Miscellaneous Discussions on Buddhism (Part One)
Chapter Sixteen: Demonic Obstacles and the Blessing Power of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
I. The Truth About the Propagation and Destruction of the Dharma
When the Dharma is about to perish, the Sangha splits apart and fights amongst itself. Arhats are envied and killed alive first. Finally, all ordained Sangha members are killed. From then on, the propagation of the Dharma ceases, and all Buddhadharma ceases to exist. That is, when the Sangha Jewel perishes, the Three Jewels perish. This is because in the Saha world, it is the ordained Sangha Jewel that transmits the Buddha's Dharma lineage. Without the Sangha Jewel, there is no one to transmit the Buddha Jewel and the Dharma Jewel; Buddhism must then perish. This is explained in the Sutra on the Extinction of the Dharma. We who study the Buddha should read the sutras extensively. The Dharma explained in the sutras covers the broadest scope and is the most accurate. Reading the sutras extensively allows us to understand Buddhist history, the development and trajectory of Buddhism, increase our wisdom, and strengthen our resolve on the Path.
When the World-Honored One first came to the Saha world to propagate the Dharma, he first liberated the five bhikkhus including Kaundinya, establishing the ordained Sangha. Next, he liberated the followers of non-Buddhist paths led by Mahakasyapa and others, ordaining them. Finally, he liberated his own family members and relatives from the secular world, ordaining all who were able to be ordained. Then, he transmitted the Dharma step by step: first the Hinayana Dharma of liberation, then the Mahayana Prajnaparamita, and finally the extensive teachings of Vijnaptimatrata (Consciousness-Only). After the Buddha's Parinirvana, he instructed his ordained disciples to widely propagate the Buddhadharma, dispatching several great Arhats led by Mahakasyapa to remain in the world in physical form to protect the spread of the Dharma.
Some great Bodhisattvas, including those from other Buddha worlds, vowed to propagate the Dharma in the Saha world, but the Buddha did not agree. The Buddha said, "My Saha world has ordained Sangha residing to widely propagate the Dharma. Bodhisattvas in the ten directions all have their own Dharma propagation tasks and are extremely busy. Let the Saha world primarily rely on my ordained Sangha for Dharma propagation." Therefore, from the time the Buddha established the Sangha until the final destruction of the Dharma, it has been primarily the ordained Sangha propagating the Dharma. The Buddha said he himself is also counted among the ordained. When the ordained Sangha splits and the ordained Sangha members are killed, Buddhism immediately perishes, with no one left to transmit the Dharma.
Arhats in the Dharma-ending age are almost all wisdom-liberated (Prajñāvimukta). Their samadhi is only the first dhyana, so they have no supernatural powers. Even if they had supernatural powers, when karmic obstacles manifest, no one can avoid them; they can still be killed. Mahamaudgalyayana had the greatest supernatural powers among the Sravaka disciples, yet at the end of his life, he was beaten to death. Supernatural powers cannot overcome karmic force.
After Sakyamuni Buddha's Dharma perishes, we can only wait for Maitreya Buddha to appear in the world to liberate sentient beings. Through three great Dharma assemblies, he will liberate nearly thirty billion sentient beings, enabling them to attain the fruits of the Path. At that time, we will belong to the disciples left behind by Sakyamuni Buddha. Due to our profound roots of goodness and merit, Maitreya Buddha will take over and liberate us. Therefore, every sentient being does not belong solely to one Buddha. One must learn the Dharma from immeasurable Buddhas and learn the Buddha-Dharma alongside immeasurable Bodhisattvas to fully master all Buddhadharma. Learning from only one Buddha cannot lead to Buddhahood; practicing with only one Bodhisattva or one teacher even less so. Therefore, every sentient being should vow to make offerings to and protect all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout the ten directions.
II. Question: Between the Dharma of the Tathagatagarbha and the Dharma of the Manas (mind faculty), which is ultimately more important? If Mara (Papiyas) wants to destroy the Dharma, which Dharma's propagation would he most want to obstruct?
Answer: The Dharma of the Tathagatagarbha and the Dharma of the Manas are both important. If one must compare which is more important, it is the Dharma of the Tathagatagarbha. This is because without the Tathagatagarbha, there are no dharmas at all. Without realizing the Tathagatagarbha, practicing any Dharma is useless. Without realizing the Tathagatagarbha, there will be no subsequent various contemplations and practices, and thus no Wonderful Observing Wisdom (Pratyaveksanā-jñāna) to contemplate the various functions and characteristics of the Manas. The Equality Wisdom (Samatā-jñāna) of the Manas will also not arise.
If Mara wants to destroy and obstruct the Buddhadharma, he will certainly first destroy the Dharma of the Tathagatagarbha and then obstruct the Dharma of the Manas. Mara possesses great merit. When the Buddha was alive propagating the Dharma, Mara stayed by the Buddha's side and attended many Dharma assemblies. Most of the time, he attended with the purpose of destroying the Dharma. On rare occasions, influenced by the Buddha's power and the Dharma, and under the discipline of Bodhisattvas, he had no choice but to listen carefully to the Dharma in the assembly and even protect the Dharma. He has always known that the Buddhadharma is extremely good and important, capable of bringing sentient beings coolness and liberation. However, due to his extremely strong desire for followers, wishing the number of followers under his control to increase rather than decrease, he does not want sentient beings to learn the Buddhadharma well, does not want their minds to attain coolness and liberation, thereby escaping his control.
Therefore, when Mara learns that the World-Honored One is about to teach an important Mahayana sutra, he tries every possible means to obstruct it. The Buddha, fully aware of Mara's schemes, never exposes him directly but allows Dharma-protecting Bodhisattvas to admonish him. In this way, Mara hears much Buddhadharma at the Buddha's assemblies, mainly Mahayana teachings. He understands quite a bit of Mahayana Dharma. In future lives, due to this root of goodness and merit, he will become a true Bodhisattva and eventually attain Buddhahood.
However, before he becomes a true Bodhisattva, before he falls into hell to suffer the retribution of his evil deeds, he still has demonic nature and a very strong desire for followers. He will certainly use the Buddhadharma he has heard to teach sentient beings a semblance of Mahayana Dharma, teaching the Tathagatagarbha Dharma in a way that is relatively close to the true Dharma. Because he has supernatural powers, it is easy for him to learn the general secret meaning of the Tathagatagarbha. When he teaches the Tathagatagarbha, he is willing to reveal the secret meaning to sentient beings. He is not afraid that sentient beings will only know the result, knowing the result is useless; the intermediate practice process is the most important.
By doing this, Mara cleverly achieves his goals: first, making sentient beings worship him, thereby winning them over; second, preventing sentient beings from truly practicing and attaining true liberation. Sentient beings easily learn the secret meaning and can no longer practice diligently. They will also develop extremely heavy arrogance and create evil karma. Thus, sentient beings cannot escape Mara's control no matter what, and Mara achieves his goal. Therefore, Mara is not afraid of sentient beings learning the Tathagatagarbha Dharma, as long as they learn it improperly, create more evil karma, and easily learn the secret meaning of the Tathagatagarbha, making it even harder for them to attain liberation. These sentient beings still belong to Mara's retinue, controlled by Mara.
Thus, we know that Mara must fear actual practice and realization the most. Learning the Dharma, actual practice, and realization are all related to samadhi and the Manas. With sufficient samadhi, one can perfumingly cultivate the Manas and easily realize the Buddhadharma. Liberation is then not far away. Mara is certainly helpless against this, so he will obstruct and hinder the Dharma of samadhi and the realization of the Manas in every possible way—superficially supporting it while secretly sabotaging it. Sentient beings cannot see through his tricks and mistakenly think he is protecting the Dharma, is very accomplished, and is truly a Bodhisattva. Mara is very cunning. He superficially strongly supports the Buddhadharma and even personally teaches and propagates the Dharma, but he will never allow sentient beings to truly realize the Buddhadharma. The tricks he plays in secret are absolutely undetectable by the wisdom of sentient beings. Only sentient beings with profound roots of goodness and merit can receive the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, avoid being deluded by him, and attain realization. Therefore, roots of goodness and merit are extremely important.
III. Brainwashing uses eloquent and deceptive means, accommodating sentient beings' greedy desires, making them easily believe, thereby subtly influencing and contaminating them. Positive education, however, often goes against greedy desires; sentient beings find it hard to accept and are not easily influenced. Mara easily makes sentient beings fall under his influence, while the Buddha finds it difficult to make sentient beings enter the Buddha Path, because sentient beings listen to deception but not to exhortation.
IV. Mara possesses great merit and a very long lifespan, measured in kalpas. His merit is depleted due to creating evil karma, and only then does his lifespan end, after which he falls straight into hell. During the long period his lifespan exists, he must possess the most descendants to satisfy his greed. Therefore, as long as sentient beings cannot leave the desire realm, including the three evil realms, within one or several kalpas, they all belong to his descendants and retinue. After several kalpas, he can no longer control them. Thus, Mara likes to practice generosity and cultivate merit, and he also likes sentient beings to practice generosity and cultivate merit, but he does not allow sentient beings to practice and attain liberation, does not allow them to cultivate samadhi, and does not allow them to go to other Buddha lands. Apart from this, sentient beings can do whatever they wish; he doesn't care, as long as they cannot leave the desire realm. The more sentient beings indulge in the five desires, the happier Mara is, because the five desires exist only in the desire realm. Craving the five desires certainly prevents one from leaving the desire realm, forever belonging to his descendants and retinue.
Everyone should observe themselves: how much of their mental conduct is what Mara rejoices in and approves of? How many habits and tendencies align with the demonic mind and nature, easily receiving the empowerment of demonic power? Those who are very lax in practice tend to be very smooth in worldly matters. But once they courageously and diligently advance in practice, stepping up a level, they begin to encounter obstacles and demonic hindrances. Therefore, those who practice well can bring their karmic obstacles to the surface. Those whose practice is still not effective often experience smooth sailing without hindrances. True Bodhisattvas, the more Mara interferes, the firmer their resolve on the Path becomes, the better their samadhi, and the deeper their wisdom. Mara's interference is like pouring oil on a fire—the more Mara interferes, the brighter the fire burns. Bodhisattvas are not afraid of Mara.
Mara King Papiyas is constantly influenced by these Dharma teachings, including Mahayana Dharma. What doesn't he understand? He can understand everything but cannot realize it. This is because his greed and desire are extremely intense; he does not truly wish to cultivate the Path, let alone seek to sever the view of self and subdue his own afflictions. Also, because Mara understands the principles of these Hinayana and Mahayana Dharmas, he has more convenient conditions to destroy the Dharma. Ordinary sentient beings do not understand as much as he does. When he teaches the Dharma, most sentient beings worship him. Then, he secretly adds some methods that bind one to birth and death, which no one can recognize. Following his practice leads one to fall into the demonic path.
Mara often met Sakyamuni Buddha, listened to his teachings, frequently interacted with Mahayana Bodhisattvas, heard the teachings of Bodhisattvas, and often interacted with Arhats, hearing the teachings of Arhats. He took every advantage in terms of the Buddhadharma, planting roots of goodness in the Dharma. He should be grateful to the Three Jewels, yet he tries every means to destroy the Buddha and extinguish the Dharma, leading sentient beings toward the three evil realms—truly repaying kindness with enmity. Mara's attitude towards the Buddha face-to-face was like this—very disrespectful and contemptuous. Towards Arhats, he was even more disdainful and contemptuous. Towards other sentient beings, he was quite discriminatory and abusive. Whoever blocked his path, he would destroy them without mercy, unreasonable and irrational.
Mara's mind is very narrow, calculating over the smallest trifles, not letting a single person go. He was even unhappy that the Buddha was not under his jurisdiction. Anyone who wants to leave the desire realm causes him worry and distress. When Mara's current lifespan ends, he will fall directly into hell. After emerging from hell, it is unknown when his roots of goodness will mature, leading him to repent and reform, truly begin to study and practice the Buddhadharma, and embark on the right path. After he sincerely repents, his evil karma will be eliminated, and his practice will still be very fast, after all, the Three Jewels allowed him to plant so many roots of goodness and merit.
V. Why Doesn't the Buddha Destroy Mara?
Mara is also a sentient being, possessing Buddha-nature, and will attain Buddhahood in the future. The Buddha's mind is empty and compassionate; he never opposes the minds of sentient beings. Mara urged the Buddha to enter Parinirvana. After the Buddha had guided his disciples to maturity, he decided to enter Parinirvana, fulfilling Mara's wish, even though the Buddha could have remained in the world for a small kalpa, he entered Parinirvana after eighty years. The Buddha's compassion towards Mara does not mean that Dharma protectors and disciples do not restrain Mara's evil actions. The Buddha allows Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Dharma protectors to admonish and restrain Mara to prevent him from destroying the Dharma and the teachings and misleading sentient beings. We must keep our eyes clear, not be deceived by Mara, and not fall for his tricks.
If Mara teaches the Buddhadharma, he is skilled at capturing the minds of sentient beings. Sentient beings like the five desires and six dusts (objects of the senses), so he subtly accommodates greed, guiding sentient beings towards desire, and does so flawlessly, seemingly very reasonable. Only long-practicing Bodhisattvas can see through Mara's schemes. Mara's teaching also subtly accommodates sentient beings' afflictions, cleverly indulging their afflicted minds, not wanting them to subdue or eliminate afflictions. Because it is clever, most sentient beings cannot recognize it. Moreover, Mara does not oppose sentient beings' greed, making sentient beings happy and attracting many to follow him.
VI. What Are the Obstacles Encountered in Buddhist Study and Practice?
Delusion obstacles: Confusion in thought and view, also obstacles of klesa (afflictions). Karma obstacles: Obstacles arising from the karmic retribution of countless actions created over immeasurable kalpas. Habit obstacles: Contamination from the secular world over immeasurable kalpas, long-ingrained habits whose inertial force is extremely powerful. Demonic obstacles: Obstacles set by heavenly demons (devas) through interference, and obstacles arising from one's own mind's demonic afflictions. For those without the ability to leave the desire realm, heavenly demons will not come to interfere; he feels it unnecessary. Often, it is the demonic obstacles arising from each person's own mind's afflictions.
These obstacles constantly follow those who study Buddhism. If one is not diligent, they are not obvious. When one diligently applies effort, and the practice of the Path has made some progress, these obscurations become very apparent, feeling like great resistance. It's like walking: although there is wind blowing around, it feels like a breeze. If riding a bicycle, the wind feels slightly stronger but not a big problem. If riding a motorcycle, the wind resistance is significant; the faster the speed, the greater the resistance felt, because there is an impact force between objects. Buddhist study and practice are similar; there is an impact force with the habitual inertia accumulated over immeasurable kalpas. The more diligently one advances, the greater the resistance encountered. If one has unyielding perseverance, unafraid of obstacles, the practice of the Path will continuously advance, achieving results quickly and greatly.
VII. There are many such instances. For those whose conditions for studying Buddhism have matured, before they even begin to study Buddhism, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara or other great Bodhisattvas or Buddhas may bless them through dreams to prompt them to believe in and study Buddhism quickly. After they begin studying Buddhism, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas may also bless them in dreams. Some people are very ill, lying in the hospital, and Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara sprinkles nectar on their heads; the next day, they recover. Such things are not strange; they also involve matters of karmic connection.
Receiving the manifest blessings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is due to the roots of goodness, merit, and karmic connections from studying Buddhism in past lives. This person may not necessarily be very advanced in practice; perhaps they are a beginner, merely believing in Buddhism. Bodhisattvas, wishing to liberate sentient beings, use various forms and methods. They do not necessarily only liberate those with profound roots of goodness and merit; they also liberate beginners to help them develop faith in Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
VIII. Those who study Buddhism without seeking anything are few; those with no-mind are even rarer. Seeking generally means seeking in worldly matters. The practice of Buddhadharma aims to attain no-mind, no-desire, no-seeking, to achieve realization. Anyone with mind and seeking has not yet attained realization. Whatever one seeks, it is having mind, taking the sought-after Dharma as real and clinging to it; therefore, it is all incorrect. Some seek many followers, seek prestige, seek power and authority, seek to be the master, seek merit, seek political influence, etc. All are misdirected efforts, not the actions of practitioners.
The Bhikkhu Vajrasama practiced Mahaprajnaparamita with no-mind, abiding nowhere. Mara King Papiyas spied on him for a kalpa but could not find an opening to disturb him and returned frustrated. As for those with intense greed and many desires, who cannot leave the desire realm and are originally Mara's retinue, Mara not only does not disturb them but vigorously empowers and encourages them to continue being greedy, greatly greedy, even insanely greedy. True practitioners often encounter demonic obstacles and are disturbed by Mara. The lax are controlled by Mara, are Mara's retinue. Mara hopes all sentient beings enjoy the pleasures of the five desires, indulge greed, hatred, and delusion, not subduing their own minds. The more indulgent they are, the happier Mara is. Mara King Papiyas is also skilled at undermining sentient beings' resolve to cultivate the Path. If they lose faith in cultivating the Path, Mara rejoices, and sentient beings are deceived.
For a cultivator, having right view is very important; having profound samadhi is also extremely important. One must be able to discern demonic disturbances, not follow Mara's will, and not enter the demon's lair. Samadhi can accomplish all Buddhist practices. Without samadhi, all practices cease. Those who prevent others from cultivating samadhi are Mara's retinue. People with wisdom should be skilled at discerning demons. Reciting mantras more and cultivating samadhi more can subdue demons. Without samadhi, mere cleverness and wisdom are useless; they cannot withstand the temptation of afflictions. When one is truly on the path of practice, even in dreams one subdues the demons of the five desires. Dreams become increasingly pure, and the mind becomes increasingly clear and bright. Lacking samadhi, always remaining at the level of the conscious mind, whatever one does is futile; it is not true practice.
When the Buddha was in the world, Mara King Papiyas was very rampant. Fortunately, cultivators had eliminated greed, love, and other afflictions; their minds were without bonds, they possessed supernatural powers and the power of the Path, able to avoid, subdue, and eliminate demons. Now, in the Dharma-ending age, sentient beings have very few roots of goodness and merit, no samadhi, no power of the Path, no wisdom to discern demons. Even with slight roots of goodness and merit, when nearing achievement, demonic disturbances are greater. Yet sentient beings are unaware, without a shred of wisdom to discern demons, not realizing there are demonic disturbances, completely following Mara's will.
Nowadays, so-called Mahayana practitioners look down on the Hinayana, considering themselves Mahayana practitioners, superior to the Hinayana, disdaining the Hinayana's precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, taking their own unique path, bypassing precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, thinking they have high abilities. But they are like clay Bodhisattvas—cannot touch water, cannot cross the river—how much less can they recognize, discern, avoid, or expel demons? They can only surrender without a fight.
IX. For an ordained master or teacher, do not use the term "evil-knowing one" (kalyāṇamitra) to describe them. True evil, like Mara's, has the intention to deliberately mislead sentient beings, preventing them from taking the right path to liberation. Ordinary people who teach the Dharma merely lack sufficient wisdom; their level of cultivation and realization is limited. They do not intentionally lead sentient beings astray onto wrong paths; they have no evil intention. Only Mara King Papiyas has an evil mind, fearing and hating those who liberate sentient beings and those with hope of attaining liberation. Some people lack wisdom but like to teach the Dharma due to afflictions in their own minds, wanting to prove themselves capable and make sentient beings admire and worship them. Many others, seeing sentient beings suffering, resolve to help them liberate from afflictions, but due to limited wisdom and lack of personal realization, cannot lead sentient beings to practice according to reality.
As long as the motivation is not evil, one should not be labeled an "evil-knowing one." Most people who teach the Dharma can still benefit sentient beings in various different aspects. Even though they have not realized the mind or attained enlightenment, the foundational Buddhadharma still relies on these people to transmit it. The Saha world does not have so many truly mind-realized and enlightened Bodhisattvas to teach sentient beings step by step from the basics. Bodhisattvas with great wisdom do not have such energy and patience; they liberate sentient beings of considerable attainment. Bodhisattvas of different levels of realization liberate sentient beings of different capacities. The number of Bodhisattvas is originally very small; it is impossible and wasteful to use great talent for small tasks.
Since we have already studied the Buddhadharma, we should learn from the Buddha and should not speak rudely. We should respect all Dharma Masters and teachers. As for them teaching the Dharma incorrectly, this is unavoidable. Only the Buddha teaches the Dharma without error; all Bodhisattvas can potentially teach the Dharma incorrectly. A Bodhisattva's wisdom continuously increases. The reason it is called "increasing" means that previous wisdom was certainly insufficient; thus, teaching the Dharma will have errors and omissions. If a Bodhisattva is considered a good-knowing one (kalyāṇamitra) after wisdom increases, then previously they were an evil-knowing one. By that reasoning, wouldn't all Bodhisattvas, including Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattvas, be evil-knowing ones?
Actually, only Mara is truly evil. Mara already vowed before the Buddha that in the Dharma-ending age, he would infiltrate Buddhism to destroy the Buddhadharma, preventing all sentient beings from attaining liberation. Now Mara has come, disguised as a good-knowing one, making people feel particularly good. Who can open their eyes and see through Mara's true face? It seems no one can. Since we cannot see through Mara, how can we judge whether a person is truly a good-knowing one or an evil-knowing one?
Sentient beings have fallen into the deep abyss of afflictions since beginningless time, unable to extricate themselves, all relying on the majestic virtue of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to rescue them. If a so-called good-knowing one not only fails to help sentient beings eliminate afflictions but deliberately increases their afflictions, making sentient beings constantly crave the secular, constantly grasp at worldly dharmas, constantly increase hatred, constantly engage in malicious conflicts, the result is that sentient beings become even more unable to extricate themselves, sinking in birth and death, not only unable to leave the afflictions of the three realms but even unable to eliminate or reduce the afflictions of the desire realm.
If someone has hope of leaving the desire realm, Mara finds it most troublesome; he cannot sit still in his demon palace and will definitely find ways to hinder and obstruct this person, making them generate greed, generate hatred, and create various evil karma. This person will then remain in the desire realm or even the three evil realms, under Mara's control. Therefore, one criterion for judging whether a person is a good-knowing one or an evil-knowing one is to see if they deliberately instill greed, hatred, and delusion in sentient beings, making sentient beings widely create evil karmic connections, entangled by evil karma, making it impossible to leave the desire realm and the three evil realms. Mara's descendants will then become more and more numerous, not decreasing.
Evil-knowing ones often seek to fundamentally destroy the Three Jewels, disrupt Buddhism, uproot the Three Jewels, preventing sentient beings from relying on the true Three Jewels. Mara will cleverly destroy the image of the Three Jewels in sentient beings' minds, subtly belittle the image of the Buddha, and belittle the image of the Sangha. Then, he will find ways to prevent sentient beings from studying the true Buddhadharma, prevent them from actual practice and realization. He will cleverly prevent sentient beings from cultivating the Six Paramitas of Bodhisattvas, prevent them from cultivating precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, making all sentient beings unable to attain realization, unable to truly sever the view of self, unable to truly realize the mind. Moreover, he deliberately makes sentient beings create the grave karma of major false speech; everyone will feel they are true Bodhisattvas, while others are demons' descendants. Thus, every sentient being will sink into evil karma, unable to attain liberation, and Mara will be satisfied and happy. For specific content, refer to the section on the Fifty Skandha-Demons in the Shurangama Sutra.
X. Why Do So Many Non-Buddhists and Demonic Retinues Come to Disrupt When the Buddha Teaches the Dharma? How Great Are the Demon King's Abilities?
The fifty kinds of skandha-demons explained later in the Shurangama Sutra—which one does not possess vast supernatural powers, difficult for sentient beings to match, making them very envious? Yet those are all demonic states. Ordinary, common people cannot become demons; demons also look down on them. Those whom demons favor and empower will possess vast supernatural powers, almost reaching the Buddha's state. Sentient beings do not know this; they cling greedily, thinking that whatever is extraordinary and special must be a good state, possessing both samadhi and so-called wisdom, supernatural powers, and the power of the Path. But this is precisely the demonic state, the result of demonic empowerment. The result is that these people with vast supernatural powers cannot leave the demon and become the demon's retinue.
Why do demons have such great divine power? First, they have immense merit, samadhi, and supernatural powers. Second, they understand the Buddhadharma—only understand, not realize. This understanding alone is already extraordinary, sufficient to destroy the Buddhadharma and Buddhism. Buddhist sutras record that every time the Buddha taught a sutra, Mara knew what sutra the Buddha was going to teach. He knew the importance of that sutra and knew the karmic retribution for sentient beings after hearing it. Because he extremely does not want sentient beings to attain realization and liberation, escaping his control, he transforms into various identities and forms to go to the Dharma assembly and secretly interfere. Mara also manifests supernatural powers to attract sentient beings, teaching them the Buddhadharma, seemingly liberating them but actually inducing them into various afflictions and desires, preventing liberation.
One hundred years after the Buddha's Parinirvana, the Fourth Patriarch of the Chan school, Upagupta, appeared in the world to propagate the Dharma. Every time the Venerable reached a crucial point in the Dharma assembly, when sentient beings were about to sever the view of self and realize the fruit, Mara would secretly cause trouble, causing gold, silver, jewels, etc., to rain from the sky, distracting sentient beings. Sentient beings, disturbed by this, could not sever the view of self and realize the fruit. When the Venerable entered samadhi, Mara, to destroy his samadhi, manifested various deformed and abnormal forms to harass and entangle him. The Venerable saw through them all and destroyed Mara's powers. Mara also disturbed Arhats many times, but each time he was subdued by Arhats with supernatural powers and left dejectedly.
Now, in the Dharma-ending age, no matter what identity or form Mara manifests, sentient beings lack the vision to see through it; most will be deceived, making it difficult to prevent. When demonic power comes, sentient beings almost all lack the ability to resist; they obediently submit, prostrate themselves completely, worshiping to the extreme. When Mara disturbs a practitioner, he certainly teaches some relatively profound Dharma, seemingly correct but actually wrong. Only practitioners who have attained realization can discern demonic teachings; ordinary people are likely to be attracted by demonic words, thinking his teachings are profound.
Most people think that since Mara is a demon, causing trouble unreasonably, he certainly does not understand the Buddhadharma, is certainly an evil person who does no good deeds. Actually, those who do not understand the Buddhadharma absolutely cannot become demons; those who do no good deeds absolutely cannot become demons. Demons who do not understand the Buddhadharma cannot disturb practitioners or destroy the Buddhadharma no matter what. Demons who do no good deeds have little merit; they lack the merit to support their evil deeds and cannot attract sentient beings to become demonic descendants. The reason Mara can disturb and destroy Buddhism and attract sentient beings is precisely because of his great merit. To satisfy his desire for followers, he prevents sentient beings from studying Buddhism and practicing to leave the desire realm, escaping his control. Sentient beings can only leave the desire realm by cultivating samadhi; only by realizing the fruits and seeing the Path can they leave the desire realm. Therefore, Mara targets these two types of people for interference, leading them onto wrong paths. Other sentient beings, Mara does not bother with, knowing they all belong to him, are his retinue, including those practicing good dharmas; Mara will not interfere with them.
Therefore, in the initial stages of sentient beings' Buddhist study, Mara will not pay attention to them, nor will they encounter demonic disturbances. For shallow Dharma, Mara will not put effort into destroying it. Only the Dharma and people on the verge of leaving the desire realm will Mara find ways to interfere with and destroy, infiltrating some wrong views at crucial points, adding some errors, making sentient beings unable to attain realization; then he achieves his goal.
Therefore, Mara also teaches the Dharma, and he will not teach shallow Buddhadharma; he will certainly teach Dharma related to nearing liberation, mixing in seemingly correct errors, spreading some fog to confuse the masses. Although the masses receive his teachings, they cannot attain realization, cannot attain liberation, cannot leave the desire realm. If the masses wish to go to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, Mara's karma does not allow it; he thinks of strategies to confuse people's minds, making sentient beings unable to be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, only able to wander in birth and death within the Saha world's desire realm human world or the three evil realms, controlled by Mara. Sentient beings are ignorant, without vision, without the fiery eyes and golden pupils like Sun Wukong; they cannot see clearly. Most will be deceived, feeling infinitely grateful, deluded and unawakened.
XI. Question: For the masses with such capacities in the current era, if we wish to guide them upward and change the overall development trend of society, should we choose to report good deeds, guiding the masses toward goodness, or report evil deeds to alert the masses and stop all evil? Some may say both methods should be used; of course, this is quite good. Used appropriately, it can have a good effect. But if forced to choose one, and if using both methods yields no good effect, which one should be chosen? Should we primarily promote goodness or primarily suppress evil?
Answer: Primarily promote goodness, guiding the masses toward goodness. That is to say, positive information can influence the masses toward goodness more effectively. Negative information may not necessarily alert the masses to suppress evil. Television, movies, news media have propagated so much negative information, originally to suppress evil, but what was the result? Some people learned the methods and means of committing evil and went on to create evil—whose fault is this? Society propagates that negative information, yet the masses' evil conduct has not decreased; those evil deeds in society have not been stopped. Sentient beings' minds are heavily contaminated by karma, resonating with evil karma. Propagating negative information about evil karma makes it difficult for the masses to be alert; instead, they are influenced and may imitate the evil deeds. Therefore, the current propaganda methods in society, to a certain extent, play a role in leading toward evil.
Instances where refuting evil dharmas leads to a reduction in evil dharmas are rare. Conversely, promoting goodness allows the masses to recognize goodness more effectively, thereby learning and tending toward goodness. Therefore, it is still more effective to let the masses be influenced by good karma. Buddhism and religion primarily promote goodness; national laws, policies, and folk customs primarily suppress evil. Ultimately, which one leads sentient beings onto the path to Buddhahood, enabling them to finally become Buddhas? It is still Buddhism. The guiding power of religion's goodness far exceeds the secular power of suppression and attack.
Therefore, to liberate sentient beings, we must vigorously propagate good dharmas and the true Dharma. Do not spend great energy resisting so-called evil dharmas and wrong dharmas; resistance can never succeed, after all, the disparity in strength is too great. Guidance is the correct principle, the correct skillful means. In Buddhism, the Buddha also established some precepts to prevent improper and extreme behavior by his disciples, such as: not speaking of the faults of the Sangha, not speaking of right and wrong, etc. As for the good karma of all people, the Buddha never forbids its propagation; he encourages the masses to widely propagate and praise others' good deeds and good karma to inspire the masses toward goodness. The Buddha is the most wise.
XII. Is the Conscious Mind Within the Body?
The exhaustion of the form skandha and the exhaustion of the feeling skandha have not been attained, but theoretically, the state of the exhaustion of the feeling skandha can be explained. The Shurangama Sutra says that when the feeling skandha is exhausted, "the mind leaves the body." This means there is no conscious mind on the body; the body then has no feeling, no pain, no lightness, comfort, or pleasant sensations. At that time, killing, flaying, preserving, or discarding—letting others slaughter—causes no pain. Dismembering hands, feet, head, or eyes causes no sensation of pain; the body is like wood. So, is the conscious mind within the body?
If the conscious mind is within the physical body, then by cutting the physical body open bit by bit, one should be able to find the conscious mind. Yet, no matter how one searches, it cannot be found. Therefore, the conscious mind is not within the physical body. If the conscious mind is outside the physical body, then it has nothing to do with the physical body, and the physical body would lack the functional roles of the five skandhas. Therefore, the conscious mind is not outside the physical body either. If the conscious mind is in the middle, there is fundamentally no concept or location of "middle." If the surface of the body is called the middle, this is incorrect; the body's surface belongs to the physical body. If the location just outside the body's surface, adjacent to the body, is called the middle, that belongs to outside the physical body. Therefore, the conscious mind is not in the middle of the physical body either.
Then where is the conscious mind? The six consciousnesses, whatever they perceive, are all perceptions of shadows, not the original appearance of the external six dusts (objects of the senses). The original appearance is perceived by the eighth consciousness, called the "fundamental realm" (bimba).
