Holding onto the True Mind Is Also an Illusory Dharma

Assessment: When one firmly abides in the true mind, deluded thoughts do not arise, the mind of "mine" ceases, and the dharma of nirvāṇa manifests. 

If, in the course of cultivating the path, one realizes the true mind, then initially, for the sake of calming the mind, one may firmly abide in the true mind, taking the true mind as one's refuge. As one's cultivation deepens, one will come to know that abiding in the true mind is also a false dharma, also superfluous; the mental activity of "abiding" is the mental activity of the deluded mind, and it means deluded thoughts have arisen. Why abide in the true mind? It is still because one regards the true mind as self and as belonging to self, and therefore one abides in it; thus the mind of "mine" has not ceased, and the mind is not yet empty enough. At this point the mind is more tranquil (praśama) than before, seemingly like the true mind, with no other thoughts—this is a state of meditative concentration (samādhi). One could say it resembles the state of the true mind without thoughts, and saying that the true mind of nirvāṇa has manifested is also passable, though rather forced. Because the true mind of nirvāṇa is manifest at all times—those who have realized the true mind all know this. 

If one says that firmly abiding in the mind is acceptable, then this "abiding in the mind" means not letting the deluded mind engage in false fabrications, and above all not creating karma of greed, hatred, and delusion, returning to purity, or returning to the self-nature of the true mind. The expression "abiding in the true mind" is debatable, because the true mind needs no abiding; for one who has realized it, abiding in the true mind is superfluous and only adds afflictions and attachments, preventing one from passing the heavy barrier (laoguan); for one who has not realized it, one wishes to abide in it but cannot find Him—how could one abide in Him? Yet the single word "abide" indicates there are thoughts; whether abiding in the true mind or abiding in the deluded mind, so long as there is abiding, there are deluded thoughts. At this point it is only that the deluded thoughts of the mind consciousness do not arise; the manas absolutely has thoughts. When there are no thoughts, the mind is empty, nothing is abided in, nothing can be abided in, and there is no longer the mental activity of abiding. When there are thoughts and there is mind, both the true mind of nirvāṇa and the deluded mind exist—which one is the manifested nirvāṇa mind? Since there is the mental activity of abiding, that mental activity does not cease, and what is guarded is "mine"; no matter what is guarded, it is guarding "mine," so the mind of "mine" has not ceased at all. 

The realm of the Chan school and that of Yogācāra cannot be compared. At the stage of practicing the Chan school, the mind is not yet empty enough; even after passing the third gate of the Chan school, one's mind is not as empty as that of a person who has cultivated to the Yogācāra stage. As long as a single mental activity is not empty, one cannot pass the third gate of the Chan school, nor even reach it. Only when the mind is empty can one realize nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa) and have the ability to pass the third gate of the Chan school—the heavy barrier of birth and death. If one abides in the true mind, one is bound by the true mind, still has the karma of birth and death, and cannot attain nirvāṇa. Abiding is the karma of birth and death; abiding is making trouble, and the mind is not tranquil. The fourth dhyāna is called the purity of abandoning thought; only by abandoning thought is there purity; when thought is abandoned there is no abiding, and the mind is empty, without abiding or dwelling. With abiding, one could not enter the samādhi of no-perception, much less the samādhi of cessation. Why can one not enter the samādhi of cessation? Because the manas still has feeling and perception, and abiding is perception. In the samādhi of no-perception there is likewise no abiding by the mind consciousness, for the mind consciousness cannot function. Abiding is similar to the practice of concentrating the mind on one point in cultivating meditative concentration; "concentrating" means placing, means counteracting—there is action, there is operation. 

What we are discussing now is the final result of cultivation, not the process of cultivation. In the process of cultivation, one should do whatever needs to be done; one may adopt all kinds of methods and measures, all of which are needed for making effort and are unavoidable. But when it comes to the final result, there must be the cessation of mental activity. For example, only when one keeps the precepts to the point where no keeping is needed is one at ease with the precepts without transgressing them; it becomes the completely natural habit and disposition of the manas, the mental activity is naturally so, without needing thought, supervision, or regulation—the mental activity naturally conforms to the precepts.