Can One Follow the Dharma Without Comprehending the Sutras?

Sentient beings, without having cultivated to a certain stage and without having given rise to wisdom, cannot possibly comprehend the sutras. Many people believe they understand the Buddhist scriptures, but in reality, they merely interpret the literal text, which is far removed from the meaning the World-Honored One intended to convey. When one places too much trust in oneself, one often misleads oneself. In the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters, the Buddha said: "Your mind cannot be trusted; only after attaining Arhatship can you trust your mind." This was spoken to the Śrāvaka disciples. If addressing Mahāyāna Bodhisattva disciples, the Buddha might have said: "Your mind cannot be trusted; only after realizing the Tathāgatagarbha can you trust your mind," or "Only upon attaining the wisdom of Consciousness-Only and entering the Tathāgata's family, can you trust your mind." At that stage, one has realized the true reality of all dharmas, and wisdom has been developed and thoroughly penetrated. Before this, sentient beings must at the very least cultivate to the point of having the discerning eye for dharmas before they can distinguish right from wrong in some teachings. Only with the discerning eye for dharmas can one have the discerning eye for teachers; the two are interdependent. It is evident that most sentient beings have not cultivated to the stage of having the discerning eye for dharmas; consequently, they err in judging both the dharmas and the teachers. Their judgment of teachers is based on reputation and external appearances, not on the teacher's wisdom. Because they themselves lack wisdom first, they cannot perceive the depth of a teacher's wisdom. Sentient beings who are overly confident in themselves or overly trusting of teachers will both mislead themselves. One should diligently contemplate the Dharma and skillfully distinguish teachers, correctly assessing one's own level of wisdom. Most importantly, one should cultivate much merit; when merit is sufficient, errors decrease and wisdom arises.

The Heart Sutra is a brief text, only a little over 260 characters long, yet ten people reading it will have ten different understandings, a hundred people will have a hundred different interpretations. Everyone says to rely on the Dharma, not on the person. Therefore, studying the Mahāyāna teachings first requires taking refuge in the Heart Sutra, as the Heart Sutra is the essence of the Mahāyāna Dharma. Only by understanding the Heart Sutra can one properly realize Bodhi. Given the current situation, where each person understands it differently, how can one take refuge in the Heart Sutra? Everyone believes they are relying on the Dharma, but if their understanding of the Dharma is wrong, how can they truly take refuge? Everyone believes their understanding is correct, yet the correct Dharma is only one. If a hundred people have a hundred different understandings, then possibly ninety-nine of them are wrong. How can this be called taking refuge in the Dharma? The Buddha constantly speaks of true emptiness and wondrous existence. Yet, some people deny true emptiness, while others deny wondrous existence. These two groups fundamentally hold contradictory and opposing views, yet they can still blend together and affirm each other. Isn't this strange? Why does this happen? The reason is that sentient beings do not understand what their own views truly are; they lack discernment regarding the Dharma. Hence, erroneous views are currently rampant, and false dharmas can spread widely, while sentient beings remain unaware and unperceiving. In the Dharma-Ending Age, sentient beings possess meager merit and willingly accept being misled. If sentient beings do not cultivate merit, the future of the true Dharma is worrisome; it will likely perish swiftly. At that time, sentient beings will be even more deeply immersed in afflictions, unable to extricate themselves.

True emptiness refers to the Tathāgatagarbha – real yet inherently empty; within its essence not a single dharma exists, yet it can manifest all dharmas. Wondrous existence means that although the phenomenal appearances of the five aggregates and the eighteen elements exist, their substance is emptiness; they are all illusory dharmas manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha. These illusory dharmas cannot be said not to exist, because sentient beings use them every instant – using the five aggregates to eat, dress, walk, and live. Sentient beings live within the illusory eighteen elements: they see false forms, hear false sounds, smell false scents, taste false flavors, feel false touches, and cognize false dharmas. Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and cognizing are all functions of the five aggregates. Therefore, one cannot deny the apparent existence of the five aggregates. Although the five aggregates are not truly existent, they still exist in this illusory manner. Everyone clearly uses the five aggregates every day, yet still says the five aggregates do not exist. If one can truly recognize in one's mind that the five aggregates are indeed illusory, that would be excellent; it would mean severing the view of self and attaining Arhatship. May all sentient beings be thus. However, denying even the illusory appearance of the five aggregates does not lead to non-existence, nor can it sever the view of self, because without observing and practicing to see the illusory nature of the five aggregates and eighteen elements, one cannot attain the fruit [of realization].