The Buddha's Power of Attraction Is Analogous to Hypnosis

The story of Yongshi realizing the birthless nature after committing grave offenses recounts how the Bodhisattva Yongshi, after leaving home and receiving full ordination, violated two major precepts—killing and sexual misconduct. As a result, he was destined to fall into hell and suffer upon death. Fearing his karmic retribution, he sought deliverance from Manjushri Bodhisattva, who then led him to meet the Buddha. The Buddha analyzed for Yongshi whether there truly existed a monk named Yongshi, whether there truly existed the person killed by Yongshi, and whether the act of killing had truly occurred. Upon contemplating this, Yongshi instantly awakened to the enlightened mind and became a true bodhisattva, transcending mere attainment of the first fruit of sainthood by severing the view of self. Meeting the Buddha was immensely fortunate for Yongshi; not only did he avoid falling into hell, but he also attained enlightenment as a bodhisattva, thereby escaping all karmic retribution in the three evil paths.

When the World-Honored One expounded the principle of birthlessness to Yongshi, he employed the method of “hypnosis.” At that time, Yongshi was overwhelmed by extreme panic, fear, and shame, his mind in utter turmoil. Yet the Buddha stabilized his emotions, guiding him to contemplate the absence of a permanent self and to reflect on the agent behind actions. Ultimately, Yongshi’s mental faculty confirmed the principle of non-self, realizing the agent of actions—thereby both severing the view of self and awakening to the enlightened mind. To encounter the Buddha personally applying this “hypnosis” requires immeasurable roots of goodness and merit. We should all cultivate abundant merit so that in the future, when we meet the Buddha and receive this “hypnosis,” we may become bodhisattvas on the stages of realization and attain sainthood.

Additionally, in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the section where the World-Honored One unravels King Ajatashatru’s mental knots while explaining the severance of the view of self is exceptionally profound. After King Ajatashatru killed his father, he suffered retribution and was plagued by intense inner turmoil. Upon meeting the Buddha, who dispelled his karmic obstacles, the Buddha asked him: “Did your father truly exist? Do you truly exist? Did the act of killing your father truly occur?” After contemplating this, King Ajatashatru replied that none of these existed, and subsequently attained “no-root faith.” However, he did not reach the first fruit of sainthood or its preliminary stage due to the obscuration caused by his karmic offense of patricide.

This too exemplifies the Buddha’s use of “hypnosis” for sentient beings—a method only those with sufficient merit can encounter. Thus, merit is of paramount importance. Some people act solely for themselves, unwilling to cultivate merit. In one word: foolish!