Seeing in Terms of Principle and Seeing in Terms of Phenomena

The highest realm of Buddhist cultivation and realization is the Buddha's perfect fusion of principle and phenomena, the perfect fusion of all phenomena, and the unobstructedness of all phenomena—everything accordant with principle, principle able to manifest phenomena, phenomena able to manifest principle, with principle and phenomena never falling out of step. To achieve this, one must begin from the initial seeing of the Way in Buddhist cultivation and realization, and continue until the final seeing of the Way and attainment of buddhahood. The Way seen earlier and later gradually deepens in transformation; that is, the principle seen becomes ever more profound and subtle, and phenomena likewise become ever more perfectly fused and complete. From the moment of initial seeing of the Way, phenomena follow principle in their conduct: wherever principle goes, phenomena follow, never falling out of step, until the Buddha's final seeing of the Way—awakening to the Way upon beholding the morning star—when principle is perfected, and all phenomena instantly become perfect along with it. Neither principle nor phenomena need any further cultivation, and He becomes the Dharma King of supreme and honored position.

Seeing the Way is divided into seeing on the level of principle and seeing on the level of phenomena. What is the difference between seeing principle and seeing phenomena? Seeing on the level of principle means going from principle to principle: the principle is fully recognized and understood at the level of the mind consciousness, but phenomena do not follow along; at this time, phenomena and principle are out of step. Because the manas has not seen it, the samādhi state in which meditative concentration and wisdom are both complete and perfectly fused does not appear, and phenomena do not follow along with it. Phenomena are controlled by the manas; the mind consciousness cannot make phenomena accord and fuse.

Seeing the Way on the level of phenomena, however, means investigating principle within phenomena and realizing principle through phenomena. With such seeing of the Way, phenomena must accord with principle, phenomena must follow principle, and principle and phenomena must be able to fuse together without falling out of step. Only from this point can one be reborn out of the shell, washing the mind and transforming the face. Outwardly, the person is still the same person, but in terms of mental conduct, the old ways of acting are no longer present; the quality of one's thinking is completely renewed, the mind is empty of self; the unconditioned is manifested within the conditioned, and the unconditioned again acts for the sake of the conditioned—empty yet not empty, not empty yet empty.

Therefore, true seeing of the Way is the seeing and entering into principle that has undergone thorough investigation within phenomena—the realization of principle in which phenomena follow principle and phenomena manifest principle, with principle and phenomena undivided and meditative concentration (samādhi) following along. The fusion of principle and phenomena is not necessarily perfect fusion, nor necessarily unobstructed, because the principle is not yet thorough; when the principle is thorough, one becomes a Buddha. Seeing principle within phenomena is realization; not seeing principle within phenomena is not realization. If principle remains merely principle and does not fuse with phenomena, that principle cannot resolve phenomena; a principle that cannot resolve phenomena has no practical use. Therefore, merely knowing principle, without seeing and manifesting principle within phenomena, is not genuine realization.