Wholesome Dharmas Are Not the Buddha-Dharma

Question: Have they severed the view of self? Do they still harbor thoughts of self? Have those who sacrifice themselves for others and die heroically severed the view of self? Do they still harbor thoughts of self?

Answer: The Dharma is the path for learning from the Buddha, practicing cultivation, and attaining Buddhahood. The virtuous practices of worldly affairs and the good deeds of human society are not the Dharma. Non-Buddhist paths also contain virtuous practices, but as long as the principle of liberation remains uncomprehended, virtuous practices cannot liberate sentient beings; they can only bring blessings in the human and heavenly realms. When these blessings are exhausted, they still cannot avoid the cycle of life and death in the three evil destinies. To avoid the cycle of life and death, one must also contemplate the binding nature of virtuous practices in samsara, perceive the emptiness of virtuous practices, and not cling to them in the mind—only then can liberation be attained.

Furthermore, the primary agent of liberation is the mental faculty (manas). One must eliminate all views of self regarding the five aggregates that are not true views or proper views held by the mental faculty. Only when not a single phenomenon among the five aggregates is seen as self or as real can there be hope for liberation. Clinging to the view of self while practicing virtuous deeds still binds one to samsara. It must be understood that the true mind-nature, which is genuinely liberated, eternally lacks a virtuous mind and does not engage in virtuous practices; it lacks an evil mind and does not engage in evil practices; it lacks a worldly mind and does not engage in worldly affairs. Thus, it is not bound by any of these phenomena—this is the mind of liberation. Partiality toward virtuous practices or any other phenomenon obstructs liberation.