The Great Contribution of True Practitioners to the World

Ru Chun: On January 27, 2027, last night I dreamed that I was observing and deliberating on two selves. Later I was awakened by a very loud sound coming from outside, so I continued deliberating in a half-asleep, half-awake state. At that time, the phrase "neither defiled nor pure" was suspended in my mind, but without words or language—I merely knew inwardly what I was deliberating. After a while, I suddenly gained an understanding of the phrase "neither defiled nor pure": it turned out that what is pure is He, and what is defiled is also He. Thus I felt a small shock inwardly, and then I went on to deliberate on "neither increasing nor decreasing." At this point I gradually became fully awake, and my deliberative power instead became scattered. I could no longer continue deliberating, and I did not want to sleep either, so I got up to sit in meditation. Ordinarily I mainly cultivate the Lesser Vehicle and rarely contemplate the Great Vehicle. I do not know why I had such deliberation in my dream.

Commentary: Although Ru Chun mainly cultivates the Lesser Vehicle, because he has studied the Great Vehicle dharma, the bodhisattva mind-nature has arisen, and the causes and conditions of the Great Vehicle dharma have arisen. Since the Lesser Vehicle and the Great Vehicle dharma are closely connected, he naturally has interest in the Great Vehicle, and his mind will automatically engage in inquiry. Because he had never deliberated on Great Vehicle dharma before, his initial deliberation appeared clumsy and rough; his dharma-meaning deliberation was unclear. Some dharma meanings cannot be thoroughly deliberated without enlightenment. When deliberation becomes excessive and the mind's attention is no longer concentrated, consciousness will arise, and one will wake from sleep. "Neither defiled nor pure" speaks of the essence of sentient beings' tathāgatagarbha. Although all dharmas are tathāgatagarbha, and defiled and pure dharmas are also tathāgatagarbha, Ru Chun's understanding of the tathāgatagarbha's essence of being neither defiled nor pure has not reached the mark and is not thorough.

Ru Chun: Yesterday I had some urgent matters to handle temporarily. I observed my mind while handling the matters: changes: 1. When speaking, there was a certain separation between the mouth and the mind. Previously, the mouth and mind arrived together; I spoke very urgently and with great effort. Now it seems that inwardly I am relatively unhurried and unagitated, and I speak more peacefully and plainly. 2. Previously I loved to use my own reasoning to forcefully persuade others, creating a sense of oppression in people. Now I listen more to others' opinions, and I am able to observe others' facial expressions, inner needs, and the meaning beneath their words. I can judge the scope of what the other party can currently accept, and then put forward reasonable requests and plans. 3. After relatively smoothly achieving the initial goal, I stop at a good point and do not force things. I am able to give others space to think and ease up. Inwardly I am relatively calm and patient. Overall, I do not carry too much personal emotion; I deal with matters as they are, gentle yet firm.

Commentary: Why is it that after seeing the Path, one can face many matters with a very steady and plain mind? Because inwardly the five aggregates have been emptied, a large portion of the inner concept of "I" has disappeared, attachment to self has diminished, and one no longer emphasizes the self or puts the self first. That is to say, one is no longer aggressive in dealing with people and matters, and can consider issues from others' standpoint and perspective. This makes one appear peaceful and caring toward others, and one's speech and actions are more middle-of-the-road and not radical. From this, it can be seen that most people's entanglements with right and wrong in dealing with people and matters are all caused by the view of self, selfishness, and clinging thoughts. Without eradicating the view of self, the mind will not be peaceful and plain, and one will forever remain amid disputes.

This passage shows the inner transformation of Ru Chun after seeing the Path, as well as the elevation of his mind-nature and qualities. The mind transforms from coarse to fine, from selfishly focusing only on one's own feelings to transitioning toward caring about others' feelings and thoughts. This is a good phenomenon worthy of celebration. From this matter I have finally understood why so many people are selfish and narrow-minded: because within the minds of sentient beings dwells a so-called self, with a self-benefiting mind, taking the self as the center when encountering matters, thus producing all kinds of contradictions in worldly life. If we want world peace, harmonious coexistence among sentient beings, and an absence of disputes, only by eradicating the view of self can it be achieved.

Therefore, those who have eradicated the view of self have a great influence on the world. They can change the surrounding small environment and even the large environment, from one county and one city to one province and one country, all the way to the whole world. If more and more people eradicate the view of self, the world will draw closer to sukhāvatī (land of bliss) and tend toward sukhāvatī. Some people may think this way of saying it is somewhat exaggerated, but from the rapid changes in our country over the past ten years, let us savor it more. Those with wisdom and a careful mind can discern the inevitable connection within it. The development and changes of our Buddhism have a certain promoting effect on the development of society and the country. This is how we love our country, love our religion, love the people, and love the whole world with actual actions. This is the great contribution that cultivators make to the human world.