The Wisdom of Buddhadharma and Worldly Dharma: A Relationship of Mutual Complementarity

Observing the worldly dharmas of the five aggregates belongs to worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom is also extremely important. Without worldly wisdom, one cannot see through the world, cannot be nurtured by the Buddha-dharma, and cannot accept the views of the Buddha-dharma. And when one has successfully been nurtured in the views of the Buddha-dharma, this in turn can develop worldly wisdom and promote its advancement. The wisdom of the Buddha-dharma and the wisdom of worldly affairs are mutually reinforcing: where one exists, the other will surely exist as well.

If one's wisdom in worldly affairs has not improved, if one's understanding of worldly dharmas is inadequate and not ultimate, and one is still full of craving and attachment and cannot see through them, this shows that one's cultivation of the Buddha-dharma is unsatisfactory, or that one does not cultivate at all and merely puts on an act as mere decoration. Those who gain more in worldly affairs often have deeper obsessions, are less able to see through things, and are more foolish—even taking foolishness for cleverness, secretly mocking in their hearts those who see through worldly dharmas as fools. How utterly inverted!

The fundamental reason ants have been unable to escape the ant body for so long is foolishness. Because they lack better karmic conditions and have never experienced a better mode of existence, and because they lack knowledge and experience, they cannot break free from the bondage of foolishness. Because of their foolishness, they cannot imagine that there might be a better physical body and mode of existence, mistakenly believing that only their current physical body and mode of existence exist. Thus they have developed a deeply rooted obsession with the ant body and the ant way of life. Because of this obsession, they cannot escape the ant body, resulting in a vicious cycle.

What about us humans? We are roughly the same as the ants in our obsessions: all because we lack better karmic conditions and have never experienced a better way of life, with heavy ignorance, little knowledge, and short-sighted vision, we can only cling to the way of life we currently have access to and are currently enjoying, with no intention of exploring a better life and future. Thus we cannot see through or let go of our present wealth, sensuality, fame, and profit—poverty limits the imagination. Some might argue: "I am wealthy; I am not poor." But in the human world, no matter how wealthy you are, you are still poor. You have never witnessed true wealth, let alone experienced it; otherwise you would pursue a wealthier life and would not be satisfied with your current false wealth and low-level wealth. Anyone who has had rich life experience is a person of broad-minded thinking, with very light obsessions or none at all, able to see through things and let go when events arise. Those with immense merit are also very good at seeing through and letting go—having experienced everything and seen widely, they feel nothing really matters.

Have my words struck a blow at some of you? Have they knocked open your skulls? If not, you are simply not worth being enlightened, and you have no qualification to learn the Dharma from me. An obsession like an ant's—so pitiable, yet you yourself are unaware of it, and every day you can still live with pride and arrogance, even flaunting and showing off everywhere. How foolish and laughable!