Chapter 686 Vacation?
All phenomena in this world are impermanent and subject to change with conditions. They are all born and perish. If you do not know this truth and are still attached to worldly pleasures, you will lose yourself.
To “recognize your original mind and see your true nature” is to realize from your true nature and to cultivate from your true nature. If you do not know your true nature and only seek externally, you will struggle endlessly and never escape the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, you must recognize your true nature to achieve enlightenment.
When you recognize your original mind and see your true nature, you will be free from all afflictions, all delusions, all greed, anger, and ignorance, and all desires. Reaching this state is true liberation and the attainment of ultimate happiness.
The saying, “Sincerely recognize your own faults, do not criticize others’ wrongs; their wrongs are your wrongs; the same body is called great compassion,” means you should recognize yourself and know where you are wrong and where you are mistaken. Do not criticize others’ faults or their shortcomings. If others are wrong, then you are wrong. If others have faults, then you have faults. You and they are one, the same entity. This is called a compassionate heart.
If you can think this way, you can recognize your original body and your true heart. Therefore, “sincerely recognize your own faults, do not criticize others’ wrongs” is helpful. “Sincerely recognize your own faults” is to reflect inward and examine yourself. When we hear the Dharma, and learn what true nature and original mind are, we will then know, become enlightened, and understand that we are originally Buddhas and should not be sentient beings. Since you are a Buddha, you should not continue to be a confused sentient being in this world.
Therefore, “recognize your original mind and see your true nature” is the most important thing. Cultivators should all practice in this way. In all circumstances, reflect inward, examine yourself, and ask yourself: “Am I like this? Am I at fault? Have I wronged others? Am I greedy? Am I angry? Am I foolish? Am I desirous? Do I have a desire?” Always ask yourself. If you have made a mistake, quickly correct it. As it is said, “If one can change after making a mistake, there is no greater virtue.” If you can change your mistakes, there is no greater merit.
Therefore, “sincerely recognize your own faults,” do not criticize others’ wrongs. If you criticize others’ wrongs, then you have made a mistake. Because “their wrongs are your wrongs; the same body is called great compassion.” If everyone can think this way, it can be said that they are about to become Buddhas. This is the foundation of enlightenment. At this time, you should be very cautious, always careful, and constantly reflect inward and examine yourself.
Do not criticize others, do not speak of their shortcomings, and do not gossip about them. If you do not do this, but instead constantly criticize others, speak of their shortcomings, and gossip about them, then hearing “recognize your original mind and see your true nature” will be in vain. “Sincerely recognize your own faults” is called “repentance” in Buddhism. Repentance means to reform all your past transgressions and never repeat them. This is called “repentance.”
Furthermore, if you can have “great compassion that pervades the Dharma realm” and use this mind to do all things. The Avatamsaka Sutra says: “If one can be in compliance and not go against sentient beings, one will attain complete liberation; if one is not in compliance and slightly goes against sentient beings, one will not attain complete liberation.” This means that if you can be in compliance with sentient beings and not go against them, you will attain complete liberation. If you are not in compliance with sentient beings and go against them, then you will not be completely liberated.
Some may say: “Sentient beings also do wrong things, should I still be in compliance?” Compliance does not mean that if they steal, you also steal with them; if they kill, you also kill with them. This kind of compliance is not meant in this way. This compliance means that you do not violate the major principles and can be flexible in minor aspects. For example, we are unwilling to criticize others’ faults. We are unwilling to speak of their shortcomings. We are unwilling to gossip about them. This is compliance with sentient beings. Sentient beings enjoy hearing good words. If you only speak good words to them, this is also compliance with sentient beings. It does not mean that if they fight, you also fight with them; if they scold people, you also scold them. This is wrong.
This “compliance with sentient beings, not going against sentient beings” refers to the major principles. The major principle is not to argue with people. You cannot gossip or criticize others. As it is said, “Seeing the good in others, strive to emulate it; seeing the evil in others, examine yourself.” When you see even a small strength in others, you should learn from it. When you see even a small flaw in others, you should reflect inward: “Do I have any flaws?” If you do not, then correct them. Do not repeat them. This is called “compliance with sentient beings.” When you comply with sentient beings and do not go against them, you will attain complete liberation.
What is “complete liberation”? It is becoming a Buddha. At this time, you are not far from becoming a Buddha. Therefore, cultivators should practice and learn in this area. This is the first step to enlightenment. If you do not lay a good foundation at this initial stage, you will not progress easily in anything. This is the most important thing. Recognizing your original mind and seeing your true nature is the preliminary stage of enlightenment.
[Ivory Translation]
Our innate nature inherently possesses great radiance; find peace wherever you are, remain unmoved. This means that the Buddha-nature inherent in us truly has a treasury of great radiance. However, if you do not recognize it or use it, you cannot truly benefit from it. If you can find peace wherever you are, remain unchanging with conditions, and remain unchanging while adapting to conditions, you can remain unmoved and clearly luminous at all times. This means that we all have Buddha-nature and a treasury of great radiance. “Find peace wherever you are” means “The mind turns with myriad circumstances; where it turns, it is truly subtle.” Remaining unchanging with conditions means that although you adapt to conditions, you do not change. Remaining unchanging while adapting to conditions means that although you do not change, you adapt to conditions. If you can remain unchanging with conditions and unchanging while adapting to conditions, you can “remain unmoved.” When you are unmoved, you reach the stage of immovability and attain samadhi. Therefore, if one can do this, they are close to becoming a Buddha. “Clearly luminous at all times” means “recognize your original mind and see your true nature.” It also means “With samadhi of nature, demons have no connection; with the emptiness of mind, delusions naturally cease.” This means the absence of greed, anger, and ignorance, the absence of the concepts of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan. This means not having a single thought of delusion or a single thought of perversion. This is immovability, this is clarity at all times. This is samadhi of nature. This is emptiness of mind. If you can do this, you are enlightened. If you have not reached this level, you are not enlightened. Therefore, cultivators should practice in this area to achieve something. No matter what circumstances arise, remain unmoved and not swayed by them. Instead, be able to transform all circumstances. When a situation arises, if you have samadhi, you can transform that situation. It will not disturb your samadhi. If you lack samadhi, you will be shaken by the situation. Therefore, cultivators use this samadhi to cultivate. In any situation, one must have samadhi and be able to endure. One must endure what others cannot endure, yield to what others cannot yield, eat what others cannot eat, and bear what others cannot bear to attain true liberation, true achievement, and enlightenment. Therefore, “Our innate nature inherently possesses great radiance.” Everyone has a treasury of great radiance, it depends on whether you know how to use it. If you know how to use it, you will “find peace wherever you are; remain unmoved.” If you do not know how to use it, you will have greed, anger, ignorance, desire, etc., which will cover up your treasury of great radiance. Therefore, cultivators must learn to practice in this area. This is the most important thing.
[Instructional Verse]
Awaken in walking, standing, sitting, and lying, never leave home at any moment; Do not be swayed by others’ words, guard your body and mouth and leave the three carts. “Awaken in walking, standing, sitting, and lying” means: While walking, be aware: “I am walking now, am I paying attention?” While standing, “Am I listening?” While sitting, “Am I practicing?” While lying down, “Am I thinking of what I should not be thinking?” Therefore, in walking, standing, sitting, and lying, one must be aware. This means to reflect inward. “Never leave home at any moment” means that your true nature, your original nature, your original mind, your true home, you must always cultivate and practice there. Do not leave your true nature. “Do not be swayed by others’ words” means not to be swayed by others’ praise or slander. If you are swayed by praise, you become joyful. Becoming joyful means you have been swayed by others. If you are swayed by slander, you become distressed. Becoming distressed means you have also been swayed by others. Therefore, do not let a single word from others move your heart. Whether it is good or bad, remain unmoved, clearly luminous, neither joyful nor distressed. Only by doing so can you “never leave home”. “Guard your body and mouth and leave the three carts” means to be cautious in your speech, actions, sitting, and lying. Every move must be careful, not to break rules, not to make mistakes. “Leave the three carts” refers to the goat cart, deer cart, and ox cart. The goat cart represents the Sravakas; the deer cart represents the Pratyekabuddhas; the ox cart represents the Bodhisattvas. These three carts are not ultimate. We should seek the ultimate Buddha vehicle. Therefore, it is said, “Awaken in walking, standing, sitting, and lying, never leave home at any moment; Do not be swayed by others’ words, guard your body and mouth and leave the three carts.”
