What Does It Mean to Give Rise to the Mind While Abiding Nowhere?

原文：是故须菩提。诸菩萨摩诃萨。应如是生清净心。不应住色生心。不应住声香味触法生心。应无所住而生其心。

The Buddha said to Subhūti: Therefore, all bodhisattva-mahāsattvas should give rise to a pure mind in this way. They should not give rise to mind by dwelling on form; they should not give rise to mind by dwelling on sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas. They should give rise to their mind without dwelling anywhere.

This passage is a summary of the preceding ten chapters, telling all bodhisattva-mahāsattvas how to give rise to a pure mind—they should give rise to a pure mind as described earlier. And what was said earlier? It was said that one should practice the conduct of pāramitās by emptying all dharma-marks: empty the mark of giving and cultivating merit, empty the marks of self, person, sentient being, and life span, empty the mark of the Tathāgata's physical form, empty the marks of dharmas and non-dharmas, empty the mark of Buddha-dharma, empty the mark of the Tathāgata's preaching of the Dharma, empty the mark of generating bodhicitta, empty the mark of the stages of attainment, empty the mark of realizing bodhi, empty the mark of attaining the Dharma, empty the mark of adorning the Buddha-land, and so on.

After emptying these marks, the mind gains nothing and seeks nothing; it does not dwell on the marks of material form to give rise to various mental activities, does not dwell on the marks of sound to give rise to various mental activities, does not dwell on the marks of smell to give rise to various mental activities, does not dwell on the marks of taste to give rise to various mental activities, does not dwell on the marks of touch to give rise to various mental activities, and does not dwell on the marks of dharmas to give rise to various mental activities. In short, one should not give rise to various mental activities by dwelling on the marks of the six sense objects. Not dwelling on the marks of the six sense objects means there is no dwelling; dwelling on the marks of the six sense objects means there is dwelling. To have dwelling is non-abiding—it is not proper abiding; the mind is impure and great wisdom has not arisen. Because the marks of the six sense objects are in fact not marks; they are called the six sense objects, but in reality they are empty. How can one dwell on what is empty? Being unable to dwell is non-abiding; even dwelling is empty. Therefore one should generate bodhicitta and practice the bodhisattva's conduct without dwelling on form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas; one should generate bodhicitta and practice the bodhisattva's conduct without dwelling anywhere.

Specifically, how does one practice the Path without dwelling on form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas? One must understand form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas clearly: which dharmas belong to material form, which dharmas belong to sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas, what dharmas are included among the six sense objects, which dharmas one is particularly attached to and craving for, what mental intentions one holds when giving and cultivating merit, what one seeks, on what basis one makes choices, and what the purpose and aspiration of one's bodhicitta and dharma practice are—whether one is craving after certain worldly dharmas. One must deeply observe one's own mind and dig deep into one's own thoughts; only then can one master one's own mind and purify one's thoughts, be without desire and without seeking, so that one's conduct is pure and correct, and one can gradually accord with emptiness and gradually accord with tranquility, thereby swiftly realizing the nirvāṇa of both the Greater and Lesser Vehicles.