therefore, they cannot engage in contemplative practice (观行 guānxíng), cannot realize experientially. They can only read books daily, understand intellectually, and after understanding to a certain extent, declare to others that they have attained realization. Therefore, it is necessary in this special period to teach some special Dharma. For special sentient beings, teach Dharma specially; this is what corresponds to their capacities and solves their actual and fundamental problems.
29. Anyone can potentially misinterpret the sūtras or the Buddha's intent. However, as long as one does not assert one's own views definitively, there is no major fault, nor is it certain to mislead others. In the process of learning Buddhism, it is inevitable to make mistakes repeatedly; anyone is prone to this. The key is the attitude one holds towards one's own views and to what extent one can be confident in their correctness—this must be handled with discernment. Only the Buddha is without error; even when Maitreya Bodhisattva teaches the Dharma, the Buddha would not affirm it one hundred percent.
Enlightened bodhisattvas teaching the Dharma can also make errors; when not enlightened, the errors in teaching will be even more numerous. General errors do not matter; the crucial point is that the most critical points must not be in error, because the critical points concern the major issue of whether the sentient beings following the teachings can attain realization—this is the turning point in the lives of sentient beings. At this turning point, there must be no error. As long as the goal and direction are correct, the rest are minor problems that can be corrected and adjusted. We learn Buddhism to strive diligently for realization. After realization, following whatever Dharma one learns, one learns and attains immediately; often, it achieves twice the result with half the effort.
