The Buddha's Power of Attraction Is Analogous to Hypnosis

The story of Yuṃdada realizing non-arising despite committing grave offenses recounts how the bodhisattva Yuṃdada, after leaving home and receiving full ordination, violated two major precepts—killing and sexual misconduct—which should have led him to fall into hell upon death. Fearing his karmic retribution, he sought salvation from Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, who led him to meet the Buddha. The Buddha then guided Yuṃdada to analyze: whether there truly existed a monk named Yuṃdada, whether there truly existed the person killed by Yuṃdada, and whether the act of killing truly occurred. Upon contemplating this, Yuṃdada instantly attained enlightenment, becoming a true bodhisattva—far beyond merely severing the view of self to attain the first fruition. Yuṃdada’s encounter with the Buddha was exceedingly fortunate: not only was he spared from hell, but he also realized bodhisattvahood, thereby avoiding all karmic retribution in the three evil realms.

When the World-Honored One expounded the principle of non-arising to Yuṃdada, he employed a method of hypnotic guidance. At that time, Yuṃdada was overwhelmed by extreme panic, fear, and shame, his mind in utter turmoil. Yet the Buddha stabilized his mental state, guiding him to contemplate the absence of a self in persons and to investigate the agent behind actions. Ultimately, Yuṃdada’s mental faculty directly confirmed the truth of non-self, realizing the absence of a true agent, thereby both severing the view of self and illuminating his true mind. To encounter the Buddha personally guiding him through such hypnotic insight—what immense good roots and blessings that required! We should all cultivate blessings diligently, so that in the future, upon meeting the Buddha and receiving his hypnotic guidance, we may become bodhisattvas on the bhūmis and attain sagehood.

Furthermore, in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, the section where the World-Honored One unraveled King Ajātaśatru’s mental knots by explaining the severance of the view of self is exceptionally profound. After killing his father, King Ajātaśatru suffered retribution and was deeply troubled. Upon meeting the Buddha, who dispelled his karmic obstructions, the Buddha asked him: "Does this person called 'your father' truly exist? Do you truly exist? Did the act of patricide truly occur?" After contemplating, King Ajātaśatru replied that they did not, and subsequently attained rootless faith. He did not reach the first fruition or its preliminary stage due to the obscuration caused by his patricidal karma.

This too was the Buddha’s use of hypnotic guidance for sentient beings—an opportunity only those with sufficient blessings may encounter. Thus, blessings are utterly crucial. Some people act only for themselves, unwilling to cultivate blessings—such individuals are simply foolish!