Comprehending the Characteristics of the Truth of the Path through the Four Practices

Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume Thirty-Four, Original Text: Having correctly realized the characteristic of the truth of cessation, one further correctly realizes the true counteracting path. Because it enables penetration and seeking of the meaning in the known object, because it enables genuine seeking of the meaning, because it revolves in accordance with the meaning through the four gates, and because it exclusively leads towards the meaning of nirvāṇa, therefore it is designated as the path (道, mārga), the suchness (如, tathatā), the practice (行, pratipatti), and the emergence (出, niḥsaraṇa). Thus, the practitioner understands the characteristic of the truth of the path through these four aspects of practice.

Explanation: The truth of the path is understood through the four aspects of practice: path (道), suchness (如), practice (行), and emergence (出). After the practitioner has correctly and truly realized the characteristic of the truth of cessation, they must finally correctly and truly realize the path to be cultivated, in order to cease suffering and attain liberation. The path cultivated for the purpose of extinguishing suffering and severing its origin is called the path (道). Because it enables penetration and seeking of the true meaning in the known object, and because it enables genuine seeking of the true meaning, it is called suchness (如). During the process of cultivating the path, because one's bodily, verbal, and mental activities are able to accord with the meaning of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self, and no longer contradict the truth of suffering or the arising of suffering through actions, it is called practice (行). After cultivating the path, mental activities gradually become tranquil and extinguished, continuously tending towards nirvāṇa and emerging from birth and death; this is called emergence (出). In this way, the yogācāra practitioner understands the characteristic of the truth of the path through these four aspects of practice: path, suchness, practice, and emergence.

What is the true counteracting path? Path (道) refers to the method, the way, the path. Counteracting (对治) means counteracting the afflictions of greed, hatred, delusion, and ignorance within the mind. Ignorance is not knowing suffering, not knowing the origin of suffering; therefore, one must counteract this lack of knowledge, transforming it into knowledge. If there is no ignorance, there is nothing to counteract. The process within this is cultivating the path: cultivating morality, concentration, and wisdom; the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment; contemplating and practicing the Four Noble Truths. This is the practice of the path (道行).

Suchness-practice (如行) is causing the mind to accord with the truth and principle of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self. Regarding the known object, the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths, one is able to penetrate deeply and contemplate their true principle, to contemplate and practice their Dharma principle truly as it is, comprehending the inherent principle and true meaning of the known object, thereby realizing the truth of the Four Noble Truths. Practice-practice (行行), based on the suchness-practice which severs ignorance, involves a transformation of mental activities. All of one's mental activities accord with the realized truth and do not contradict the true principle of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self. Emergence-practice (出行), through cultivating the path, severs afflictions; bodily, verbal, and mental activities become pure, no longer clinging to the world of the five aggregates; tranquil and unconditioned, body and mind are liberated, tending towards nirvāṇa, in accord with nirvāṇa, emerging from the Triple World, liberated from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.

From the above four aspects of practice, it can be understood that during the process of cultivating the path, morality, concentration, and wisdom increase; the cognition of the world of the five aggregates accords with the true principle; ignorance diminishes; afflictions lessen; mental activities do not contradict the Noble Path; body, mind, and world gradually transform. When this transformation reaches a certain degree, becoming in accord with the path and in accord with the sages, one realizes the Noble Path. It is not that after attaining the fruit that one slowly begins to transform body and mind. If body and mind are not transformed to be in accord with the sages, one cannot become a sage. It is like a student taking an exam: if one does not pass, one cannot enter the school; the principle is the same.

Dedication Verse: May the merit from all Dharma propagation and group practice on our online platform be dedicated to all beings throughout the Dharma realm, dedicated to the people of the world. We pray for world peace, that wars may cease; that flames of war will not ignite, and weapons may forever be laid down; that all disasters may completely subside! May the people of all nations unite in mutual aid, with minds of kindness towards one another; may the weather be favorable and the harvests abundant, the nations prosperous and the people at peace! May all beings deeply believe in cause and effect, with minds of kindness abstaining from killing; may they widely form good affinities and widely cultivate wholesome karma; may they believe in the Buddha, learn the Buddha's teachings, and increase their roots of goodness; may they know suffering, sever its origin, aspire for cessation, and cultivate the path; may they close the door to the evil destinies and open the path to nirvāṇa! May Buddhism flourish forever, may the true Dharma abide eternally; may the burning house of the Triple World be transformed into the lotus land of Ultimate Bliss!