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Wrote these two articles in Chinese (Chinese original at the bottom) back when I was 20 years old, now translated to English with the help of ChatGPT.
**June 29, 2010:**
On February 9, 2010, I had a realization in my practice. I realized what self-nature, original face, and true self are. At that time, I was meditating with a question in my mind: What was my original face before I was born? I wanted to find the answer, but I knew it couldn't be understood through thoughts or reasoning. Suddenly, all thoughts disappeared, self-nature revealed itself, and I understood clearly. All doubts vanished as well. Since receiving the Dharma transmission, I had small insights over the years, but this time, there were no doubts at all.
Because this is a truth beyond words and language, what can be expressed is limited (like drinking water, only you know if it's hot or cold). Most of my interactions with friends are in English, but today, I will try to express my realization in my simple and limited Chinese. What exactly is the "self-nature" I mentioned? What is the "original face before I was born"?
If you let go of all thoughts and delusions of self, even completely let go of body and mind, at this moment, do you completely disappear and cease to exist? Does your body become a corpse? No. At this moment, there is nothingness, and what remains is the undying self-nature, the original face, which is your very existence. It is formless and shapeless, yet it has always existed without increase or decrease, transcending time and space. Its nature is awareness: it is clear, vivid awareness that can illuminate everything, like a mirror reflecting all things. Everything seen and heard naturally appears because of this awareness. With this Existence Itself and awareness as a foundation, the body has vitality; this is the marvelous function of awareness. As the Treatise on the Bloodstream by Bodhidharma says, "Buddha is a Sanskrit word, in this land it is called awareness. Awareness is the spiritual awareness, responding to situations, raising eyebrows and moving eyes, moving hands and feet, all are the functions of one's mystical awareness."
If the illuminating power of awareness is strong, even the smallest actions, like eating or walking, will feel wonderful, as they are the marvelous functions of awareness. This is something that ordinary people, who constantly think while doing things, cannot understand or experience.
Our hearing nature does not change; all thoughts and feelings arise and fall within awareness, but awareness constantly illuminates and is unaffected. Usually, we consider our body and mind as "me," and when we walk or move, it seems like "I" (body and mind) are moving in the surrounding environment. But if there is awareness while walking or running, you will find that the surrounding environment and scenery move within your true nature, but you (formless and shapeless, encompassing everything like space) are not moving.
If you truly witness the truth of the "original face before I was born," there will be no doubt at all. It will be impossible to deny this truth; you will know that in your life, self-nature/awareness/existence itself is the only undeniable truth. Everything is a manifestation of self-nature. Without self-nature, you couldn't be here reading this article. And this is something you can affirm without thinking. It is not something that can be concluded or understood through thinking. For example, a person may look refined and wear deep glasses, so they seem to be knowledgeable. This is a conclusion reached through thinking, but you cannot be entirely sure it is true. Realizing one's true nature is completely different; it is affirmed without thinking, in a state where the previous thought has passed, the next thought has not arisen, and there are no thoughts at all. You can affirm that this is your true nature without any doubt.
About one or two months later, I had a deeper realization. From this realization, I deeply understood that self-nature is like the vast sky. The vast sky does not belong to me, nor to you, but "I" and "you" and all sentient and insentient beings arise from this universal substratum/vast space. I also understood what is meant by "Heaven and Earth share the same root, all things are of one body." This vast space is filled with awareness, capable of manifesting everything. I also clearly saw through the illusion of "self" and "others." Originally, everything is a phenomenon of the universal substratum. Even walking, coughing, speaking are not done by "me" or "you," but are entirely the natural operations of the universal substratum. The "I" is completely false, and clinging to this "I" and "mine" is the root of all suffering. Practice is like the small air merging into the big air/universe, letting go of the "small self," and everything operates freely in this universal substratum, how liberating.
In fact, it is not that you have to completely stop the mind to practice, because if that were the case, then you wouldn't be able to practice in daily life and work. Our thoughts are like clouds, our self-nature is open and vast like the sky. If you maintain awareness while doing things, thoughts will arise and pass with conditions, but awareness will vividly observe the arising and passing of thoughts like clouds drifting across the sky, but the sky remains calm and peaceful, pure and unstained (originally there is not a single thing, where can dust alight?). The sky does not reject the clouds, and the clouds do not obstruct the sky, everything happens naturally without leaving traces. The most important thing is to maintain awareness and not cling to thoughts. If you cling to the delusions of "self" and "mine," you will not be liberated. Moreover, clinging to distinctions and attachments of consciousness will not lead to liberation either. Awareness is to illuminate everything without distinctions and attachments, so "awareness" and "mind" should be clearly distinguished. For liberation, there must be "awareness." If there are thoughts but also awareness, it is not the ordinary "conscious mind," but the aware mind.
I don't think these realizations are much because anyone who practices seriously for a period of time will have their own realizations, and these realizations do not mean liberation. Practicing from the point of realization is very important; I feel my path of practice has just begun. In fact, ultimately, there is nothing to practice because self-nature is inherently complete, originally so, just needing to "maintain" (maintain awareness). If everything is completely let go, what remains is our originally pure and unstained inherent awareness.
**January 14, 2011:**
Four months after writing the previous article, I had a new realization.
I realized that seeing the phenomena is seeing the nature, without distinguishing between nature and phenomena. I once read in Master's article, "Green bamboo is all Dharma body [Dharmakāya], lush yellow flowers are nothing but prajna," and this time I deeply understood the meaning of this sentence.
From this, I understood that what I realized in February 2010 was only the essence, though I mentioned that everything is the marvelous function of Buddha-nature, there was still a distinction between essence and function. At that stage, my understanding of the aware nature was only "formless and shapeless awareness," so I wanted to always hold onto that emptiness, leaning towards emptiness and creating an attachment to emptiness. I did not yet know that all phenomena are originally equal and are the marvelous function of Buddha-nature. Until mid-October, when I followed the instructions in the Bahiya Sutta for contemplation, I had a new realization.
The sutra records that Bahiya, receiving respect and offerings from people, wondered, "Am I already enlightened?" A deva who had been his fellow practitioner in a previous life knew Bahiya had this doubt and appeared, telling him that he had not only not attained enlightenment but had not even entered the path of enlightenment. Bahiya asked, "Who is enlightened now?" The deva replied, in Savatthi, there is an enlightened sage teaching the path of enlightenment; he is the Buddha. When Bahiya arrived in Savatthi and met the Buddha, the Buddha was on his alms round. Bahiya requested the Buddha to teach him the Dharma, but the Buddha refused, saying it was not the time. Bahiya persistently requested, saying no one knows the dangers in their lives, and eventually, the Buddha agreed to give him instructions. The Buddha told Bahiya, "In the seen, there is only the seen; in the heard, there is only the heard; in the sensed, there is only the sensed; in the thought, there is only the thought. Therefore, Bahiya, you should train yourself thus: In the seen, there will be merely the seen; in the heard, there will be merely the heard; in the sensed, there will be merely the sensed; in the thought, there will be merely the thought. When for you there is only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the thought in reference to the thought, then, Bahiya, there is no you in terms of that. When there is no you in terms of that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor there nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of suffering." Hearing this, Bahiya immediately attained liberation. Unfortunately, Bahiya was gored to death by a cow that very day. The Buddha's disciples asked the Buddha where Bahiya had been reborn, and the Buddha replied, "Bahiya was wise. He practiced according to the Dharma and did not trouble me with questions about the Dharma. Bahiya has attained complete liberation."
When I followed the Buddha's instructions in the Bahiya Sutta to observe everything (I was practicing in movement at the time), I realized that seeing mountains and rivers, there was no separation between the observer and the observed; the distinction between subject and object completely disappeared. The observer is the observed! Awareness is not a "formless and shapeless awareness," awareness is what is seen and heard: in hearing, there is only sound, but no hearer; in seeing, there is only the scene, but no seer; in thinking, there is only the thought, but no thinker. And because there is no subject-object distinction, there is no distance, as there is no standpoint ("I" versus the "external scene") to arise distinctions or measure distances. The universe is self-nature, without a standpoint, there is no limitation of time and space. Seeing mountains and rivers, there is no feeling of "I inside the body looking at the outside scene" - the body is also an illusory sign - body and mind drop away, subject and object both vanish, there is no inner or outer distinction. The mountains and rivers are the Dharma body [Dharmakāya], the entire universe is a vast expanse of great luminosity, without inner or outer, without center or periphery, without a specific place. Seeing the phenomena is seeing the nature - but without a "seer" and "seen." Although body and mind drop away, subject and object both vanish, everyday life and actions continue as usual, but without a "doer" doing it, without an "observer" observing it, yet everything is clear and vivid, everything appears naturally according to conditions. Without straying outwards nor withdrawing from everything seen and heard, everything in this very moment is the marvelous function of Buddha-nature. Thoughts are the same, like waves on the sea, whether more or less, the nature of the waves is still water (water symbolizes the nature and essence of all phenomena as emptiness, awareness). So, practice is not about having or not having thoughts, but whether there is delusion regarding the thoughts. This way of practice does not create a distinction between movement and stillness.
Many people think "no self" is an achievement in practice, such as practicing to the point where there is no attachment to the self, which is indeed important and an achievement in practice. But what the Buddha spoke of in the Bahiya Sutta about "no self" is not an achievement but a "Dharma seal" - inherently, all phenomena are without self, without the duality of subject and object, without the seer/hearer/doer! In hearing, there has always been only sound, without a hearer, without "me," inherently so, there is no need to "eliminate" a "me," as there has never been a "me" to eliminate. This must be realized, it is not an achievement or state attained through practice. If there is no true realization, no matter how one practices, liberation cannot be reached. So, "no self" is not an achievement or state, inherently, the Dharma has no self, it has always been so.
Many people think practice requires eliminating birth and death phenomena/thoughts to reach the undying self-nature, which was also my previous understanding. But now I know that if birth and death phenomena are not distinguished, they are inherently undying, not coming and going, without distinction between movement and stillness. This is no longer the distinction mentioned in the previous article of "birth and death phenomena coming and going in the unmoving self-nature," because this thought, this sound, if not distinguished, at the moment is the true nature, transcending past, present, and future. Although everything is constantly evolving, at the moment of evolution, there is no signs of movement, no signs of coming and going, only the true nature, neither moving nor still. Therefore, the Surangama Sutra says, "Ananda, all illusory sense organs and every illusory form arise and perish exactly where they manifest. These are falsely named and conceived, yet their true nature is the luminous essence of marvelous awakening. So it is with everything, from the five skandhas to the six entrances, from the twelve bases to the eighteen realms. The union of causes and conditions gives rise to their illusory arising; their separation bestows the illusory name of extinction. It is profoundly elusive to discern that the arising and ceasing, the coming and going, are fundamentally the ever-present, wondrous clarity of the Tathagatagarbha. The unmoved, perfect, all-encompassing nature of true suchness — within this constant and true nature, seeking the coming and going, delusion and enlightenment, birth and death, one will never find them." The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana says, "Those who see the Dharma self, due to the dull roots of the two vehicles, the Tathagata only speaks of the non-self of persons. This is not the ultimate teaching, seeing the arising and perishing of the five aggregates, they fear birth and death, falsely clinging to nirvana. How to counter this? By seeing the self-nature of the five aggregates as unarisen, there is no perishing, originally nirvana." Therefore, trying to eliminate birth and death phenomena to reach "undying" is still within the distinction/opposition of subject and object, not knowing that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, illusions arising from conditions, they are the wondrous function of the wondrous bright clarity of pristine awareness, with no signs of arising and perishing. Also, it is crucial to understand that without phenomena, there can be no Buddha-nature. Essence and function cannot be separated - emptiness is manifested through form, form appear because of emptiness. True nature and illusion are not two different things. Seeing the same thing, in delusion, one clings to forms, in awakening, everything is the true nature. Everything is like a dream, illusion, bubble, shadow, but also the manifestation of the luminous self-nature, without contradiction.
So, the so-called "detaching from forms" and "no thoughts" is not about eliminating all forms and thoughts, but detaching from the deluded realm of subject and object, seeing through the inherent existence and attachment to all forms, without creating opposition or distinction, and not rejecting anything. What is encountered at the moment is the true nature. Therefore, the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch says, "Huineng immediately understood the master's intention, entered the room at the third drum; the master covered with a robe to prevent people from seeing, explaining the Diamond Sutra. When he reached “should bring forth a mind that does not abide anywhere” Huineng was greatly enlightened, realizing all phenomena do not depart from self-nature." Trying to find a "Buddha-nature" apart from what is seen and heard is entirely unnecessary. To realize the unity of essence and function, one must see the essence through form, realize the Way through sound, without leaning towards emptiness, maintaining neither emptiness nor form, not clinging to either.
Finally, I summarize with a verse:
In-depth contemplation, Bahiya Sutta.
Understanding the sutra's essence, directly pointing to no mind.
No attachment to subject or object, forgetting body and mind.
Only then understanding seeing nature, only requires apperceiving [the nature of] forms.
Apprehending forms [is] seeing nature, seeing forms [is] apprehending the Mind.
True mind is empty in nature, manifesting appearances according to conditions.
In delusion, illusory signs manifest, in awakening, it is true mind.
Mountains and rivers, originally the Dharma body [Dharmakāya].
Forms, sounds, smells, and tastes, are all the marvelous Mind."
2010年6月29日：
在2010年2月9日，我有了一个修行的体悟。我体悟了什么是自性、本来面目、真我。当时我正在打坐，心中有一个疑问：我未生以前的本来面目是什么？我很想找到答案，但也知道这不是意念或思考所能了解的。突然间，一切意念消失了，自性显现，了然明白，一切疑惑也随之消失。我自从传法后，几年前就开始有了小小的体会，但这次完全没有疑惑了。
因为这是个超越语言文字的真理，所能用言语表达的也有限（如人饮水，冷暖自知），跟朋友之间互动多半都是用英语，但是今天，我将尽量用我浅白有限的中文表达我的体会。我刚说到的“自性”到底是在讲什么？什么是“未生以前的本来面目”？
如果你把一切意念，我执妄想都舍了，甚至把身心都完全舍了，在这时刻，难道你就完全消失而不存在了吗？难道你的身体就变成尸体了吗？不。在这时刻，空然无一物，剩下的就是不生不灭的自性、本来面目，也就是你存在的本身。它是无形无相的，但很肯定地从无始劫就存在着，不增不减，它是超越时空的本体/灵性/灵知。它的本性/质地就是觉：它是了了分明的灵敏觉知，能觉照万物，就像镜子有照万物的功能。一切所见所闻都因觉性而自然显现。有了这个存在的本身，有了觉性做依靠，身体才有活力，这都是觉性的妙用。如《达摩大师血脉论》所说：“佛是西国语，此土云觉性。觉者灵觉，应机接物，扬眉瞬目，运手动足，皆是自己灵觉之性。”如果觉照力强，连一举一动都照得清清楚楚的话，你会感觉到连平常的动作如吃饭走路都很“妙”，都是觉性的妙用，这不是平凡人从早到晚都在一面做事一面在想东想西所能理解和体会的。
我们的闻性不变，一切意念与感受都在觉性中起落，但觉性常照不受影响。通常我们把我们的身心定为是“我”，而如果我们走路或动作时，好像我（身心）在周围的环境里“动”。但如果在走路或跑步时有觉照的话，你会发觉你周围的环境与景色在你本性中来去，但你（无形无相，包含一切，有如虚空似的自性）并不在动。
如果你真的见证了“未生以前的本来面目”的真理，会完全无疑惑，你想否认这真理都不可能，你会知道在你人生中，自性/觉性/存在的本身是你唯一不可否认的真理。一切也都是自性的显相，如果没有自性你就不可能在这里读这篇文章。而这完全是不用思考就能肯定的。它不是一个所能用思考而达到结论/理解的东西。比如一个人样子好像很斯文，又戴很深的眼镜，所以好像是个有学问的人。这是一个用思考所达到的一个结论，但你也不能完全肯定就是事实。而见性是完全另一回事，它是不用思考，前念已过，后念不生，当下无思无念就能肯定这就是我们实实在在的真如本性而不再疑惑。
差不多一两个月后，我又有更深的体会。从这体会中我深入地了解了自性就像大空气，大空气并不属于我的，也不属于你的，但“我”和“你”和一切有情无情的万物都从这宇宙本体/大虚空产生，也了解什么是所谓的“天地同根, 万物同体”。而这虚空充满着觉性，能显现一切。我也很清楚地看破了“我相”，“人相”的虚幻。原来一切都是宇宙本体的现象，连走路，咳嗽，讲话，都不是“我”或“你”在做，而完全都是宇宙本体的自然运作，那个“我”是完全虚假的，而如果不舍这个“我”和“我所”的执着的话就是一切烦恼的根源。修行就像小空气融入大空气/大宇宙，把“小我”舍掉，在这宇宙本体中一切运作自如，多自在。
其实并不是说完全不生心才能修，因为如果是如此的话，那日常生活与做事时就不可以修行了。我们的念头就像云朵，我们的自性是开放的，无量无边如天空。如果保持觉照做事，心念会随缘而生，随缘而去，但觉照灵敏看着念头的起落与来去如云朵在天空里飘过，但天空还是一样地宁静与祥和，还是如此的清净无染（本来无一物，何处惹尘埃）。天空并不拒绝云朵，云朵也不障碍了天空，一切随缘而了，不留痕迹。最重要的是要保持觉照，不执着于念头，如果执着于“我”和“我所”的妄想，就不得解脱。而且如果执着于意识的分别与染着也不得解脱，觉是觉照一切而无分别与染着的，所以“觉”和“心”要分得清清楚楚，如果要解脱就要有“觉”。如果有念头但也有觉，就不是凡夫的“意识心”，而是觉心。
我觉得这些体悟也没什么，因为每个人认真修行一段时期也会有自己的体悟，而且这些体悟也不代表就解脱了。从悟起修是很重要的，我觉得我的修行道路才刚刚开始。其实究竟来讲也不需修什么，因为自性本具足，本来就如此，只需要“持”（保持觉照）。如果把一切统统舍掉，剩下的也就是我们本来具足的清净无染的本觉了。
2011年1月14日：
在我写上一篇文章的四个月后，我又有了新的体会。
我悟到原来，见相就是见性，而没有性相的分别。我曾经在师父的文章读过“青青翠竹尽是法身，郁郁黄花无非般若”，而这次我深深地体会到了这句话的含义。
从这我明白了我在2010年二月悟到的只是性体，虽然当时有说一切是佛性妙用，但在体和用当中还是在起分别，还不知什么是体用一如。在这阶段对觉性本体的认知只是一个“空无所有，无形无相的能觉”，所以想一直守住那个空，偏向于空而产生了“空”的法执，还不知道一切法本来平等，都是佛性妙用。直到十月中当我在依一部佛经《婆酰迦经》的指示来观照又有了新的体悟。
经里记载，婆酰迦因为受人们的恭敬与供养，所以自己生起了一个“我是不是已经成道”的念头。一个曾经是他前世同修的天人知道婆酰迦有这个疑问，即现身告诉婆酰迦他不只没有成道，也根本还没走入成道之道。婆酰迦问，“那么现在有谁已成道？”天人回答，在舍卫城有一位开悟的圣者正在传授成道之法，他就是佛陀。婆酰迦到达舍卫城见到佛陀时刚好佛陀在化缘。婆酰迦请求佛陀为他说法，但佛陀拒绝了他，说这不是时候。婆酰迦再三请求，说没人可知他和佛陀生命中的危险，后来佛陀答应给他开示，告诉婆酰迦：“婆酰迦！在看东西时，只有看东西；在听声音时，只有听声音；在闻、尝、触任何东西时，就只有闻、尝和触东西；在思想时，就只有思想。就因为在看东西时，只有看东西；在听声音时，只有听声音；在闻、尝、触任何东西时，就只有闻、尝和触东西；在思想时，就只有思想，对于一切，并没有一个‘你’，没有一个‘你’也就没有一个‘你’在那里，没有一个‘你’在那里也就没有一个‘你’在这里或那里或中间。这就是痛苦的结束。”听到这短短一句话，婆酰迦当场就解脱了。不幸的，婆酰迦当天就被牛撞死了。佛陀弟子问佛陀婆酰迦已投生哪一道，佛陀回答：“婆酰迦有智慧。他根据佛法修持，而没有以关于佛法的问题来打扰我。婆酰迦已经完全解脱了。”
而我在依佛陀在《婆酰迦经》给婆酰迦的指示来观照一切时（当时我是在动中修），我体悟到——看见山河大地时，并没有一个能觉者和所觉的对立，能所的分别是完全不存在的，能觉就是所觉！觉性并不是一个“无形无相的能觉”，觉性就是所见所闻：在听声音时只有声音但没有听者，在观看景色时只有景色但没有观者，在思想时只有思想但没有思想者。而因为没有能所，就没有距离，因为没有一个立场（“我”对“外景”的分别）来生起分别或衡量距离——宇宙就是自性，没有一个立场也就没有时空的限制。看到山河大地，没有一个“我在身体里面看着外面的景色”的感觉——身体也是一个虚幻的假相——身心脱落，能所双亡，完全没有内外之分，山河大地就是法身，整个宇宙就是一片大光明，无内外，无中边，无方所。见相就是见性——但没有一个“能见者”和“所见之境”。虽然身心脱落，能所双亡，但一切平凡的生活处事还是同样地继续，只是没有一个“行者”在做，也没有一个“觉者”在看，但一切清清楚楚，了了分明，一切来去随缘自显。一切所见所闻不即不离当下就是佛性妙用，念头也是如此，有如海上的波浪或多或少，波浪的本质还是水，不必去掉波浪来找水（水比喻一切法的法性和质地就是空性、觉性）。所以修行不在于有念或无念，而是对于这个念头有没有迷惑，如此修持就没有产生动静的差距。
有很多人以为“无我”是一种修行的成就，比如修法修到没有“我相”的执着，当然这也很重要，这是一种修行的成就，但佛陀在这部经所讲的“无我”并不是一种成就，而是一个“法印”——对于一切法本来就无我，本来就无能觉者/所觉的对立，无见者/听者/行者！在听声音时一直以来就只有声音，没有闻者，没有“我”，本来就如此，也不用去“消灭”一个“我”，因为本来就没有一个“我”可以消灭。这是要体悟出来的，不是一种修行达到的成就或境界。如果没有真正的体悟，无论如何修也无法达到自如。所以“无我”不是一种成就或境界，法本无我，本就如此。
也有很多人以为修行需要去掉生灭相/念头来达到不生不灭的自性，而这也是我曾经有的理解，但现在知道这些生灭法如果不起分别对立也就当下是不生不灭，不来不去，没有动和静的分别（也不再有如上一篇文章所说的“生灭法在不动的自性中来去”的分别了），因为这一个念头，这一个声音，如果不起分别、对立、执着，当下就是实相，超越过去现在未来。一切虽然在不断地演变，在演变当中的当下并没有动相，没有来去之相，只有实相，非动非静。所以《楞严经》才会说：“阿难！汝犹未明一切浮尘诸幻化相当处出生、随处灭尽、幻妄称相，其性真为妙觉明体；如是乃至五阴六入，从十二处至十八界，因缘和合，虚妄有生；因缘别离，虚妄名灭；殊不能知生灭去来本如来藏常住妙明、不动周圆妙真如性；性真常中，求于去来迷悟死生，了无所得。”而《大乘起信论》云：“法我见者，依二乘钝根故，如来但为说人无我。以说不究竟，见有五阴生灭之法，怖畏生死，妄取涅槃。云何对治？以五阴法自性不生，则无有灭，本来涅槃故。”所以如果要去除生灭法来达到“不生不灭”还是在能所的分别/对立当中生法执，不知一切法都是缘起性空的幻相，并非实有，而是妙觉明体的妙用，并没有生灭来去之相。同时也要知道离开现象就无佛性可言了，因为体用是不能分开的——空由有显，有因空立。实相和幻相并不是两样不同的东西，同样看到一样的东西，迷时着相，悟时一切都是实相。一切如梦幻泡影，但同时也是自性光明的显现，这是没有矛盾的。
所以所谓的“离相”和“无念”并不是要消灭一切相和念头，而是要离开能所的妄境与看破一切相的实有与执着而不生起对立和分别，也不拒绝一切，当下所面对的一切就是实相。所以《六祖坛经》说：“惠能即会祖意，三鼓入室；祖以袈裟遮围，不令人见，为说《金刚经》。至‘应无所住而生其心’，惠能言下大悟，一切万法，不离自性。”要离开所见所闻而找出一个“佛性”来是完全多此一举的，如果要悟到体用一如，就是要见色明心，闻声悟道，也就不会有偏空的现象，而是保持非空非有，不执于空也不执于有。
最后，以一首偈作为总结：
深入观行，婆酰迦经。
了悟经旨，直指无心。
无执能所，忘却身心。
方知见性，只需明相。
明相见性，见色明心。
真心空性，随缘显相。
迷时幻相，悟时真心。
山河大地，原是法身。
色声香味，尽是妙心。
**June 29, 2010:**
On February 9, 2010, I had a realization in my practice. I realized what self-nature, original face, and true self are. At that time, I was meditating with a question in my mind: What was my original face before I was born? I wanted to find the answer, but I knew it couldn't be understood through thoughts or reasoning. Suddenly, all thoughts disappeared, self-nature revealed itself, and I understood clearly. All doubts vanished as well. Since receiving the Dharma transmission, I had small insights over the years, but this time, there were no doubts at all.
Because this is a truth beyond words and language, what can be expressed is limited (like drinking water, only you know if it's hot or cold). Most of my interactions with friends are in English, but today, I will try to express my realization in my simple and limited Chinese. What exactly is the "self-nature" I mentioned? What is the "original face before I was born"?
If you let go of all thoughts and delusions of self, even completely let go of body and mind, at this moment, do you completely disappear and cease to exist? Does your body become a corpse? No. At this moment, there is nothingness, and what remains is the undying self-nature, the original face, which is your very existence. It is formless and shapeless, yet it has always existed without increase or decrease, transcending time and space. Its nature is awareness: it is clear, vivid awareness that can illuminate everything, like a mirror reflecting all things. Everything seen and heard naturally appears because of this awareness. With this Existence Itself and awareness as a foundation, the body has vitality; this is the marvelous function of awareness. As the Treatise on the Bloodstream by Bodhidharma says, "Buddha is a Sanskrit word, in this land it is called awareness. Awareness is the spiritual awareness, responding to situations, raising eyebrows and moving eyes, moving hands and feet, all are the functions of one's mystical awareness."
If the illuminating power of awareness is strong, even the smallest actions, like eating or walking, will feel wonderful, as they are the marvelous functions of awareness. This is something that ordinary people, who constantly think while doing things, cannot understand or experience.
Our hearing nature does not change; all thoughts and feelings arise and fall within awareness, but awareness constantly illuminates and is unaffected. Usually, we consider our body and mind as "me," and when we walk or move, it seems like "I" (body and mind) are moving in the surrounding environment. But if there is awareness while walking or running, you will find that the surrounding environment and scenery move within your true nature, but you (formless and shapeless, encompassing everything like space) are not moving.
If you truly witness the truth of the "original face before I was born," there will be no doubt at all. It will be impossible to deny this truth; you will know that in your life, self-nature/awareness/existence itself is the only undeniable truth. Everything is a manifestation of self-nature. Without self-nature, you couldn't be here reading this article. And this is something you can affirm without thinking. It is not something that can be concluded or understood through thinking. For example, a person may look refined and wear deep glasses, so they seem to be knowledgeable. This is a conclusion reached through thinking, but you cannot be entirely sure it is true. Realizing one's true nature is completely different; it is affirmed without thinking, in a state where the previous thought has passed, the next thought has not arisen, and there are no thoughts at all. You can affirm that this is your true nature without any doubt.
About one or two months later, I had a deeper realization. From this realization, I deeply understood that self-nature is like the vast sky. The vast sky does not belong to me, nor to you, but "I" and "you" and all sentient and insentient beings arise from this universal substratum/vast space. I also understood what is meant by "Heaven and Earth share the same root, all things are of one body." This vast space is filled with awareness, capable of manifesting everything. I also clearly saw through the illusion of "self" and "others." Originally, everything is a phenomenon of the universal substratum. Even walking, coughing, speaking are not done by "me" or "you," but are entirely the natural operations of the universal substratum. The "I" is completely false, and clinging to this "I" and "mine" is the root of all suffering. Practice is like the small air merging into the big air/universe, letting go of the "small self," and everything operates freely in this universal substratum, how liberating.
In fact, it is not that you have to completely stop the mind to practice, because if that were the case, then you wouldn't be able to practice in daily life and work. Our thoughts are like clouds, our self-nature is open and vast like the sky. If you maintain awareness while doing things, thoughts will arise and pass with conditions, but awareness will vividly observe the arising and passing of thoughts like clouds drifting across the sky, but the sky remains calm and peaceful, pure and unstained (originally there is not a single thing, where can dust alight?). The sky does not reject the clouds, and the clouds do not obstruct the sky, everything happens naturally without leaving traces. The most important thing is to maintain awareness and not cling to thoughts. If you cling to the delusions of "self" and "mine," you will not be liberated. Moreover, clinging to distinctions and attachments of consciousness will not lead to liberation either. Awareness is to illuminate everything without distinctions and attachments, so "awareness" and "mind" should be clearly distinguished. For liberation, there must be "awareness." If there are thoughts but also awareness, it is not the ordinary "conscious mind," but the aware mind.
I don't think these realizations are much because anyone who practices seriously for a period of time will have their own realizations, and these realizations do not mean liberation. Practicing from the point of realization is very important; I feel my path of practice has just begun. In fact, ultimately, there is nothing to practice because self-nature is inherently complete, originally so, just needing to "maintain" (maintain awareness). If everything is completely let go, what remains is our originally pure and unstained inherent awareness.
**January 14, 2011:**
Four months after writing the previous article, I had a new realization.
I realized that seeing the phenomena is seeing the nature, without distinguishing between nature and phenomena. I once read in Master's article, "Green bamboo is all Dharma body [Dharmakāya], lush yellow flowers are nothing but prajna," and this time I deeply understood the meaning of this sentence.
From this, I understood that what I realized in February 2010 was only the essence, though I mentioned that everything is the marvelous function of Buddha-nature, there was still a distinction between essence and function. At that stage, my understanding of the aware nature was only "formless and shapeless awareness," so I wanted to always hold onto that emptiness, leaning towards emptiness and creating an attachment to emptiness. I did not yet know that all phenomena are originally equal and are the marvelous function of Buddha-nature. Until mid-October, when I followed the instructions in the Bahiya Sutta for contemplation, I had a new realization.
The sutra records that Bahiya, receiving respect and offerings from people, wondered, "Am I already enlightened?" A deva who had been his fellow practitioner in a previous life knew Bahiya had this doubt and appeared, telling him that he had not only not attained enlightenment but had not even entered the path of enlightenment. Bahiya asked, "Who is enlightened now?" The deva replied, in Savatthi, there is an enlightened sage teaching the path of enlightenment; he is the Buddha. When Bahiya arrived in Savatthi and met the Buddha, the Buddha was on his alms round. Bahiya requested the Buddha to teach him the Dharma, but the Buddha refused, saying it was not the time. Bahiya persistently requested, saying no one knows the dangers in their lives, and eventually, the Buddha agreed to give him instructions. The Buddha told Bahiya, "In the seen, there is only the seen; in the heard, there is only the heard; in the sensed, there is only the sensed; in the thought, there is only the thought. Therefore, Bahiya, you should train yourself thus: In the seen, there will be merely the seen; in the heard, there will be merely the heard; in the sensed, there will be merely the sensed; in the thought, there will be merely the thought. When for you there is only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the thought in reference to the thought, then, Bahiya, there is no you in terms of that. When there is no you in terms of that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor there nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of suffering." Hearing this, Bahiya immediately attained liberation. Unfortunately, Bahiya was gored to death by a cow that very day. The Buddha's disciples asked the Buddha where Bahiya had been reborn, and the Buddha replied, "Bahiya was wise. He practiced according to the Dharma and did not trouble me with questions about the Dharma. Bahiya has attained complete liberation."
When I followed the Buddha's instructions in the Bahiya Sutta to observe everything (I was practicing in movement at the time), I realized that seeing mountains and rivers, there was no separation between the observer and the observed; the distinction between subject and object completely disappeared. The observer is the observed! Awareness is not a "formless and shapeless awareness," awareness is what is seen and heard: in hearing, there is only sound, but no hearer; in seeing, there is only the scene, but no seer; in thinking, there is only the thought, but no thinker. And because there is no subject-object distinction, there is no distance, as there is no standpoint ("I" versus the "external scene") to arise distinctions or measure distances. The universe is self-nature, without a standpoint, there is no limitation of time and space. Seeing mountains and rivers, there is no feeling of "I inside the body looking at the outside scene" - the body is also an illusory sign - body and mind drop away, subject and object both vanish, there is no inner or outer distinction. The mountains and rivers are the Dharma body [Dharmakāya], the entire universe is a vast expanse of great luminosity, without inner or outer, without center or periphery, without a specific place. Seeing the phenomena is seeing the nature - but without a "seer" and "seen." Although body and mind drop away, subject and object both vanish, everyday life and actions continue as usual, but without a "doer" doing it, without an "observer" observing it, yet everything is clear and vivid, everything appears naturally according to conditions. Without straying outwards nor withdrawing from everything seen and heard, everything in this very moment is the marvelous function of Buddha-nature. Thoughts are the same, like waves on the sea, whether more or less, the nature of the waves is still water (water symbolizes the nature and essence of all phenomena as emptiness, awareness). So, practice is not about having or not having thoughts, but whether there is delusion regarding the thoughts. This way of practice does not create a distinction between movement and stillness.
Many people think "no self" is an achievement in practice, such as practicing to the point where there is no attachment to the self, which is indeed important and an achievement in practice. But what the Buddha spoke of in the Bahiya Sutta about "no self" is not an achievement but a "Dharma seal" - inherently, all phenomena are without self, without the duality of subject and object, without the seer/hearer/doer! In hearing, there has always been only sound, without a hearer, without "me," inherently so, there is no need to "eliminate" a "me," as there has never been a "me" to eliminate. This must be realized, it is not an achievement or state attained through practice. If there is no true realization, no matter how one practices, liberation cannot be reached. So, "no self" is not an achievement or state, inherently, the Dharma has no self, it has always been so.
Many people think practice requires eliminating birth and death phenomena/thoughts to reach the undying self-nature, which was also my previous understanding. But now I know that if birth and death phenomena are not distinguished, they are inherently undying, not coming and going, without distinction between movement and stillness. This is no longer the distinction mentioned in the previous article of "birth and death phenomena coming and going in the unmoving self-nature," because this thought, this sound, if not distinguished, at the moment is the true nature, transcending past, present, and future. Although everything is constantly evolving, at the moment of evolution, there is no signs of movement, no signs of coming and going, only the true nature, neither moving nor still. Therefore, the Surangama Sutra says, "Ananda, all illusory sense organs and every illusory form arise and perish exactly where they manifest. These are falsely named and conceived, yet their true nature is the luminous essence of marvelous awakening. So it is with everything, from the five skandhas to the six entrances, from the twelve bases to the eighteen realms. The union of causes and conditions gives rise to their illusory arising; their separation bestows the illusory name of extinction. It is profoundly elusive to discern that the arising and ceasing, the coming and going, are fundamentally the ever-present, wondrous clarity of the Tathagatagarbha. The unmoved, perfect, all-encompassing nature of true suchness — within this constant and true nature, seeking the coming and going, delusion and enlightenment, birth and death, one will never find them." The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana says, "Those who see the Dharma self, due to the dull roots of the two vehicles, the Tathagata only speaks of the non-self of persons. This is not the ultimate teaching, seeing the arising and perishing of the five aggregates, they fear birth and death, falsely clinging to nirvana. How to counter this? By seeing the self-nature of the five aggregates as unarisen, there is no perishing, originally nirvana." Therefore, trying to eliminate birth and death phenomena to reach "undying" is still within the distinction/opposition of subject and object, not knowing that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, illusions arising from conditions, they are the wondrous function of the wondrous bright clarity of pristine awareness, with no signs of arising and perishing. Also, it is crucial to understand that without phenomena, there can be no Buddha-nature. Essence and function cannot be separated - emptiness is manifested through form, form appear because of emptiness. True nature and illusion are not two different things. Seeing the same thing, in delusion, one clings to forms, in awakening, everything is the true nature. Everything is like a dream, illusion, bubble, shadow, but also the manifestation of the luminous self-nature, without contradiction.
So, the so-called "detaching from forms" and "no thoughts" is not about eliminating all forms and thoughts, but detaching from the deluded realm of subject and object, seeing through the inherent existence and attachment to all forms, without creating opposition or distinction, and not rejecting anything. What is encountered at the moment is the true nature. Therefore, the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch says, "Huineng immediately understood the master's intention, entered the room at the third drum; the master covered with a robe to prevent people from seeing, explaining the Diamond Sutra. When he reached “should bring forth a mind that does not abide anywhere” Huineng was greatly enlightened, realizing all phenomena do not depart from self-nature." Trying to find a "Buddha-nature" apart from what is seen and heard is entirely unnecessary. To realize the unity of essence and function, one must see the essence through form, realize the Way through sound, without leaning towards emptiness, maintaining neither emptiness nor form, not clinging to either.
Finally, I summarize with a verse:
In-depth contemplation, Bahiya Sutta.
Understanding the sutra's essence, directly pointing to no mind.
No attachment to subject or object, forgetting body and mind.
Only then understanding seeing nature, only requires apperceiving [the nature of] forms.
Apprehending forms [is] seeing nature, seeing forms [is] apprehending the Mind.
True mind is empty in nature, manifesting appearances according to conditions.
In delusion, illusory signs manifest, in awakening, it is true mind.
Mountains and rivers, originally the Dharma body [Dharmakāya].
Forms, sounds, smells, and tastes, are all the marvelous Mind."
2010年6月29日：
在2010年2月9日，我有了一个修行的体悟。我体悟了什么是自性、本来面目、真我。当时我正在打坐，心中有一个疑问：我未生以前的本来面目是什么？我很想找到答案，但也知道这不是意念或思考所能了解的。突然间，一切意念消失了，自性显现，了然明白，一切疑惑也随之消失。我自从传法后，几年前就开始有了小小的体会，但这次完全没有疑惑了。
因为这是个超越语言文字的真理，所能用言语表达的也有限（如人饮水，冷暖自知），跟朋友之间互动多半都是用英语，但是今天，我将尽量用我浅白有限的中文表达我的体会。我刚说到的“自性”到底是在讲什么？什么是“未生以前的本来面目”？
如果你把一切意念，我执妄想都舍了，甚至把身心都完全舍了，在这时刻，难道你就完全消失而不存在了吗？难道你的身体就变成尸体了吗？不。在这时刻，空然无一物，剩下的就是不生不灭的自性、本来面目，也就是你存在的本身。它是无形无相的，但很肯定地从无始劫就存在着，不增不减，它是超越时空的本体/灵性/灵知。它的本性/质地就是觉：它是了了分明的灵敏觉知，能觉照万物，就像镜子有照万物的功能。一切所见所闻都因觉性而自然显现。有了这个存在的本身，有了觉性做依靠，身体才有活力，这都是觉性的妙用。如《达摩大师血脉论》所说：“佛是西国语，此土云觉性。觉者灵觉，应机接物，扬眉瞬目，运手动足，皆是自己灵觉之性。”如果觉照力强，连一举一动都照得清清楚楚的话，你会感觉到连平常的动作如吃饭走路都很“妙”，都是觉性的妙用，这不是平凡人从早到晚都在一面做事一面在想东想西所能理解和体会的。
我们的闻性不变，一切意念与感受都在觉性中起落，但觉性常照不受影响。通常我们把我们的身心定为是“我”，而如果我们走路或动作时，好像我（身心）在周围的环境里“动”。但如果在走路或跑步时有觉照的话，你会发觉你周围的环境与景色在你本性中来去，但你（无形无相，包含一切，有如虚空似的自性）并不在动。
如果你真的见证了“未生以前的本来面目”的真理，会完全无疑惑，你想否认这真理都不可能，你会知道在你人生中，自性/觉性/存在的本身是你唯一不可否认的真理。一切也都是自性的显相，如果没有自性你就不可能在这里读这篇文章。而这完全是不用思考就能肯定的。它不是一个所能用思考而达到结论/理解的东西。比如一个人样子好像很斯文，又戴很深的眼镜，所以好像是个有学问的人。这是一个用思考所达到的一个结论，但你也不能完全肯定就是事实。而见性是完全另一回事，它是不用思考，前念已过，后念不生，当下无思无念就能肯定这就是我们实实在在的真如本性而不再疑惑。
差不多一两个月后，我又有更深的体会。从这体会中我深入地了解了自性就像大空气，大空气并不属于我的，也不属于你的，但“我”和“你”和一切有情无情的万物都从这宇宙本体/大虚空产生，也了解什么是所谓的“天地同根, 万物同体”。而这虚空充满着觉性，能显现一切。我也很清楚地看破了“我相”，“人相”的虚幻。原来一切都是宇宙本体的现象，连走路，咳嗽，讲话，都不是“我”或“你”在做，而完全都是宇宙本体的自然运作，那个“我”是完全虚假的，而如果不舍这个“我”和“我所”的执着的话就是一切烦恼的根源。修行就像小空气融入大空气/大宇宙，把“小我”舍掉，在这宇宙本体中一切运作自如，多自在。
其实并不是说完全不生心才能修，因为如果是如此的话，那日常生活与做事时就不可以修行了。我们的念头就像云朵，我们的自性是开放的，无量无边如天空。如果保持觉照做事，心念会随缘而生，随缘而去，但觉照灵敏看着念头的起落与来去如云朵在天空里飘过，但天空还是一样地宁静与祥和，还是如此的清净无染（本来无一物，何处惹尘埃）。天空并不拒绝云朵，云朵也不障碍了天空，一切随缘而了，不留痕迹。最重要的是要保持觉照，不执着于念头，如果执着于“我”和“我所”的妄想，就不得解脱。而且如果执着于意识的分别与染着也不得解脱，觉是觉照一切而无分别与染着的，所以“觉”和“心”要分得清清楚楚，如果要解脱就要有“觉”。如果有念头但也有觉，就不是凡夫的“意识心”，而是觉心。
我觉得这些体悟也没什么，因为每个人认真修行一段时期也会有自己的体悟，而且这些体悟也不代表就解脱了。从悟起修是很重要的，我觉得我的修行道路才刚刚开始。其实究竟来讲也不需修什么，因为自性本具足，本来就如此，只需要“持”（保持觉照）。如果把一切统统舍掉，剩下的也就是我们本来具足的清净无染的本觉了。
2011年1月14日：
在我写上一篇文章的四个月后，我又有了新的体会。
我悟到原来，见相就是见性，而没有性相的分别。我曾经在师父的文章读过“青青翠竹尽是法身，郁郁黄花无非般若”，而这次我深深地体会到了这句话的含义。
从这我明白了我在2010年二月悟到的只是性体，虽然当时有说一切是佛性妙用，但在体和用当中还是在起分别，还不知什么是体用一如。在这阶段对觉性本体的认知只是一个“空无所有，无形无相的能觉”，所以想一直守住那个空，偏向于空而产生了“空”的法执，还不知道一切法本来平等，都是佛性妙用。直到十月中当我在依一部佛经《婆酰迦经》的指示来观照又有了新的体悟。
经里记载，婆酰迦因为受人们的恭敬与供养，所以自己生起了一个“我是不是已经成道”的念头。一个曾经是他前世同修的天人知道婆酰迦有这个疑问，即现身告诉婆酰迦他不只没有成道，也根本还没走入成道之道。婆酰迦问，“那么现在有谁已成道？”天人回答，在舍卫城有一位开悟的圣者正在传授成道之法，他就是佛陀。婆酰迦到达舍卫城见到佛陀时刚好佛陀在化缘。婆酰迦请求佛陀为他说法，但佛陀拒绝了他，说这不是时候。婆酰迦再三请求，说没人可知他和佛陀生命中的危险，后来佛陀答应给他开示，告诉婆酰迦：“婆酰迦！在看东西时，只有看东西；在听声音时，只有听声音；在闻、尝、触任何东西时，就只有闻、尝和触东西；在思想时，就只有思想。就因为在看东西时，只有看东西；在听声音时，只有听声音；在闻、尝、触任何东西时，就只有闻、尝和触东西；在思想时，就只有思想，对于一切，并没有一个‘你’，没有一个‘你’也就没有一个‘你’在那里，没有一个‘你’在那里也就没有一个‘你’在这里或那里或中间。这就是痛苦的结束。”听到这短短一句话，婆酰迦当场就解脱了。不幸的，婆酰迦当天就被牛撞死了。佛陀弟子问佛陀婆酰迦已投生哪一道，佛陀回答：“婆酰迦有智慧。他根据佛法修持，而没有以关于佛法的问题来打扰我。婆酰迦已经完全解脱了。”
而我在依佛陀在《婆酰迦经》给婆酰迦的指示来观照一切时（当时我是在动中修），我体悟到——看见山河大地时，并没有一个能觉者和所觉的对立，能所的分别是完全不存在的，能觉就是所觉！觉性并不是一个“无形无相的能觉”，觉性就是所见所闻：在听声音时只有声音但没有听者，在观看景色时只有景色但没有观者，在思想时只有思想但没有思想者。而因为没有能所，就没有距离，因为没有一个立场（“我”对“外景”的分别）来生起分别或衡量距离——宇宙就是自性，没有一个立场也就没有时空的限制。看到山河大地，没有一个“我在身体里面看着外面的景色”的感觉——身体也是一个虚幻的假相——身心脱落，能所双亡，完全没有内外之分，山河大地就是法身，整个宇宙就是一片大光明，无内外，无中边，无方所。见相就是见性——但没有一个“能见者”和“所见之境”。虽然身心脱落，能所双亡，但一切平凡的生活处事还是同样地继续，只是没有一个“行者”在做，也没有一个“觉者”在看，但一切清清楚楚，了了分明，一切来去随缘自显。一切所见所闻不即不离当下就是佛性妙用，念头也是如此，有如海上的波浪或多或少，波浪的本质还是水，不必去掉波浪来找水（水比喻一切法的法性和质地就是空性、觉性）。所以修行不在于有念或无念，而是对于这个念头有没有迷惑，如此修持就没有产生动静的差距。
有很多人以为“无我”是一种修行的成就，比如修法修到没有“我相”的执着，当然这也很重要，这是一种修行的成就，但佛陀在这部经所讲的“无我”并不是一种成就，而是一个“法印”——对于一切法本来就无我，本来就无能觉者/所觉的对立，无见者/听者/行者！在听声音时一直以来就只有声音，没有闻者，没有“我”，本来就如此，也不用去“消灭”一个“我”，因为本来就没有一个“我”可以消灭。这是要体悟出来的，不是一种修行达到的成就或境界。如果没有真正的体悟，无论如何修也无法达到自如。所以“无我”不是一种成就或境界，法本无我，本就如此。
也有很多人以为修行需要去掉生灭相/念头来达到不生不灭的自性，而这也是我曾经有的理解，但现在知道这些生灭法如果不起分别对立也就当下是不生不灭，不来不去，没有动和静的分别（也不再有如上一篇文章所说的“生灭法在不动的自性中来去”的分别了），因为这一个念头，这一个声音，如果不起分别、对立、执着，当下就是实相，超越过去现在未来。一切虽然在不断地演变，在演变当中的当下并没有动相，没有来去之相，只有实相，非动非静。所以《楞严经》才会说：“阿难！汝犹未明一切浮尘诸幻化相当处出生、随处灭尽、幻妄称相，其性真为妙觉明体；如是乃至五阴六入，从十二处至十八界，因缘和合，虚妄有生；因缘别离，虚妄名灭；殊不能知生灭去来本如来藏常住妙明、不动周圆妙真如性；性真常中，求于去来迷悟死生，了无所得。”而《大乘起信论》云：“法我见者，依二乘钝根故，如来但为说人无我。以说不究竟，见有五阴生灭之法，怖畏生死，妄取涅槃。云何对治？以五阴法自性不生，则无有灭，本来涅槃故。”所以如果要去除生灭法来达到“不生不灭”还是在能所的分别/对立当中生法执，不知一切法都是缘起性空的幻相，并非实有，而是妙觉明体的妙用，并没有生灭来去之相。同时也要知道离开现象就无佛性可言了，因为体用是不能分开的——空由有显，有因空立。实相和幻相并不是两样不同的东西，同样看到一样的东西，迷时着相，悟时一切都是实相。一切如梦幻泡影，但同时也是自性光明的显现，这是没有矛盾的。
所以所谓的“离相”和“无念”并不是要消灭一切相和念头，而是要离开能所的妄境与看破一切相的实有与执着而不生起对立和分别，也不拒绝一切，当下所面对的一切就是实相。所以《六祖坛经》说：“惠能即会祖意，三鼓入室；祖以袈裟遮围，不令人见，为说《金刚经》。至‘应无所住而生其心’，惠能言下大悟，一切万法，不离自性。”要离开所见所闻而找出一个“佛性”来是完全多此一举的，如果要悟到体用一如，就是要见色明心，闻声悟道，也就不会有偏空的现象，而是保持非空非有，不执于空也不执于有。
最后，以一首偈作为总结：
深入观行，婆酰迦经。
了悟经旨，直指无心。
无执能所，忘却身心。
方知见性，只需明相。
明相见性，见色明心。
真心空性，随缘显相。
迷时幻相，悟时真心。
山河大地，原是法身。
色声香味，尽是妙心。
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ChatGPT：
第一篇文章的总结（2010年6月29日）：
Soh回顾了他在修行中关于自性、觉知以及作为一切现象得以显现和幻灭的根本基底（本体，根基）的重大领悟。在打坐参问“我未生前本来面目是什么？”这个问题时，Soh体验到一切念头的消失，自性或真我显现出来。这种自性被描述为无形无相、超越时空、恒常不变的觉性，犹如一面镜子映照万物。这一领悟带来了极大的明晰，显现出身体和心识并非真正的自我，真正的自性一直存在，未曾改变。Soh进一步指出，当一个修行者深刻地体验到“我/我相”的虚幻时，虚幻的“我相”就如溪河溶入大海，消失于无形，此时即是大我的生起。此大我清澈灵明，有如一面虚空的镜子觉照万物。一切的来去，生死，起落，一切万事万物，缘生缘灭，皆从大我的本体内幻现，而本体并不受影响，寂然不动，无来亦无去。此大我即是梵我/神我。Soh强调，觉知使一切现象能够生动地体验，并指出真正的解脱源于保持这种觉知，而不执著于念头或个体自我的幻觉。
第二篇文章的总结（2011年1月14日）：
在第一次领悟的四个月后，Soh体验到对觉知和现象的更深层次的洞见。最初，他将觉知视为无形无相、与现象分离的实相，但经过深入观照，他领悟到一切现象本是自性所显现的妙用，观察者与被观察者之间没有任何区别。文章引用了《巴希亚经》，佛陀在经中教导：“见色只见色，无见者；闻声只闻声，无闻者；知觉只知觉，无知者。”这一领悟彻底消解了个体自我的幻觉，显现出一切现象，无论是念头还是外在形相，皆是佛性妙用的自然呈现。Soh总结道，真正的修行并不是消除形相或念头，而是了悟它们本质上的空性和光明，并认识到它们作为明心自性的显现。
ChatGPT
Summary of the First Article (June 29, 2010):
Soh reflects on a significant realization in his practice regarding the nature of self, awareness, and the fundamental basis (ground of being) that allows all phenomena to appear and disappear. While meditating on the question, "What was my original face before I was born?" Soh experienced the disappearance of all thoughts, revealing the self-nature or true self. This self-nature is described as formless, timeless, and inherently aware, like a mirror reflecting all things. This realization brought great clarity, showing that the body and mind are not the true self, which has always existed unchanged. Soh further explains that when a practitioner deeply experiences the illusory nature of the "I/self," the illusory "self" dissolves like a river merging into the ocean, disappearing into formlessness. At this moment, the great self arises—clear and luminous, like a mirror of emptiness reflecting all things. All appearances, birth and death, coming and going, all phenomena arise and cease as illusions within the ground of the great self, which remains unaffected, still, with no coming or going. This great self is Brahman/Atman. Soh emphasizes that awareness allows everything to be vividly experienced and that true liberation comes from maintaining this awareness without clinging to thoughts or the illusion of an individual self.
Summary of the Second Article (January 14, 2011):
Four months after his first realization, Soh experiences a deeper insight into the nature of awareness and phenomena. Initially, he saw awareness as formless and separate from phenomena, but through deep contemplation, he realized that all phenomena are the marvelous functions of self-nature, with no distinction between the observer and the observed. The article references the Bahiya Sutta, where the Buddha teaches: "In the seen, there is only the seen—no seer; in the heard, there is only the heard—no hearer; in the sensed, there is only the sensed—no sensor." This realization completely dissolves the illusion of a separate self, revealing that all phenomena, whether thoughts or external forms, are natural manifestations of Buddha-nature. Soh concludes that true practice is not about eliminating forms or thoughts but about realizing their luminous and empty nature, recognizing them as the manifestations of the luminous self-nature.
