Can the Wisdom of Dharma Be Separated from Worldly Wisdom?

Ignorance means not understanding, not being clear, including not understanding or being unclear about all phenomena. The Buddhas have eradicated all ignorance, thoroughly understanding all phenomena beyond the world and all phenomena within the world; there is not a single phenomenon they do not understand. Regarding any phenomenon within worldly affairs, if one were to ask the Buddha, there is none that the Buddha does not understand or cannot answer. Therefore, if one is not proficient in worldly affairs, incapable of conducting oneself or handling matters properly, that is ignorance, and one's understanding of the Buddha Dharma is likewise not thorough.

The Buddhas and the great bodhisattvas of the various stages not only thoroughly understand the Buddha Dharma but also simultaneously master worldly affairs. When interacting with sentient beings in the world, they clearly understand the minds of sentient beings and the affairs of the world. The choices they make do not violate worldly conventions yet can widely deliver sentient beings, without being influenced by sentient beings themselves.

The degree to which one has mastered the Buddha Dharma corresponds directly to the degree of mastery one has attained in worldly affairs. The Buddha Dharma and worldly affairs are complementary; it is never said that one can accomplish the Buddha Dharma by abandoning worldly affairs. If that were possible, then the Buddha Dharma would be unrelated to worldly affairs, yet in reality, the Buddha Dharma has never been separate from worldly affairs; it is intimately connected to them. The Buddha Dharma can effectively guide worldly affairs. If someone possesses high wisdom in the Buddha Dharma but constantly encounters obstacles in worldly affairs, then it indicates that this person has not truly mastered the Buddha Dharma and lacks genuine wisdom in the Dharma; what they call wisdom is merely dry wisdom.

The great bodhisattvas of the various stages up to the Buddha can all serve as ministers, high officials, monarchs, as well as wheel-turning sage kings and rulers of the various heavens in the world. They must necessarily be thoroughly proficient in worldly affairs; otherwise, how could they serve as monarchs, wheel-turning sage kings, or heavenly rulers? How could they manage and govern the affairs of sentient beings in the mundane realm? How could they command the respect and lead the masses?

Wisdom is interconnected; wisdom in the Buddha Dharma cannot exist separately from wisdom in worldly affairs. The Buddha Dharma must be practiced within worldly affairs. If one cannot apply it effectively in worldly affairs, it indicates that one has not truly mastered the Buddha Dharma, to the extent that it cannot be applied in the mundane realm. The realization and measure of attainment in the Buddha Dharma must be manifested through one's physical, verbal, and mental actions in worldly affairs. If one's physical, verbal, and mental actions have not been transformed and purified, and if one's handling of affairs is not perfect, it shows that this person's spiritual attainment is still insufficient, that their power of concentration, merit, and wisdom are all inadequate. Therefore, there is no Buddha Dharma that can manifest apart from worldly affairs.