Discourse on the Paternal and Filial Collection Sutra (Lectures 67)

The Absence of the Mind of Affection and Pleasure is the Buddha Realm

The absence of the mind of affection and pleasure is the realm of the Buddha. Within the Buddha's realm, there is no mind of affection or pleasure, no delight or craving towards the five desires and six dusts. The Buddha is the Tathāgata; the Tathāgata is the Tathāgatagarbha. It possesses no joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure; it neither likes nor dislikes. It is of an unconditioned nature. The first seven consciousnesses have joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, but the true mind has none. When the seven consciousnesses experience joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure, there is the compliant cooperation of the true mind within; otherwise, the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses could not manifest the phenomena of joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure. In all dharmas, the true and the deluded operate together. When the seven consciousnesses experience joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure, there is the Tathāgatagarbha, which does not experience joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure, continuously projecting various seeds to sustain the mental activities of joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure within the seven consciousnesses. Discovering this silent, nameless, and selfless contributor behind the scenes is to realize the mind and attain enlightenment, thereby obtaining Prajna-wisdom.

Why is it said that the absence of the mind of affection and pleasure is the Buddha realm? The Buddha said, "If there is no affection or pleasure, one can then transcend all dharmas." Because all Buddhas are already tranquil and unconditioned, they grasp nothing within the dharmas of the mundane world or beyond, do not cling to objects, and have no dharmas existing within their minds, ultimately transcending all dharmas. Although the Buddha continuously engages in actions within the illusory appearances of the five aggregates to widely deliver countless sentient beings, this does not hinder the Buddha-mind from abiding nowhere and giving rise to no affection or pleasure towards any dharma. The Dharma-body Buddha further abides nowhere within the dharmas of the mundane world or beyond, transcends all dharmas and appearances, and has no mind of affection or pleasure towards any dharma.