Commentary on the Sutra of the Compendium of Father and Son (89)

Only by Realizing the Emptiness of All Dharmas Can Afflictions Be Eradicated

The Buddha taught that understanding the operation of karma reveals no creator and no experiencer. The arising, functioning, and cessation of karmic actions are all empty; there is no one who creates karma, no one who receives karma, and no one who experiences its retribution. By thoroughly realizing this emptiness, one attains the fruition of a sage. Such a person is no longer an ordinary being, devoid of the thoughts and actions of an ordinary person. Greed, hatred, and delusion melt away swiftly like snow in boiling water. Thus, there is no need to expend great effort and energy to counteract various afflictions using diverse antidotal methods. Engaging in such countermeasures wearies the mind, and even after practicing them over countless lifetimes, the fundamental problem remains unresolved. This is because all phenomena are mistaken as real, perceived as truly existent. How, then, could countermeasures achieve thorough resolution of the root problem? The immediate recognition that everything is illusory and empty renders the very need for countermeasures obsolete. There is fundamentally no need to apply antidotes.

Therefore, the approach of following greed, hatred, and delusion to counteract greed, hatred, and delusion is truly circuitous, convoluted, and slow in practice. It is neither the most fundamental method nor the swiftest shortcut. We must address the issue at its root. For example, to remove a large tree, one must start from the root; severing the root causes the entire tree to fall, never to regrow. Spiritual practice should not involve plucking leaves one by one, slowly and painstakingly, for when plucked, they simply grow back again and again — an endless task. The counteractive approach to practice is like plucking leaves, whereas the contemplative methods described above are like severing the tree at its root — thorough and complete, cutting it off fundamentally so that leaves, branches, and trunk can no longer grow and are utterly extinguished. Eradicating afflictions follows the same principle: directly severing the root of all dharmas by realizing their emptiness. When faced with all phenomena, afflictions will no longer arise.