Valuing Right Vision, Not Mundane Conduct

Weishan asked Yangshan: "Of the forty volumes of the Nirvana Sutra, how much is spoken by the Buddha and how much by demons?" Yangshan replied: "All are demonic words." Weishan said: "In the future, no one will be able to contend with you." Yangshan asked: "My understanding is but a temporary matter; where does genuine conduct lie?" Weishan answered: "I value only your correct vision; I do not speak of your conduct."

Yangshan's response to his master's question was peculiar. He claimed that all forty volumes of the Nirvana Sutra were spoken by demons, not by the Buddha. Why not by the Buddha? The true Buddha does not speak; speech accompanies the true Buddha, which is an illusory transformation, not the true Buddha—merely a provisional Buddha. Upon hearing this, Master Weishan greatly praised him, saying: "In the future, truly no one will be able to contend with you; your wisdom surpasses all." Yangshan said: "Though my present understanding is complete, how should genuine bodhisattva conduct manifest?" Weishan replied: "As long as your insight is pure, the conduct befitting a bodhisattva will naturally develop without difficulty."

Yangshan had already awakened to the true nature of mind; his prajñā wisdom was complete. Yet he sought to swiftly perfect bodhisattva conduct, to refine his physical, verbal, and mental actions in accordance with all bodhisattva precepts, aspiring to quickly become a true and worthy bodhisattva. Weishan, however, held that genuine awakening to the true nature of mind would gradually transform one's conduct. Former physical, verbal, and mental actions would progressively purify; the cessation of afflictions would occur naturally, and the compassionate, joyful, and equanimous mind of a bodhisattva would gradually become complete. Weishan's view is profoundly correct. Yet "correct vision" depends on what kind of vision is correct. If only the vision is correct while the mental faculty remains distorted, bodhisattva conduct cannot be rectified. Only when the mental faculty is correct will physical, verbal, and mental actions naturally abide on the right path. Then there will be no difficulty in severing ignorance and afflictions, nor in perfecting the bodhisattva's compassionate, joyful, and equanimous mind. History confirms that Yangshan later passed the three barriers of Chan, attained the first bhūmi (ground), and in a dream journeyed to Maitreya's Inner Sanctum, where he expounded the Dharma before Bodhisattva Maitreya.

Practitioners of the past engaged in genuine cultivation and realization. Their awakening to the true nature of mind was authentic and unambiguous, entirely free from falsehood. After awakening, not only did wisdom flow abundantly, but their conduct also grew increasingly pure, conforming to bodhisattva standards, making them reliable refuges for beings. Today, however, it is different. Counterfeit bodhisattvas abound everywhere. Their actions, speech, and thoughts are reviled, arousing hatred—worse than ordinary worldly people, utterly incomparable to true bodhisattvas as far apart as heaven and earth. Therefore, those false bodhisattvas with counterfeit awakening need not speak of conduct.