眾生無邊誓願度
煩惱無盡誓願斷
法門無量誓願學
佛道無上誓願成

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Dharma Teachings

05 Jul 2018    Thursday     1st Teach Total 710

Practice the Dharma in Stages to Ensure No Merit Is Wasted

In the practice of studying the Dharma, regardless of the level of teachings one engages with, those who have not severed the view of self should contemplate and observe that all dharmas are impermanent, subject to change, arising and ceasing; all are born from and manifested by the Tathagatagarbha; none are the self, nor do they belong to the self. Those who have not realized the enlightened mind and seen the true nature should contemplate and observe that all dharmas are born from and sustained by the Tathagatagarbha, all are produced by the functioning of the Tathagatagarbha, and they should seek how to discover the traces of the Tathagatagarbha, thereby realizing that all dharmas are born from and operated by the Tathagatagarbha. Bodhisattvas who have realized the enlightened mind after enlightenment should contemplate and observe how the Tathagatagarbha gives birth to all dharmas, how it operates all dharmas, how it intimately cooperates with the five aggregates, and how it harmoniously functions with the seven consciousnesses, thereby deepening and broadening their wisdom.

In this way, no matter what level of Buddhist teachings we encounter, it can provoke deep contemplation and bring benefit. Our efforts in studying the Dharma will not be in vain; all kinds of contemplative wisdom will arise and increase, enabling us to gradually achieve the perfect integration of principle and phenomena in the future. Principle generally refers to the essence of the Tathagatagarbha mind, yet the Tathagatagarbha is unaware of the six dust realms (objects of the senses); it is not the mind-substance that cognizes the six dusts, thus it does not know phenomena. Phenomena themselves have no root; their source is the Tathagatagarbha principle-essence. Therefore, the root of phenomena is the Tathagatagarbha principle-essence.

After realizing the enlightened mind, one perceives the Buddha-nature and attains the illusory perception (māyāvipaśyanā), feeling that body, mind, and the world are like an illusion, like a transformation, unreal. Observing that all dharmas are conjured by the Tathagatagarbha, one feels that body, mind, and the world are not real. This is an actual sensation, not imagined. Consequently, mental habits change, and views regarding the self and the world transform. The change concerning one's own body and mind occurs when the manas (intellect, seventh consciousness) recognizes the truth that the Buddha-nature is real while the self's five aggregates (skandhas) are illusory and unreal. Thus, it relaxes control over the physical body, leading to a loosening of body and mind, resulting in extraordinary states such as lightness, ease, and joy. During this contemplation, because the sixth consciousness (mano-vijñāna) directly and experientially realizes the Buddha-nature, directly feeling its extraordinary beauty and wonder, the manas understands and acknowledges the reality of the Buddha-nature, recognizing its ability to manifest the six dust realms. It realizes that the self's five aggregates are conjured illusions, and thus ceases to bind the five-aggregate body. The physical body thereby attains a certain liberation, leading to a series of transformations and changes, including lightness, ease, and comfort. The manas's acknowledgment constitutes direct experiential realization. At this stage, the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion become subtle but are not yet eradicated, equivalent to the "thinning" (tanu) of greed, hatred, and delusion at the second fruit (sakṛdāgāmin) in the Śrāvaka vehicle. Practitioners of the Mahayana who have not perceived the Buddha-nature and have not attained the illusory perception cannot thin greed, hatred, and delusion; they are not second-fruit practitioners. If one merely feels that their greed, hatred, and delusion are subtle, it is merely a sensation, not the direct experiential realization of the second fruit.

After attaining the first dhyāna, contemplate and observe that one's own and others' seven consciousnesses are like a mirage (marīci), as unreal as illusory river water formed by heat rising from sand under intense sunlight. This is an actual contemplation personally experienced, not imagined. After attaining the mirage perception, one can directly observe that everyone's mind-consciousness is extremely false, thereby eliminating a portion of the clinging and craving for self and others. The sensations of the mind-consciousness become extraordinary because the manas is affected. This contemplation cannot be actualized or personally realized without meditative concentration (dhyāna).

After passing the three barriers (san-kuan) in Chan (Zen) Buddhism, one can personally contemplate and observe that all worldly affairs, people, and phenomena are like in a dream, equally unreal. One can also contemplate and observe that one's own past life experiences are like events in a dream. Regarding past lives, one can come to know some aspects, such as one's previous identities, actions taken, people encountered, and so forth. This is also a state of direct realization, not imagined or merely understood. All understood principles and dharmas remain pale and powerless, lacking the liberating merit and benefit. To go beyond mere understanding and imagination, one must engage in contemplative practice and experiential realization within meditative concentration; there is no other path.

——Master Sheng-Ru's Teachings
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