The Realm After Enlightenment

Answer: This passage should be understood as follows: a bodhisattva who has attained enlightenment, in all the 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; there is 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 dharma realm, and realizing that all dharmas, worldly and transcendent, are entirely the functions and operations of the tathāgatagarbha.

Such contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) wisdom is something pre-bhūmi bodhisattvas (pūrvabhūmika bodhisattva) can in no way accomplish. It requires the full possession of dhyāna at the level of the first dhyāna or above, with that meditative concentration not regressing and being able to continue unbroken, as well as the full possession of profound seed-wisdom of the consciousness-only teachings (唯识种智); otherwise it is impossible to observe with such subtlety, comprehensiveness, and depth. This is the true samādhi of true suchness (真如三昧). The Buddhas have completely realized the samādhi of true suchness; the bhūmi bodhisattvas only partially realize the samādhi of true suchness and cannot yet 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 does not possess the seed-wisdom of the consciousness-only teachings, then their daily contemplative observation should fall within the scope of the non-self of persons (pudgala-nairātmya): they should at all times and in all places contemplate that the five aggregates are without self, that all dharmas within the five aggregates and the 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/threshold concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) or the concentration of the first dhyāna, fully possessed and without regression. Once the meditative concentration regresses, and with external disturbances, the power of contemplation will be lost, and the seeing of dharmas will fall into worldly appearances. Living in the Sahā world, where the environment conditions and disturbs one intensely, maintaining such contemplative skill 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 contemplative observation.