Grasping Illusory Dharmas: Illusion Within Illusion; Speaking of Dreams in a Dream: Dream Within a Dream.

The conditioned shadows of the six sense objects are like images in a mirror. What we see, hear, smell, taste, touch, think, and do—all of these are shadows in a mirror. When we look at the shadows in the mirror, no matter what feelings or thoughts we have toward them, no matter how we wish to act upon them, a shadow is ultimately a shadow, not something real. When we discriminate, we discriminate among those shadows in the mirror—this shadow is so good, that shadow is so evil—and thus we continuously grasp and cling. Yet no matter what, we never truly grasp anything; they are all shadows, without real function. Both the result and the process are entirely empty. Like the reflection of a tree in a river—no matter how much we appreciate and cling to it, it is ultimately not real. And like the moon in the river—no matter how the monkeys try to scoop it up, in the end they grasp not a trace, because there is no real moon in the river.

All the realms we encounter are likewise like this—as if we are enjoying something within them, yet in truth we enjoy nothing at all; we are merely dealing with shadows. The mind faculty (manas) directs the six consciousnesses to continuously engage attention, continuously contact, continuously feel, continuously perceive, and continuously grasp—yet in reality nothing is grasped at all. We are merely dealing with shadows, and we ourselves are also one of the shadows. When illusory dharmas interact with illusory dharmas, what reality can there be? Yet we are unable to leap out of these illusory realms, unable to understand these facts and truths, because of meager merit and delusion. The Buddhas, out of compassion for sentient beings, employ various words and metaphors to teach sentient beings to cultivate precepts, meditation, and wisdom; to remove obstructions; and to clearly recognize the facts—that in the world there is truly not a single dharma to be obtained. When the mind is stilled and delusive thoughts are eliminated, the true characteristics are seen. Only by relying on the Buddha's words and truly cultivating can sentient beings see the shadows clearly, return to their self-nature, and attain liberation.