How to Abide Nowhere and Give Rise to the Mind

Therefore, Subhuti, all Bodhisattva Mahasattvas should generate a pure mind thus: they should not fixate on form to generate the mind, nor fixate on sound, scent, taste, touch, or mental objects to generate the mind. They should generate the mind without abiding anywhere.

The Buddha said to Subhuti: Therefore, it is said that all Bodhisattva Mahasattvas should generate a pure mind in this manner. They should not abide in form to generate the mind, nor abide in sound, scent, taste, touch, or mental objects to generate the mind. They should generate the mind without abiding anywhere.

This passage summarizes the preceding ten chapters, instructing all Bodhisattva Mahasattvas on how to generate a pure mind. They should generate the pure mind as previously explained. What was previously explained? It explained practicing the paramitas while emptying all dharma characteristics, emptying the characteristics of giving and cultivating blessings, emptying the characteristics of self, person, sentient beings, and lifespan, emptying the physical characteristics of the Tathagata, emptying dharma characteristics and non-dharma characteristics, emptying the characteristics of the Buddha Dharma, emptying the characteristics of the Tathagata’s teachings, emptying the characteristics of generating the bodhi mind, emptying the characteristics of fruition stages, emptying the characteristics of realizing bodhi, emptying the characteristics of attaining the Dharma, emptying the characteristics of adorning the Buddha land, and so forth.

After emptying these characteristics, the mind attains nothing and seeks nothing. It does not abide in the characteristics of form to generate various mental activities, does not abide in the characteristics of sound to generate various mental activities, does not abide in the characteristics of scent to generate various mental activities, does not abide in the characteristics of taste to generate various mental activities, does not abide in the characteristics of touch to generate various mental activities, and does not abide in the characteristics of mental objects to generate various mental activities. In summary, one should not abide in the characteristics of the six dusts (sense objects) to generate various mental activities. Not abiding in the characteristics of the six dusts means abiding nowhere. Abiding in the characteristics of the six dusts is to abide somewhere. Abiding somewhere is non-abiding, an unwholesome abiding; the mind is impure and fails to generate great wisdom. Because the characteristics of the six dusts are actually non-characteristics; they are called the six dusts, but are in truth empty. How can one abide in emptiness? Since it cannot be abided in, it is non-abiding. Even abiding itself is empty. Therefore, one should generate the bodhi mind and practice the bodhisattva path without abiding in form, sound, scent, taste, touch, or mental objects. One should generate the bodhi mind and practice the bodhisattva path without abiding anywhere.

Specifically, how does one practice the path without abiding in form, sound, scent, taste, touch, or mental objects? One must clearly discern form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and mental objects: which dharmas belong to form, which belong to sound, scent, taste, touch, and mental objects; what dharmas constitute the realm of the six dusts; which dharmas one is particularly greedy for and attached to; what mental states one holds when giving and cultivating blessings; what one seeks; on what basis one makes choices; and what one’s aims and aspirations are when generating the mind and practicing the Dharma—whether one is clinging to some worldly dharmas. One must deeply observe one’s own mind, excavate one’s own mental states, in order to grasp one’s own mind and purify mental states. Only then can one be free from desire and seeking, so that one’s actions may be pure, gradually accord with emptiness, gradually accord with stillness, and thereby swiftly realize the nirvana of the Great or Small Vehicle.