Miscellaneous Discourses on the Dharma (Part II)
Chapter Ten: On Cultivation and Attainment
1. What State of Mind Does "When a Person Wants Nothing, Their Character Is Naturally Noble" Represent?
When a person wants nothing, it means they no longer deliberately pursue any dharma, do not devise ways to seek and obtain things, and do not apply their mind to anything — this is non-action (wuwei). A person whose mind is in non-action will not resort to any means to scheme for anything; even for legitimate things they will not deliberately set their mind on obtaining or competing for them, let alone do improper things through improper means — that is something they simply would not do. In this way, a person does not contend with others over anything, is without strife with the world, and does not contend over affairs either; having no mind of contention, they all the more have no mind of seizing, deceiving, or stealing. Wanting nothing in all matters, they pass their days in accordance with conditions — such a person's character and moral quality are extremely noble, and their state of mind is one of utter self-forgetting.
An ordinary person can only manage this occasionally, and only with regard to some particular matter. But if a person can do this constantly, with their mental conduct always so pure and detached, without desire and without seeking, then such a person is no longer an ordinary person. Then what kind of person are they? They must be one who has eradicated the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), with no self in their mind — and moreover not one of the ordinary srotāpanna or sakṛdāgāmin who have merely eradicated the view of self, but certainly one of the third or fourth fruit who has eliminated afflictions. Of course, all arhats are of noble character, their virtuous cultivation being foremost among humans, even surpassing the devas; they are teachers of the assemblies of humans and devas, worthy of offerings from humans and devas.
If such an arhat can further perform many deeds that benefit sentient beings, always carrying in their heart the vow to deliver beings, constantly thinking of the suffering of sentient beings, constantly wishing to help beings transcend their suffering, then this arhat is a bodhisattva-mahāsattva of the first to eighth bhūmis. Of course, before the eighth bhūmi, a bodhisattva's mind cannot yet be in non-action at every moment, cannot always act naturally and in accord with conditions, cannot be without desire and without seeking at all times, and is still subject to the influence of afflictive habits. Only the mind of a bodhisattva of the eighth bhūmi and above is in non-action at every moment, functioning spontaneously and naturally without deliberate contrivance, with mind empty and dharmas empty, in extremely deep meditative concentration (samādhi) and extremely deep wisdom, able to forever accord with conditions, naturally accomplishing the work of delivering sentient beings, grasping neither at self nor at dharmas.
Everyone's character and moral quality are related to their cultivation and realization. The higher a person's realization, the emptier their mind; the emptier their mind, the greater their capacity, the more effortless their non-action, and the nobler their character. The results of cultivation and realization are all manifested within worldly dharmas; their effortless mental conduct is likewise displayed within worldly dharmas, displayed in the process of delivering sentient beings, and displayed in carrying out all endeavors. Therefore, whether a person has cultivation and realization, whether they possess the Way — a person of wisdom can observe and verify this simply by observing their bodily, verbal, and mental actions.
2. Only One Unperturbed by Humiliation Is a Suitable Vessel for the Path, Worthy to Receive the Teacher's Dharma
An ancient saying goes: 凡验人，以辱之骂之而能受者可矣，以抑之挫之求而不予亦能顺受者可矣。先能承其重，则后能享其荣。In the cultivation and realization of the Buddha-dharma, whoever is a suitable vessel for the Path must be able to bear every weight and endure every humiliation, because their mind is empty of self and accords with the Way. Those who always want things to go according to their own wishes are not vessels — they cannot be used, because with a self, their mind is not empty and does not accord with the Way. Those who in all matters put themselves first and others last all have a heavy self; they are not vessels of the Path. A great vessel must have great capacity; only a great mind can bear everything — a prime minister's belly is broad enough to pole a boat in, whereas a narrow mind can only hold filth. For those with great aspiration and great capacity who have resolve and responsibility, give them hardships whenever the opportunity arises to temper their character; only through a hundred temperings does steel emerge. Having withstood all manner of adverse training and testing, the vessel is thereby forged; thereafter no state of suffering or pleasure can subdue them. With a mind like solid rock, when the first dhyāna arrives and the Māra king comes to disturb them, their mind will not be moved — the barrier of the first dhyāna is then passed, and after attaining realization, afflictions will certainly be severed.
A person with meditative concentration has strong power of concentration and tends to have a softer disposition, not minding any humiliation inflicted upon them, neither crying injustice nor shouting grievance, their mind corresponding with emptiness. In the past, when practitioners of the Way cultivated to a certain level, the master would test them to heighten their endurance — with insults and unjust beatings, with groundless accusations — and the disciple would feel no grievance, offer no defense, and certainly would not storm off in anger. Only those who cannot be driven away by beatings or by scolding are true disciples, are vessels of the Path capable of being delivered. A person whose mind is empty does not care about any mistreatment; so long as there is dharma to learn and a Way to cultivate, their mind has found its refuge, and not long after they will realize the Way. Thus it can be seen that the Path itself has eyes.
Chan Master Zhaozhou said: 上等人禅床上接，中等人门口接，下等人山门外接。The lower the person, the smaller their capacity, the narrower their vision, the heavier their self, and the more they need gentle words and kind speech; even when they are wrong, one cannot point it out directly, still less reprimand them — the slightest reprimand and they will run off and quit, or even turn around to insult and slander their teacher. Superior people have great capacity, a light sense of self, little emotion and few attachments, their mind abiding in the Way, disregarding the people, affairs, and things outside the Way. Therefore, the heavier a person's self-esteem, the more they need respect and tolerance, with tactful and courteous language; whereas a person of inner strength needs only directness, blunt and unvarnished, without courtesy, because their capacity is great. Whether one has the Way or not, whether one has cultivation or not, is plain at a glance.
3. What Cultivation Should a Mahāyāna Practitioner Possess?
Nowadays many people claim to be engaged in genuine practice, but what exactly counts as genuine practice? Some say that cultivating precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom belongs to Hīnayāna practice, and that Mahāyāna practice need not be bound by precepts and concentration — so long as one has right knowledge and right view, one can attain the vision of the Path, the so-called 只重子眼正不重汝行履。This touches on the question of Mahāyāna genuine practice, which is in fact the question of genuine practice of the Buddha-dharma, because in practicing the Buddha-dharma there is no division between Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna: wherever there is ignorance, it must be ended. With even one ignorance remaining, one cannot become a Buddha. If the initial ignorance is not severed, how can subsequent ignorance be severed? When the prior ignorance is severed, the obstructions and coverings are severed, and only then can the later ignorance be ended. If the coarse and shallow ignorance is not severed, how can the deep and subtle ignorance be severed?
How should Mahāyāna be genuinely practiced? What is "genuine"? What is "practice"? Is Mahāyāna a Mahāyāna that exists apart from the Hīnayāna, a Mahāyāna that turns its back on the Hīnayāna? Or does Mahāyāna exist only by including the Hīnayāna, and only by transcending the Hīnayāna? Are all the forms of cultivation that the Hīnayāna possesses unnecessary for Mahāyāna bodhisattvas? Can one be a Mahāyāna bodhisattva without cultivating the Hīnayāna's precepts, concentration, and wisdom? Hīnayāna practitioners must sever afflictions — do Mahāyāna bodhisattvas not need to sever afflictions? Can one carrying afflictions cultivate deeply and become a Buddha? Hīnayāna has concentration — do Mahāyāna bodhisattvas not need concentration? Hīnayāna practitioners must cease evil and cultivate good — do Mahāyāna bodhisattvas not need to? Are the personal character and cultivation of Hīnayāna practitioners unnecessary for Mahāyāna bodhisattvas? Should a Mahāyāna bodhisattva's character and cultivation actually be worse than a Hīnayāna practitioner's?
The qualities possessed by Hīnayāna practitioners should all be possessed by Mahāyāna bodhisattvas; all Mahāyāna bodhisattvas have walked step by step through Hīnayāna study and practice. Because true Mahāyāna bodhisattvas have realized the tathāgatagarbha and directly observed its nature and functioning, their mental conduct is even purer and more effortless — something those in the Hīnayāna who have not realized enlightenment cannot imagine or comprehend. If learners claim to be Mahāyāna bodhisattvas, then they ought to possess Hīnayāna cultivation, be complete in precepts, concentration, and wisdom, have subdued and severed coarse and heavy afflictions, be certainly endowed with concentration and wisdom, and have a good mind; their character and cultivation must be absolutely superior to ordinary people and Hīnayāna practitioners. Otherwise they cannot justify calling themselves Mahāyāna practitioners, and are instead arrogant fools who look down on the small yet cannot grasp the great.
4. What Is the Purpose of Studying Buddhist Dharma Theory?
The purpose of studying the dharma should be to attain liberation from the bondage of the five aggregates and liberation from the bondage of the various dharmas. Who is liberated? It is the sixth and seventh consciousnesses that are liberated — the first seven consciousnesses are liberated. Because the first seven consciousnesses are bound by the self of the five aggregates, with grasping at self, and are bound by dharmas, with grasping at dharmas, studying the dharma and its theories is precisely to enable the seventh consciousness to fully and completely recognize the illusory unreality of the five aggregates and the fault of birth-and-death one clings to, and to fully and completely recognize the illusory unreality of dharmas and their bondage, thereby breaking free of the bonds and attaining liberation. If one studies the dharma merely to acquire theoretical knowledge, so that the mind consciousness can hang it on its lips and parade and show it off everywhere to display erudition, then one has misapplied one's mind — this is another kind of attachment, still ignorance and bondage.
Many people who study the tathāgatagarbha dharma force everything they discuss onto the tathāgatagarbha, never touching on the study and transformation of the seven consciousnesses and five aggregates, on eliminating ignorance and severing afflictions. They never know to compare against the tathāgatagarbha's pure mental conduct and then repent of and eliminate the defiled mental conduct of the seven consciousnesses and five aggregates; they split the principle of the tathāgatagarbha's purity and the five aggregates and seven consciousnesses into two separate things. The principle of the tathāgatagarbha hangs merely on their lips, while the mental conduct of the seven consciousnesses remains exactly as before. They are keen on pursuing theory, do not earnestly introspect on their own ignorance and afflictions, and still less ponder how to govern the defilements of their own mind. Such a way of studying the dharma has nothing to do with practice; it will even increase arrogance — pride arising from how much one knows, looking down on others — with the result that ignorance and afflictions increase yet again. What is the point of doing this?
We should all clearly understand: no matter what the tathāgatagarbha is like, it does not represent the mental conduct of the seven consciousnesses. The tathāgatagarbha is the emperor, while you, the seven consciousnesses and five aggregates, are still lowly people, commoners in plain clothes, the poor and destitute — none can substitute for the other. Only by studying the purity and selflessness of the tathāgatagarbha, removing defilement, and gaining merit and wisdom can you rise step by step. Only when your merit, wisdom, and character become the equal of the tathāgatagarbha can you, like the tathāgatagarbha, become an emperor, supremely noble. Whoever does not observe their own mind, does not repent of their mind's afflictions, has no wish to change themselves, undergoes no change in body and mind, and does not actually set hands to cultivating precepts, concentration, and wisdom — none of that can be called practice; it has nothing to do with cultivating the Way, and it would already be quite good if the theories they studied did not become their own burden. So please do not, on the one hand, say "tathāgatagarbha" with every breath while, on the other, being laden with greed, hatred, and delusion without knowing it.
5. Only by Conquering Oneself Can One Conquer Everything
Anyone who has achieved something is a person of extremely strict self-discipline. Whether in worldly life or in the Buddha-dharma, only self-discipline brings achievement, enables one to transcend oneself. The achievement of selflessness surpasses everything and can accomplish all endeavors. Conversely, a person with a self is calculating about everything, small-minded, tolerating themselves but not others, and can hardly accomplish anything. So long as each person works selflessly and wholeheartedly for Buddhism, the merit gained is considerable, and through this merit one will gain great wisdom and liberation.
For each person, struggling against their own selfishness is entirely proper; struggling against their own greed is no problem at all; struggling against their own hatred is entirely proper; struggling against their own jealousy is no problem at all; struggling against their own mind of interpersonal disputes and gossip is entirely proper; struggling against their own mind of scrambling for power and profit is no problem at all. In short, struggling with yourself, fighting yourself, is completely fine. Just do not fight others, do not contend with others. When matters of fame and profit arise, you can steer clear of them — do not stick your head out, do not scramble, seize, rob, or steal, and do not harm others' interests. Take on responsibility only; do not contend for rights and benefits.
6. The Changes After Enlightenment
The Chan masters said: 悟后犹是旧时人，只是不是旧时行履处。This means that after enlightenment, to others a person still looks like the same person from before, yet his mental conduct, virtue, and other aspects are no longer what they were — there has been a change, a transformation; of course he has become purer, has become better, his virtue and cultivation have both improved, his character has become more kindly and more pure and innocent. Why? Because he has realized the selflessness of the five aggregates, and his mind has penetrated through. Since there is no self, a portion of selfish thoughts and distracting ideas has been removed, so his morality is naturally much nobler and his sentiments and cultivation naturally much elevated; his starting points, focus, and breadth of perspective in doing things all change, and the whole person's mental conduct becomes different — even though the person still has the same appearance as before.
7. Birth-and-Death Saṃsāra Is the Greatest Loss
If one studies Buddhism to the point of being simple-minded, caring nothing for one's own personal interests like a fool, then one is without self and has achieved realization. Not knowing there is an "I," not knowing that people deceive me, scold me, humiliate me, or belittle me, being unmoved by others' words and making no calculations about them, as if it had nothing to do with oneself — then one will gain the great fruit of selflessness. What people fear is being too clever, not foolish at all — scheming in every way, pursuing advantage and avoiding harm, selfish and self-interested. People with a self are none of them foolish; they all scheme and are all unwilling to suffer losses, yet in the end they are outwitted by cause and effect and suffer the loss of birth-and-death saṃsāra. Trapped in the six realms, they lose heavily, gaining no sublime fruit whatsoever — how could they not suffer loss?
8. What Is the Magnetic Field Effect?
A magnetic field: "magnetic" is a kind of strong force, the force that draws the multitude together. "Field" is a place — a place of practice, a location, a place of reliance. Magnetic fields include material magnetic fields and non-material magnetic fields. A material magnetic field is the gravitational, centripetal force formed by the seeds of the four great elements; a non-material magnetic field is the gravitational force, centripetal force, and power of perfuming influence formed by the mind-consciousness and mental factors.
Of course, magnetic fields also have repulsive force, negative energy. Negative energy is noxious qi; when the magnetic field effect is negative, it will draw away your positive energy and make you lose some of your upright qi. Keep away from groups with negative energy and keep yourself optimistic and upward-looking every day. There are very many people with negative energy and weak magnetic fields, and dealing with all of them would be difficult. But whether a person is negative energy or a weak magnetic field is relative: to some people they are negative energy, while to certain others they are positive energy; to some they are a weak magnetic field, while to certain others a strong one. This too is a phenomenon of difference arising from different conditions and different dispositions. If it is a wholesome condition, the magnetic field has attraction; if it is an unwholesome condition, the magnetic field has repulsion. Material magnetic fields have gravitational waves — by what do non-material magnetic fields attract and repel?
If a non-Buddhist sits across from you listening to you teach the dharma, you can immediately feel a strong pressure. When the Ways differ, the magnetic fields differ; his magnetic field interference is very great — the greater the wrong view (mithyā-dṛṣṭi), the greater the obstructing force. The sublime Buddha-dharma you had prepared to teach becomes awkward and halting when spoken before a non-Buddhist. When the differences between people are too great, they cannot be together; otherwise there will be unpleasantness, both will feel pressure, and in serious cases disputes and conflicts will arise, and neither will have an easy time. Marriage and family are the same: only those well-matched in background live together pleasantly and harmoniously. A group likewise should be a gathering of like kinds, with shared aspirations and the Way, with roughly the same level — only then will the group be harmonious; otherwise there will be disputes and conflicts, and each will suffer psychological pressure. People of lower level will disturb the magnetic field of those of higher level, dragging down the higher person's level, while those of lower level, unable to attach themselves to those of higher level, harbor resentment in their hearts. It is hard for them to settle their relations with one another and reach magnetic balance.
The Buddha too once withdrew from all his disciples and sat in meditation alone in a forest, not letting disciples come to his side — even his attendant Ānanda could not stay by him. Long subjected to the impact of the magnetic fields of beings weaker than himself, the Buddha's mental power and physical energy would be affected. The Buddha is forever being needed and sought by sentient beings, always giving, only out and never in — how powerful his mental energy must be. Why are the Buddhas solitary? Because there is no one whose magnetic field corresponds to theirs. The Buddha always gives and bestows, while others are all recipients; there is difference and inequality, hence solitude. Bodhisattvas in this world are also solitary, with no equals, no peers, no fellow travelers; they only give outwardly, saving and delivering, their magnetic field radiating outward without intake. Over time, the energy of their own magnetic field is consumed; when energy is insufficient, their physical vitality and mental power weaken. This is also the principle behind bearing the karma of sentient beings on their behalf.
The Buddhas have already perfected all dharmas, great in heroism and great in power — why are they still affected by sentient beings? Because having a physical body consumes energy, replenishment is needed. The Buddha leaving the crowd to sit in meditation is replenishing energy; without a physical body one would not be affected. Throughout the history of Buddhism, all practitioners of the Way have cultivated alone in solitude; with companions, they cannot cultivate successfully. Because they cannot find others of the same practice of the Way to accompany them, they weaken each other's magnetic fields, and realization does not come easily.
9. The Principle of Magnetic Fields and Blessing Power
Question: If a person is especially tranquil and peaceful, the people around them will also quickly become quiet in their presence and feel very comfortable. This person seems to have nothing particularly special, yet has a kind of infectious influence. Why is this?
Answer: A person whose consciousness is tranquil and whose virtue is good has the power to gather and guide and the power of blessing (adhiṣṭhāna); their magnetic field is good, and their influence is good. From their body emanates a relatively bright yet gentle light which, though unseen by those nearby, can be absorbed by them; their state of mind then becomes pleasant, comfortable, and peaceful, and their body also becomes purified and healthy. Ghosts and spirits with the divine eye can tell from the light emitted by a person's physical body whether that person has cultivation and attainment, and whether their virtue is good or bad. Ghosts and spirits naturally respect and revere those of good virtue, while looking down on those of poor virtue and cultivation, and may even bully them. Devas and the great bodhisattvas with supernatural powers can discern even more clearly from the light of a person's outward appearance what that person's practice and attainment are like.
Objects used by a person of cultivation carry a certain power of blessing and can also bring auspiciousness and peace of mind to others. Because the objects he touches and use are imbued with the action of his own mental power — and his mind is auspicious and at peace — the objects come to possess an auspicious, peaceful magnetic field. The higher the attainment, the greater and better the magnetic force, and the more serenity and joy it inspires in others. When others come into contact with such an object, they are influenced by its auspicious, peaceful magnetic field. Everything a person uses carries their own signal, their own information, as if the objects had memory. Some things take on the qualities of whoever uses them; even their physical properties differ.
10. Magnetic Field Effect
He who stays near vermilion gets stained red; he who stays near ink gets stained black. Perfuming happens imperceptibly: first one is dyed in the hair, then in the skin, then in the flesh, then in the sinews, then in the bones, and finally in the marrow. Once dyed to the marrow, it is deep-rooted and hard to remove — and so it is whether the dye is red or black. Therefore the surrounding magnetic field is extremely important, and the people one associates with are most important of all. Do not say that your resistance is strong and so you need not choose good friends carefully. Being free from perfuming comes only at the eighth bhūmi and above; being absolutely beyond perfuming comes only at the buddha-bhūmi. Even returning ones veiled by the mystery of the intervening birth will, during the stage of obscurity, still be subject to slight defilement; though the defilement of the mind consciousness is easily removed, it still has an influence.
Why does a group have a certain ethos, a family a certain set of habits? It comes from contagion — imperceptibly, habits form; then, again imperceptibly, the habits enter the marrow and will manifest life after life; wholesome and unwholesome alike are so. May we all be perfumed in good groups, growing near the vermilion, and not be perfumed in groups with strong afflictive habits, living away from the ink. In this way merit will accumulate quickly, and one's own magnetic field will also change quickly.
11. Why Does One Constantly Smell Fragrance?
Some people who practice Buddhism diligently will from time to time smell a special fragrance. One kind is bodily fragrance: because the mind has become pure and the energy channels are unobstructed, fragrance emerges from within the body. Another kind is fragrance from outside: there are devas or dharma protector deities following at one's side, and it is the heavenly fragrance they bring. If you can teach some rudimentary dharma to those around you, devas may come to listen, and the surroundings will become very, very fragrant — this is the fragrance of devas. If one recites mantras frequently, dharma protector deities will follow and protect the dharma, and the fragrance they bring is also heavenly fragrance.
The fragrance of the heavenly realms does not exist in our human world and cannot be found here. That fragrance is very special: it makes the mind open, clear, and joyful, pure, quiet, and bright, and can eliminate afflictions. Those with good roots will have dharma protector deities following and protecting them at all times, and their progress will be very rapid. If one keeps the precepts strictly, the dharma protector deities will also be responsible toward you, guarding and looking after you at all times, easing your afflictions, changing your habits, leading you to create much wholesome karma and no unwholesome karma.
Therefore, so long as you do all you can to perform many meritorious formations (puṇyābhisaṃskāra) and wholesome deeds, the one who benefits most is still yourself. On the surface it appears to be done for others, that others receive the benefit, but in fact the benefit you yourself gain is the greatest and most abundant. Many people, when given the opportunity to cultivate merit, refuse it outright, as if they would be losing out; in fact, by being unwilling to cultivate merit and work for others and for Buddhism, they forfeit many benefits ready at hand — are they not the ones losing out?
If a person's selfish mentality does not change and they think only of their own interests, they will gain no benefit however great; concerned only with not suffering loss, they actually fail to gain great benefit — this is itself a loss — and in the end even the small benefit they currently have cannot be maintained or held onto. With too narrow a mind, the Path cannot advance. Practice is the emptiness of mind and selflessness; yet all day long one guards a selfish self and still wants to cultivate selflessness — how contradictory is that? Embracing a self while cultivating selflessness, when could one ever cultivate selflessness? One should learn to gradually let go of the self; only then can there be selflessness.
12. Can Buddhists Trade Stocks?
Among the eightfold noble path there are right livelihood (samyag-ājīva) and right action. Right livelihood means supporting oneself and one's family in a reasonable way that neither deceives nor harms others' interests; otherwise the path one practices is not right but wrong. Right action is the same: all occupations one engages in must be right; one must not engage in wrong occupations that deceive and harm people's interests. Using wrong methods to harm people's interests is not bodhisattva conduct, nor is it what any practitioner of the Way should do — there is cause and effect there, and in the future the karmic debt must be repaid. Bodhisattvas should understand cause and effect well and abide by the laws of cause and effect; then there is no fault or peril. A bodhisattva's mental conduct should be to sacrifice self for others; in engaging in worldly occupations, the most basic conduct should be not harming the interests of sentient beings — at the very least achieving a win-win, not winning while others lose. If a win-win cannot be achieved, one would rather lose oneself than make others lose. Could the mentality of stock trading possibly be one of preferring to lose oneself so that others win? Can it achieve a win-win?
13. Sentient Beings Are Only False Buddhas
A good teacher asked his foolish disciple: "Are you a Buddha or not?" The disciple hesitated. The good teacher said: "Why can you not yet take this on? Are you not a Buddha?" The disciple then suddenly saw the truth: "I am a Buddha! How could I not be? Good teacher, you too are a Buddha, and I am a Buddha — we are each of us Buddhas." Everyone together praised one another: "You are a Buddha, I am a Buddha, you are a god, I am a god, you deliver sentient beings, I deliver sentient beings." After mutually confirming one another as Buddhas, the good teacher instructed: "Buddhas have nothing to cultivate, nothing to realize, nothing to attain; henceforth we need not cultivate either — we need only preserve and maintain it." And so the foolish Buddhas stood loftily atop the clouds each day, happily playing at being false Buddhas, learning nothing and cultivating nothing, calling it "preserving and maintaining."
How many people, with vanity blazing, love to be deceived and love empty fame; so long as they feel themselves different from the crowd, anything goes — being deceived is worth it, for what they live for is that feeling. Little by little, demons and monsters of every kind come out to act as good teachers delivering sentient beings, delivering them all into the ranks of demons and monsters — and these people positively delight in such demons and monsters; who can do anything about it? 三千大千世界如一器中，储百蚊蚋，啾啾乱鸣，鼓发狂闹。
14. Manifestations of Sentient Beings' Disease of Ignorance
The ignorance of sentient beings is the most fundamental mental illness — the inverted views and deranged thinking of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. We will not speak of the mental illnesses of society at large, but only of the mental illnesses of Buddhists. What are the manifestations of Buddhists' mental illness, and from what does it fundamentally arise? Mental illness divides into collective mental illness and individual mental illness. Individual mental illness is already hard enough to deal with, but when collective mental illness flares up, even the Buddha cannot remedy it for a while. Sentient beings revel in the great vat of defilement, being perfumed without knowing it, as if they had drunk several jars of old wine — impossible to wake up.
The mental illness of Buddhists manifests in the aggrandizement of self, fundamentally rooted in the deep-seated self, that intense ego. How severe is the self of sentient beings? To give an example: when going into business and entrepreneurship first became fashionable, society suddenly produced countless general managers and chairmen of the board, beyond counting, to the point that the staff at the Administration for Industry and Commerce handling business licenses said: "Your company has only two or three people — writing 'manager' as the title is enough; it doesn't qualify as general manager or chairman." Yet the streets were still full of general managers — if a stone had fallen from the sky, it could have killed twenty or thirty general managers and several chairmen at once.
Now in the ranks of Buddhists, the manifestation of beings' self is just the same: they do whatever aggrandizes them as different from the rest. There are countless good teachers, enlightened bodhisattvas, returning bodhisattvas, and bodhisattvas of the stages of equality and wondrous enlightenment, a whole pile of guiding masters — the world is full of great sages. If a large stone fell from the sky, it would kill at a stroke some twenty enlightened bodhisattvas, about ten good teachers, about five bodhisattvas of equality and wondrous enlightenment, and three or more guiding masters. Killing them all would be just as well — the Sāhā world has long been overcrowded with sages; let these sages hurry off to other buddha-lands to deliver sentient beings. The Sāhā world has no need of so many of them; gathered together they only fight, and if they will not leave, they should be forced out.
If one is fortunate enough to encounter a good teacher of the mental-illness variety, one can be guided to enlightenment in just a few days, a month at most. And after being enlightened for a mere three to five days, or a few months, they will set about organizing groups to teach the dharma and deliver sentient beings. Sages breed so fast that the Sāhā world will soon have no sentient beings left to deliver — Śākyamuni Buddha could perfectly well take a rest and spare himself the worry. Then let these great sages spread out to other worlds to help the other Buddhas deliver sentient beings, so that the Buddhas of the ten directions can all take a rest and spare themselves the worry too.
Henceforth, whenever you meet some good teacher, some bodhisattva of equality and wondrous enlightenment, some returning one, some arhat, some guiding master or the like, urge them to disperse as much as possible, to go to places without good teachers and without sages to deliver sentient beings, and not all crowd into the tiny Sāhā world making a raucous nuisance of themselves. The Sāhā world is already nearly all sages, with few sentient beings left to deliver — do not waste the talents and virtues of sages. Henceforth, when someone tells you they have attained enlightenment and realized the fruit, tell them this is no longer anything remarkable — everywhere there are people realizing the fruit and becoming enlightened; what is there to marvel at or boast about? Everywhere there are good teachers teaching the dharma and delivering beings, which is likewise nothing strange or worth boasting about.
Yet there is one strange thing that is hard to figure out: as the Sāhā world produces more and more sages, why do natural disasters and human calamities also increase accordingly? Could it be that these sages are the ones bringing the natural disasters and human calamities? Why do sages breed so fast, breeding like cockroaches? Because sentient beings are simply too ignorant and too stupid — excessively ignorant, excessively stupid, excessively self-centered, seeking far too much. They will not study the sutras, will not take the guiding beacon offered them, and would rather be blind cats. With five pieces of black cloth over their eyes, they bump into someone, take them for a good teacher, and are led away; whatever is said, they accept it, as if in deep hypnosis, unable to use their own brains — whatever they are indoctrinated with is what they believe, accepted wholesale.
These so-called good teachers are more formidable than the Buddha himself, bringing sentient beings completely under their sway, so enlightenment comes extremely quickly, far surpassing the Buddha's level of guidance. If the Buddha came to this world, he could not bring more than a few people to enlightenment, whereas these good teachers can turn the difficult into the easy — strange, is it not? Why do those mentally ill beings, after "enlightenment," never suspect in the least that they have been deceived? Ignorance is one aspect, but the greatest aspect is that their nature of self is too strong: the moment they have the empty title of "enlightened," they immediately feel themselves grown tall and mighty, superior to everyone, their sense of satisfaction overflowing. And all these feelings are an extremely severe flood of self-nature, of which they are entirely unaware.
15. Can a Person Who Has Not Attained the Srotāpanna Fruit Introduce and Explain the Buddhist Dharma to Others?
So long as one understands some Buddhist dharma, one may introduce and explain it to others truthfully, but one should teach only as much as one knows, not overstep the mark; what one is not sure of, one should not say, adhering to the principle of 知之为知之，不知为不知。At the same time, one must not intentionally or unintentionally let others mistake one for having real realization. Without having attained the fruit, do not teach others how to attain the fruit or how to see the mind; still less presume to force confirmation of others' realization, leading students astray. Speak according to the level of your own cultivation — do not overstep or exceed your bounds; honestly tell others your actual level of practice. What lies beyond it may serve only as reference, not as guidance. In this way there is no fault.
There are not a few who presume beyond their cultivation. Such people love to show off and flaunt themselves, and so they often say things beyond their measure — all because of severe grasping at self; the self in their mind could practically burst them at the seams. The mark of self and the mark of sentient beings are both firmly entrenched and hard to break, and as a result they create evil karma such as false speech. In fact they gain no benefit from it either; even if they do, it is hardly others' admiration and respect — it is merely feeling good about themselves. Thus do the afflictive knots of sentient beings bind their own minds fast, never knowing the taste of liberation — pitiable and sad.
16. A Buddhist Sage Must Necessarily Be a Confucian Gentleman
Confucian culture is the foundation of Buddhist studies: it teaches the way of being a person, the conduct of the gentleman, restraining body and mind, purifying body, speech, and mind, and subduing greed, hatred, and delusion. It is precisely because of this Confucian cultural foundation that the Buddha-dharma spread from western India to China (Cīnasthāna), took root there, and brought blessings to the Chinese nation. Buddhist practice takes Confucianism as its foundation, and in thought, character, and moral cultivation it should stand even higher than Confucianism — purer and more exalted than Confucianism, emerging from the mud yet unstained.
Confucianism advocates the way of the gentleman: words once spoken are acted upon, speech and action agree, outer and inner are one, upright and aboveboard, with the bearing of a great man. The gentleman is the standard Confucianism sets up; the standard of Buddhism should be the sage, transcending the gentleman. Therefore, one who is a gentleman is not necessarily a Buddhist sage, but a Buddhist sage must necessarily be a Confucian gentleman. One who is not a gentleman is neither a sage nor a good teacher. If someone claims to be a sage, a good teacher, then compare his bodily, verbal, and mental actions against the virtue of a gentleman; if his conduct is not even the equal of a gentleman, or falls short of one, then be on guard — do not be deceived, and prevent being defiled and assimilated, which would cover your mind with dust.
Every Buddhist practitioner should also learn much from the conduct of the gentleman, and study much of the traditional learning of Confucianism and Daoism, gradually perfecting their character and integrity. Once one possesses the moral cultivation of being a person, and one's character has matured and been perfected, then in the study of the Buddha-dharma, effort will bear fruit as soon as it is applied. Only when theoretical skill (technique) and character advance in step, perfectly combined, is it possible to be reborn anew — like a carp leaping over the dragon gate — to become a true sage, a model for sentient beings, and to be qualified to lead sentient beings onto the path of liberation.
Many people study Buddhism for years yet cannot make their practice advance. Why? Because practice is not merely a matter of technical exertion in cultivating the Way; more important is the tempering and refinement of character, the perfecting of one's personality. If one does not even qualify as a decent human being, then no matter how hard one strives, one cannot break through the prison of one's own mind and become a sage. The virtue of many Buddhists is inferior even to that of ordinary worldly people; the more they study, the heavier their afflictions grow, lacking not a bit of greed, hatred, or delusion, craving much in worldly dharmas, painstakingly scheming for fame and offerings — and it is precisely such people who proclaim at every turn that they have become enlightened and attained sagehood, whereas those of better virtue are cautious and careful, meticulously examining themselves, not daring lightly to pin such a great label on themselves.
17. Why Does the Phenomenon of "A Sheng of Rice Breeds Gratitude, a Dou of Rice Breeds Resentment" Occur?
When a person is first shown a small kindness, in conscience they know gratitude; but when kindness is showered on them continuously, a habit of being given alms forms, they enter a comfort zone, it becomes a matter of course, and dependency arises. When this matter-of-course is broken — when others stop giving, the comfort zone is gone, and there is nothing left to depend on — they feel uncomfortable, cannot accept it psychologically, and so resentment arises. It is very hard to break a person's habits; not letting people depend on you will breed resentment. No one is willing to break their habits, especially habits of comfort and enjoyment. No one is willing to accept teaching that differs greatly from their own dispositions and views. To change a person, one must proceed slowly and must not rush.
Since habits have such adhesive power, one should strive to form good habits to drive out bad ones. For example, once contemplating the breath becomes a habit, it will drive out distracting thoughts: in the midst of scattered thinking, one contemplates the breath, and the manas directs all its energy onto the breath; meditative concentration appears, and the scattered thoughts vanish. It is the manas that gradually becomes accustomed to receiving kindness, forms the habit, and develops dependency. The manas has strong greed and inertia: forming bad habits is easy, changing them is very hard; receiving favors is easy, but losing benefits is hard to bear.
Which mind feels gratitude? Which mind turns to resentment? Love, hate, affection, and enmity all depend on which level and degree they fall to, whether they are real or feigned, how real, how feigned. Emotions that are relatively deep belong to the manas; those relatively shallow, not yet formed into habits, belong to the mind consciousness. At the stage of the mind consciousness, emotions are all easy to regulate; once they fall to the manas and become habit, emotions are no longer easy to control.
When one receives kindness, anyone with a bit of conscience will feel grateful, keeping it in mind thought after thought, thinking of repaying it when they have money — both the mind consciousness and the manas are like this. If the mind consciousness must constantly remind the manas to be grateful, it shows the manas has no conscience; a person with conscience needs no reminding from the mind consciousness. It is like a person whose mind consciousness has realized the fruit: they must remind the manas at every moment — no afflictions, do not cling to the five aggregates, the five aggregates are false. But when the manas itself realizes the fruit, there is no need at all for the mind consciousness to keep reminding it; the mind consciousness need not speak, need not keep reciting that the five aggregates are illusory — it is enough that the manas knows.
18. What Kind of People Teach the Dharma Without Touching on the Essentials?
After the contemplation that all is like a dream is accomplished, one directly attains the bodhisattva fruit of the tenth dedication stage, on the verge of entering the bhūmis — the Sāhā world has hardly anyone like this, including in ancient times. When the contemplation of illusoriness is accomplished, one is directly a bodhisattva of the tenth abode stage — without seeing the mind, can one become such a bodhisattva? As for the dharma gate of perfect penetration through the ear faculty: when it is accomplished, one directly attains the stage of equality-enlightenment bodhisattva — I could not cultivate it in this lifetime. For many years people have asked me to teach on it; I gave it some thought, and after covering less than half, I simply could not go on — I could hardly fabricate things, could I? As for anyone else wanting to cultivate this, let them talk about it after passing an innumerable kalpa. Then take the practice methods of the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment: without the realization level of a first-bhūmi bodhisattva, one should not even think about it — I am not sure I could manage it myself.
People without real realization teach the dharma in a jumpy, leapfrog fashion, and their practice too never touches the essentials. Why? They have no experience; they rely on their own imagination and guesswork, on feelings. Cultivate a whole lifetime and still never find the gate. Only one who has walked the road knows the specific route and has the proper sequence.
