Defiled Mind, Defiled Phenomena

The Vimalakirti Sutra states: When the mind is pure, the Buddha-land is pure. If the mind is impure, the Buddha-land will also be impure, for when perception is impure, appearances become impure—how then could the land be pure? How could a pure Buddha-land exist if the mind is impure? Indeed, only when the mind is pure can perception be pure; when perception is pure, appearances can be pure. Ordinary beings have impure minds, so their perception is impure, and the appearances they perceive cannot be pure. Therefore, when beings see the Buddha, they perceive him as being like themselves—possessing the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion—and they find fault with the Buddha in various ways, perceiving his pure conduct as impure acts. For example, a female non-Buddhist who attended the Buddha’s Dharma assemblies would always leave last and arrive first each morning, leading others to suspect she stayed with the Buddha. Months later, she placed a wooden basin on her belly, pretending to be pregnant. When people saw this, they concluded the Buddha had indeed been intimate with her, and rumors spread. Only later, when the Four Heavenly Kings could no longer bear it and transformed into mice to gnaw through the basin, causing it to fall, did everyone suddenly realize the truth.

If beings truly understood the Buddha and had faith in him, how could they harbor doubts or suspicions? Ultimately, it is because their own minds are filthy and defiled that they assume the Buddha would commit such acts. Those disciples with pure minds never entertained any doubts or disrespect toward the Buddha; they completely and utterly trusted in his purity. Beings perceive appearances according to the state of their own minds; they cannot transcend the scope of their own mental cognition. Thus, those with defiled minds cannot believe that anyone could possess profound purity of mind, acting and perceiving differently from themselves. Hence, when encountering situations, they immediately become suspicious—or do not even bother with suspicion, directly confirming the other’s wrongdoing. From this incident, it is evident that the minds of beings are indeed filthy and defiled, lacking correct understanding and perception.

When those with pure minds encounter events, they let them pass without dwelling on them, free from lingering thoughts. But those with impure minds harbor all manner of speculations, views, and doubts within their hearts, refusing to let go. Disputes arise like wind, and conflicts multiply. Thus, the mundane world is perpetually chaotic, devoid of peace. From families to societies, and all groups large and small, this is the case. The reason lies in the extreme filth and profound defilement of beings’ minds, which breed countless misunderstandings and endless disputes.