The Relationship between Phenomenal Practice and Principle Practice

All dharmas are divided into two parts: phenomena (shi) and principle (li). Phenomena are the marks, and principle is the principle-substance of the tathāgatagarbha. When discussing phenomena, one must refute the true and real existence of marks from the standpoint of the marks themselves; at this time one must not speak from the perspective of the principle of the tathāgatagarbha. Doing so would lead some people to believe that the marks are real, and they would then give rise to attachment, so that their minds become bound and they cannot attain liberation.

The Hīnayāna teachings all refute existence from the standpoint of the marks, whereas the Mahāyāna teachings cultivate from both the aspects of principle and phenomena: refuting the marks from the standpoint of principle. Once the principle is recognized, things become easier to handle; yet one does not discard the marks either—one does not cling to principle and abandon phenomena. The requirement is that principle and phenomena be perfectly fused together, without leaning toward either side; otherwise the Buddha-dharma will not be accomplished.

One who cultivates to the ultimate degree of perfect fusion of principle and phenomena is a Buddha. Those whose fusion of principle and phenomena is not yet ultimate are the bodhisattvas on the bhūmis and the two stages of equal enlightenment and wondrous enlightenment. Bodhisattvas who have seen the mind may be able to achieve a little bit of such fusion; if they lack the power of observation, then they cannot achieve any fusion at all.

If a person who has neither realized the fruits nor seen the mind is told that the dharmas of the five aggregates and eighteen realms, and all worldly dharmas, are neither arising nor ceasing, he will take them to be real, and then there would be nothing wrong with clinging to them, nothing bad about it. Consequently, he would not seek ways to eliminate his own craving and attachment. In that case, the problem of sentient beings' birth and death could not be solved.

"All dharmas are true suchness" is the result of the direct-perception contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) of bodhisattvas on the bhūmis and of the Buddhas. Ordinary beings can only cultivate step by step, starting from the mark of arising and ceasing (utpāda-nirodha-lakṣaṇa) of the basic five aggregates and eighteen realms; they cannot directly treat the five aggregates and eighteen realms as the neither-arising-nor-ceasing true suchness, for no one would be able to directly observe this principle.

The four dhyānas and eight samādhis are phenomenal cultivation—cultivating marks. Marks necessarily involve arising and ceasing; there are no marks that do not arise and cease, except for the empty mark of the eighth consciousness. The empty mark is without mark, and therefore neither arises nor ceases. The six consciousnesses within the four dhyānas and eight samādhis are, from the standpoint of marks, arising, ceasing, and changing; the seventh consciousness, too, is arising, ceasing, and changing from the standpoint of marks. When discussing dharmas that arise, cease, and change—when cultivating marks—there must be marks of arising, ceasing, and change. If at this point one were to say that the seven consciousnesses and the four dhyānas and eight samādhis are all neither arising nor ceasing, that would be neither one thing nor the other. If they were all neither arising nor ceasing and permanently unchanging, then there would be nothing left for us to cultivate—we would already be perfect.