Spiritual Cultivation Should Be Hierarchical and Progressive

The practice of the Four Noble Truths by Arhats and the practice of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination by Pratyekabuddhas are methods of subtraction and abandonment. Because their minds still cling to phenomena and objects, they continuously reduce mental formations, relinquishing greed and all afflictions during their practice. Arhats believe that the Three Realms truly exist, the five aggregates truly exist, suffering truly exists, and cause and effect truly exist. Therefore, they resolve to abandon all of this and transcend the Three Realms. However, this mindset of grasping and rejecting becomes skillful artifice and is not the supreme, most genuine method of practice, although it is an inevitable path for every practitioner.

Practice, however, is divided into levels and stages. First, one must abandon evil and embrace good. Once the mind becomes virtuous, one neither grasps at evil nor clings to good, neither grasping nor rejecting, allowing the mind to abide in the Middle Way. Bodhisattvas realize that all phenomena are manifestations of the Tathāgatagarbha. With nothing substantial in their minds, there is nothing to abandon. They neither grasp nor reject any phenomena, neither crave nor loathe, facing everything with equanimity and guiding sentient beings with composure. Thus, they absolutely do not seek to leave the Three Realms to attain Nirvana.