Misapprehending Emptiness Remains Wild Fox Zen

Question: Can sentient beings in the stage of abandoning evil and cultivating virtue directly contemplate that all evil dharmas are the nature of Tathagatagarbha, and that their essence is Tathagatagarbha? Some advocate that those who violate precepts can eliminate offenses through signless repentance, claiming that after enlightenment, their precept observance will naturally become pure. Is this approach appropriate?

Answer: Practice should be arranged according to an individual's capacity and specific circumstances; it should proceed step by step without skipping stages. Otherwise, one easily falls into the delusion of nihilistic emptiness, reenacting the "wild fox Chan," leading to heavier karmic obstacles and causing apparent progress but actual regression in practice.

For sentient beings in the stage of abandoning evil and cultivating virtue, if they directly contemplate that evil dharmas are the nature of Tathagatagarbha, two different outcomes may arise: One outcome is realizing that Tathagatagarbha is empty and evil dharmas are also empty, so they feel no need to create any more evil dharmas, and their minds gradually become purified. This is the result of contemplation for beings of superior capacity. The other outcome is disregarding the creation of evil karma, failing to restrain their minds, indulging recklessly, because they believe evil dharmas are also the dharma of Tathagatagarbha, so there is no need to cling to evil dharmas. They create evil freely, thinking that since everything is the emptiness of Tathagatagarbha, there are no real evil dharmas, and by taking refuge in Tathagatagarbha, there are no evil dharmas or evil retributions. This is the wrong view and misunderstanding of foolish beings with inferior capacities, leading to unwholesome karmic results.

Many people consider themselves beings of superior capacity, but in reality, in the present Saha world, beings of truly superior capacity are extremely rare. Their afflictions and karmic obstacles are generally not light. Therefore, in practice, one should abandon evil when it is time to abandon evil and cultivate virtue when it is time to cultivate virtue. Do not skip this stage and neglect the transformation of the mind’s tendency toward good and evil, becoming solely absorbed in principle while remaining confused and inverted in practical matters. Regarding both good and evil dharmas as the emptiness of Tathagatagarbha, neither abandoning evil nor cultivating virtue—hindered by evil karma and unaided by virtuous dharmas, lacking merit and virtue—how can one perfect precepts, concentration, and wisdom to realize the path? Can merely chanting about emptiness make the mind truly empty? It fundamentally cannot. If the mind is not empty, the karmic results remain, and liberation is still unattained.

Similarly, for those who violate precepts to use signless repentance to eliminate offenses, hoping to eradicate their karmic transgressions—it is feared that ordinary people generally cannot perceive the true reality and thus cannot eliminate offenses and dissolve karma. Without perceiving the true reality, how can offenses be eliminated? Then, who can use reality repentance to eliminate offenses? It should be those close to the realization of the truth, those who have nearly perfected the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment and the Six Perfections, whose minds incline toward goodness and whose karmic obstacles are light. When conditions mature, with the blessing of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, through reality repentance, they can perceive the true reality and thereby eliminate offenses and dissolve karma.

Some, after studying the Mahayana teachings, easily find excuses for their evil actions, saying that these wrongdoings are not truly done, that it doesn’t matter, that everything is empty. Thus, they feel at ease, without shame or remorse, their evil minds unchanged, and virtuous minds not arising. Such delusion regarding emptiness is still "wild fox Chan," unable to escape the judgment of cause and effect.