How to Perceive the Truth, Abandon Delusions, and Dispel Avidyā

The root of sentient beings' suffering lies in perceiving unreal appearances—that is, seeing phenomena inaccurately—and then clinging to them. When one feels unable to grasp these appearances, distress arises. Therefore, the fundamental solution to suffering is to perceive the true reality, not the false, illusory, or empty appearances. When perceiving phenomena, one must have correct understanding, possessing right view without erroneous or distorted perceptions. Then, the desire to cling ceases, and thus suffering does not arise. Naturally, one is liberated from attachments to appearances.

How can one perceive the truth and avoid erroneous appearances? One must recognize the essence and fundamental nature of phenomena. When perception does not dwell within conventional phenomena, and one penetrates the superficial characteristics of conventional dharmas, one will perceive the fundamental essence of phenomena from the surface to the core. In this way, erroneous views vanish. With correct perception, one realizes that phenomena are fundamentally ungraspable. Abiding in phenomena yet detached from them, the mind of clinging extinguishes, and liberation, ease, and freedom from affliction are attained.

How does one penetrate the superficial characteristics of conventional phenomena? First, we must understand what conventional phenomena consist of: there are conventionally defined forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and tactile sensations; within these phenomena lie various shapes, substances, qualities, and conventional functions. Sentient beings perceive these functions and qualities as real and thus cling to them greedily. Whether this greed is satisfied or not, it results in suffering. Pleasure is suffering; worry and resentment are suffering. All sensations are nothing but suffering, agitating the mind, depriving it of stillness and coolness. This is dukkha (suffering).

Do these conventional phenomena truly exist? If they truly existed, they would not arise, change, age, decay, disappear, or perish. It is evident that conventional phenomena are impermanent, subject to arising and ceasing, and ever-changing. Since conventional phenomena are impermanent, they are empty, ungraspable, and unobtainable. Since they are empty and ungraspable, they are suffering—emptiness and ungraspability entail suffering; this is the nature of suffering. Since conventional phenomena are impermanent, suffering, and empty, they are not the self, nor can they be possessed by the self. To regard impermanent, changing phenomena as the self is an erroneous, irrational view—a foolish notion. Eradicate and eliminate this notion, attain right view, refrain from grasping and clinging, and attain liberation, ease, and coolness.

How can one perceive the truth and prevent perception from dwelling in conventional phenomena? We should understand that all conventional phenomena are born, transformed, and created by the fundamental mind, Tathāgatagarbha. Thereafter, Tathāgatagarbha conditions these phenomena and discerns them. Yet Tathāgatagarbha does not perceive the conventional aspects of these phenomena; it perceives only the composite nature of their seeds. It merely knows the arrangement of various seeds within these phenomena and continually discerns karmic seeds. Based on these karmic seeds, it constantly adjusts the proportional structure and distribution of the seeds, causing the phenomena to continuously change according to karmic seeds or the mental activities of the manas (ego-mind).

Since Tathāgatagarbha perceives seeds and not conventional appearances, it does not cognize forms, sounds, scents, tastes, or tactile objects. Internally, it does not engage in conventional discrimination; thus, the mind is pure and free from afflictions. It creates no karma of birth and death and is free from the suffering of samsara. To liberate ourselves from the suffering of segmental birth-and-death (within the three realms) and the suffering of transformational birth-and-death (beyond the three realms), we must emulate Tathāgatagarbha: extinguish conventional phenomena within the mind and perceive the true essence and reality of dharmas. Thus, the mind will grow increasingly pure, drawing ever closer to the Buddha-mind, ultimately equaling the Buddha, abiding in the non-abiding nirvana, dwelling in the Land of Eternal Quiescent Light, in tranquil extinction and non-action.

Since all conventional phenomena are unreal, why can sentient beings still perceive them? This is due to the ignorance of sentient beings. Upon the truth, they give rise to false views and false thoughts, then engage in false actions, create false karma, and experience false results—enduring the false cycle of rebirth. For example, when a torch is swung rapidly, sentient beings, due to ignorance, fail to see the torch but perceive a nonexistent ring of fire. They regard this ring as real and cling to it, thus experiencing the suffering of birth and death. Sentient beings perceive conventional phenomena similarly: due to ignorance, they regard nonexistent appearances as real while failing to perceive the true dharmas that are real. Because of erroneous and inverted views, they create karma of birth and death, and the suffering of samsara persists without end.

For instance, on a hot summer day, water vapor reflects onto the sand. A thirsty deer, its mind disordered by thirst, sees water everywhere on the barren beach and rushes to grasp it, only to find nothing upon approach. Deluded by ignorance, sentient beings gain nothing yet suffer the karmic consequences of birth, death, confusion, and suffering due to clinging to false appearances. How futile! Therefore, dispelling ignorance and perceiving reality is the paramount focus and ultimate goal of our practice. Once reality is perceived, ignorance is eradicated, false thoughts gradually cease, and one no longer clings to illusory appearances or creates karma of birth and death. When confusion is exhausted and karma extinguished, one returns to the self-nature’s ocean of Sarvajñā (all-knowing wisdom), the One True Dharma Realm, the quiescent nirvana.