Emptiness of Mind, Free from Afflictions: The Triumphant Return

The sixth and seventh consciousnesses are formless and without characteristics; the dreams they produce are also formless and without characteristics. Yet, why can we perceive people, objects, and events with form and characteristics within the dream? How can a formless, characteristicless dream carry people, objects, and events that have form and characteristics? The formless and the formed should be incompatible. Since they are incompatible, how can there be people, objects, and events with form and characteristics within the dream?

Similarly, the Tathagatagarbha is formless and without characteristics; the seven great seeds are formless and without characteristics; karmic seeds are formless and without characteristics. How then can all dharmas that arise have form and characteristics? All dharmas do not exist outside the Tathagatagarbha. How can the formless, characteristicless Tathagatagarbha carry all dharmas that have form and characteristics? How can the formless, characteristicless Tathagatagarbha be compatible with all formed, characterized dharmas? Therefore, it is said: All dharma appearances, when they fall upon the eye, become an obstruction; when they fall upon the ear, they become a disease; when they fall upon the nose, they become a disease; when they fall upon the tongue, they become a disease; when they fall upon the body, they become an obstruction and disease; when they fall upon the mind, they become a disease. It is only because the seven consciousnesses are diseased that dharmas are perceived. If the seven consciousnesses were free from disease, where would any dharmas be? Therefore, it is said: Spiritual practice is to remove the obstruction and disease, to eliminate appearances and relinquish attachments. Only when the mind is empty does the disease heal; only when the mind is empty does one return to the origin.

Whenever you become attached to dharma appearances, you must alert yourself: this is seen due to the obstruction and disease. "I have an obstruction and disease; I should eliminate it." Persisting in this way, sooner or later, the obstruction and disease will be removed, restoring you to a normal state, no longer clinging to appearances. Originally, none of us are normal people. What we originally considered normal is not normal; it is merely called normal. The normal state after restoration is also not normal; it is merely called normal. Liberation after normality is not liberation; it is merely called liberation. The path of practice is like this. Not being like this is not practice; it is merely called practice — false practice.

Do not think that studying Buddhism and practicing is about gaining something; rather, it is about removing something. This is precisely opposite to former understanding. Wanting to attain dharma, attain fruits, attain honor, attain the great chiliocosm, attain a beautiful life, attain sublime proper retribution and environmental retribution — whatever you wish to attain is deluded thinking. You should extinguish all thoughts of having and empty all thoughts.