The State After Enlightenment

Question: "Is one able, at all times and in all places, to have wisdom illuminating without obstruction, perfectly penetrating in every thought, seeing no dharma whatsoever that could serve as an obstacle, and never allowing even a single instant of interruption?" This is one of the ten criteria for testing enlightenment in the Zongjing Lu (Records of the Mirror of the Source). How should this statement be understood?

Answer: This passage should be understood as follows: after enlightenment, a bodhisattva, in all activities within the world of the five aggregates, at all times, in all places, and with respect to all dharmas, should be able to observe that these are the functions and operations of the tathāgatagarbha, with no independent functioning of the five aggregates themselves—all is the functioning of the self-nature of true suchness (tathatā), and the mind does not fall into the false appearances of the world of the five aggregates. This level of wisdom is quite profound, reaching the degree of the patience with the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti), partially realizing the one true dharmadhātu, and realizing that all dharmas, mundane and supramundane, are entirely the functions and operations of the tathāgatagarbha.

Such contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) wisdom is absolutely unattainable for pre-bhūmi bodhisattvas (pūrvabhūmika bodhisattva). It requires possessing meditative concentration (dhyāna) of the first dhyāna and above, with that concentration not regressing and being able to continue unbroken, along with the complete seed-wisdom (bīja-jñāna) of Yogācāra; otherwise it would be impossible to observe with such subtlety, comprehensiveness, and depth. This is the true samādhi of true suchness (tathatā-samādhi). All Buddhas have completely realized the samādhi of true suchness, while bodhisattvas on the bhūmis only partially realize it, not yet being able to realize it completely, because there are still many dharmas they have not realized, and some dharmas still fall within worldly appearances.

If this is meant to test the enlightenment state of a pre-bhūmi bodhisattva who lacks the Yogācāra seed-wisdom, then their daily contemplative observation should fall within the scope of the selflessness of persons (pudgala-nairātmya), and they should at all times and in all places contemplate the selflessness of the five aggregates—that all dharmas within the five aggregates and eighteen realms (dhātus) are the meritorious functions of the tathāgatagarbha, and that there is no real five aggregates. To possess such contemplative wisdom, first, one must ensure the enlightenment is genuine; second, one must maintain preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) or the concentration of the first dhyāna, complete and non-regressing. Once the meditative concentration regresses, and with external disturbances, the power of contemplation will be lost, and seeing dharmas will fall into worldly appearances. Living in the Sahā world, where the environment conditions and disturbs one intensely, maintaining such contemplative attainment is extremely difficult. Generally speaking, the practice is intermittent and hard to sustain continuously, because meditative concentration easily regresses and is not easy to maintain, and without meditative concentration there is no corresponding contemplation.