The Realm's Environment Transformed by the Mind

The Three Realms are only the mind, and all dharmas are only consciousness. Both the impure land and the pure land are manifestations of the mind alone, transformed by consciousness alone. By transforming the mind, one can transform the realm, but one can only transform one's own realm, not the realm of others. The realm is the manifestation within each person's own Tathagatagarbha mind, unrelated to others. When one cultivates and purifies the mind, the perceived internal manifestation realm transforms, and naturally, the external manifestation one experiences can also become pure. When the conscious mind transforms, all realms accordingly transform along with it.

In the Vimalakirti Sutra, it is said that our Saha world is a realm of five impurities—a defiled world filled with hills, pits, rough terrain, filth, and impurity. Shariputra suspected that this was due to the World-Honored One’s impure mind during his practice of the Bodhisattva path. However, the World-Honored One said: "It is because your own minds are impure that you perceive an impure world and land. It is not that my mind is impure. In my view, the Saha world is supremely pure." The World-Honored One spoke the truth. In his perception, the Saha world was indeed as pure and undefiled as the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Sentient beings perceive an impure world because their inner minds are defiled, whereas the Buddha’s mind is pure, so all he perceives is pure, all being the stainless nature of the Buddha’s consciousness. To demonstrate this truth, the World-Honored One pressed his toe upon the ground. Instantly, the ocean-seal radiance of the World-Honored One shone forth, and the Saha world immediately transformed into a realm as majestic, pure, and supremely wondrous as the Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is the world perceived by the Buddha, the world manifested by the Buddha’s mind.

Though the World-Honored One dwelled and lived alongside sentient beings, the realm he perceived differed from theirs—both in retribution and environment. Though his outward appearance seemed the same as that of sentient beings, in truth, sentient beings and the Buddha are separated by an immense distance due to the impurity of the mind. Therefore, when we cultivate and purify our minds further, our perception of external phenomena becomes relatively more accurate, and the manifested realm changes accordingly. This occurs because the realm of our inner thoughts and consciousness has transformed. Due to ignorance, sentient beings hold inverted views, perceive the world erroneously, and engage in impure actions of body, speech, and mind, thereby attracting impure realms. After cultivating until the mind is purified, the realm and environment can transform according to the mind. All that is perceived becomes a pure land—manifested by one’s own Tathagatagarbha mind.