The Supreme Dharma Can Only Be Grasped Intuitively but Cannot Be Conveyed in Words

Intuitive realization is the experiential proof by the mental faculty, while verbal transmission is the explanation using the language of consciousness. The supreme wondrous Dharma is the highest and most sublime Tathagatagarbha Dharma, which requires each individual to personally experience and verify it through realization. The guidance and hints provided by others through language cannot substitute for one's own experiential realization. Such realization requires numerous conditions and causes to be fulfilled: precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom must all be complete, and one must have already generated deep seeking doubt, capable of single-minded investigation. Only when the effort reaches the mental faculty can one then experientially realize the wondrous Dharma of Tathagatagarbha. Verbal transmission can only initially settle in the conscious mind; if the effort has not sufficiently engaged the mental faculty, it cannot stir it. Therefore, verbal transmission cannot replace the mental faculty's pondering and investigation, and ultimately cannot lead to personal realization.

When the depth of meditative concentration and investigation is insufficient, one should concentrate on the practice without listening to others' interpretations or referencing Buddhist scriptures and others' theoretical knowledge, as this can obstruct experiential realization. Matters of spiritual practice are entirely one's own affair, just as eating food satisfies only the one who eats it. The Dharma is personally realized only by those who investigate it; without investigation and realization, the Dharma heard is like something stolen—it does not belong to oneself. Samadhi states can only arise from within oneself; wisdom is born from one's own mind. Studying the Tripitaka and the twelve divisions of scriptures will never equal one's own awakening. Practitioners should be like great heroes, courageous in their practice, personally exerting effort, and rejecting all shortcuts and clever tricks.

The supreme wondrous Dharma being ineffable carries another meaning: this subtle and profound Dharma of Tathagatagarbha cannot be expressed through language. No matter how one speaks, what is spoken is not It. Without speech or indication, whatever is pointed out is still not It. No matter what, It simply does not emerge, manifest, speak, or act—humble and selfless, without any pretense. How then to approach such a Dharma? Only through experiential realization, personal verification, and direct awakening can one perceive Its true face. What is heard or seen is not It; no one can transmit It through teaching. So, do you still need to listen to others' instructions?

Dedication Verse: With all the merit from Dharma propagation and group practice on our online platform, we dedicate it to all sentient beings in the Dharma realm and to the people of the world. We pray for world peace and the cessation of war; may no flames of war be ignited, and arms forever laid down; may all disasters completely subside! We pray that the people of all nations unite in mutual aid, extending kindness to one another; may the weather be favorable and the harvests abundant, with nations prosperous and people at peace! May all sentient beings deeply believe in cause and effect, harbor compassionate hearts free from killing; may they widely form wholesome connections and cultivate wholesome karma; may they believe in the Buddha, study the Dharma, and increase their wholesome roots; may they understand suffering, abandon its causes, aspire to cessation, and cultivate the path; may they close the door to evil destinies and open the path to Nirvana! May Buddhism flourish eternally and the true Dharma abide forever; may the burning house of the triple realm be transformed into the lotus land of ultimate bliss!