Ganges Mahāmudrā By Elder Yuan Yin (Lecture Seventeen)
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Chinese Original From https://book.bfnn.org/article/0383.htm

English Translation:

Ganges Mahamudra (Lecture 17) 

By Yuan Yin Lao Ren

Lecture 17

“Transcending all extreme views, attachments, and pervasive discriminations, this alone is the King of true Views.”

Everyone holds extreme views. What are extreme views? Clinging to existence and clinging to non-existence; this is the extreme of existence and non-existence. Clinging to good and clinging to bad; this is the extreme of good and bad. There are also many other kinds of extreme views, such as long and short, right and wrong, gain and loss, emptiness and existence, and so forth. Whenever there is relativity, there are two sides, and these are extreme views. Extreme views are the relative views of ordinary beings. What is attachment? Fixating on a single matter and being unable to let go or break free; this is attachment. What is pervasive discrimination? It is to universally calculate and scheme, unable to put down a single thing, wanting everything. This is what the Dharma-character School calls the “nature of pervasive discrimination and attachment” (parikalpita-svabhāva). Ordinary beings in the six realms of samsara are all like this; there is not a single ordinary being who does not calculate. Some people say with their mouths that they do not want this or that; do not believe them. In reality, they want everything. “Fish is what I desire; bear’s paw is also what I desire”; they want both the fish and the bear’s paw. If they say there is something they do not want, it is only because they know perfectly well they “cannot have both.” In reality, nothing can be obtained! Alas, all is pervasive calculation and attachment! We practitioners must put these things down; put everything down. If you cannot put them down, it will not work! To put down is to transcend. “Transcending all extreme views, attachments, and pervasive discriminations, this alone is the King of true Views.” Doing it this way is Correct Knowledge-Vision; only this is the King of Views. Why? Because only by doing this does one correspond with our fundamental nature. “View” means to recognize our fundamental nature, to recognize our original face. If you do not “view” in this way, how can you recognize the fundamental nature? You must put down all extreme views, attachments, and pervasive discriminations—put them all down, distance yourself from them all, and transcend them all; only this is the King of true Views.

“Practice must be without the slightest scattering within the luminous essence of one’s own mind; only this is the King of true Practice.”

View, Concentration, Action. We just discussed “View”; now we discuss “Concentration.” Concentration is “Practice.” “Must be without the slightest scattering within the luminous essence of one’s own mind; only this is the King of true Practice.” The luminous essence of one’s own mind is our own fundamental nature. It is limitlessly luminous and infinitely wise, so it is called the luminous essence; luminosity is right within our fundamental essence. One must not scatter in the slightest, nor be seduced in the slightest by external environments into leaving the fundamental essence of one’s own nature. If you run after environments and think randomly, that is scattering. One must see clearly right upon the fundamental nature at all times and maintain it. Only this is the King of true Practice. We are all accustomed to running after environments; only after running a hundred and eight thousand miles do we realize: “Oh no! How did I run so far with delusive thoughts? Pull it back!” But by then, it feels too late. There is a saying in the Zen School: “Do not fear the arising of thoughts; only fear that awareness is delayed.” This tells us to be vigilant and aware at all times, not turning along with delusive thoughts. If you have run very far and for a long time with delusive thoughts before you realize it, that is not good. Although thoughts arise, as soon as they arise, I can see them. As soon as I see them, I disregard them, and they are illuminated and broken. To illuminate and break them is to be without the slightest scattering; this is the King of true Practice.

“Action must abide in the luminous essence of one’s own mind, without doing and without seeking; only this is the King of true Action.”

Action means conduct and sustaining practice. How does one practice conduct? “Must abide in the luminous essence of one’s own mind, without doing and without seeking; only this is the King of true Action.” Here, the luminous essence of one’s own mind is mentioned once again. One must abide in this fundamental essence of limitless luminosity and infinite wisdom, “without doing and without seeking.” “Without doing” (non-doing) means not to have intentional contrivance, but to let everything accord with conditions naturally. Some people, when practicing the Dharma, do not practice according to the Dharma but always think themselves clever and add something extra; this is intentional contrivance. “Without seeking” means not seeking anything. Do not seek spiritual powers, do not seek to enter samādhi. The more you seek to enter samādhi, the less you can enter samādhi. The more you seek spiritual powers, the less spiritual powers will manifest. Because you have given rise to delusive thoughts, obscuring the mind’s light. It is only correct to be “without doing and without seeking”; only in this way is it the “King of true Action.” If you do not practice in this way, even if you practice diligently, you cannot achieve the Way. Because if you do not know what the luminous essence of one’s own mind is, it is like cooking sand to make rice; you will never achieve it. First, you must know what the luminous essence of one’s own mind is, and then protect this luminous essence of one’s own mind. Whether reciting the Buddha’s name, holding mantras, or investigating with awareness, the purpose is always to protect this luminous essence of one’s own mind. This is the prerequisite and is very important. Applying effort in this way, one will certainly achieve accomplishment; thus it is called the “King of Action.” If one does not know what the luminous essence of one’s own mind is, then it is all blind practice and reckless training, always circling around the outside without reaching the center; ultimately, one cannot achieve the Way.

“If speaking of the Fruitional Path, one must be without seeking and without abiding regarding sages and commoners, high and low, Nirvana and Samsara; truly unsurpassable, according with conditions without changing, changing while according with conditions; quiescent yet ever-shining, shining yet ever-quiescent; equal to all Buddhas; only this is the Fruit.”

Ganges Mahamudra consistently emphasizes the three essentials of “View, Concentration, and Action”; what is this for? It is to realize the Holy Fruit. View, Concentration, and Action are merely the means; realizing the Holy Fruit is the goal. “If speaking of the Fruitional Path”—if we are to speak of what counts as realizing the Holy Fruit—“one must be without seeking regarding sages and commoners, high and low, Nirvana and Samsara.” Whether sage or commoner, high or low, Nirvana or Samsara—these are all the discriminations of our deluded minds. We are originally Buddhas; we have never departed from the Great Way. Our fundamental essence is unborn and undying, not stained and not pure, not increasing and not decreasing. “Mind, Buddha, and Sentient Beings” are three without distinction; what sage and commoner, high and low, Samsara and Nirvana are there? In the ultimate place, these relative opposites do not exist, so what is there left for you to seek? Once one truly realizes the fundamental essence, there is no sage and no commoner; sages and ordinary beings are all one essence, all are the original luminous self-nature. Since there is no sage and no commoner, what high and low is there? Thus there is no “I am high, you are low” or “You are high, I am low.” There is no arrogance or conceit; everyone is equal and one—high and low are fundamentally unobtainable. “Nir” means not arising, “Vana” means not ceasing; the fundamental essence has never arisen or ceased, so what Nirvana is there to speak of? Since there is no Nirvana, what Samsara is there? Therefore it is said that fundamentally there is no Samsara; to speak further of ending Samsara and transcending death is entirely superfluous! Everything fundamentally does not exist, so what is there to pursue? Thus it says, “without seeking.”

“Without abiding”—true Nirvana is “Non-abiding Nirvana” (Apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa). We have explained before that there are four types of Nirvana. First, Self-nature Nirvana: Self-nature is our true mind; it is originally unborn and undying, originally Nirvana. Second, Nirvana with Remainder: Realized by sages of the Lesser Vehicle; since the birth and death of change (transformation birth) is not yet ended, it is called “with remainder.” Third, Nirvana without Remainder: The birth and death of change is also ended, and everything is gone. This is the Nirvana realized by the Buddha in the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle. Fourth, Non-abiding Nirvana. Even Buddhahood is unobtainable; this is true Nirvana, as implied by the saying, “Samsara and Nirvana are like sky-flowers.” At this point, any thing can exist, and one can be in any place; there is nothing that does not exist, and nowhere one is not present. “Historically it was truly delusion; today delusion is all true. One merely recovers the nature of the original time; there is not a single new dharma.” Without abiding—not even abiding in Nirvana—then one can abide everywhere. We discussed earlier: after Parinirvana, where does one go to be reborn? The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the Eastern Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli, or the Inner Court of Tuṣita? “One should abide nowhere.” If there is somewhere one abides, it is wrong. The Buddha is fundamentally without characteristics (wúxiàng); he accords with all conditions, constantly complies with sentient beings, and mingles with sentient beings. Wherever there is an affinity, he goes there to liberate sentient beings; there is no fixed location. Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva does not birth himself in the Pure Land but liberates sentient beings in hell: “Until hell is empty, I vow not to become a Buddha.” Do you think Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva has not attained Buddhahood? Do you think Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is not in the Pure Land? In fact, hell is fundamentally empty; Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva attained Buddhahood long ago and is in the Pure Land at all times and in all places. From the perspective of sentient beings, it is hell, because sentient beings have the mind of hell (a mind blazing with greed, anger, and delusion). Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva does not have the mind of hell; everywhere is the Pure Land.

“Without abiding” is precisely “Truly unsurpassable according with conditions without changing, changing while according with conditions.” According with conditions without changing means according with the conditions of all sentient beings. If sentient beings are in the heavens, I go to the heavens; if sentient beings are in hell, I go to hell. Whether ascending to heaven or entering the earth, the fundamental nature does not change. Ascending to heaven, it does not increase by one bit or become one bit purer; descending to earth, it does not decrease by one bit or become one bit more defiled. For example, gold: according to conditions, it is beaten into a ring, a necklace, or a bracelet. It changes into different forms according to conditions, but the essence of the gold does not change; gold is still gold. Changing while according with conditions: although the essence of gold does not change, its form can change; this is precisely its marvellous function. The true mind is fully endowed with limitless marvellous functions. According with conditions without changing is the fundamental essence; changing while according with conditions is the marvellous function. “Quiescent yet ever-shining, shining yet ever-quiescent.” Quiescent means quietly motionless; the fundamental essence is quietly motionless. Shining means illuminating the ten thousand dharmas; the ability to illuminate the ten thousand dharmas is the marvellous function. This also speaks of the fundamental essence and the marvellous function. We spoke earlier of awareness-observation (Jue Zhao); one must be awakened and vigilant at all times, not running after environments. In the end, even awareness is not needed; if there is still awareness present, there is still doing. One must be without doing to be called “Unconditioned” (Wúwéi). When one’s Kung-fu (spiritual work) is mature, one does not need to bring up awareness-observation; one is naturally aware and observing. Not bringing up awareness-observation is quiescence; naturally being aware and observing is shining. This is “Quiescent yet ever-shining.” And “Shining yet ever-quiescent”? Although the marvellous function arises, the fundamental essence remains distinct and motionless (tathātā). Only when Kung-fu reaches this point does it count as arriving home. If there is still awareness-observation present, one has not yet arrived home. But one cannot be like this all at once; one must always pass through the stage of bringing up awareness-observation. One must observe, observe, and observe again until the observation becomes familiar, just like a person in the air forgets there is air. “Like entering a room of irises and orchids; after a long time, one no longer notices the fragrance”—one blends with it and forgets.

“According with conditions without changing, changing while according with conditions” just like all Buddhas; “Quiescent yet ever-shining, shining yet ever-quiescent” just like all Buddhas—this is being equal to all Buddhas. “Equal to all Buddhas; only this is the Fruit.” Only this counts as realizing the Fruit. When we begin to apply effort, we must know what the fundamental nature is. After knowing the fundamental nature, we must constantly observe the mind and constantly be aware. Working on it like this, one can realize the Fruit of Buddhahood. If one does not observe with awareness and does not do the work, how can one realize the Fruit? Reaching heaven in a single step is impossible; there is no one who is born a Buddha. Because his ignorance is still present, he is always attached to appearances. As soon as an infant has perception, he knows his body is important; he is also quite heavy with selfishness. If he has something, he won’t give it to you; if you take his things, he cries and fusses. This is all due to ignorance! Therefore, to realize the Fruit of the Way, one must start from opening the Correct Knowledge-Vision. First step: “Pa!”—break open the Original; Ah! This is my self-nature! Second step: apply effort to protect it at all times and in all places. Third step: realizing the Fruit. If you can truly recognize and grasp the self-nature today, and then go recite the Buddha’s name, you will inevitably receive great utility. At this time, reciting the Buddha’s name is different from reciting it in the past. In the past, when reciting the Buddha’s name, you did not know what “reciting” was all about; you only knew to pursue the West. Now you understand: Oh! Each and every sound of the Buddha’s name is reciting my self-nature, making my own mind pure. “Amitābha, Amitābha…”—sweeping away all the defilements of one’s own mind, cutting off the attachments and afflictions of one’s own mind at the root; then your recitation of the Buddha’s name will have true utility. Therefore, opening Correct Knowledge-Vision is very important; “View” is the first. When the “View” is correct, one can attain Right Concentration, and only then is the practice considered Right Action.

“No-thought is not Indeterminate Blankness (this is beginningless ignorance).”

“No-thought” is not Indeterminate Blankness (Wuji). What is Indeterminate Blankness? It is just like wood or stone, without a single thought; this is the so-called “Indeterminate Emptiness” (Wuji Kong). Indeterminate Emptiness is the “Concentration of Cessation of Feeling and Perception” (Nirodha-samāpatti); having extinguished “feeling” and “perception,” one does not accept any information from the outside world and has no mental activity whatsoever. Indeterminate Emptiness is “beginningless ignorance”; it is not a good thing, so do not regard it as a good thing. Some people pursue this thing and worship this thing. Oh my! So-and-so has good Kung-fu; he can enter samādhi for a week without moving. Hey! So-and-so has even better Kung-fu; he hasn’t moved for a month. Oh my! So-and-so has been sitting for three years! These are all Indeterminate Emptiness; even if you can enter samādhi for eighty-four thousand kalpas, at most it is no more than the “Concentration of Neither Perception nor Non-perception,” which is still worldly dhyāna and still within the six realms of samsara; there is no liberation. Becoming a Buddha is to cultivate into a living Buddha, vividly and briskly giving rise to flexible marvellous functions, not sitting there dead and motionless. What use is there in sitting there dead and motionless?

When Dharma Master Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty went to India to retrieve the scriptures, he traveled to the region of the Himalayas and noticed a canopy of purple clouds gathering over the mountain; he knew there must be someone cultivating the Way in the mountains. So, everyone went to search. Originally there was a cave on the mountain, but over years and days, trees had fallen and grass had grown, burying the cave. They searched and searched, and suddenly someone discovered something that looked like a cave, so they tried digging there. Digging in, it was indeed a cave, and a person was sitting inside. Xuanzang’s disciple said, “This person is dead; look, he is ice-cold, nothing left but a skeleton wrapped in skin.” Dharma Master Xuanzang touched his chest and found it was still a bit warm, which indicated he was not dead; the Eighth Consciousness had not yet left. The Eighth Consciousness is the “Warmth-Life Consciousness”; if there is still a bit of warmth in the chest, it shows he still has life span remaining. Dharma Master Xuanzang struck a hand-chime (yinqing), and the practitioner came out of samādhi. The practitioner opened his eyes and looked: Ah! The Buddha has come; he has come to speak the Dharma to me. He had been sitting there waiting for Śākyamuni Buddha to appear in the world to speak the Dharma to him, so the moment he saw Dharma Master Xuanzang, he thought it was Śākyamuni Buddha coming to receive and guide him, to liberate him. Dharma Master Xuanzang said: “I am not Śākyamuni Buddha; Śākyamuni Buddha entered Parinirvana many years ago.” Śākyamuni Buddha appeared in the world roughly during the time of King Zhao of Zhou, while Tang Xuanzang was in the time of Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty; a very long time had passed. The practitioner cried: “Alas! I have missed the opportunity; I was waiting for Śākyamuni Buddha to appear and liberate me, I never thought the Buddha had already entered Parinirvana.” Dharma Master Xuanzang said: “Do not cry; Śākyamuni Buddha’s Dharma is still here. I am going to the Buddha-land to seek the true scriptures, and in the future, I will return to Cīnasthāna (China) to greatly revitalize the Buddha Dharma.” “This body of yours is useless; you have sat for over a thousand years (his entry into samādhi was for over a thousand years, not three or five years) and it cannot be used; go change into another body!” “Go quickly to Cīnasthāna to be reborn; by the time you grow up, I should be back.” “You must go be reborn in a place with high towers, grand courtyards, and glazed tiles; do not go to a small place.” This practitioner went off to be reborn; he was reborn into the household of Yuchi Gong and became the Little Prince. This practitioner had been in samādhi for over a thousand years; his Kung-fu should have been very good, right? No good! This kind of Concentration of Cessation of Feeling and Perception is useless; it is moving a rock to crush the grass—once the rock is removed, the grass grows back, even more vigorously than before. After he grew up, he was attached to appearances and indulged in debauchery; he caused a great disaster and was thrown into the Imperial Temple prison to be beheaded. Yuchi Gong was a meritorious official, and his family held the title of King; to execute a prince, he had to be thrown into the Imperial Temple first. However, if he left home to become a monk, he could avoid beheading, so he had no choice but to become a monk. But he insisted on bringing women, a musical band, and good food and fun things with him; these things filled three carts. People mocked him as the “Three-Cart Monk.” Later, Dharma Master Xuanzang awakened him to his past life; he realized it suddenly and completely, and he no longer wanted the “three carts.” He was Dharma Master Xuanzang’s great disciple, Dharma Master Kuiji; his later attainments were very high, and he was the second patriarch of the Dharma-character School.

Therefore, we must work on our Kung-fu vividly and briskly; sitting there dead is of no use. True Concentration is not being deluded by objects. No matter what happens, my mind is not disordered; whatever female beauty comes before me, my mind does not move; no amount of treasure can move my mind. This is True Concentration. If the mind moves in response to an object and you suppress it again, that is still not True Concentration; there is still the mind of arising and ceasing! Why does an Arhat of the First Fruit still have to be reborn seven times in the heavens and seven times among humans? It is because he still has the mind of arising and ceasing. When a thought comes, he is immediately vigilant and extinguishes it at once; this is also the mind of arising and ceasing—where there is arising and ceasing, there must be seven returns to the heavens and human realms! When we work on Kung-fu, we must do real Kung-fu, protecting the true mind from being lost at all times and in all places. No-thought is not Indeterminate Blankness; it is very important to understand this point clearly.

“Further distinguished from outer commoners.”

Furthermore, it is different from the outer paths and ordinary beings. Seeking Dharma outside the mind is an outer path. Outer paths also talk about no-thought, but their no-thought is dead. The Qigong practiced by ordinary beings has not departed from attachment; they also talk about no-thought. Their no-thought is even less a true no-thought. They are attached to Qi (energy); where has this Qi gone? Now to the Baihui, now to the Dantian, now to the Yongquan; the Macrocosmic Orbit, the Microcosmic Orbit, and so on—can these things be counted as no-thought? Therefore, the no-thought we speak of is different from the no-thought of outer paths and ordinary beings; it has nothing to do with those practices of theirs.

“From non-awakening to initial awakening; initial awakening is like the child luminosity born from the fundamental awakening, merging with the mother luminosity.”

All of us, in doing our Kung-fu, go “from non-awakening to initial awakening.” Before, we were not awakened; through entering the Way and practicing, we begin to awaken. My speaking the Dharma to you now is in the hope that you will begin to awaken. The wisdom light emitted by initial awakening (actualized awakening) “is like the child luminosity born from the fundamental awakening.” Fundamental awakening is our Buddha-nature. Fundamental awakening is the “Mother Luminosity,” and initial awakening is the “Child Luminosity”; the child luminosity is born of the mother luminosity, just as a mother gives birth to a son. “Merging with the mother luminosity” means initial awakening merging with fundamental awakening. When mother and child merge, the Way is accomplished; if mother and child do not merge, the Way cannot be accomplished. One must observe with awareness at all times and not attach to external environments; this is the process of initial awakening merging with fundamental awakening. When initial awakening and fundamental awakening melt into one body, that is the mother and child merging. For example, in our Heart-of-Mind Method (Xin Zhong Xin Fa), the fourth mudra is the “Tathāgata Mother Mudra.” The mother can give birth to the child; when the mother and child merge, one thereby realizes the Great Way. The Pure Land School also speaks this way: “The Tathāgatas of the ten directions pity and think of sentient beings just as a mother remembers her child. If the child runs away, what use is the remembering? If the child remembers the mother just as the mother remembers the child, then mother and child, throughout successive lives, will not be far from each other.” This passage was spoken by Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva. When we recite the Buddha’s name, the Buddha is the mother, and we are the child; the Buddha is always receiving and guiding us at all times. If the son remembers the mother just as the mother remembers the son, then the mother and child will merge, and accomplishing the Way will be very fast. The Three Baskets and Twelve Divisions of Scripture all breathe through the same nostril. If you grasp this general principle and truly comprehend it, you can thoroughly understand the Three Baskets and Twelve Divisions of Scripture. If you do not grasp the general principle and take meaning out of context, it will be fragmented and you will not know what to follow. Therefore, seeing the fundamental nature at all times is the most crucial thing.

“Although the Principle of View is established, it is not that one can realize it without practice.”

Although we have established the “View Sect” (Principle of View) and possess the Correct Knowledge-Vision, clearly knowing what the fundamental nature is and knowing that one must use this fundamental nature to practice in order to accomplish the Way. However, this does not mean one does not need to practice. If one does not cultivate the Way, can one realize the Way? One cannot! Therefore it says, “it is not that one can realize it without practice”; it does not mean that one can realize the Way without practicing.

“Gold dust possesses the quality of gold, but it is not immediately formed gold. Smelting work is necessary.”

Gold dust is sand that contains gold, which is to say, a mineral deposit containing gold. “Gold dust possesses the quality of gold”: speaking from the essence, the gold dust contains gold inside it; it possesses the texture and quality of gold. “But it is not immediately formed gold”: although it contains gold, it is not yet entirely pure gold; there are still impurities like sand mixed within it. “Smelting work is necessary”: a process of smelting is required to remove impurities like sand before it can become pure gold. This is a metaphor for how all sentient beings (gold dust), although they all possess the wisdom and virtuous characteristics of the Tathāgata and are fully endowed with the Buddha-nature (possess the quality of gold), still have ignorance present, as well as delusive thoughts and attachments, so they are not Buddhas of the Fruit-ground! In other words, although sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature, they are not yet Buddhas (but it is not immediately formed gold). A process of practice is required (smelting work is necessary) to suddenly break through ignorance and further remove delusive thoughts and attachments completely before one can become a Buddha. This passage uses smelting gold ore as a metaphor, intending to emphasize the importance of practice. How does one practice? See the text below.

“Three Gates of Practice: Body practice — leave all contrived actions, such as useless worldly affairs and other other-worldly practices, only resting in leisure and broadness, causing the body to abide.”

The Three Gates of Practice refer to body practice, speech practice, and mind practice. The Esoteric School stresses the blessing of the Three Mysteries, which refers to body, speech, and mind. The Three Gates of Practice also refer to body, speech, and mind. The first is “Body Practice,” which is the method of practice established upon this flesh-and-blood body of ours. “Leave all contrived actions” means to distance oneself from all kinds of contrivances. “Such as useless worldly affairs”: things in this world that have no benefit, for example, playing Mahjong; this matter has no benefit and causes precious time to be squandered and wasted. There are probably not a few among you who like to play Mahjong, using “three missing one” as an excuse to get together every day and fight a few rounds. This will not do! Useless things must not be done. Not doing useless worldly things is itself practice—body practice. “And other other-worldly practices”: there are many methods of other-worldly practice; if you practice this today and that tomorrow, it will not work either. One must penetrate deeply into one gate, accept and uphold one Dharma, and practice it all the way to the end. Today you hear Zhang San say this Dharma is good, so you practice this Dharma; tomorrow you hear Li Si say that Dharma is good, so you go practice that Dharma. Changing your mind like this from morning to evening—although what you practice are all wonderful Dharmas of the other shore—will not yield results because your mind is not focused and cannot correspond with the wonderful Dharma. Moreover, many Dharmas are useless Dharmas. For example, reciting a mantra that allows one to drill a hole in a knife; this is a useless Dharma, of no benefit to liberation. You see that you can drill a hole in a knife and get happy: “Good, I will practice this Dharma.” What is the use of practicing this?

I once heard a monk talk about the causes and conditions of his own leaving home: before leaving home, he was a martial artist who practiced boxing and swordsmanship with his uncle. One day, on the border of Sichuan, he saw two young Tibetan lamas smoking opium. He could not stand the sight and went to intervene: “Hey! You are monastics, how can you smoke opium?” The little lamas said: “Don’t look at us smoking opium; we have magic arts.” He asked: “What magic arts do you have?” The little lamas saw he was carrying a knife and said: “Use the knife you are carrying to chop me; I will recite a mantra and you won’t be able to chop.” He heard this and felt it was very novel, so he hurriedly asked: “Is there really such a Dharma?” The little lama answered: “Of course there is; if you don’t believe it, try it and see. But first, wait for me to finish smoking the opium.” After a while, he finished smoking. “Come, I will recite the mantra, you chop.” Actually, he did not dare to really chop; the knife was very sharp, and if he chopped the hand off, it would end badly. He chopped with the back of the knife—Bang! The knife bounced up. “Oh my, how did you make my knife bounce up?” The little lama said: “Even if you chop with the blade, I am not afraid.” “Really not afraid?” “Of course not afraid.” “If I chop it off, I’m not responsible!” “No need for you to be responsible; go ahead and chop.” This time he really chopped with the blade—Bang! The knife bounced up again. He was convinced and thought: The Buddha Dharma is truly quite good; it is even better than this Kung-fu I practice. He learned the Buddha Dharma due to this cause and condition. In fact, this is a useless Dharma; learning it has no use.

“Only resting in leisure and broadness, causing the body to abide.” Only by resting leisurely and broadly, causing the body to abide without any hindrances, not being tense or busy. The Heart Sūtra says: “Because there is no hindrance, there is no fear, distancing oneself from inverted dream-thinking, and ultimately Nirvana.” If there is hindrance, there will be fear and inverted dream-thinking. With no hindrance, the mind is empty, and one’s chest is broad and flat. Therefore, “The gentleman is open and poised; the petty man is always anxious.” The petty man worries about gain and loss, always anxious all day long; the gentleman is broad-minded, open, leisurely, and at ease. Everyone please pay attention: resting in leisure and broadness, causing the body to abide—this is body practice. If the mind is always worrying about gain and loss, it will not correspond. Leisurely and broadly causing the body to abide, with no afflictions in the mind, no attachments, always calm and harmonious, relaxed and happy—the body will be healthy, and one will not get sick much. Abiding in the world like this, one can then apply effort to practice the Dharma. This is body practice.

“Speech practice — useless worldly speech and mantra recitations all stop; quiet like a valley.”

The second of the Three Gates of Practice is Speech Practice, which is practice regarding conversation and speech. Telling jokes, flattering someone, disparaging something, etc.—these worldly idle words are of no benefit to cultivating the path of liberation; they are all useless worldly speech. Debating the right and wrong, the merits and demerits of a certain person or matter is even more so conceptual play (prapañca). In the Black Sect of Tibetan Esotericism, there are many mantras that are not for cultivating the path of liberation but are for controlling people; those are useless mantra recitations. We should not speak of these things nor recite them. “Useless worldly speech and mantra recitations all stop.” In learning the Buddha Dharma and cultivating the path of liberation, we must penetrate deeply into one gate; do not blindly mess around with other things. Do not speak useless worldly words, and do not recite useless mantras or liturgies. We must achieve the “Three Lesses”: less affairs in the mind, less speech in the mouth, and less food in the belly. Humans have a bad habit; once they finish their work and have some free time, they talk endlessly about Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Er Mazi. For cultivating the path of liberation, that will not do. If you remain silent and do not speak, isn't that quite good? “Quiet like a valley”—do not speak much; keep the mind quiet, just like an empty, secluded mountain valley. “The secluded valley echoes the speech of the evening mist”—if you have a question and ask me, I will answer you in detail without getting tired of it; when there are no questions, I do not think or discriminate, leaving the mind empty and open—“Drinking light in the Great Void, eliminating separation.”

“Mind practice — leave conceptual play and calculation, comparative thoughts; even visualization and mental construction must stop.”

The third of the Three Gates of Practice is Mind Practice, which is practice regarding aspects of ideology and consciousness. What is the use of holding onto sets of empty theories in the mind that are unrelated to the path of liberation and being unable to put them down? Analyzing it and inferring it is “conceptual play” (prapañca); thinking of it and evaluating it is “deliberation” (thinking). One should “leave conceptual play and deliberation, and comparative thoughts”; the mind should be empty and pure, distancing oneself from conceptual play and deliberation, and also distancing oneself from comparative thoughts. Taking everything to compare: what are we comparing? Is it that I am better, or you are better; am I superior (longer), or are you superior? This kind of intention is unequal; it is precisely delusive discrimination; this kind of “comparative thought” must be distanced even more. “Even visualization and mental construction must stop.” Visualization is a method of practice; we mentioned it earlier. Thinking of something is still practice with doing (contrivance). For example, “Visualization of Buddha Recitation” (Guan Xiang Nian Fo), thinking of Amitābha Buddha on top of my head, visualizing that I myself am Amitābha Buddha. Visualization is all “mental construction” (zuo yi), that is, agitating the thinking consciousness with intentionality. Even this kind of visualization, this kind of mental construction, must also stop. One only needs to observe with awareness (guan zhao) properly; as soon as a thought arises, see it; after seeing it, ignore it (do not pay attention to it), and do not run after it. Visualization is a gradual method; after visualization succeeds, one must further apply effort to break the visualized appearance (xiang), only then can one see the fundamental nature. My Master (Guru Wang Xianglu) had a metaphor for this: For example, a large sore grows on the body; one uses medicine to treat it. Thus, the sore opening shrinks, shrinks, and shrinks again, finally shrinking into a small point. Other places have all healed, only this single point remains; this is a metaphor for the success of visualization. But this single point is also a sore! If not removed, it will recur later. So one must further break the visualized appearance; only in this way can it be once and for all, and only then does it count as truly realizing the Dharmakaya. If the appearance (xiang) is not broken, the fundamental nature cannot manifest. Therefore it is said that the visualization method requires crossing one extra threshold. All Esoteric Sections with Form require crossing one extra threshold; in the end, they all must break the appearance. How to break the appearance? One still needs to go a step further and do Kung-fu: visualize this appearance becoming large—large, large... large to the point of being boundless and edgeless; the appearance is gone. Conversely, visualize it becoming small—small, small... small to the point where there is nothing at all. One is expanding, one is shrinking; break it just like this. After the appearance is broken, one sees the fundamental nature, but one has crossed one extra threshold. Mahamudra is the most direct Mahayana Mind-Ground Dharma Gate; it does not want these processes. Therefore, it says “even visualization and mental construction must stop.” Mahamudra does not walk this road, does not cross these thresholds. As soon as a thought arises, see it; after seeing it, ignore it; just protect the true mind.

“(Just when using mind, exactly no mind to use)”

The sentence in the parentheses is extracted from Zen Master Lazy Rong’s stanza, serving as an annotation to “Mind Practice.” Zen Master Lazy Rong’s stanza is very good; everyone likes to quote it, mostly quoting four lines: “Just when using mind, exactly no mind to use; no mind exactly use, constant use exactly nothing.” The complete stanza is eight lines: “Just when using mind, exactly no mind to use. Crookedly discussing names and forms is labor, directly speaking is not burdensome; no mind exactly use, constant use exactly nothing. Speaking now of the place of no-mind, is not different from having-mind.” When doing Kung-fu and one is just using the mind, yet one does not see any thought that can arise; this is “Just when using mind, exactly no mind to use.” Beating around the bush and talking largely of Buddhist names and forms (terminology) exhausts the mind and effort; pointing directly to the mind-source, without speaking superfluous words, is then not so complicated or heavy. This is “Crookedly discussing names and forms is labor, directly speaking is not burdensome.” The Great Way has no shape, the True Mind has no characteristics; although without shape and without characteristics, it is functioning at all times and in all places. Although all things and events are its marvellous function, if you seek the thing itself, it is unobtainable. This is “no mind exactly use, constant use exactly nothing.” Now that we directly point out this “no-mind” and speak of it directly, it is then not different from “having-mind,” that is, “Speaking now of the place of no-mind, is not different from having-mind.”

“From crown to feet, empty like a bamboo tube. Mind equals empty space, transcending all discrimination, leaving sinking, scattering, and indeterminate, and causing equal, holding, aware, and quiescent. Numinous bright without taking, rejecting, or attachment, abiding in the originally marvelous, bright, and pure essence-nature; this is the Great Mudra (Mahamudra) Samadhi.”

“From crown to feet, empty like a bamboo tube,” means from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet, empty like a bamboo tube; the entire body and mind are empty and without a single thing. Look at that bamboo tube; throw it onto the water, and it drifts with the water, turning with the bends; whether high or low, sinking or floating, it does not care. A wave hits it down, and it immediately floats back up; according with conditions, sinking and floating. A person who has accomplished practice is just like this: “According with conditions, loose and spacious, letting it sink or float; transforming into spring mud to protect the flowers.”

“Mind equals empty space, transcending all discrimination.” The bosom must be vast like empty space, not distinguishing beauty and ugliness; everything can be contained. In empty space, everything exists; if high-rise buildings are built up, empty space does not say it cannot contain them. If you tear down the house, empty space does not become more spacious. If you expand the house, empty space does not become narrower. Airplanes fly up, empty space does not care; dark clouds gather densely, lightning flashes and thunder rolls, empty space has never moved its expression; it does not care. Our true mind is originally just like empty space; it has never moved. Now that we recognize the true mind, we must be “mind equals empty space, transcending all discrimination.” No matter what happens, I am indifferent. Empty space can contain the ten thousand things; I too can contain the ten thousand things. The worlds of the ten directions are in empty space; the worlds of the ten directions are also in my mind. Non-abiding Nirvana; one can go anywhere, not limited to one place. The bosom is broad like empty space, wide like empty space, non-abiding like empty space, unattached like empty space. It is not that there are no things in empty space, but there is no hindrance. “Transcending all discrimination” means transcending and cutting off all thoughts of discrimination, taking, and rejecting. Discrimination, taking, and rejecting are all delusive thoughts; if it is a delusive thought, it must be cut off.

“Leave sinking, scattering, and indeterminate, and cause equal, holding, aware, and quiescent.” Leave means to depart from. Sinking (Hun Chen) is torpor, dozing off. “Lazy ox on the road, many sleeping matters”; just like that lazy ox, when not on the road, sleep does not come; as soon as it gets on the road, it dozes off. Some people are fine when not sitting in meditation; as soon as they sit, they sink into torpor, sleeping soundly. Scattering (Diao Ju) is restlessness, having many delusive thoughts. Sitting there with thoughts going up and down, thinking randomly. Doing Kung-fu like this is absolutely not okay. We must achieve no sinking and no scattering, but we also cannot fall into indeterminate (Wu Ji). Indeterminate means not even having right mindfulness, like a piece of wood or stone; this is also not okay. One must be clearly understanding, with right mindfulness shining bright. We often say observing the mind, observing the mind; one must observe it, and cannot fall into indeterminate; right mindfulness must still be there.

Equal (Deng) means equality; Holding (Chi) means maintaining evenly. Aware (Xing Xing) is observation (Guan), is Wisdom (Hui). Quiescent (Ji Ji) is stopping (Zhi), is Concentration (Ding). The so-called “Equal Holding of Concentration and Wisdom” (Ding Hui Deng Chi) means Quiescence and Awareness are equal, without one being high or low. It is not that Awareness is more and Quiescence is less, or Quiescence is more and Awareness is less, but equal quantity and even holding. Being clearly understanding and at the same time silently motionless; being silently motionless and at the same time clearly understanding. Concentration and Wisdom are one body; within Concentration there is Wisdom, within Wisdom there is Concentration. Only when they are one body can they be equally held.

“Numinous bright without taking, rejecting, or attachment.” The True Mind is Numinously Bright (Ling Ming): that is, “Numinous Light solitary and shining, far transcending sense-organs and dusts”; Numinous Light silently shines, clearly understanding. There is no taking, no rejecting, and even more so no attachment. Lively and sharp, like catching a gourd on water; press left and it turns left, press right and it turns right; you can never catch it. Earlier it was compared to “empty like a bamboo tube”; the bamboo tube and the gourd are the same, floating on the water, incomparably numinous and bright; one cannot catch it. One must have no taking, rejecting, or attachment to be numinous and bright. Taking, rejecting, and attachment must all be thoroughly put down.

“Abide in the originally marvelous, bright, and pure essence-nature; this is the Great Mudra (Mahamudra) Samadhi.” Where does one abide? Abide in the “originally marvelous, bright, and pure essence-nature.” The True Mind originally has boundless marvelous function, originally has limitless luminosity, and is originally pure and unstained; this is the essence-nature of the True Mind. Abiding upon the fundamental essence of the True Mind is precisely “Non-abiding.” Because the fundamental essence of the True Mind has no characteristics, how can one abide? Abiding without abiding, “this is the Great Mudra Samadhi.” Nowadays people often talk about Mahamudra; what is Mahamudra? The fundamental essence of the True Mind is Mahamudra. Are you all clear on this? Do not ask again how to tie the seal (mudra) for Mahamudra? Is it the left hand or the right hand? The fundamental essence of the True Mind IS Mahamudra. Boundless marvelous function, limitless luminosity, pure and unstained; abiding without abiding—this is Mahamudra Samadhi.

“Constantly practice like this, suddenly in a ksana, like a lamp lit in a dark room, the brightness opens up.”

We just discussed the three gates of practice: body, speech, and mind. “Constantly practice like this”: if you practice like this often, you will suddenly be vigorously brilliant. “Suddenly in a ksana, like a lamp lit in a dark room, the brightness opens up”: in a ksana (instant), it is like a lamp suddenly lighting up in a dark room; the mind-light reveals itself, opening up extensively. What is this? This is becoming enlightened, the bottom of the bucket falling out, breaking open the Original. This is opening a Great Storehouse of Light; the mind-light shines brightly upon heaven and earth, and the worlds of the ten directions are all round within your mind. If one does not reach this stage, even if one has some realization, it can only be counted as “mind opening a single thread.” Having only a thread of light cannot count. Reaching this stage is like a big explosion; “Boom!”—empty space shatters, the great earth sinks; self, others, and the world all vanish without a trace. When will this situation come? It cannot be known; when the time and conditions arrive, “Pa!”—it breaks open. There is no fixed place; it is not necessarily in any particular place. Must it be at home? Must it be during meditation time? Not necessarily! Sometimes it is on the road, sometimes in a public place, sometimes during sleep and dreams; it can manifest. When Kung-fu is mature and the time and conditions arrive, it naturally manifests; this is called “when water arrives, the channel forms.” When the flowing water rushes in, the channel is naturally formed. If there is no water, the channel cannot be considered formed. You only need to do Kung-fu like this constantly; when the time and conditions arrive, suddenly it will come. This “suddenly” is very important; it does not designate which time. If there were a time, you would have a waiting mind; one cannot “wait for enlightenment with the mind”! One cannot wait for enlightenment; as soon as there is a waiting mind, it is ruined; it will never come, and one will never attain enlightenment. We who practice the Heart-of-Mind Method must pay attention: Do not count the number of sessions! Do not mutter, “I have sat for hundreds of sessions, how many more until I reach a thousand sessions?” Do not count anymore; hurry up and put it down. Counting times will not work; this is a waiting mind, it is unwanted! The scene of breaking open erupts suddenly; when the work of Kung-fu is mature, it will naturally erupt. Do not have a waiting mind; just work hard at practicing! Hearing me say “Boom!”, do not think it is like hearing the sound of thunder. It is not; it is just a kind of artistic conception. You feel “Boom!”, but others cannot hear it. The most important thing is to do Kung-fu well. If you do Kung-fu, it will naturally come; if you do not do Kung-fu, it will not come. If you expect it and wait for it, having this waiting mind, it will not come either.

“Nirvana self-nature, the wisdom light of the co-emergent fundamental awakening, the total body manifests completely. Immediately realize the Unsurpassable Correct Awakening Path.”

“Nirvana self-nature” is what? It is the self-nature that is originally unborn and undying.

“The wisdom light of the co-emergent fundamental awakening.” Co-emergent means arising simultaneously with our life. Fundamental Awakening means originally awakened, not starting to be awakened at some particular time. The wisdom light of the co-emergent fundamental awakening is the wisdom light that the self-mind possesses originally, that it has from the beginning.

“The total body manifests completely”: it manifests completely and totally without the slightest concealment; that is, personal realization and seeing. Now, I speak and you listen; you are listening in through your ears; it enters from the ear gate. “That which enters from the gate is not the family treasure”; one must realize this stage oneself, “Pa!”—break open the Original and personally verify it once; only that counts.

“Immediately realize the Unsurpassable Correct Awakening Path”: immediately realize the supreme and unsurpassable Great Way of Correct Awakening—Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. At this time you will know: speaking of Samsara, talking of Nirvana, what thorough or not thorough, ultimate or not ultimate... all are conceptual play! At this time you can manifest a body to speak the Dharma, and for sentient beings with affinity, “cause them all to enter Nirvana without Remainder and be liberated.”

Gentlemen! Apply effort! Work hard and move forward! Work hard to apply effort! Work hard to move forward!

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