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Chinese Original: https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2025/12/97.html
English Translation:
Transcription of Master Yuan Yin's teaching tape at Dharma Seal Temple, California, USA, 1997. Transcribed and edited by Miao Hui.
All of you great kalyāṇamitras [spiritual friends]:
Speaking of the Buddha-Dharma, originally there is nothing to say. Because all sentient beings possess the wisdom and virtuous characteristics of the Tathāgata [Thus Come One], any spoken words are not the ultimate meaning. The Buddha's preaching is just like "picking up yellow leaves to stop a child from crying." There is no fixed Dharma; the Buddha's teaching is like prescribing medicine according to the sickness. Whatever sickness one has, one takes that medicine; there is no fixed rule. As long as the medicine suits the symptoms, it is good medicine. Therefore, all Dharma gates and schools are uniformly equal, without high or low.
In modern times, due to changes in the current situation and environment, the capacities of sentient beings are relatively inferior, and their karmic obstructions are deep and heavy. Because of this depth and weight, and because their root-nature is relatively poor, it seems that the practice of Pure Land is the most appropriate. It accords with the Principle and accords with the capacity; it is most suitable for sentient beings to practice and realize. The Pure Land Dharma-gate is very simple and convenient; one can resolve all problems just by holding to the single phrase "Amitābha Buddha." One phrase, "Amitābha Buddha," can encompass the Three Baskets (Tripiṭaka) and Twelve Divisions of scripture; it includes and contains all schools. It is indeed a good Dharma that gathers in the three roots universally and encompasses the Eight Teachings completely. It is a pity that some Pure Land students nowadays do not hold this sacred name with focused dedication. There is a very bad saying circulating in the Mainland: "Reciting the Buddha with a scattered mind, one is reborn carrying one's karma." This implies that one can recite the Buddha's name on one hand, and use one's brain to talk nonsense on the other, and in this way, one can still be reborn in the West carrying karmic obstructions. If it were truly that convenient, Great Master Lianchi would not have said later: "Those who recite the Buddha are many, but those born in the West are few. Why? Because the mind of recitation is not pained and earnest!" Why are there many reciters but few who are born in the West? Because our heart in reciting the Buddha is not sincere, not genuine and true, not pained and earnest, but rather sloppy and perfunctory. Therefore, Great Master Hanshan said: "If the mouth recites Amitābha but the mind is scattered, even if you shout until your throat is broken, it is in vain." If your mind is a mess, shouting until your throat breaks is useless. This talk of "reciting with a scattered mind, rebirth carrying karma" is very bad. There is an even worse saying circulating in the Mainland, claiming: "As long as we believe in Amitābha Buddha, we don't need to recite the Buddha's name; at the end of life, we can still be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss." The spreading gets worse and worse; that one was "scattered recitation," this one discards even scattered recitation. Spreading chaos like this destroys the Buddha-Dharma, yet they themselves think they have found a knack.
We say that whether it is the Pure Land School, the Chan School, or the Esoteric School, one must apply effort properly. If one does not apply effort properly, relying solely on Other-power without Self-power, one cannot succeed. As the common saying goes: "Without passing through a period of bone-chilling cold, how can one catch the nose-piercing fragrance of plum blossoms?" Our recitation of the Buddha must be dead-set and honest, just as Great Master Hanshan taught us: "Reciting the Buddha is like pushing a heavy cart up a hill; one must exert extreme force to chase the summit." Character after character, phrase after phrase, every character clear and crisp—only then does it gain power. Chan Master Zibo said: Whether we can be born in the West through recitation can be checked by ourselves. How to check? Check at two ends: the end of favorable circumstances and the end of adverse circumstances. In favorable circumstances, you are incredibly happy, and the mind of reciting the Buddha is forgotten to the back of your head; there is no thought of Buddha. In times of adversity, when you are annoyed and flaring with anger, there is no thought of Buddha either. If you cannot be the master at these two ends and just run after the states, then the moment of death will be very dangerous. Because right mindfulness cannot be brought up, and at the end of life when the four elements dissolve, it is extremely painful. Especially when the wind element disperses, the body feels as if it is being scraped away layer by layer by a knife; the pain is unbearable. At that time, a person is unconscious; can you still bring up the Buddha's name? Therefore, Śākyamuni Buddha taught us: "Hold firm the name, whether for one day, two days, three days, four days, five days, six days, or seven days, with one mind without confusion." "Hold" (zhi) means to grasp tightly; "firm" (chi) means to persevere without letting go. It means the Buddha's name and our heart merge together, mind and Buddha are not two parts, mind and Buddha become one piece. Mind is Buddha, Buddha is mind, merged in accord. Only in this way can one go from one day to seven days, from beginning to end, with one mind without confusion (avikṣipta-citta). Therefore, it is very important that we recite the Buddha with focused dedication.
Whether one needs the samādhi [meditative absorption] of Buddha Recitation to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is a key question that must be clarified. Some people say: "Our birth in the West relies on Other-power, relying on Amitābha Buddha's vow-power to receive and guide us to the West; it does not rely on oneself, so it's not needed." They do not realize that to have Other-power, one first needs Self-power; if one has no strength of one's own, relying solely on Other-power cannot be done. For example, in worldly matters, if you ask someone to help with a task, but you have no capability yourself, can relying solely on others succeed? Buddha-Dharma is worldly dharma, and worldly dharma is Buddha-Dharma; if worldly dharma is like this, how could Buddha-Dharma not be so? Therefore, to rely on Other-power, one must first have considerable power oneself. Great Master Yinguang once said that reciting the Buddha requires "earnestly bringing it up and tearing it open" (qieqie tisi). "Bringing it up" means gathering the spirit and focusing attention, lifting this phrase of the Buddha's name into the mind. "Tearing it open" means tearing through; it means one must carry investigation while reciting: "Amitābha Buddha, Amitābha Buddha, Amitābha Buddha..." From where is the Buddha's name recited?! Who is the reciter?! It looks like investigating the hua-tou [word-head/koan], but actually, Pure Land is Chan. Great Master Yinguang said: "One must, upon this single thought of 'Namo Amitābha Buddha,' heavily investigate and earnestly tear it open; the more one investigates, the more earnest it becomes; the more one brings it up, the more intimate it becomes. When power is extreme and effort is pure, suddenly the [mind] and the thought drop away, and one realizes and enters the realm of no-thought and no non-thought." "Suddenly the [mind] and the thought drop away" means reciting the Buddha until there is nowhere to recite. The mind that recites the Buddha is originally a deluded mind; when the deluded mind does not move, the Buddha's name cannot be recited. The mind that can recite and the Buddha's name that is recited drop away at once; this is the "tearing open." Great Master Yinguang also said: "When effort reaches this point, the method of reciting the Buddha is attained, induction and response intertwine, and it is exactly the time to apply strength. Its appearance is like clouds dispersing from the vast sky, the blue heaven thoroughly revealed; one personally sees the Original, yet originally there is nothing to be seen. No-seeing is true seeing; seeing implies following dust. At this point, the colors of the mountains and the sounds of the streams are all the Meaning of the First Principle; the crying of crows and the magpies' noise are nothing but the Supreme True Vehicle. Lively and brisk, one responds to all dharmas, yet does not dwell in a single dharma; bright and dazzling, one illuminates all states, yet is completely without a single thing. Speaking of its function, it is like the rising of the morning sun, round, bright, and clearly illuminating; speaking of its essence, it is like the setting of the bright moon, pure and quiescently extinguished. Illuminating yet quiescent, quiescent yet illuminating, both existing and both extinguished, absolute and perfectly fused. It is like snow covering a thousand mountains, or the ocean swallowing ten thousand tributaries; it is only of one color, completely without a different flavor, without hindrance or obstruction, free and at ease. Speaking of its benefits, in the present, though not yet having left the Sahā world, one already participates in the Ocean Assembly; at the end of life, one instantly ascends to the High Grade and suddenly realizes the Buddha Vehicle. Only the people of the house know the affairs of the house. If spoken to an outsider, it will undoubtedly meet with slander." The fundamental essence has no characteristics [signless]; saying it is like a thing misses the mark. However, when engaging in function, it is like the morning sun rising in the east, universally illuminating the great chiliocosm, its light swallowing the ten thousand phenomena. Our True Suchness Buddha-nature is just such a wondrous essence and wondrous function; one can realize it through reciting the Buddha.
In the Pure Land School, there is a common saying: "When the flower opens, one sees the Buddha and realizes the Unborn." This means if we apply effort diligently and recite the Buddha well—reciting until the deluded mind is cut off and the Buddha's name drops away—the mind-flower will bloom. Our physical heart is like a lotus flower; round at the top and pointed at the bottom. Using the lotus to represent the mind: first, for its shape; second, to signify "emerging from the mud unstained." Although we are in the Sahā world, amidst all afflictions, the eternally abiding true mind is not stained by a single speck of dust. As long as we work hard and recite the Buddha with focus, when the mind is pure, the mind-flower will bloom. Our physical heart can open in two situations: One is when entering the samādhi absorption; it can open, and the wider it opens, the greater the radiance we see. The other is at the moment of breathing one's last; when the final breath is exhaled and touches the death-point at the edge of the pericardium, our physical heart opens, the eighth consciousness leaves, and the person dies. The eighth consciousness leaves last; the Dharma-character (Yogācāra) School says: "Leaving last and arriving first, acting as the master." "Leaving" means it leaves last; "arriving" means it comes first. If we do our kung-fu (spiritual work) well, the mind-flower opens, and we can see our Self-nature Buddha. Amitābha Buddha is the Self-nature Buddha. Because a thousand Buddhas and ten thousand Buddhas share one body; there is no difference. It is like electric lights; light and light merge with each other without obstructing one another. Therefore, seeing the Self-nature Buddha is seeing Amitābha Buddha. The phrase "When the flower opens, one sees the Buddha and realizes the Unborn" calls us to perfect our kung-fu; then, right in the present, the mind-flower will open, and right in the present, we can see the Self-nature Buddha. When the heart is pure, right here is the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. In the Amitābha Sūtra, it says: "In that land, whether already born, or now being born, or will be born." This means that to be born in the West, we do not necessarily have to die; we can be reborn right in the present; it depends on how we perform our kung-fu.
If the samādhi of Buddha Recitation is realized, that is the Chan School, that is the Esoteric School. The Esoteric School relies on the three secrets (mysteries) of body, speech, and mind for empowerment (adhiṣṭhāna) to open the secret treasure; Pure Land recitation of the Buddha's name is also equal to holding a mantra, opening our own fundamental nature, which is opening the secret treasure. When practicing, it is all the empowerment of the three secrets of body, speech, and mind. We sit in the lotus posture, our hands forming the Dharma-realm Meditation Mudra (dharmadhātu-dhyāna-mudrā), hands and feet not moving; thus the body does not easily move—this is called the Body Secret. The mouth reciting the Buddha's name ceaselessly is called the Speech Secret. While reciting, one cannot talk casually; some people are very bad, reciting the Buddha while talking nonsense, gossiping about the Zhang family or the Li family, how the daughter-in-law is bad or the daughter is good—can the mind be unified like this? The Speech Secret means reciting the Buddha's name densely and continuously; only when recited to the point where delusional thoughts are cut off and the Buddha's name cannot be recited is it just right. At this moment, people often get scared: "Oh my, why is there no recitation? The Buddha's name is gone too; am I leaving the Buddha? Am I falling into emptiness?" Actually, this moment is just right; they do not know that this is the time when mind and Buddha intertwine and become one piece. It was originally very good, about to enter, about to enter the samādhi of Buddha Recitation, but once afraid, they retreat. When reciting the Buddha, if the mind is not scattered and the intent is not inverted, that is the Mind Secret. We must know this state when reciting the Buddha. Therefore, it is said that the Pure Land School is the Chan School; opening the Original and seeing the Self-nature—is that not what the Chan School calls the "Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, the Wondrous Heart of Nirvāṇa"? Is that not what the Esoteric School calls "opening the secret treasure"? So the Pure Land School, Chan School, and Esoteric School are completely the same; there is no difference.
Speaking of the Chan School, it is even easier to understand. Other schools unavoidably circle around on the outside; the Chan School points directly at seeing the Nature, points directly at the human mind, to see Nature and become a Buddha; no circling is needed at all. Like a prince being born; in the future, he will certainly inherit the throne and become king. Unfortunately, people in the Dharma-Ending Age have inferior capacities and cannot directly see the Nature in the present moment. The great patriarchs of the Chan School saw that our capacities were not good, so they stopped pointing directly for us and instead told us to investigate the hua-tou. If I point directly and tell you to see the Nature, you won't believe it; you think: "Is seeing the Nature really that convenient?" Actually, our Buddha-nature is not elsewhere; it is radiating from our face-gates (sense faculties) at all times; our ability to see, speak, hear, walk, and work—all these are the wondrous function of the Buddha-nature; apart from the Buddha-nature, we cannot move. It is not the eyes that can see things, but the function of the Buddha-nature.
Nowadays, scientists also say that it is not the eyes that see things, but the function of the brain's optic nerve. If the brain's optic nerve is damaged, even if the eyes are good, one cannot see; the optic nerve plays a major role. But they only got half of it right; why? The optic nerve is just the wire, and the eye is the light bulb; if our breath stops coming, even though the eyes are still there and the brain is still there, you cannot see things; what is the reason? Because the Buddha-nature has left you; the power is cut. Electricity has no appearance (form), but we can see the function of electricity through the light bulb.
Being able to see things is the wondrous function of the Buddha-nature. Śākyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment by gazing at the morning star on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month; how did he attain enlightenment? His mind emptied, and he suddenly understood: "I can see the star; what is functioning here?" This is the function of the Buddha-nature. Everything in the world is the manifestation of the Buddha-nature; apart from the Buddha-nature, there is nothing. Being able to see everything is the wondrous function of the Buddha-nature. Then, since sentient beings can all see and hear, are they not the same as the Buddha? Why do they not know it? Although sentient beings possess the same wisdom and virtuous characteristics as the Buddha, they have lost their original nature due to inverted delusional thinking and attachment; desire for the external world has covered the radiance of the original nature, drowning out the radiance of the original nature. As it is said in the Chan tradition: "Just because it is so intimate, it conversely causes you to recognize it late." Because it is too close, constantly radiating from your face-gates, you conversely do not see it. It is like covering your eyes with your hand; you cannot see. We are in the midst of the Buddha-nature's wondrous function at all times, yet we ourselves do not know it.
Some people study the Buddha-Dharma seeking spiritual powers (abhijñā); they do not know that we are in the midst of spiritual powers at all times; our wearing clothes and eating food is spiritual power! "No, no, everyone can wear clothes and eat food; how is that spiritual power?" Actually, everyone is a great spiritual power. If your breath stops coming, can you still wear clothes and eat food? Who is wearing the clothes? Who is eating the meal? Is this not the wondrous function of the Buddha-nature? It is a pity that our minds have attachments and do not flow through; we get stuck on certain things, stuck on certain thoughts, and refuse to let go. Therefore, although there is spiritual function, it does not flow through; this is because of dwelling in appearances. Knowing that all appearances are reflections manifested and transformed by the Nature, one does not dwell in them; utilizing them without being used by them—that is attaining the Way. The patriarchs said: "Sitting by the rice basket, starving countless people." Sitting by the rice basket, if you are hungry, just serve rice and eat; why look but not see, going so far as to starve to death? One is constantly in the midst of the Buddha-nature's wondrous function without knowing it, yet seeks so-called spiritual powers elsewhere. He thinks only the Heavenly Eye, Heavenly Ear, Fleetness of Foot, Fate-Knowledge, and Other-Minds are true spiritual powers; actually, those are all wondrous functions of the Buddha-nature. The Buddha-nature is omnipotent, so it is called "Spirit" (shen); but if you have attachments, it does not flow through (tong). Worldly wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep are all fake, like flowers in the sky or the moon in the water, like flowers seen by diseased eyes; it is because the eyes are sick. Can you fish out the moon's reflection in the water? So do not try to fish for it. It is all because habits are deep and heavy that one cannot let go for the moment, so the Buddha taught us a method of reciting the Buddha: "Amitābha Buddha, Amitābha Buddha, Amitābha Buddha..." Use the Buddha's name to transform the deluded mind, to rotate away the habit of attachment, telling you not to attach and crave anymore, not to pursue anymore. When the seeds in the field of the eighth consciousness are pure, consciousness can be transformed into wisdom.
Investigating the hua-tou in the Chan School follows this same principle. Investigating "Who is reciting the Buddha?": If you say "I" am reciting the Buddha, what is "I"? Is the body me? If the breath stops coming and it cannot move, can it still recite? Is thought me? Vipaśyin Buddha said: "Mind is originally unborn; it exists because of objects." Mind is thought; it originally does not exist; it only exists because it reflects the external objective world; it is the falling shadow of the six dusts. The body is not you, and thought is not you either; then, what is you? Raise a great doubt upon this; cut off all your delusional thoughts until nothing can enter from outside and nothing can exit from inside; when you are truly immovable, the good news arrives. When the time and conditions arrive, with a "Pa!", it opens up. The Chan School uses this wonderful method to help you open up.
The Virtuous Ones of the Chan School through the ages originally pointed students directly to see the Nature and attain the Way, but after the Song Dynasty, people's minds gradually became inferior, so the practice of investigating the hua-tou was started. Because pointing directly was too convenient; due to its convenience, they would not affirm it, still thinking that seeing the Nature and attaining the Way must involve developing spiritual powers. If you don't have spiritual powers, then you haven't attained the Way. Using spiritual powers to measure whether one has attained the Way. Actually, enlightenment and spiritual powers are two different things, just as enlightenment and entering samādhi are two different things. Your power of samādhi may be very good, able to reach the First Dhyāna, Second Dhyāna, Third Dhyāna, and Fourth Dhyāna, but those who are not enlightened are not few, because they dwell within the samādhi. The joy of the First Dhyāna, the bliss of the Second Dhyāna, the wondrous bliss of the Third Dhyāna, the purity of the Fourth Dhyāna—there are plenty who dwell in purity without being enlightened. Is developing spiritual powers enlightenment? External paths (non-Buddhists) all have spiritual powers; are external paths enlightened? Arhats all have spiritual powers; have Arhats seen the Nature and become enlightened? No. They have only severed the attachment to the self of the person; the attachment to the self of dharmas has not yet been removed. So enlightenment and spiritual powers are two different things. In the past, the ancients had very deep and thick capacities; some developed spiritual powers first and then became enlightened; this is retribution-power (from past lives), having the foundation of practice from previous lives, so there is repayment in this life. Developing powers first and enlightening later is alright, but if one dwells on the spiritual powers, one will become a demon, which is conversely bad.
We often cite a modern example. When Zhang Xianzhong was rebelling, Patriarch Poshan opened the hall to speak Dharma at Shuanghui Hall in Sichuan; he was a disciple of Chan Master Miyun Yuanwu of Tiantong Mountain in Ningbo, Zhejiang. Before his enlightenment, he could send out a manomayakāya [mind-made body]; he often sent out the manomayakāya to catch the villagers' ducks. He was reprimanded by Chan Master Miyun Yuanwu: "While spiritual powers are not absent, you haven't even dreamt of the Buddha-Dharma." What is a manomayakāya? Manomayakāya is a Buddhist term; Taoists call it the Yang Spirit (Yang Shen). The seventh consciousness, the mental faculty (manas), is the root of the sixth consciousness; when the seventh consciousness comes out, it is called the manomayakāya. It is an image, a consciousness-spirit, not our original face, not the wondrous essence of the Buddha-nature's True Suchness; yet Taoists consider it the original face, so Taoists are not ultimate. There are three kinds of manomayakāyas: the manomayakāya of the enjoyment of samādhi proper reception, the manomayakāya of the self-nature of the awareness of dharmas, and the manomayakāya of the accumulation of types without activity. The first kind of manomayakāya can come out even without enlightenment; if one's sitting meditation kung-fu is done well and one enters deep Chan samādhi, and the six roots are pure—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are pure—and immovable, the seventh consciousness can come out freely. Because the seventh consciousness is the transmitting consciousness; it accepts the shadow messages from the six consciousnesses outside and transmits them into the eighth consciousness, the Storehouse Consciousness (ālayavijñāna). When the front six consciousnesses do not move, there is nothing to transmit to it or suppress it, so it naturally comes out. The first type of manomayakāya is called "mind-made body of the enjoyment of samādhi proper reception"; entering deep into samādhi, the happiness is incomparable; this joy is not comparable to any worldly happiness. There is a saying: "Such a fine romance cannot be painted"; at this moment, it is indescribable, unpaintable. At this time, being immovable, the seventh consciousness can come out freely, forming the "manomayakāya of the enjoyment of samādhi proper reception." The latter two kinds of manomayakāyas require reaching above the Fifth Ground (Bhūmi). The Fifth Ground is called the "Difficult to Conquer Ground"; this pass is even harder to penetrate. Those who investigate Chan and become enlightened only ascend to the First Ground; they must ascend upwards to the First, Second, Third... Tenth Ground. The pass of the Fifth Ground is very difficult to penetrate. Our habits of attachment are very deep; it is not that habits are gone once one is enlightened; there are still many habit seeds in the field of the eighth consciousness. These habits differ as View Afflictions and Thought Afflictions.
View Afflictions are incorrect views; there are five kinds of views: Self View, Extreme View, Evil View, View-Attachment View, and Precept-Prohibition Attachment View. Self View considers the body as "me"; "I" want to enjoy, enjoyment requires money, and thus to get money one uses unscrupulous means—stealing, robbing, smashing—causing the society to have no peace. So Self View is the number one bad thing. Extreme View concerns whether there is existence after death; some say there is, some say there isn't, leaning to the two sides. Evil View is denying cause and effect, saying there is no cause and effect, no hell, so one can do bad deeds freely; this is Evil View. View-Attachment View is taking an incorrect view and considering it correct, and spreading it to the world, poisoning many people. Precept-Prohibition Attachment View is evil precepts. These are all incorrect views, but they are all easy to remove; once the view is correct, they can be cut off.
Next, I will briefly speak about the "Five Abodes of Affliction": (1) The Abode of Views regarding the One Place, which is the aforementioned View Afflictions. (2) The Abode of Desire-Love, which is the affliction of the Desire Realm. (3) The Abode of Form-Love, which is the affliction of the Form Realm. (4) The Abode of Existence-Love, which is the affliction of the Formless Realm. (5) The Abode of Ignorance, which is the ignorance of all three realms, also called "Ignorance Affliction." The middle three are called "Thought Afflictions." The latter four kinds need to be cut off after we become enlightened.
First, let's speak of the three kinds of Thought Afflictions: The first is the affliction of the Abode of Desire-Love; beings in the Desire Realm have very heavy lustful minds, and they also love other forms (such as the pleasures of music, beauty, dogs, and horses). Where there is love, there is dwelling; where there is dwelling, there is affliction; where there is affliction, one must suffer retribution. We must eliminate the afflictions of the Desire Realm. The second is the affliction of the Abode of Form-Love; the Form Realm surpasses our Desire Realm. The Desire Realm Heavens have six layers; surpassing them are the Four Dhyāna Heavens of the Form Realm; the Four Dhyāna Heavens have four layers; the scenery and appearances of the Dhyāna Heavens are more refined, subtle, and wonderful than our Desire Realm, even more beautiful, making people linger and forget to return. Regarding the samādhi power of sitting meditation: the joy of First Dhyāna, the bliss of Second Dhyāna, the wondrous bliss of Third Dhyāna, the purity of Fourth Dhyāna—it is very easy for people to get stuck on top, dwelling inside the purity and unable to walk out, trapped just like in a trap. This must also be knocked down and eliminated. The third is the affliction of the Abode of Existence-Love in the Formless Realm; the Formless Realm sounds like it has no form, but actually it still has form (mark); it is just more refined, close to the verge of emptiness, invisible to our fleshly eyes.
When the love-abode afflictions of the three realms are eliminated completely, there is still Beginningless Ignorance, called Single-Thought Ignorance, which is the ignorance co-arising with the Buddha-nature since our birth. Buddha-nature and ignorance are not two separate parts; it is not that first there is Buddha-nature and later there is ignorance; when there is Buddha-nature, there is ignorance; this is called Co-emergent Ignorance. Only when the preceding View and Thought Afflictions are removed completely can one remove this affliction of the Abode of Ignorance. The Abode of Ignorance is the self of dharmas; the former ones are the self of the person. After removing the self of the person, one removes the self of dharmas. So doing kung-fu is not that simple; it is not something that can be finished all at once. After enlightenment in the Chan School, one cannot yet end birth and death, because after enlightenment, there are still the afflictions of the self of dharmas that are not finished, and there is still the coming and going of birth and death.
Some practitioners of the Pure Land School often slander the Chan School because of this, saying the Chan School is no good: "Enlightened and seeing the Nature, yet still unable to end birth and death; it's still my Pure Land School that is good; once in the West, everything is resolved." They also cite many examples, such as Wuzu Jie and Caotang Qing. Wuzu Jie was a third-generation successor of the Yunmen School; he came back to be reborn as Su Dongpo; was Su Dongpo enlightened? Did he end birth and death? Caotang Qing came back to be reborn as Zeng Lugong; did he succeed in seeing the Nature? No. "So my Pure Land School is better." Actually, each school has its own standpoint; do not slander one another. The Chan School requires making great vows; if one is not enlightened at this time, one cultivates further in the next life; because maintained by vast vows, the human body is not lost, and good roots are not severed. As long as one opens the Original and sees the Fundamental Nature, even if Segmented Birth and Death is not ended, at most seven lives in heaven and seven returns to the human realm, and Segmented Birth and Death is ended; this is the worst case. A bit better is three returns to human and heaven, and Segmented Birth and Death is ended. Even better, one succeeds in one lifetime. So kung-fu depends on how each person performs it. It is not that once one investigates Chan and becomes enlightened, the matter is finished, because habits are deep and heavy. The Chan School must break three passes; seeing the Nature and becoming enlightened breaks the First Pass, cutting off View Afflictions; Thought Afflictions are not yet finished. It is like us wanting to enter this meditation hall; the body has not entered, but the head has stuck in first; one sees the situation in the meditation hall, but the person has not truly come in yet. One must still remove habits, getting rid of the love-abode afflictions, before one can ascend the hall and enter the room, entering the correct position of the Dharmakāya [Dharma-Body]; this is called breaking the Heavy Pass (Second Pass). What is the scene at this time? One achieves having not a sliver of liking for any favorable circumstance, and not a sliver of annoyance for any adverse circumstance, because they are all fake appearances, all reflections, all unobtainable; what joy or annoyance is there? His mind is truly empty and pure, not moving a bit, with no dwelling at all. If a state comes and he still has dwelling, it does not count. When you achieve this, you naturally initiate spiritual powers.
The Dharma-character (Yogācāra) School says: "Initiating the initial mind, the Joyous Ground; the co-emergent still manifests as entanglement and sleep. After the Far-reaching Ground, it is purely stainless; observation is round and bright, illuminating the great chiliocosm." "Initiating the initial mind, the Joyous Ground" is opening the Original and seeing the original face. The First Ground is called the Joyous Ground. "The co-emergent still manifests as entanglement and sleep": after enlightenment, there are still co-emergent attachments to self and attachments to dharmas entangling you, binding you, not letting you realize the Unborn. There are still seeds present; when meeting conditions, they will still initiate active manifestation. That is, there is still attachment. Active manifestation means chasing states and creating karma, so it still won't do. "After the Far-reaching Ground, it is purely stainless": the Far-reaching Ground is the Seventh Ground; after the Far-reaching Ground is the Eighth Ground. Only at the Eighth Ground is it called the Stainless Position (anāsrava), is it true Non-action (asaṃskṛta). "Observation is round and bright, illuminating the great chiliocosm": One must refine the mind through experiences, grinding and practicing upon states, eliminating the habits of attachment completely; only then can one end Segmented Birth and Death, and only then can one develop spiritual powers—Heavenly Eye, Heavenly Ear, Fleetness of Foot, Fate-Knowledge, and Other-Minds initiating all at once.
The Mahāvairocana Sūtra (Dainichi-kyō) is the root classic of the Esoteric School; it says very clearly: "The Bodhisattva dwells here, diligently removing the five coverings, and before long the five powers initiate together." The Bodhisattva dwells here—dwells where? Dwells in the place of enlightenment, the place of seeing the Original Nature. Diligently removing the five coverings means further applying effort to train upon matters, removing the love-abode afflictions. In this way, you can ascend the hall and enter the room, and the five powers will initiate together. Therefore, spiritual powers cannot be sought; seeking them will not bring them; those obtained by seeking are all fake, possessed by spirits. Nowadays many people say they have spiritual powers; actually, they are all fake. Why? True spiritual power is when the mind is truly empty and pure, not attaching to appearances a single bit, before spiritual powers can initiate. You are now showing off and flaunting yourself; is that not dwelling in appearances? How can dwelling in appearances initiate spiritual powers? If you say you have spiritual powers, that is definitely spirit possession. Nowadays in the Mainland, it is rumored that a few people have spiritual powers; actually, they are all fake, possessed; do not be deceived. Only when the mind is truly empty and pure, and does not dwell in appearances, can spiritual powers initiate. He does not seek fame, does not seek profit, does not flaunt himself; why flaunt himself? The true man does not reveal his face; he who reveals his face is not the true man. Many people, because they sought spiritual powers, ended up falling for the trick of "spiritual powers" and were deceived. Many people of Taiwan nationality falsely rumored that they had some spiritual powers; actually, they were all fake. Experts from five countries including Italy, the USA, and Australia successively went to places like Xi'an, Chengdu, and Shanghai in the Mainland to conduct on-site investigations and performed on-the-spot tests on those who so-called had spiritual powers; the result was that not a single one was real. Later, they made a special report in Shanghai, saying that your Chinese extraordinary functions are all fake and deceptive. So do not fall for their tricks. We studying the Buddha-Dharma must truly apply effort on the Mind-ground; "This mind is Buddha, this mind becomes Buddha." One must apply effort on the Mind-ground, not on the body.
Speaking of the Esoteric School, it is even more diverse; the Esoteric School has Tibetan Tantra (Zangmi), Eastern Tantra (Dongmi), and Tang Tantra (Tangmi). But Tang Tantra is gone now, because the emperors of the Ming Dynasty feared that Esoteric practitioners would use spiritual powers to topple their imperial throne, so they cancelled and prohibited the circulation and spread of the Esoteric School. In the Tang Dynasty, Dharma Master Huiguo transmitted the Esoteric Dharma to the Japanese Dharma Master Kukai; after Master Kukai returned to Japan, he established an Esoteric School bodhimaṇḍa at Mount Koya, and to this day, the Esoteric Dharma in Japan is relatively flourishing. Because the Japanese emperor propagated the Esoteric Dharma; he once invited elders from all mountains everywhere to convene a "Non-discriminating Assembly" (Pañcavārṣika), asking everyone to speak directly from their nature without need to cover or hide, because "I, the Emperor, also want to cultivate the Buddha-Dharma; I will see which school is best and cultivate that school." The elders of all mountains stated the standpoints and strengths of their own schools; finally, Dharma Master Kukai said: "Your schools are all good, but apart from the Esoteric Dharma, you do not exist, because which school can depart from Esoteric mantras?" The Pure Land School must recite the Great Compassion Mantra, the Ten Small Mantras, the Rebirth Mantra; other schools also cannot depart from Esoteric mantras. Some Chan practitioners say: "We rely on Self-power to investigate Chan and don't need to recite mantras; other Dharmas rely on Other-power, so they need to recite mantras." But Great Master Hanshan said: "The Chan School patriarchs through the ages all secretly held mantras (dhāraṇīs)." Yes, there is not a single great patriarch who did not hold mantras. What is the reason for this? Because when investigating Chan to the later stages, when the seeds of the eighth consciousness churn up, it is incredibly unbearable; standing is not right, sitting is not right, lying down is not right, walking is not right. Only by relying on the power of Esoteric mantras, relying on the power of the Buddhas' and Bodhisattvas' empowerment, can one eliminate the seeds; so they all secretly held mantras. Is this statement correct? Very correct. The modern Elder Master Xuyun had the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra written at the place where he sat in meditation; the Song Dynasty Chan Master Dahui Zonggao held the Mahāpratisarā Dhāraṇī "Om Ma Ni Da Li Hong Pa Tu." This mantra is in the Dharma text of our Mind-Centre Dharma. The power of this Esoteric mantra is very great; it eliminates disasters, removes obstructions, extends life, grants whatever one wishes, and brings success to mental aspirations. It seems that patriarchs through the ages all secretly held mantras; none could depart from holding mantras. The Japanese Emperor chose the Esoteric School, so the Japanese Esoteric Dharma has been able to circulate and continue to this day.
Nowadays, people who want to learn the Esoteric School go to Japan to learn Eastern Tantra or to Tibet to learn Tibetan Tantra; actually, the Chinese interior also has Esoteric Dharma, it just wasn't transmitted later and was cut off. The Mind-Centre Esoteric Dharma we transmit existed in Tang Tantra. But what we cultivate is not transmitted down from a certain patriarch of Tang Tantra. Also, some people ask: "Is the Mind-Centre Esoteric Dharma you cultivate transmitted by the Living Buddha Norlha?" Living Buddha Norlha did come to the interior and did transmit the Mind-Centre Esoteric Dharma, but in Shanghai, he only transmitted it to one person: Yuan Xilian. He said this is the Formless Esoteric Dharma, hard to cultivate, and ordinary people cannot cultivate it. Therefore, very few people transmitted it. Japan and Tibet both have this Dharma, but they do not transmit it easily, so everyone doesn't know. Don't think the Mind-Centre Esoteric Dharma we transmit is created by ourselves; actually no, the Mind-Centre Dharma existed in the Tang Dynasty; its Dharma text is in the Tripiṭaka, called the Sūtra of the Buddha's Heart-Centre, also called the Dhāraṇī of the Great Follower of Requests (Buddha Hṛdaya Sūtra / Mahāpratisarā Dhāraṇī). "Also called" (yitong) means it is interconnected with the Esoteric mantra of the Great Pratisarā Bodhisattva; this is the Dhāraṇī of the Heart-Centre of all Buddhas, the common Esoteric mantra of all Buddhas, and its empowerment force is especially strong. The Mind-Centre Esoteric Dharma we cultivate was obtained by our Grandmaster, Dharma Master Dayu, while cultivating the Pratyutpanna Samādhi at Donglin Temple on Mount Lu.
There are two kinds of samādhi in the Pure Land School: one is the samādhi of Buddha Recitation, which is sitting cross-legged reciting the Buddha, entering deep meditation, entering deep samādhi; the other is the Pratyutpanna Samādhi, which is walking inside a room from morning to night without stopping for a moment, walking without eating or sleeping; generally, the body cannot endure it. But our Grandmaster made a great vow: "Since I have left home to practice, I must cultivate the practice that is difficult to cultivate; as long as I have a single breath remaining, I must cultivate this Dharma to the end, resting only at death." He cultivated with hardship and endurance; when his legs were so swollen he could no longer walk, he crawled with his hands; when his hands were so swollen he could no longer crawl, he rolled with his body. After undergoing this struggle of surpassing difficulty and excellence, the stealing heart (delusion) completely died, and he merged deeply into Great Samādhi; he moved Samantabhadra Bodhisattva to appear in person to touch his crown and give him a prediction, telling him: "The Mind-Centre Dharma borrows the power of the Buddhas' and Bodhisattvas' empowerment and makes it easy to clarify the mind and see the Nature; you must cultivate it well, and after success, spread it widely to the masses to make up for the deficiencies of the Chan School."
Nowadays, most of us "Chan fellows" cannot raise the sensation of doubt when investigating the hua-tou; "Who is reciting the Buddha?"—"Who" is reciting the Buddha? He cannot raise the sensation of doubt on the word "Who"; investigating the hua-tou becomes reciting the hua-tou: "Who is reciting the Buddha, who is reciting the Buddha..." If it's like this, it's better to recite the sacred name of Amitābha Buddha, because reciting Amitābha's sacred name has the empowerment power of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, whereas reciting the hua-tou relies entirely on Self-power. Current Chan practitioners are not transmitting the Dharma upon enlightenment, but transmitting the Dharma via Dharma-scrolls. Great Master Taixu once said with infinite lament: "The sons and grandsons of the Chan School nowadays all transmit Dharma via Dharma-scrolls, not transmitting Dharma after clarifying the mind and seeing the Nature. The so-called 'nth generation successor of the Linji School' is just a blank sheet of paper; when did they ever realize the Mind!" Saying this, how can it not make one pained! What is a Dharma-scroll? It is like a scroll painting, rolled up. Open it, and one sees four large characters written on it: "Treasury of the True Dharma Eye." Śākyamuni Buddha transmitted the "Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, the Wondrous Heart of Nirvāṇa" to the Venerable Mahākāśyapa. So the Dharma-scroll writes: The First Patriarch is Venerable Mahākāśyapa, the Second Patriarch is..., the current Forty-fifth generation of the Linji School is my name; your name is Zhang San, I transmit it to you, so I write on the Dharma-scroll "Forty-sixth Patriarch Zhang San," and then give this Dharma-scroll to you. Has Zhang San clarified the mind and seen the Nature? If he has not clarified the mind and seen the Nature, the Dharma-scroll should not be transmitted to him. The "Dharma-scroll transmission" spoken of by Great Master Taixu refers to this.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva long ago made a great vow to appear in person and speak Dharma before true practitioners. For example, the Encouragement of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva Chapter of the Lotus Sūtra says: "If in the later age, in the last five hundred years, in the turbid and evil world, there are bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who seek, uphold, read, recite, or copy, desiring to practice this Lotus Sūtra, they should be single-mindedly diligent for twenty-one days. Once the twenty-one days are fulfilled, I will ride a six-tusked white elephant, surrounded by immeasurable Bodhisattvas, and appearing in a body that all sentient beings delight to see, I will appear before that person to speak Dharma and show, teach, benefit, and delight them." Because our Grandmaster practiced what is difficult to practice and endured what is difficult to endure, he was able to move Samantabhadra Bodhisattva to appear in person and give the empowerment transmission of the Mind-Centre Esoteric Dharma. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva instructed our Grandmaster: Use this Dharma to make up for the deficiencies of the current Chan School.
If relying on Self-power cannot raise the sensation of doubt, then rely on the empowerment power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The Esoteric Dharma relies on the compassionate empowerment power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; what kind of empowerment power? One is the Esoteric mantra, and one is the hand seal (mudrā). The mantra is the symbol transformed from the Buddha's or Bodhisattva's own mind within meditative absorption, comparable to the secret code when we send a telegram. When we send a telegram, sending the secret code over, the other party can receive it. The hand seal is comparable to an antenna. Our mind communicates with the minds of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; we transmit the Esoteric mantra over, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas give us empowerment power, so the empowerment power of this Dharma is strong. Furthermore, "Mind-Centre" is the common heart of all Buddhas; with the conduction of the hand seal, it is easier to communicate with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, so the power of this Dharma is very great, and seeing the Nature is relatively easy. The Buddha-Dharma of each era has the causes and conditions of that era; Samantabhadra Bodhisattva observed the conditions and saw that the Mind-Centre Dharma could appear in the world and be spread widely, so he told our Grandmaster to cultivate well, and after succeeding in cultivation, go down the mountain to spread it widely to the masses. This Dharma is generally not transmitted easily in Tibet and Japan; it is very secret, so Samantabhadra Bodhisattva told our Grandmaster to appear in the world and spread it widely. Actually, China possesses many Dharmas; it is not lacking. It is just that due to the obstruction and cancellation by emperors, they were lost.
The Chan School is the best, fastest, and most perfectly fused Dharma within Mahāyāna Buddhism. Nowadays people have poor capacities, so they turn to Tibet to learn the Esoteric Dharma of the Tibetan regions; this is truly "abandoning the head to recognize the shadow." The Chan School is the highest part of the Esoteric Dharma; the Karmapa, the Great Treasure Dharma King of Tibet who was enlightened, said: "The Han lands have profound Esoteric Dharma, the Esoteric Dharma of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen)." The little lamas did not know: "What Esoteric Dharma does the Han land have?" "It is Chan; the Chan School is the most profound Esoteric Dharma." What he said is not false at all; it is perfectly correct. Because the highest Esoteric Dharmas of the Esoteric School, such as the Mahāmudrā of the White Sect (Kagyu) and the Great Perfection of the Red Sect (Nyingma), when speaking of the methods of applying effort in the later stages and the realization-volume of attaining the Way, are completely the same as the Chan School, without any difference. But Tibetans have poor capacities and cannot accept this Dharma all at once; they have to cultivate according to the Nine Vehicles sequence: the Inner Three Vehicles, Outer Three Vehicles, and Esoteric Three Vehicles.
The so-called Outer Three Vehicles mean first cultivating the scriptures of the Exoteric teachings; after researching the scriptures thoroughly and clearly, then proceeding to actual practice. The Inner Three Vehicles are the cultivation of Arising; he first cultivates the Action Tantra (Kriyā Tantra): how to eliminate obstructions, how to cure sickness, how to get rich. The Esoteric School indeed has Wealth God Dharmas; many overseas Chinese cultivate Esoteric Dharma and ask to be transmitted the Wealth God Dharma: "First let me make some money." Why can cultivating Esoteric Dharma make one rich? Because the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are compassionate; the Buddhist sūtras have the saying "First hook them with desire, then lead them into the Buddha-wisdom." "Desire" means satisfying your desires and requests, leading you in the door: "Oh! Buddha-Dharma is so good, so efficacious; if I want to get rich, I get rich." The Universal Door Chapter of Guanyin Bodhisattva says: "If there is a woman who desires to seek a son, pays homage and makes offerings to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, she will give birth to a son of merit and wisdom. If she desires to seek a daughter, she will give birth to a daughter who is upright and has marks, having planted roots of virtue in the past, loved and respected by the multitudes." Medicine Master Glazed Light Buddha (Bhaiṣajyaguru) is also like this; if you want to be an official, get rich, or seek a child, all wishes are satisfied one by one; similarly, it is "First hook them with desire, then lead them into the Buddha-wisdom." When you know this is bestowed upon me by Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, this is bestowed upon me by Medicine Master Glazed Light Buddha, you will constantly recite the Buddha, respect the Bodhisattvas, do good deeds, study scriptures, and cultivate Dharma to verify the Way.
Why do Tibetans want these first? They need to have induction (response) first before their faith can be aroused; without induction, they do not believe. Tibetans have a low cultural level and are very attached; they cannot understand right at the start; they must have induction first, so they need to cultivate such Dharmas. This once aroused the collective anger of Buddhist students in the Han land, accusing the Esoteric Dharma of being a dharma of ghosts and spirits. Great Master Hong Yi also said that Esoteric Dharma is a dharma of ghosts and spirits. Later, he read the full text of the Esoteric School and realized how the Esoteric Dharma goes from shallow to deep, from small to great, verifying the Way step by step; only then did he know that the cultivation methods of the Esoteric School are complete and perfectly flawless. He exclaimed in wonder: "Esoteric Dharma is truly good! Truly good!" So he wrote a "Confession Text," which still exists today. So if one does not understand Esoteric Dharma, do not comment recklessly, lest one creates offenses.
At the start, Tibetans cultivate the Action Tantra; only after finishing the Action Tantra can they cultivate the Generation Stage, visualizing what Yidam (Deity) one is, what light one emits, visualizing one's own channels, winds, and bindus (drops), in order to focus one's attention on the appearance of the channels, winds, and bindus, gathering the mind to stay, leading one into samādhi. Once the Generation Stage visualization is successful, one must dissolve it, and then cultivate the Completion Stage. Cultivating the Completion Stage requires dissolving the appearances of the Generation Stage. Because our Buddha-nature has no appearance visible, establishes not a single dharma, and is not stained by a single speck of dust; things with appearances are not it. The Diamond Sūtra says: "Whatever appearances there are are illusory." "If one sees me by form, or seeks me by sound, this person walks a devious path and cannot see the Tathāgata." If you attach to appearances and see appearances, it's bad; then you cannot see the Original Nature. Why? Because the Sambhogakāya [Reward-Body] Buddha and Nirmāṇakāya [Response-Body] Buddha are not the True Buddha. The Buddha has thirty-two characteristics (lakṣaṇa) and eighty subsidiary marks. Śākyamuni Buddha is a Nirmāṇakāya [Response-Body] Buddha; the Sambhogakāya [Reward-Body] is Locana Buddha; these are not the True Buddha. "Reward and Response are not the True Buddha, nor are they the speaker of Dharma"; anything with appearance is not it. The Dharmakāya [Dharma-Body] Buddha is the True Buddha; the Dharmakāya Buddha does not speak Dharma; the Dharmakāya Buddha has no appearance. If you want to attain the Way, you must realize the Dharmakāya. How can one attain the Way without realizing the Dharmakāya? Dharmakāya is the root; Reward and Response bodies are not the root. If you attach to appearances, how can you realize the Dharmakāya? Because Dharmakāya is signless. Realizing the Dharmakāya, this appearance can then be dissolved. For example, if we have a sore on our body, after applying medicine, it slowly gathers, gathering into one. This one is still poison; it must be eliminated to heal. Anything with appearance is not it; one must definitely eliminate and dissolve all appearances. Regardless of whether you investigate Chan, recite the Buddha, or cultivate Esoteric Dharma, in the end, it is all a sudden great explosion, roots and dusts dropping away, subject and object both forgotten, not stained by a speck of dust, not establishing a single dharma. Like Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, finally "Arising and ceasing are extinguished, quiescent extinction manifests." Arising and ceasing mean all thoughts and ideas with appearances; they all have arising and ceasing; when these things all die out, it is the so-called "Empty space shattered, the great earth sinks," object and self both vanish, and there is nothing at all. At this time, our Original Mind can truly manifest; without reaching this stage, your Original Mind cannot manifest, being covered by appearances, so we must not attach to appearances.
When we investigate Chan, recite the Buddha, or hold mantras, we must definitely not have other thoughts; thoughts like "I must quickly enter samādhi and become enlightened" or "see the Buddha"—do not have any of them; these are all delusional thoughts. Even if we see the Buddha, do not attach; if you attach, you will become a demon. We had a person in Shanghai who was very diligent and hardworking; he saw the Buddha appear before him, with celestial maidens scattering flowers on the side; "Oh, beautiful!" He thought again: "Sometimes it is not the True Buddha appearing, but a demon transforming to appear; how do I distinguish him?" He dared not look. Later he said to his master: "When I sat in meditation, I saw a Buddha image, very majestic, with celestial maidens scattering flowers beside it, but I didn't know if it was true or fake; please, Master, tell me the method to distinguish." His master cultivated the Tibetan Esoteric Yellow Sect (Gelug); he told him: "If you see him again, recite 'Om Ah Hum' to him; if it is a True Buddha, he will not be moved; if it is fake, he will not be able to stand it and will flee or change form." Om Ah Hum emits blue light, white light, and red light, very powerful. "Thank you, Master, for teaching me the method." He was very happy; after returning home, he started sitting in meditation and saw the Buddha image again, with celestial maidens scattering flowers beside it. He was happy, so he recited "Om Ah Hum" at the Buddha dozens of times; the Buddha image did not move; "It is a True Buddha; and there are celestial maidens scattering flowers for me to see; my kung-fu is really not bad!" Later, that Buddha changed into a bloody basin of a big mouth, with a green face and fangs, opening both arms to grab him; he was scared out of his wits and died of madness. Therefore, in the midst of diligence, if you see any appearance, quickly do not attach; the Chan School has a saying: "If the Buddha comes, slay the Buddha; if the demon comes, slay the demon"; both are unobtainable. The Śūraṅgama Sūtra speaks of fifty kinds of skandha-demons, which are the five skandhas of form, feeling, perception, impulse, and consciousness; each skandha has ten kinds of demons; these demons all look like spiritual powers. Actually, they are not spiritual powers, but the transformation of the five skandhas; one cannot attach, cannot dwell. Once you dwell in appearances, it becomes an obstruction covering the radiance of the wondrous essence of the Self-nature, called a skandha-demon (Yin Mo). A skandha-demon is an obstruction; "Yin" means shielding; shielding the radiance of the Original Nature so it cannot manifest. So we cannot attach to appearances even a little bit; it is like this regardless of what school you cultivate. His master should have taught him another method; why? Because he dwelt in appearances. This is also understandable; I see that most people of the Yellow Sect, when cultivating Esoteric Dharma, are very attached to appearances. We should not attach to appearances.
Tibetan Tantra walks in several steps: first cultivating the Generation Stage, then cultivating the Perfection Correspondence (Completion Stage), then cultivating the Great Perfection Correspondence. The second step is Unsurpassed Perfection Correspondence, and the third step is Incomparable Perfection Correspondence; the levels cultivated get higher and higher, finally seeing the Way, verifying the Way, and becoming a Buddha. But kung-fu cannot ascend to heaven in one step; Tibetans cultivate for decades before they can correspond. Our Mind-Centre Dharma is equivalent to the final Incomparable Perfection Correspondence; in Tibet, this cannot be transmitted all at once; one must definitely cultivate the Preliminaries first, doing full prostrations, reciting the Hundred Syllable Mantra (which is the Esoteric mantra of Vajrasattva for eliminating karmic obstructions), cultivating the Guru Yoga, reciting the Four Refuges... Like this, a hundred thousand of one, a hundred thousand of another; adding up the many hundred thousands takes more than ten years; just circling on the outside like this, taking the long way.
Our Mind-Centre Dharma belongs to Chan-Esotericism (Chan-Mi); it takes Chan as the essence, telling you to see the Nature directly, pointing out our Seeing Nature directly. Everyone thinks the pass of clarifying the mind and seeing the Nature is very difficult: "That is a matter for Sages, a matter for Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; we ordinary beings cannot do it." Actually, they have misunderstood; we can all realize the Way. Why? Because all sentient beings possess the stainless Self-nature; all possess the stainless Self-nature just like the Buddha, lacking not a bit; in the sage it does not increase, in the ordinary it does not decrease. It is just that we are covered by our own deluded minds and external objects, so we do not know; we are lost. With pointing out, one can see it; it radiates from our face-gates constantly, never leaving us for a moment; it is just that we do not know.
We often cite this example: Huang Shangu was a literary figure of the Song Dynasty, equally famous as Su Dongpo; his poems and lyrics were all written well. His master Huitang told him to investigate a sentence of Confucius: "My friends, do you think I am hiding something?"—"Do I have anything hidden in transmitting the Way? No hiding! I am open and honest with you, bringing it all out, pointing directly, without a bit of hiding." The transmission of the Way in Confucianism is not like a martial arts teacher who still holds back a trick when teaching an apprentice. Huang Shangu thought: This is too easy to understand; I am a great scholar of Confucianism; would I not know the meaning of what Confucius said? He told Huitang what this sentence meant, and Huitang denied it one by one. Huang Shangu felt a bit unhappy and impatient in his heart: "How could I not understand what Confucius said? Am I not even as good as you, a monk? I'm going home." He went home, but on the way he pondered again: "Patriarch Huitang is a great kalyāṇamitra [spiritual friend] to five hundred people, with so many people attending him left and right; he wouldn't deceive or toy with me, but what on earth does this sentence mean?" He investigated; he investigated for more than two years and still didn't know what it meant. Later, he went on an outing with Patriarch Huitang; suddenly a burst of cassia fragrance blew over; he blurted out: "What a burst of wood-olive (cassia) fragrance." Patriarch Huitang pointed in response to the opportunity: "Do you think I am hiding something?"—"I have no hiding!" Huang Shangu suddenly attained Great Enlightenment: "Who is this that can see the cassia and smell the fragrance?! It has no hiding! It radiates from my face-gates at all times! It's just that I didn't know before; now I understand thoroughly."
Everyone chases external objects; due to greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt, the radiance of one's own nature is covered and does not appear. Actually, our original nature radiates at all times; we can see it at all times. How to see it? Seeing appearances; such as mountains, rivers, and the great earth, grasses, trees, and forests, men and women, old and young, eating, drinking, and daily living—we can see them at all times; seeing appearances is seeing the Nature, because appearances are the transformation and manifestation of the Nature; apart from the Buddha-nature, there are no appearances. For example, when we build a large building, we first need to use our brains to design the blueprints, and then construct according to the pattern. Then, isn't this building the transformation and manifestation of the mind-nature?! Has it departed from the Buddha-nature?! Isn't seeing this building seeing the Nature?! Clarifying the mind and seeing the Nature—our fleshly eyes can see the Way. As long as one does not attach to appearances at all times, one can see the Nature through appearances. These appearances are all reflections manifested and transformed by the Buddha-nature; do not attach; one must see the Nature; these are all the Wondrous Mind. Don't you see the Nature at all times?! You see the Nature at all times; protect it well, and you will accomplish the Great Way. I wish that everyone can perfectly realize the Great Way.
