Miscellaneous Discussions on Buddhism (Part One)
Chapter Four: Hindrances and Afflictions (3)
38. After attaining the fruit [of enlightenment], the karmic retribution leading to the three evil paths is eliminated. However, this karma must still undergo retribution within the human realm. Regardless of how it manifests among humans, it is far milder than the suffering experienced in the three evil paths. The most severe retribution among humans is a short lifespan, yet even being killed or tortured to death is lighter suffering than that in the three evil paths. Possessing the six consciousness minds entails experiencing feelings; one can experience suffering, happiness, and neutral feelings. Saints are no exception, except that saints use their minds less frequently, as their minds are not focused on the five desires and six dusts (sense objects), thus their experiences of suffering and happiness are very subtle. If one is attached to the six dusts, the experiences of suffering and happiness will be more pronounced.
Where there are afflictions, there are karmic actions, leading to wrongdoing. This remains true even after enlightenment and attaining the fruit. If afflictions are subtle, fewer wrongdoings occur; eliminating afflictions results in even fewer wrongdoings. After eliminating afflictions, residual habit energies of afflictions remain, which may still cause minor faults. Only when an Eighth Ground Bodhisattva completely severs the self-attachment and exhausts the habit energies of afflictions, is there no longer any karmic action related to the self. Bodhisattvas above the Fourth Ground, possessing the four dhyanas and eight samadhis, along with spiritual powers, experience virtually no suffering. They rarely come to the human realm, especially Seventh and Eighth Ground Bodhisattvas, who have absolutely no need to come to the human realm.
39. The Influence of Diet on Meditation
Diet is also a significant factor affecting meditation. If the body ingests excessive nutrients beyond its needs, the body will react; this subsequently affects the consciousness mind, causing it to become somewhat restless and agitated, with thoughts becoming impure, emotions harder to control, or requiring forceful suppression. These nutrients include not only meat, fish, alcohol, tobacco, onions, garlic, and other pungent substances, but also vegetarian food. If vegetarian nutrition is excessive, it can also cause excessive physical and emotional reactions, increasing physical and mental burdens, making the mind less pure, and thus hindering meditation.
Therefore, many people complain that meditation is difficult to cultivate; they should then examine their dietary structure to see if it involves excessive nutrition. Nowadays, due to the abundance of material life, people are greedy for food and nourishment, overly attached to their physical bodies and delicious tastes, resulting in physical and mental impurity. Greed and hatred become difficult to subdue, afflictions become heavy, and meditation naturally cannot be achieved. Observational practice and realization in the Dharma become exceedingly difficult. Thus, although such individuals may study Buddhism extensively, be well-versed in theory, and eloquent, their inner realization ultimately remains unattained, making them merely knowledgeable adherents and theoretical dilettantes.
The World-Honored One, in the Shurangama Sutra, instructed his disciples to abstain from pungent foods to subdue desires and hatred, enabling the path to progress swiftly. However, in modern society, material life is too abundant; even vegetarian food similarly affects the purity of body and mind, increasing desires and hatred, preventing the path from advancing quickly. This should draw the attention of the vast number of Buddhist disciples, urging them to adjust their dietary structure to benefit their practice.
40. The prerequisite for softening the mind is understanding the principles of practice, learning the correct views within the Dharma, knowing that all phenomena in the world are illusory, and then honing the mind by confronting circumstances to dissolve it; only then can the mind gradually soften. To realize selflessness, one must first know that the self is illusory, observe how the self is illusory, and only after truly recognizing this can one realize selflessness. However, afflictions remain uneliminated and require continued deep observation before they can diminish. When the demands of the desire realm decrease, one attains the first dhyana, and only then begins to eliminate various afflictions bit by bit. Before this stage, one only suppresses afflictions; they are not severed.
After severing the view of self and realizing selflessness, one gains the ability to break the attachment of the manas (seventh consciousness) to the self, becoming a person without self. After breaking the false view of the self composed of the five aggregates and eighteen elements, one gains the ability, in all activities of body, speech, and mind, to discover a true and non-illusory true mind, the Tathagatagarbha, which is always functioning. The difference between attaining the first fruit (Srotāpanna) and realizing the mind (Mingxin) is only one stage apart. Between them, the merit and wisdom differ greatly. The latter requires greater merit, deeper wisdom, the wisdom of selflessness combined with Mahayana wisdom. It is easy to say but difficult to accomplish. As long as one firmly maintains faith, one will unconsciously fulfill these conditions and become a Bodhisattva of true meaning. As long as one strives diligently and unremittingly, all can achieve this.
41. The Dharma is originally a cool medicine, capable of cooling the mind and bringing liberation. Under what circumstances does this cool medicine turn into poison, increasing birth and death upon ingestion, leading to the hells and three evil paths?
When studying the Dharma with a mind afflicted by greed, hatred, and delusion, the purpose is not to attain the merit of selfless liberation, but to increase the weight of the self, to overwhelm all others, to annihilate all others, to control all others, and to dominate all others.
Therefore, as one studies more and more Dharma, the nature of self becomes increasingly intense. One cannot help but wield the sword and staff of the Dharma to cut down everyone, causing afflictions and karmic obstacles to increase progressively, greed, hatred, and delusion to become more severe, and the nature of self to grow stronger. After creating such evil karma within the Dharma, one ultimately heads towards hell, towards the three evil paths, not only failing to attain liberation but instead increasing the suffering of birth and death.
Some people seek to realize the mind and see its nature (Mingxin Jianxing) precisely because they want to be superior to others, to surpass everyone, to stand on the shoulders of all. Such people not only fail to break the notions of self, others, sentient beings, and a life span, but instead increase these notions, increase self-attachment, binding themselves ever more tightly to birth and death. These are deluded sentient beings.
The only cool medicine capable of saving sentient beings from the afflictions of birth and death is the Dharma. When one treats Dharma knowledge as a means to gain worldly advantages, the Dharma becomes affliction powder. Such people then become incurable; it would be better for them not to study Buddhism at all.
42. The evil karma relatively easy to create before the First Ground Bodhisattva stage generally involves altering the objectives and path of the Buddha's cultivation and realization, expounding doctrines not in accordance with the Buddha's intent, distorting the Buddha's teachings, misleading sentient beings regarding their Dharma-body wisdom-life, and so on. Also included are conflicts over worldly gains and creating slanderous karma, etc. Regarding this, several sutras record the causes, conditions, and karmic retribution of evil deeds committed by Bodhisattvas; the retribution is also extremely severe.
Before the First Ground, Bodhisattvas have not eliminated afflictions; subtle afflictions sometimes still manifest. In severe cases, they may also commit relatively significant evil karma. Such major evil karma is generally related to aspects of Dharma cultivation and realization; major evil karma concerning worldly matters is usually not committed, such as killing, arson, etc. Even those who have not severed the view of self do not commit such major evil karma, nor do non-Buddhists.
43. Buddhist practitioners who truly seek liberation should, in daily life, carefully examine the various feelings within their minds, examine what they are greedily attached to, what matters they care about, and what things they expend thoughts and energy on. After identifying these, they should analyze what this psychology is, what significance it holds, and what the results are. Then, they should find ways to counteract their attachments and feelings; thus, practice will clear away obstacles, and progress on the path will accelerate.
Our habits of greed from beginningless kalpas are extremely heavy; we find it very difficult to notice them ourselves because we are accustomed to them; it has become normal. Only those who have passed through, who have eliminated or subdued the habit of greed, can detect their own and others' greed. It is like those long dwelling in a fragrant courtyard do not perceive the fragrance, and those long staying in a cesspit do not notice the stench. Only those outside the fragrant courtyard can smell the fragrance, and only those outside the cesspit can detect the foul odor.
The scope of greed is vast; anything within the desire realm, as long as one likes it, constitutes greed. Those literary masters skilled in poetry and song, those painters who wield their brushes freely, almost all go to the ghost path to roam freely after death, because that all belongs to greed. How much more so for other aspects? Matters of love and affection are even more greedy, ensuring rebirth in the ghost path. Those who frequently paint horses, achieving lifelike depictions, are reborn in a horse's womb after death; those who frequently write ghost stories, achieving great vividness, are reborn as ghosts after death; whatever one frequently thinks about, after death, one goes to keep company with that. Painters painting horses concentrate intensely, their minds merging with horses; thus, in the next life, they are reborn as horses. Those who frequently write ghost and spirit stories immerse their minds in ghosts and spirits, merging with them; after death, they become ghosts. Now, if we recite the Buddha's name, our minds merge with the Buddha, and we will be born near the Buddha. If the mind merges with goodness, one is reborn in a good path; if the mind merges with evil, one is reborn in an evil path.
When the karmic retribution in the ghost path ends, if some merit remains, one is reborn in the animal path. When the karmic retribution in the animal path ends, those with some remaining merit will return to the human realm for rebirth. Therefore, the time spent obtaining a human body is extremely brief, while the time spent in the three evil paths is extremely long. Every sentient being experiences much suffering and very little happiness. Therefore, we should still consider future lives, enjoy less fortune now, and leave more fortune for later lives. Only with great merit can one quickly be reborn as a human.
Those with deep roots of goodness and merit stay near the Buddha, guided and influenced by the Buddha, progressing very rapidly in practice. Without a Buddha, being near Bodhisattvas who have eliminated afflictions, or near Arhats, also allows for very rapid progress in practice. As the saying goes, "Near vermilion, one becomes red; near ink, one becomes black." Major greed in the mind can still be observed if subtle; but subtle greed is extremely abundant, almost impossible for anyone to observe, except for those who have eliminated afflictions. How rare is the opportunity to obtain a human body! How brief is the time spent as a human! How rare and difficult it is to attain the fruit and liberation as a human! For those of us who have already obtained a human body, how should we grasp this precious opportunity, diligently cultivate and realize, attaining even a small measure of liberation? This is a question we should frequently ponder deeply.
44. When wisdom is insufficient, one cannot make judgments based on direct perception (pratyakṣa). Making accurate judgments requires very high wisdom and considerable good discernment. Many people mistake their intellectual understanding for direct perception. If the evidence is not sufficiently conclusive, it cannot be the result of direct perception. Over ninety percent of people lack the wisdom of direct perception, even in worldly matters. Therefore, mentioning direct perception and requiring judgments based on it is also extremely difficult.
Many people cannot realistically observe that they lack the wisdom of direct perception; they cannot directly perceive many dharmas, especially the more profound ones. Yet sentient beings are often self-righteous, believing they possess direct perception; there is no remedy for this. Like many who say, "The Dharma I study is the true Dharma, others study false Dharma," "My teacher is a true teacher, others are false teachers," "My views are all correct, others' views are all wrong." Because of this severe self-attachment and attachment to what is mine, they never reflect on their own erroneous attachments.
The difficulty in liberating sentient beings lies in their foolish nature; because of foolishness, they do not know they are foolish. The scope of foolishness is extremely vast and extremely subtle, so subtle that Ninth and Tenth Ground Bodhisattvas still have profound and subtle foolishness and ignorance to eliminate. All afflictions arise from foolishness, including greed, hatred, arrogance, doubt, and all wrong views. Therefore, when foolishness is exhausted, afflictions are exhausted, ignorance is exhausted, and then there is nothing more to learn in the Dharma; one graduates completely.
Among sentient beings in the three evil paths, those in the animal path are the most difficult to liberate because of extremely heavy foolishness. Due to foolishness, they cannot absorb much Dharma meaning and cannot reflect. Sentient beings in the ghost path and hell path, although burdened by heavy evil karma, can understand human language and can think; thus, there are ways to liberate them.
If a person lacks the wisdom of direct perception and wishes to rely on the scriptural authority (āgama), that is also not easy. Buddhist sutras are written in black and white; how many people misunderstand them? How many misinterpret them? Even reciting the sutra verbatim, word for word, the intonation and rhythm of the voice can alter the meaning of the sutra. Nowadays, in the Buddhist Canon (Tripitaka), many texts have been re-collated and proofread by modern people, and the punctuation marks are often misplaced. Ancient Buddhist sutras generally used only periods for punctuation; after modern proofreading, modern punctuation is applied, and then the meaning of the sutra becomes twisted, obscuring the original intent. In short, foolishness means insufficient wisdom; with insufficient wisdom, nothing can be done well.
45. The Harm of Arrogance
Many people cannot withstand praise or criticism; the root cause is still the self-nature, which gives rise to arrogance. Before the third and fourth fruits (Anagami and Arhat), everyone has arrogance; it's just that when conditions are not ripe, the arrogance lies dormant. When conditions arise, arrogance manifests. Almost everyone must go through this stage, differing only in duration and depth.
The most humble people, once they gain power, often become the most arrogant. Because lowliness and inferiority complex are also forms of arrogance arising from the self-nature; without the self-nature, one would not feel inferior. Therefore, the degree of inferiority equals the degree of arrogance.
Almost all arrogance manifests in worldly matters. For example, some are arrogant due to wealth and riches, some due to high status, some due to power and influence, some due to appearance, some due to having satisfactory family and relatives, some due to broad experience, some due to possessing certain skills, some due to their intelligence and talent. Many are arrogant because of their physical bodies; most are arrogant because of their mental intelligence. These types of arrogance are numerous, all arising from having a self and what is mine, stemming from heavy attachment to the body and the view of self.
Arrogance most obstructs the path; arrogance most easily leads one to demons. Some people cannot see their own pockmarked faces but constantly scrutinize others' faces, inspecting others every day; this is because of the inner distinction between self and others.
46. Why Slandering the True Dharma Prevents Rebirth and Liberation
The Eighteenth Vow of the Infinite Life Sutra (Conditions for Rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss): "If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the ten directions who sincerely believe and rejoice, aspire to be born in my land, and recite my name even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect enlightenment. Excluded are those who commit the five gravest transgressions and slander the true Dharma."
The five gravest transgressions (ānantarya) are: shedding the blood of a Buddha, killing an Arhat, disrupting the harmony of the Sangha, killing one's father, and killing one's mother. The true Dharma refers to the correct doctrines that enable sentient beings to attain liberation, including both Mahayana and Hinayana Dharma.
Why do those who commit the five gravest transgressions fail to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, or even fail to attain the fruit, realize the mind, or achieve liberation? Why does slandering the true Dharma prevent one from attaining the fruit, realizing the mind, or achieving liberation?
First, regarding shedding the Buddha's blood: Because the Buddha's karmic seeds are utterly pure, he attracts no evil karma or adverse conditions whatsoever; he undergoes no evil retribution. Therefore, no sentient being can kill the Buddha or harm him to the point of drawing blood from his physical body. Why then is there mention of shedding the Buddha's blood? The Buddha's bloodline is the Dharma lineage, the transmission of the Buddha Dharma. Shedding the Buddha's blood means causing the Dharma lineage to be lost or cut off, preventing its proper propagation. The Buddha Dharma enables sentient beings to transcend birth and death and attain liberation; shedding the Buddha's blood is therefore extremely grave. The karmic retribution for this evil deed is the karma leading to the Avīci hell. Those who commit this evil cannot attain liberation or escape the suffering of birth and death.
Arhats are liberated saints who have severed all afflictions. Due to their virtue of liberation, they deserve offerings from humans and gods; they are called Worthy of Offerings (Arhat). The liberation realization of Eighth Ground Bodhisattvas and above is equivalent to that of a Fourth Fruit Great Arhat. The liberation realization of First to Seventh Ground Bodhisattvas is equivalent to that of a Third Fruit Saint, retaining a trace of afflictive karma, not taking the fruit of liberation, not entering the stage of true liberation, to ensure they do not enter the state of Nirvana without residue. Respecting and making offerings to Arhats results in the retribution of severing afflictions, attaining liberation, and freeing oneself from birth and death. Conversely, killing an Arhat prevents one from severing afflictions, attaining liberation, or escaping birth and death. All paths leading out of the suffering of birth and death become completely blocked. Therefore, one cannot be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, attain the fruit, or realize the mind and see its nature.
Harmonious Sangha: Sangha (Sanskrit: Saṃgha), fully Saṃgha, refers to ordained male Buddhist practitioners, meaning community, assembly, fellowship. Broadly, it includes female practitioners; ordained men and women are collectively called Sangha and Bhikkhunis. A Sangha is a religious community formed by a group of four or more ordained practitioners living according to the Dharma. Without the status and qualification of ordination, one does not belong to the Sangha or Bhikkhunis; no matter how large the number, it does not constitute a community. As for the Noble Sangha (Ārya Saṃgha), it must consist of monks who have truly attained the fruit or realized the mind and seen its nature. Those who falsely claim realization or mind-realization through the sixth consciousness are still ordinary monks; when not controlled by the sixth consciousness, what is fully revealed is the nature of the manas (seventh consciousness), which has not attained the fruit or realized the mind, and thus inevitably follows the thoughts, views, and afflictions of the manas, revolving in birth and death.
Harmony means living together according to the principle of the Six Points of Reverent Harmony (Ṣaḍ-vastu). The Six Harmonies are: Harmony in View (samagrī samādhi), Harmony in Moral Discipline (samagrī śīla), Harmony in Dwelling (samagrī kāya), Harmony in Speech Without Dispute (samagrī vāk), Harmony in Mind with Joy (samagrī citta), and Harmony in Sharing Benefits Equally (samagrī pariṣad). If opinions and views are inconsistent, there is no harmony. If all do not abide by the Three Refuges, Five Precepts, Eight Precepts, Bhikkhu Precepts, Bhikkhuni Precepts, and Bodhisattva Precepts, if the precepts practiced are inconsistent and do not conform to the Buddha's stipulations, there is no harmony. If physical bodies cannot reside together in a common place, scattered in various locations, there is no harmony. If there are internal quarrels, mutual slander, attacks, undermining, and constant disputes, there is certainly no harmony. If, when meeting together, all feel uncomfortable, inwardly annoyed and displeased, with much estrangement, there is no harmony. If benefits among members are unequal, regardless of the type of benefit, where one party only sacrifices and gives without return, while the other only takes and possesses, there is equally no harmony. Violating even one point means the Sangha is not harmonious.
A truly harmonious Sangha can transmit the true Dharma through the ages on behalf of the Buddha, saving sentient beings from the sea of suffering. Destroying it is destroying the raft that ferries sentient beings out of birth and death. The karmic retribution is the inability to attain liberation and escape the suffering of birth and death; therefore, one cannot be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, attain the fruit, or realize the mind. There is no such fault regarding a non-harmonious Sangha. A non-harmonious Sangha brings afflictions and suffering to sentient beings, adding afflictions upon afflictions, increasing bondage and fetters, making birth and death even more bitter.
Parents give us our physical body. With this body, one can encounter the true Dharma for study, have the opportunity to attain liberation, and permanently escape birth and death. Therefore, the kindness of parents is as weighty as a mountain; even smashing one's body to pieces cannot repay the kindness of birth and nurturing. Sentient beings not only fail to make offerings to them but instead kill them. The sin of killing one's father or mother is incomparably heavy; after death, one falls into the Avīci hell without liberation. Therefore, killing one's father or mother prevents rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and attainment of the fruit or realization of the mind.
The correct Buddha Dharma, when practiced by sentient beings, is the cause for liberation; it enables liberation from birth and death. Slandering these doctrines means not believing in the true Dharma. If faith is insufficient, how can one practice? Without practice, how can one attain liberation? The Dharma is like a raft for crossing the sea of birth and death. Destroying the raft, by what means can sentient beings cross the sea of birth and death? Slandering the true Dharma not only means one does not believe oneself but also prevents others from believing and accepting it. The sin is immense; one inevitably cannot escape birth and death to attain liberation. Therefore, one cannot be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, attain the fruit, or realize the mind.
The Dharma that enables sentient beings to attain liberation includes the Hinayana Four Noble Truths and Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, as well as the Mahayana Tathagatagarbha series of teachings, such as Prajñāpāramitā, Vaipulya (expansive), and Vijñaptimātratā (Consciousness-only), the theories of the five consciousnesses, sixth consciousness, seventh consciousness (manas), and eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna), including the threefold training of precepts, meditation, and wisdom. The Four Noble Truths and Twelve Links enable sentient beings to attain minor liberation, not permanent, ultimate liberation. The Mahayana Tathagatagarbha Dharma enables sentient beings to attain permanent, true, ultimate liberation. The Dharma concerning the seventh consciousness, manas, ensures minor liberation for sentient beings and also ensures major liberation, leading to ultimate liberation. All liberation, regardless of degree, depends on the liberation of the manas. If the manas is not liberated, it is false liberation; afflictions cannot be severed, birth and death cannot be ended, the sea of suffering cannot be crossed, and one cannot attain the cool, quiescent Nirvana.
Those who commit the five gravest transgressions are extremely rare, but those who slander the true Dharma are increasingly numerous, seen everywhere, and prevalent. Therefore, I advise the multitude: when your own meditation and wisdom are insufficient and your realization is inadequate, you should always and everywhere be cautious in speech and action. When unqualified to be a judge, silently cultivate yourself. Even if you cannot yet attain the fruit or realize the mind, lack the wisdom of Consciousness-Only (vijñaptimātratā), still strive to be a worldly wise person, not inviting disaster upon yourself, not setting obstacles on your own path to liberation.
47. Now that we all know there are one billion Jambudvīpa Earths within the Sahā world, our mental capacity should expand to encompass the life and death cycles of all beings on all these Earths. We should consider not only our own cycle of birth and death but also the birth and death issues of all sentient beings in the six paths. The mind should stand at a commanding height to observe all dharmas, no longer confined to a small Earth, much less confined to one's own personal gain. If confined only to small immediate benefits, one's mental capacity and wisdom become overly narrow, deluded and obstructed by one's own five aggregates subject to grasping (pañc'upādāna-skandha). In this case, future lives hold only the suffering of birth and death, without a trace of happiness.
Those with heavy arrogance should observe: In the context of one billion Earths, are you not insignificant beyond measure? Possessing a skill, understanding some theoretical knowledge, having some power, status, or assets, etc., what does it amount to? Beyond the heavens there are heavens; beyond men there are men. The half-full bottle is most prone to arrogance because it has a little, yet is not full, leaving room to slosh. The full person, because their vision is broad, their experience vast, their eyes encompassing the wide world, their mental capacity large, does not take themselves too seriously. Truly, how significant is any one of us among one billion Earths? Even if one cultivates to the level of a several-ground Bodhisattva, one must still ask oneself: How significant am I? In the ten directions, Eighth Ground Bodhisattvas are countless; Tenth Ground Bodhisattvas are countless. What am I?
On the other hand, the Buddha also requires in the Bodhisattva Precepts that Bodhisattvas must recognize the nobility of the Bodhisattva path. Bodhisattvas must not belittle themselves; they must protect themselves well and not casually place themselves in dangerous situations. Because a Bodhisattva who has generated the Bodhicitta, from the moment of generating it until attaining Buddhahood, can benefit and bring happiness to countless sentient beings. Boundless, limitless sentient beings will be saved from the pit of suffering by the Bodhisattva's generation of the Bodhicitta.
Let us calculate: How many sentient beings are there on one billion Earths? How many humans? How many ghosts? How many hell beings? How many animal beings? How many large animals like the Garuda? Down to the tiniest bacteria invisible to the naked eye? Absolutely no one can imagine, let alone calculate; countless computers could not calculate it. The bacteria on a single sentient being's body alone are innumerable, let alone those in the air, or on all sentient beings. Therefore, each of us Bodhisattvas has a heavy responsibility and a long road ahead. Take good care of yourselves, just avoid having too heavy arrogance. We have all been saved by many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; therefore, we should generate the mind to similarly save other sentient beings with whom we have affinities, to repay the kindness of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who saved us, and to repay the kindness of the countless sentient beings who nurtured us and our loved ones.
48. How to Eliminate Greed and Afflictions
Practice is for eliminating greed. Greed arises where the six sense faculties contact the six dusts (sense objects); therefore, one must stop greed right there. When the eye faculty contacts form, if the mind does not generate greed, greed is stopped. When the ear faculty contacts sound, if the mind does not generate greed, greed is stopped. When the nose faculty contacts smell, if the mind does not generate greed, greed is stopped. When the tongue faculty contacts taste, if the mind does not generate greed, greed is stopped. When the body faculty contacts touch, if the mind does not generate greed, greed is stopped. When the manas (mind faculty) contacts dharmas (mental objects), if the mind does not generate greed, greed is stopped. According to the mind's habitual tendency towards greed, greed should originally arise towards forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and dharmas. But because of the strength of practice, one prevents the arising of greed, stops the greed. This is the achievement of practice. The absence of greed is the virtue (merit) of practice. Thus, practice gives birth to merit and virtue. Virtue (德, de) means moral character, virtuous conduct; it is the wholesome manifestation of the mind. With goodness, one heads towards liberation; with goodness, one approaches freedom. Greed, hatred, and delusion are fetters; without liberation, there is no freedom.
Merit and virtue are not easy to manifest because the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion from beginningless kalpas are deeply rooted; the habits are profound, difficult to subdue and eradicate. It requires long kalpas of contemplation, contemplating the suffering of greed, subduing greed bit by bit. If one does not know the suffering of greed, one cannot subdue it. Because sentient beings all like happiness, all head towards happiness, and avoid suffering. Only when suffering is directly observed will one choose to avoid it, to eliminate the affliction of suffering. Therefore, the first step in practice is to observe suffering, recognize suffering, perceive suffering. Only then can the mind withdraw from the point of contact with the six dusts, not penetrating deeply into the six dusts; thus, the suffering of greed does not arise. Without the first step of observing suffering and knowing suffering, there is no second step of severing the origin (of suffering), no third step of aspiring for cessation (of suffering), and thus no fourth step of cultivating the path. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for a person to generate the mind for the path; it is due to the habit of greed.
49. So many people say all day long that the great path is supremely simple. Where is the simplicity? It is here: simply let go of the self, remove the self, and then selflessness is attained. But putting it into practice is not simple. Why? Habit energies are deeply rooted; self-obscuration is too severe, making it very difficult to let go of the self. Even seeing through the self is so difficult, let alone letting go.
The goal of studying Buddhism and practicing is to realize selflessness and liberation. Then why do we still pursue personal self-interests? Isn't this contrary to our original intention? The reason for failing to realize the fruit of selflessness through studying Buddhism is that there is a self in the mind, not corresponding to selflessness. Having a self is a stumbling block and a barrier; why not remove it quickly?
Those with wisdom should not, on the one hand, pursue the fruit of selflessness, while on the other hand, still center on the self, defending and protecting various aspects of self, pursuing the small self's private gains, acting contrary and opposed to the path; this is unwise. Why be so contradictory? Is it not caused by the afflictive habit energies of self-attachment from beginningless kalpas? If one does not know or observe this afflictive defilement within one's own mind, does not seek ways to counteract it, and always follows the self-nature and self-character, then when will one ever attain selfless liberation? Which is more comfortable: liberation and freedom, or self-bondage and freedom? Comparing the two, which to choose? So many people understand clearly in thought but act confusedly; that is why they cannot realize the principle of selflessness and attain the fruit of liberation.
Studying Buddhism and practicing require merit and roots of goodness. Those who have not planted roots of goodness and merit in the Buddha Dharma naturally cannot benefit from it. Those who do not take refuge in the Three Jewels, nor take refuge in the Buddha, even if worldly wise and eloquent, still cannot attain wisdom and liberation. Therefore, no matter how clever and sharp worldly people are, they still lack the wisdom of the Buddha Dharma; they are not people of the Dharma. The Buddha Dharma can only liberate those who take refuge in Buddhism, have faith in and revere Buddhism, and are willing to plant roots of goodness and merit within the Three Jewels. Those unwilling to take refuge in the Three Jewels are difficult to liberate; even if they come to study the Dharma, they only engage in research, treating the Dharma as a pastime, unable to attain the fruit or enlightenment to gain the benefits of the Dharma. Because they lack the root of faith, they lack the five roots (faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom); without the five roots, there are no five powers, and thus they cannot fulfill the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment. Therefore, they cannot deeply engage in contemplation, attain the fruit, or realize the mind, becoming people of the Dharma.
50. Observing all sentient beings, none fail to greedily love the pleasant contact of the six dusts, unwilling to give up contact with and reception of the six dusts. In reality, greed is all suffering; there is no pleasant feeling. Yet sentient beings dwell in the suffering of greed without realizing it. Countless Buddhists study Buddhism still for the purpose of enjoying worldly life, pursuing pleasant feelings, but the result is all suffering. It's just that, due to lack of wisdom since beginningless kalpas, they fail to recognize this principle, blindly pursue pleasure but never truly enjoy it; this is foolishness. The affliction of foolishness is the hardest to shake off. Despite the World-Honored One's earnest exhortations, sentient beings remain in foolish ignorance. Is practice easy? Extremely difficult. Therefore, it is said that initially severing the view of self is harder than ascending to heaven. One should see this point, be realistic, and not be arrogant.
51. The purpose of practice should not be fixated on the fruits (stages). The fruits are by-products. The goals should be subduing afflictions, eliminating ignorance, attaining great wisdom and immeasurable wisdom, and saving sentient beings. With such goals, the path is pure and unobstructed.
Precepts, meditation, and wisdom (śīla, samādhi, prajñā) essentially mean precepting the mind, stabilizing the mind, causing the mind to generate wisdom. Precepts fundamentally mean eliminating afflictions, eliminating self-nature, eliminating obscurations. Eliminating obscurations, the mind gives rise to no wrong, then one can have concentration, contemplate deeply, and thereby generate wisdom.
52. The purpose of practice is to eliminate all ignorance and attain liberation. Without ignorance, there are no afflictions, no birth and death, no bondage; all afflictions arise from ignorance. If one links practice with other aspects, that is ignorance, preventing liberation.
To eliminate ignorance, sever the self-mind, and attain liberation, one cannot do without helping others attain liberation together. While helping others, one gains merit resources, gains all the resources for realizing the path of selflessness, cultivates one's own selfless liberated mind, and cultivates one's own mind of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity (Brahma-vihāra) and the Bodhicitta. Therefore, helping others is helping oneself; the two are not opposed but unified.
Many people study Buddhism precisely to gain knowledge, using the mastered knowledge and theories to obtain worldly fame and profit, gain others' respect, acquire the power to control others, and obtain a stronger self. This increases ignorance, tightens bondage, and deepens non-liberation. Such knowledge and theories are afflictions. However, after genuine realization, it is not like this. The mind experiences a corresponding degree of liberation and lightness, simultaneously bringing coolness to others, improving the surrounding environment, benefiting others; both self and others gain.
The ignorance of sentient beings is inexhaustible even over many kalpas. If one had the leisure to enumerate it bit by bit, how many would be utterly astonished, never having imagined that their minds are filled with ignorance. One cannot find any dharma not arising from ignorance. Everyone has ignorance; there is ignorance at all times, in all matters. Ignorance exists pervasively and universally. Finding clarity is very difficult. When someone thinks they have no ignorance, only clarity, that is ignorance. Foolishness fills the heavens and covers the earth; from beginningless kalpas past to beginningless kalpas future, it is far too much.
53. Without personal cultivation, merely explaining to others is like a deaf person without ears playing music for others. Though the music is pleasant, one cannot hear it oneself. Those without cultivation of the Buddha Dharma are like this. Like a boatman on the great sea, often ferrying people across, yet he himself might perish in the sea; those without cultivation of the Buddha Dharma are also like this.
54. Modern people do not know how to practice diligently and steadfastly. All day long they open their mouths to speak, chattering everywhere, regardless of what they say, what the ultimate reason is, or what they seek to gain. Is studying Buddhism and practicing only for displaying the self, making others think one is cultivated and knowledgeable? Some people have rich imagination but are severely lacking in actual practice and realization. They often speculate about the Dharma rather than engaging in actual observation, yet remain very confident. Thinking without meditation is all speculation. Thinking about Dharma principles far beyond one's own realization is also speculation. Using one's own speculations about the Dharma to debate with others belongs to the category of those who display the self.
