How to Perceive the Truth, Eliminate Delusions, and Shatter Ignorance

The root of sentient beings' suffering lies in perceiving unreal phenomena as real and clinging to them persistently, inevitably giving rise to suffering. When phenomena cannot be grasped, the mind experiences even greater distress. Therefore, the fundamental solution to suffering is to perceive the true reality, dispel false and illusory appearances, and cease clinging to delusions, thereby attaining liberation and freedom from suffering. When perceiving phenomena with complete right knowledge and views, free from erroneous or perverted views, one no longer clings to illusory or false appearances, and thus suffering ceases. Naturally, one becomes liberated from phenomena by transcending them.

How can one perceive the true reality and cease seeing erroneous phenomena? One must recognize the essence and foundation of phenomena, ensuring that knowledge and views do not dwell within conventional dharmic appearances. By breaking through the conventional characteristics of dharmic phenomena, one progressively perceives their fundamental essence, thereby eliminating erroneous perceptions. Only with correct perception does one realize that dharmic phenomena are fundamentally ungraspable. Only then can one transcend phenomena, extinguish the clinging mind, attain liberation and ease, and become forever free from afflictions.

How does one break through the conventional characteristics of dharmic phenomena? First, we must understand what constitutes conventional dharmic phenomena: various forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and tactile sensations as conventionally defined; within these dharmic phenomena lie various shapes, substances, qualities, and conventional functions. Sentient beings perceive the functions and qualities of phenomena as truly existent and thus cling to them greedily. Yet whether such greed is satisfied or not, it results in suffering. Pleasure is suffering; sorrow and resentment are suffering. All sensations are without exception suffering, agitating the mind and depriving it of tranquility and coolness. This is suffering.

Do these conventional dharmic phenomena truly exist? In a dream, everything seems real, but upon awakening, one realizes it was all illusory. Only through genuine realization of the Buddha Dharma does one understand that all perceived phenomena are unreal, false, impermanent, subject to birth, cessation, change, and illusion. Since conventional dharmic phenomena are impermanent, they are empty and ungraspable—utterly unobtainable. Since they are empty and ungraspable, they are suffering; emptiness and ungraspability constitute suffering—the characteristic of suffering. Since conventional dharmic phenomena are impermanent, suffering, and empty, they are not the self nor can they be possessed by the self. To regard impermanent, ever-changing dharmic phenomena as the self is an erroneous, irrational, and deluded view. Only by eradicating this irrational view can one attain right view. Only then does one cease grasping at dharmic phenomena. Only when grasping ceases can the mind attain liberation, ease, and coolness.

How can one perceive the true reality and ensure knowledge and views do not dwell within conventional dharmic phenomena? We should understand that all conventional dharmic phenomena are born, transformed, and created by the fundamental mind, the Tathāgatagarbha. Thereafter, the Tathāgatagarbha conditions these phenomena and discerns them. However, the 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, continuously discerns karmic seeds, and perpetually adjusts the proportional structure and distribution of seeds based on these karmic seeds. Thus, phenomena constantly change according to karmic seeds, karmic conditions, or the mental factors of the seventh consciousness (manas).

Since the Tathāgatagarbha perceives seeds rather than conventional appearances, it cannot distinguish forms, sounds, scents, tastes, or tactile sensations. Internally, it does not engage in conventional discriminations; the mind remains pure and free from afflictions. It creates no karmas of affliction or birth-and-death, and thus experiences no suffering of samsaric rebirth. To be liberated from the suffering of segmental birth-and-death and the suffering of transformative birth-and-death, we should emulate the Tathāgatagarbha: extinguish conventional dharmic phenomena within the mind and perceive the true meaning and essence of dharmas. Thus, the mind becomes increasingly pure, gradually approaching the Buddha-mind. Ultimately, wisdom equals that of 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 dharmic phenomena are unreal, why can sentient beings still perceive them? This is due to the ignorance of sentient beings, which gives rise to false views and false thoughts upon the true reality, followed by false actions, false karmas, false results, and the false suffering of samsaric rebirth. For example, when a torch is swung rapidly, sentient beings, failing to perceive the torch, see instead a nonexistent ring of fire. Mistaking this ring as real and clinging to it, they experience the suffering of birth and death. Similarly, sentient beings perceive conventional dharmic phenomena: due to ignorance, they regard nonexistent appearances as real while failing to perceive the true dharmas that are genuinely real. Due to erroneous and inverted views, they create karmas of birth and death, perpetuating the cycle of suffering.

For instance, on a hot summer day, water vapor reflects onto the sand. A deer, parched and confused, perceives water where there is none on the barren beach and rushes to grasp it, only to find nothing upon arrival. Such ignorant, false perceptions yield nothing for sentient beings, yet by clinging to illusory appearances, they invite the suffering of karmic delusion, birth, and death. How utterly worthless! Therefore, dispelling ignorance and perceiving reality is the paramount focus of our practice and the ultimate goal. Once reality is perceived, ignorance is dispelled, false appearances gradually vanish, and one progressively ceases clinging to illusions, creating no further karmas of birth and death. When delusion is exhausted and karma extinguished, one returns to the self-nature’s Sarva-jñāna—the sea of all-encompassing wisdom—the One True Dharma Realm, abiding thenceforth in tranquil Nirvana.