Where Is the Master When There Are No Dreams and No Thoughts?

Where is the master of the house when there is no dreaming and no thinking? This is the content of the third gate of Chan. Whether or not one has passed the first and second gates, this content must not be lectured upon or explained; otherwise, what meaning would there be in studying Buddhism and investigating Chan? Only after passing the first and second gates, cultivating meditative concentration to attain the first dhyāna, realizing the contemplation of mirage-like appearances, and becoming an anāgāmin, can one reach the third gate of Chan and begin investigating the third gate. At that point, one must all the more not seek others' explanations. Whatever requires investigation must be personally investigated by oneself and personally realized by oneself. If one merely hears it spoken by others, one cannot realize it—then how could the Buddha Way continue to be cultivated?

If one investigates and brings forth the content of the third gate oneself, and also understands some of the theoretical knowledge of Yogācāra, one can enter the first bhūmi. But the gate of the first dhyāna will probably stump everyone. In the past, I still held out hope that someone might cultivate the first dhyāna and become an anāgāmin, thereby having a certain qualification to enter the first bhūmi; now it seems there is little hope. Why is cultivating meditative concentration so difficult for people in this world today? Because the five desires and the six sense objects are too alluring. In truth, it is that people are too attached to the five desires and the six sense objects. The sense objects have no mind to cling to people, yet people have the mind to chase after the objects. No one is willing to settle the mind and distance themselves from the five desires—what can be done about it?

The first gate: "Who is the one dragging this corpse around?" If this conclusion were made public and told to you, what use would it be? If you do not personally investigate it, the manas will not accord with it. Knowing all the answers, knowing the most detailed answers, knowing the state of a Buddha's stage—what use is that? If it were useful, then we could all read the Buddhist sutras, research out the states of the Buddha stage, and all of us together quickly attain buddhahood—wouldn't that be wonderful?

Does knowing that all dharmas are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows mean one has already realized that all dharmas are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows? Does knowing the state of the Buddha stage make one a Buddha?

If an ordinary person understands and can describe the realm of cultivation of an arhat of the fourth fruit, does that mean he has the attainment of an arhat of the fourth fruit? If an ordinary person can describe how to accomplish the Buddha Way, has he already become a Buddha?

To sum up: for many dharmas, it is useless for the mind consciousness to easily know, understand, and comprehend them; one must still rely on the manas to personally realize them. Only after realization can there be the wisdom of liberation and the attainment of buddhahood. Without realization, even if one speaks with dazzling eloquence, it is of no use whatsoever.