《大乘妙林经》

The Dacheng Miaolin Jing (Scripture of the Wondrous Forest of the Great Vehicle) is divided into three fascicles—upper, middle, and lower—and contains ten chapters. The upper fascicle has “Preface,” “Contemplating the True Character,” and “Distinguishing the Heterodox.” The middle fascicle has “Contemplating the Body,” “The Boy’s Questions,” and “Following Along.” The lower fascicle has “All the Realized Ones Expound the Teaching,” “Contemplating the Nature of the Dharma,” “Pure Wisdom,” and “Praise and Rejoicing.” Listed here is the title of the first chapter, “Preface,” in the upper fascicle.

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, a revered deity in Daoism, was in the City of Seven Treasures on Inconceivable Mountain, seated upright on the Lion Throne in the Palace of Primordial Yang. Eight Divine Generals of Awe guarded him. He sat in stillness, unmoving in body and mind, for seven lesser kalpas, never once leaving his seat. Then he sent forth a brilliant light that illuminated the immeasurable lands in the ten directions, leaving not even a world as tiny as a mote of dust untouched.

At that moment, the countless immortals, perfected beings, and sages in the lands throughout the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds—a term used in Buddhist and Daoist texts for vast worlds—were astonished and filled with praise. In one voice they said, “How wondrous! What cause has led the Great Virtuous Celestial Worthy in that realm to send forth such rare, extraordinary, and beautiful light, illuminating the immeasurable lands in the ten directions and worlds as numerous as motes of dust?”

From afar, the immortal sages in every region saw the mountain shining with a radiance of exceptional brilliance, beauty, and rarity, beyond the power of words to describe. Their hearts turned toward it in longing and reverence. Though they could not speak, they all vied to make their way there.

At that moment, the Celestial Worthy calmly formed an intention and, through mind-reading wisdom—the ability to perceive the thoughts of others—sensed from afar the reverence and devotion of the sages in other worlds. He knew they were all of superior capacity, able to receive instruction. So he spoke in a resounding voice to the immeasurable lands in the ten directions: “You cultivators of the Dao have, in the past, built up a foundation of De. Your minds are single-minded and free of distraction. You are all my true children, able to receive the precious treasury of the teachings. I am now about to enter the wondrous land of Eternal Joy. Since you are all of superior capacity and able to receive instruction, ride upon this rare and subtle light of mine and come together before the Dharma seat to hear the supreme and wondrous teaching I will give today.”

The sages in the subtle worlds and immeasurable lands of the ten directions heard these words and rejoiced. Riding on divine light, they flew across the valleys and followed its radiance to the mountain. They were all of superior capacity. The scripture says that their afflictions had been emptied and they understood the nature of the Dharma. Among them were the Perfected One of Pure Practice, the Perfected One of Wondrous Form, the Perfected One of Precious Light, the Perfected One of Luminous Brilliance, the Perfected One of Eloquence, the Perfected One of Universal Equality, the Perfected One of Sagely Practice, the Perfected One of All-Pervading Understanding, the Perfected One of Full De, the Perfected One Who Saves Life, the Perfected One Who Seeks to Deliver, the Perfected One Who Guides, the Perfected One of Loving Kindness, the Perfected One Who Understands Forms, the Perfected One of Highest Attainment, the Perfected One of Victorious Resolve, the Perfected One of Illumination, the Perfected One Who Guards the Treasury, the Perfected One Who Protects and Upholds, the Perfected One of Equal Vision, the Perfected One of Quiescent Samadhi, the Perfected One Without Obstruction, the Perfected One Who Soars Through the Void, the Perfected One of Constant Mindfulness, the Perfected One of Transformative Understanding, the Perfected One of Skillful Transformation, the Perfected One of Stillness and Samadhi, the Perfected One of Wondrous Light, the Perfected One of Wondrous Flowers, the Perfected One of Great Compassion, the Perfected One of Bright Wisdom, and the Perfected One of the Precious Canopy.

Countless Perfected Ones arrived at Inconceivable Mountain together with their attendants and an immeasurable host of celestial dragons, mighty spirit kings, and other divine beings, coming as thickly as fine rain and mist. They circled the Celestial Worthy three times, gazed up at him, and approached with composed solemnity. Bowing their heads, they paid homage to his feet. After exchanging greetings, they took their places according to rank.

At that time, the Heavenly Worthy, moved by compassion, taught the assembly seated before him. He spoke softly: “People of the Way, only after accumulating all manner of good deeds through immeasurable kalpas have you had the good fortune to gather here today. You have encountered a rare radiance and been able to behold a wondrous teaching that is difficult to attain and has never before been seen. This gathering is vast and inconceivable. I am now about to enter the wondrous realm of Eternal Joy. If you have any questions, come and ask me freely.”

The Perfected One of Pure Conduct, an honorific for a Daoist practitioner, immediately rose, straightened his headcloth and robe, knelt with his forehead to the ground, and said to the Heavenly Worthy: “Today we have received the light of this rare radiance. We have questions we would like to ask. If you are willing to hear us and permit us to speak, only then will we dare to state them.”

The Heavenly Worthy said to the Perfected One of Pure Conduct: “It is good that you can speak on behalf of the assembly and ask me. Since you have received the light of this rare radiance, ask whatever you wish without hesitation. I will explain each matter to you and dispel your doubts.”

With the Heavenly Worthy’s permission, the Perfected One of Pure Conduct was filled with joy. He said to him: “This radiant form is vast, majestic, and wondrously beautiful—rare and supreme, its brilliance surpassing that of a hundred thousand suns. It is truly inconceivable. I reflect that such a form is rare and beyond measure. Any being who sees this radiance may be called a true adept, for they can see the true nature of all things, and their eyes will not be harmed.”

The Celestial Worthy said to the True Adept of Pure Conduct, a practitioner who cultivates the Way of purity: “You have spoken truly. My present form possesses immeasurable light and contains immeasurable meaning. If sentient beings can see the subtle light upon my body, their eye faculty will become clear, pure, and bright. They will be able to understand all things and observe their nature. The essence and appearance of things will be clear and tranquil, without violating the principles of the world; thus they will realize the true aspect of reality.

“The light upon my body can likewise be heard, smelled, spoken of, touched, or understood in the mind by sentient beings. Those who hear this light will have a clear and unobstructed ear faculty; those who smell it, a clear and unobstructed nose faculty; those who speak of it, a clear and unobstructed tongue faculty; those who touch it, a clear and unobstructed body faculty; and those who understand it in the mind, a clear and unobstructed mind faculty. In this way, all six faculties—the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, the powers of perception and awareness—become clear and unobstructed. People can understand, discern, and experience the nature of all things. The essence and appearance of all phenomena are clear and tranquil, do not violate the principles of the world, and thereby reveal the true aspect of reality.

“True Adept of Pure Conduct, my body possesses immeasurable light. Even if the great world systems in all ten directions—all the vast realms described in Buddhist teaching—were crushed into minute particles, and each particle contained immeasurable worlds in the ten directions, and those worlds too were crushed into particles, using the number of those particles to measure the light of my body would still fall far short of one billionth of its brilliance.

“Therefore, whenever sentient beings in the immeasurable lands of the ten directions encounter this light, the six faculties within them become pure, bright, and unobstructed. They understand the essence and appearance of all things, neither violating the principles of the world nor failing to realize the true aspect of reality. This light adorns immeasurable, boundless worlds, countless as particles of dust, enabling all beings within them to attain the supreme, true, adamantine, subtle aspect of reality—the highest, most enduring, and wondrous true form—and the merit of light. These merits are inconceivable; even if they were described throughout an entire kalpa, an immensely long span of time, they could never be fully told.”

The True Adept of Pure Conduct and the assembled multitude heard the Celestial Worthy describe how this subtle light benefits sentient beings and has boundless merit. They all praised him in unison, saying that they had never heard of such a wondrous teaching. They declared: “The great virtue of the Celestial Worthy’s subtle form is deep and vast as a treasury of light; its adornments of merit and wisdom are without end. Truly, it has no limit.”

At that moment, the Perfected One of Wondrous Form heard the Heavenly Worthy explain that the Dharma Body—the body that transcends physical form and reveals truth in Buddhism and Daoism—was wondrous beyond measure, its radiance especially bright, with nothing in heaven or on earth to rival it. He stepped forward, bowed to the Heavenly Worthy, and asked, “Greatly Virtuous Heavenly Worthy, I now see your form radiating immense light, illuminating countless worlds as numerous as motes of dust. Great beings from other worlds and holy ones from the ten directions have also gathered here, wishing to hear the essential teachings. I do not understand: is this assembly in the Inconceivable City a rare and extraordinary gathering? What title should be given to the luminous, subtle, supreme Dharma Wheel—the metaphor for proclaiming the true teaching—that you are expounding now? I beg you to explain it to us and dispel our doubts, so that everyone present may understand the text’s title and find peace of mind. The merit of doing so would be immeasurable.”

At that moment, the Celestial Worthy joyfully praised Miaoxiang, saying, “Excellent, excellent! The Perfected One Miaoxiang is skilled at understanding the nature of all things. His thoughts flow freely and meet with no obstruction, so he can ask on everyone’s behalf about matters of great importance.

“Listen carefully. I am now going to expound a subtle, inconceivable teaching, one never heard before. Since ancient times, I have taught the assembly many doctrines, but never before has there been an occasion like this: great light shines everywhere, and holy beings from other worlds, as numerous as dust motes, have all come to gather at Inconceivable Mountain and hear this wondrous teaching.

“The supreme and honored scripture I expound is called The Wondrous Grove, also known as The Victorious Practice. You must carefully reflect on this subtle scripture of the supreme Great Vehicle. If someone hears the name of this scripture and wholeheartedly believes and accepts it, keeps it in mind with reverence, praises and honors it, understands its meaning, and explains it to others, spreading the Great Dao, you should know that this person has planted good roots and brought merit to perfection over immeasurable eons. That is why they are able to hear this subtle Great Vehicle scripture today.

“Such a person is a compassionate father to all living beings, able to awaken them and guide the assembly in cultivating the Dao. Living beings in this world should diligently cultivate merit in this way, devoting themselves to it without slackening or turning back. The Great Vehicle merit gained by such a person is immeasurable and boundless, beyond words. Even if all the plants and trees in the three thousand great thousand worlds of the ten directions were cut into small pieces and used as counters to calculate their merit, it could never be counted.

“Therefore, when you all enter the jeweled city and hear the name of this scripture, The Wondrous Grove of the Great Vehicle, you will surely set foot on the highest Dao, enter a realm of eternal bliss, and dwell forever in a wondrous Pure Land. Your merit will be sublime and vast, no different from that of me, whom you follow.”

At that moment, the assembly heard the name of the scripture and immediately gained some insight. They raised their hands and snapped their fingers, bowed to the Celestial Worthy, and praised it, saying, “Excellent!” Then Baoguang, holding his tablet, calmly stepped forward, bowed, and addressed the Celestial Worthy: “I am fortunate to have attended this assembly. Just now, I heard this subtle and wondrous scripture of the Great Vehicle’s secret essentials, titled Miaolin and Shengxi. Our understanding is shallow, and we cannot yet comprehend it on our own. We do not understand why you have given this revered scripture the title Miaolin. Please explain it in concise terms, so that everyone may understand, their doubts may be dispelled, and all living beings may benefit from it.”

The Celestial Worthy told the True Adept Baoguang: “Today you have brought forth a vast heart of compassion and, on behalf of the assembly, asked about truths of great importance, so that beings in the future may attain awakening. This is truly inconceivable. Please sit down now. I will explain the Way of liberation to you, so that everyone may understand, awaken, and find peace and joy.

“The scripture I am expounding, the Great Vehicle’s Wondrous Grove, Supreme Venerable Scripture, has immeasurable and inconceivable merit. It is like a precious grove of treasures, bearing fruit that nourishes all things. Those who eat its flowers and fruit display golden radiance in their bodies, and their many forms become wondrous and sublime. When people hear this scripture and wholeheartedly receive and understand its meaning, their wisdom becomes complete and their bodily forms subtle and wondrous. In this way, the scripture is no different from the precious grove.

“The roots, stems, branches, and leaves of the precious grove are all true writings, patterned with the true Dao. When a gentle breeze stirs them, they sound forth wondrous chapters, subtle music of the Dao; those who hear it can understand and awaken. The Dao teachings I expound are like this precious grove: when even the slightest response arises in the hearts of beings, I teach them through sound. Those who hear can realize the true Dao. In this way, the teachings are no different from the precious grove.

“No one knows the origins of the precious grove, yet it continues to grow through every kalpa, its kinds never dying out. The Dao teachings I expound are likewise like the precious grove: their source cannot be traced, yet they continue to appear through one kalpa after another, their transmission never ending. In this way, they are no different from the grove.

“The branches of the precious grove spread out and cast shade across the Three Thousand Worlds, the vast expanse of worlds in Buddhist cosmology. The benevolent influence of the Dao teachings I expound likewise covers the lands of the three thousand great thousand worlds, extending without limit. In this way, they are no different from the precious grove.

“The precious grove has no fixed intention; it bends and rises with the wind. Even when struck by frost and snow, it does not wither. The Dao teachings I expound are also like this: without intention, they respond in accord with things and reach all their myriad responses. Even when beings suffer afflictions or fall into the Three Paths—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—and undergo retribution, they cannot harm the Dao teachings themselves. In this way, they are no different from the precious grove.

“Countless assemblies, as numerous as motes of dust, saw my rare and unsurpassed radiance. They crossed the empty valleys and gathered together at Inconceivable Mountain, cultivating sublime karmic conditions and hearing these essential instructions. After hearing this Great Vehicle scripture, those who came here will see their wisdom grow day by day and gain immeasurable merit. For this reason, the scripture is also called The Superior Practice.”

Baoguang and the boundless assembly heard these important teachings. All were awakened; together they bowed in homage and praised them, saying, “Excellent!” Then Baoguang spoke a verse.

It is also known as Victory over Habit. The number of beings such as Baoguang was boundless. After hearing these important words, they all awakened. Together they bowed, prostrated themselves, and offered praise.

Then Baoguang spoke in verse:

This Venerable One is supremely skillful and filled with unsurpassed great compassion. He does not abandon the Four Great Vows—the bodhisattva’s four vows to liberate beings—and continues to save them. He appears seated in meditation, in a state beyond imagining, sending forth vast light that shines throughout the ten directions.

Beings in lands as numerous as boundless motes of dust all behold the subtle light of the Dharma Body, the pure essence through which the truth of the Buddha’s Way is revealed. The assembly wholeheartedly turns toward the Way; all are superior practitioners capable of receiving this precious Miaolin Jing.

He knows the thoughts of others across boundless realms and proclaims the true name in a loud voice. I am now about to travel to the Land of Eternal Joy, so I have summoned everyone here to receive and uphold this scripture.

When the assembly heard this, they rejoiced greatly. Together they flew across the valleys and came here. Their afflictions had ended and they had attained freedom; they understood the nature of the Dharma and the Mahayana Way.

They gathered around the Venerable One, gazing and listening with undivided attention, never tiring. Then they came forward calmly and paid homage to the Celestial Worthy. The Venerable One had long cultivated immeasurable great compassion, and he recounted the causes and conditions of the assembly’s long practice in past ages.

For this reason, they were able to hear this rare teaching today. Such a gathering is beyond imagining and truly worthy of praise. When their practice and merit are complete, they will be able to enter the Land of Eternal Joy. The Venerable One told them that if they had questions, they could ask them that morning.

Because of their long practice in past ages, those present were able to hear this rare teaching. Such a gathering is beyond imagining and truly worthy of praise. When their practice and merit are complete, they will be able to enter the Land of Eternal Joy. The Venerable One told them they could now ask their questions.

Thus the assembly became unsurpassed practitioners of clear wisdom. Their pure practice and right mindfulness shook the trichiliocosm, the vast world system of Buddhist cosmology. Taking advantage of this rare Dharma assembly and its splendid seat of teaching, they asked the Venerable One to dispel their doubts, putting forward whatever questions they wished.

With the Venerable One’s permission, they came forward respectfully and asked: “Venerable One of radiant light, so rare to behold, you teach about bodily forms with great compassion and skillful means, manifesting immeasurable light. How wondrous and exalted!

“If one encounters and receives such light, the six pure realms will appear. The true body does not destroy the laws of the world. Even if all the worlds, as numerous as motes of dust, were ground into fine powder, their number could not be reckoned.

“There is also a great being who has long cultivated the true Way, named Miaoxiang. He asked about the title of this scripture. In his compassion, the Venerable One sent down the rain of Dharma and explained the scripture’s contents and its title.

“If one encounters and hears the name of this scripture, merit and blessings, wisdom and insight, are all adorned and increased. Even if every plant and tree in the trichiliocosm were cut into inch-long pieces and counted, their number could never be exhausted.

“Relying also on this unsurpassed grace, I ask once more: what is the meaning of the scripture’s title? Since the Dharma King has bestowed his supreme instruction, all the doubts about the title’s meaning have now been dispelled.”

We, the assembled multitude, rejoice together that we have been able to hear the Scripture of the Wondrous Forest. Through this, we may ascend to the state of Limitless Nonbeing and free all beings from the turmoil of the world.

Baoguang and the others—at that time, after hearing the verses, the assembled multitude were filled with joy. They rejoiced together that they had been able to hear the Scripture of the Wondrous Forest, and thereby ascend to the state of Limitless Nonbeing and free all beings from the turmoil of the world.

Baoguang and the others—at that time, after hearing the verses, the assembled multitude were filled with joy. Each gained some understanding, and they bowed together in reverence before returning to their seats.

Chapter Two: Observing the True Aspect

Then the Perfected One Yaoming (an honorific Daoist title for someone who has attained accomplishment in cultivation) stepped forward, bowed, and addressed the Celestial Worthy: “Those of us gathered here have heard the Celestial Worthy speak of subtle radiance, and we find this teaching rare and precious. If people in later times encounter this radiance, it can bring clarity and openness to the six faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. They will neither destroy the principles of the world nor fail to realize the true aspect. My understanding is dull, and I do not yet grasp the teaching. I do not know whether the world and the true aspect are one aspect or two different aspects. If they are one, why call it the world? If the world is itself the real, why not simply call it the true aspect? If they are different, then once one has realized the true aspect, why does one not destroy the world? If the world remains unchanged, how can one realize the real? For the world to remain unchanged while the real is realized is like a seed: if the seed is not damaged, where could the bud, stalk, flower, and fruit come from? I truly do not understand these two points. I beg the Celestial Worthy to guide me and resolve my doubts.”

The Celestial Worthy replied: “Perfected One Yaoming, you are skilled at asking questions and resolving the doubts of living beings. Return to your seat, and I will explain this to you. You asked just now whether the world and the true aspect are one aspect or two different aspects. Now I ask you in turn: what you perceive—is it knowledge of things themselves, or knowledge of their outward appearances?”

Yaoming replied: “Greatly Virtuous Celestial Worthy, does the world contain knowledge of things themselves, or knowledge of their outward appearances?”

The Heavenly Venerable replied, “Radiant Illumination, True Reality and the appearances of the world are originally not separate. Because sentient beings have not yet understood the truth, they see only the outward forms of things and not the truth within them. So they divide the world from True Reality and think they are different. Now, if they observe everything in the world with the eye of wisdom, they can understand that the appearances of the world are themselves True Reality. To understand this is called seeing the truth. Therefore, there is no need to reject the world in order to experience True Reality.”

Radiant Illumination asked again, “Greatly Virtuous Heavenly Venerable, you say that one can experience True Reality without rejecting the world. What, then, is the world like, and why do you say that we can see True Reality without rejecting it?”

The Heavenly Venerable replied, “Radiant Illumination, the appearances of the world are what we call ignorance, attachment, views shaped by craving and fixation, anger, delusion, and the various other afflictions.”

Radiant Illumination asked again, “Greatly Virtuous Heavenly Venerable, you say that ignorance, craving, anger, delusion, and other afflictions are the appearances of the world, and that we can see True Reality without rejecting them. Does this mean that True Reality still contains craving? If craving also counts as True Reality, why say that we must eliminate afflictions to see it?”

The Heavenly Venerable replied, “Radiant Illumination, just as you say, one can indeed experience True Reality without eliminating afflictions. I speak of ‘eliminating’ them because sentient beings cannot yet see the truth: they see only ignorance, craving, delusion, anger, and other afflictions. That is why I say they must eliminate afflictions in order to see True Reality.

“If someone can understand that the nature of afflictions is empty, that craving has never possessed any real, unchanging existence, and that ignorance is utterly pure, then there is no affliction to eliminate. From this, you should understand that one can experience True Reality without eliminating afflictions. True Reality has no fixed form; without a fixed form, there is nothing to attain. Ignorance has no substance from the beginning; without substance, there is nothing to eliminate. With nothing to eliminate and nothing to attain, this is called ‘eliminating afflictions.’ With nothing attained and nothing to eliminate, this is called ‘attaining True Reality.’ Therefore, you should understand that one can experience True Reality without eliminating afflictions.”

Radiant Illumination asked again, “Greatly Virtuous Heavenly Venerable, since True Reality and afflictions are no different from one another and are not separate, you say that one can experience True Reality. Then why not simply say, ‘One attains True Reality without eliminating afflictions’?”

Yaoming asked again, “Greatly Virtuous Celestial Worthy, since reality and affliction do not have two different characteristics, why do we say that someone realizes reality, rather than saying that they realize affliction?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “True Adept Yaoming, as I said earlier, there are two kinds of understanding here: ‘seeing appearances,’ which clings to surface phenomena, and ‘seeing the Dharma,’ which observes the nature of things. Those who see the Dharma say they have realized reality; those who see appearances say they see only affliction. From this we can understand that those who see the Dharma continually observe the subtle root of things, and so can realize reality. Those who see appearances continually attend only to what is coarse and evident on the surface, and so are trapped by affliction.

“If someone knows that the nature of affliction is empty, with no fixed, self-existing thing in it, then they are tracing the root from surface appearances. This is called seeing the Dharma. By contrast, if someone is veiled by ignorance—the delusion that obscures wisdom—and sees only affliction, then this way of seeing, which begins in ignorance, is what should be called reality.

“If someone thinks that affliction and reality are two different things, then both affliction and reality become objects of their attachment, and both therefore belong to affliction. If they can understand that affliction is not different from reality, and that reality has no fixed form to begin with, this is what is called reality.”

The Celestial Worthy continued, “Earlier you asked where the sprout, stem, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit come from if the seed itself has not been destroyed. Now let me ask you: do the sprout and fruit appear because the seed has been destroyed? If the fruit appears only after the seed is destroyed, then destruction means the cause no longer exists. It makes no sense for a fruit to arise without a cause. If you say that the seed is destroyed as the sprout appears, then destruction would mean non-arising, and destruction would somehow become the cause of growth. That also makes no sense. So you should understand that between seed and sprout, stem, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit, we cannot simply say that there is arising and ceasing, or cause and effect; nor can we say they have no causal relation at all. Affliction and reality are the same in this respect: they are neither earlier nor later, neither wholly identical nor wholly different, and neither both identical and different.

“You think the sprout appears only after the seed is destroyed. Let me ask you again: does the sprout appear at the same time the seed is destroyed, before the seed is destroyed, or only after it has been destroyed?

“If you say the sprout appears at the same time the seed is destroyed, you are treating destruction as growth. Once the seed has been destroyed, there should be no more growth. If you say that the seed is being destroyed as the sprout appears, then arising and destruction happen at the same time: arising would no longer be arising, and destruction would no longer be destruction. How could the seed give rise to a sprout through being destroyed?

“For example, when a shadow disappears, the body does not thereby come into being. Nor does it make sense for a shadow to exist without a body. So once the seed has been destroyed, the sprout cannot arise from it; and it makes no sense for a sprout to exist without a seed. That is why I say that the sprout does not arise when the seed is destroyed.

“If you say the sprout appears only after the seed has been destroyed, then arising and ceasing are already separated. How can a seed that has ceased to exist become the cause of a sprout? For example, once a seed has rotted away and vanished, it is gone, so no sprout can follow from it. How could a sprout arise from a seed after it has perished? So the sprout does not arise after the seed is destroyed.

“Also, are the destruction of the seed and the growth of the sprout one and the same thing, or two different things? If you say they are the same, destruction and growth contradict one another; how can they be the same state? If destruction means cessation, there can be no growth. If growth is taking place, you cannot say that cessation has already occurred. If you say they are different, then the seed’s destruction is not the cause of the sprout’s arising. But it makes no sense for an effect to arise without a cause. For example, empty space is not the cause of a hare’s horn, and empty space does not produce a hare’s horn. So if you say that the seed’s destruction and the sprout’s arising are entirely different, you still cannot explain where the sprout comes from.

“If you say the sprout appears before the seed is destroyed, then the seed’s substance has not yet changed, but the sprout has already appeared. That would mean an effect without a cause: a sprout without a seed. For example, without a body there can be no shadow. If a shadow appeared before the body, it clearly would not have been produced by that body. Likewise, oil cannot be produced before the sesame seed has changed. So the sprout does not arise while the seed remains undestroyed.

“If you say the sprout appears only after the seed is destroyed, then the seed has already ceased to exist, and the cause is gone. A sprout that begins to appear at that point cannot count as an effect produced by that seed. It still makes no sense for a sprout to appear only after the seed has perished. For example, without milk there can be no curd, the fermented milk product. If there were curd without milk, it would not have been produced from milk. So the sprout does not arise after the seed is destroyed.

“When we examine the characteristics of arising in this way, in the end we find no characteristic of arising that can be established. Thus, when considered fully, arising cannot be found. This is what is meant by non-arising.”

At this point, Bian Cai rose and walked slowly before the Celestial Worthy. “I have been reflecting: sentient beings drift and wander through birth and death because of ignorance—failing to understand how things are—craving, and attachment to what they love and perceive. I have also been wondering where these attachments and ignorance come from, and why they cause sentient beings to keep wandering through birth and death. Does the root of birth and death arise from the mind, or from the eyes, ears, nose, and tongue? Does it arise from within or from without? Does it arise from ‘existence’ or from ‘emptiness’? We still do not understand. We beg you to explain this to us and dispel our doubts.”

The Celestial Worthy said to the Worthy Adept of Eloquence, “A good question. Sit down now, and I will explain it to you. The root of birth and death is sometimes said to arise from emptiness, sometimes from existence; sometimes from within, sometimes from without. At times it is said to arise from the senses, such as the nose, tongue, eyes, and ears; at other times, from the mind, which originally comes from nowhere. Why do we speak this way? Because the nature of mind is empty. Since mind is empty, ignorance—the delusion that fails to see things as they truly are—is empty as well.

“When ignorance is empty, craving is empty; when craving is empty, birth and death are empty. When birth and death are empty, so too are the things apprehended by the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and other senses. What is internal or external, what exists or is empty—all of it lacks any fixed, unchanging nature. For this reason, we say that the root of birth and death arises from emptiness.

“The Celestial Worthy then said to Eloquence, ‘The nature of emptiness is itself empty, and the nature of mind is empty too. If so, why say that emptiness gives rise to the empty nature of mind? Since mind is empty, one says that it arises from emptiness. But this is like saying that because the east is already empty, it gives rise to the emptiness of the west. Since the east is already empty, it cannot give rise to the emptiness of the west. In the same way, emptiness does not give rise to mind, and mind does not arise from emptiness.

“You should understand that the true nature of mind is empty and does not give rise to ignorance. Ignorance is empty from the start and does not arise from mind. Since ignorance is empty, it does not give rise to attachment; attachment is empty from the start and does not arise from ignorance. Since attachment is empty, it does not give rise to craving and views—the fixation on likes and dislikes and on one’s opinions. Craving and views are empty from the start and do not arise from attachment. The same is true of mind, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and what is internal, external, existent, or empty: each phenomenon is empty from the start. It does not arise from another phenomenon, nor does it give rise to what follows. Emptiness does not arise from existence, and it does not give rise to emptiness. Since birth and death do not arise from emptiness, they have no real, unchanging existence.

“From this you should understand that all conditioned phenomena—things that arise and change when conditions come together—as well as afflictions and the cycle of birth and death experienced by sentient beings, are like clouds in the open sky, illusory colors in the air, echoes in a mountain valley, the moon’s reflection in water, images in a mirror, mirages in the heat, fire in a flash of lightning, sounds heard by the deaf, things seen by the blind, speech from the mute, a crane with two heads, a chicken with three legs, fur on a turtle, and horns on a rabbit. All are illusory and cannot be grasped. Ignorance, attachment, craving and views, and the root of birth and death are likewise, in the final analysis, entirely empty. They cannot be accurately described in words, just as once a lamp goes out, there is nowhere left to find its light.

“Birth and death are empty and still from the beginning. They are also like a raging fire and four poisonous snakes: one must not approach them. The phenomena of birth and death are the same. You should contemplate them in this way to attain Wuwei (non-action), free from the constraints of contrivance and attachment, and escape birth and death.”

After hearing these essential teachings, Eloquence and the assembled multitude were overjoyed. They praised the teaching, saying that they had never heard such a truth before. All together, they exclaimed their approval and spoke this verse:

The Most Exalted Compassionate One, a revered being of unsurpassed compassion, skillfully explains the truth through subtle means. The roots of worldly afflictions are precisely the conditions that lead to unsurpassed wisdom.

Living beings have not yet understood this principle, so the teaching says to cut off desire and anger. If one can know that they have no inherent substance, then even amid birth and death, one is in a place of practice.

The nature of ignorance, the state of delusion and failure to understand the truth, will ultimately be extinguished. In the end, afflictions are like the sound of the wind: they have no fixed reality. The eye of wisdom should be clear. If one views the Dharma through mistaken understanding, even bright wisdom will again be obscured by darkness.

Things do not in their essence possess two opposing realities. Teachings described as coarse or subtle are simply explanations offered in response to different circumstances. If one can discern that they are without difference, the principle of the three realms—desire, form, and formlessness—is inconceivable.

If the mind clings to some supposed true appearance, anger and desire will arise even in a place of practice. So long as the seed has not been eliminated, the sprout, stem, and fruit cannot fail to appear.

If something already existed beforehand, it should not have arisen from causes and conditions; if it did not exist at all, from where could it arise? Examine arising in the three times—past, present, and future—and one will see that the seed is not a real, fundamental cause.

The seed itself has never had a fixed reality. From where, then, could the sprout and stem come? The revered one, whose eloquence is unhindered, is skilled at investigating the causes of birth and death.

Great compassion is truly inexhaustible, and for the sake of living beings, all these principles have been fully explained. Ignorance and birth and death are like echoes in an empty valley.

What the deaf and blind hear and see is not, in fact, how the world truly is. The wise observe birth and death as they would watch the illusions performed by a master magician.

How could a clay figure truly walk? How could a wooden chicken carved from timber fly into the sky? Once this principle is understood, all phenomena appear inconceivable.

At that time, the Celestial Worthy praised the assembly, saying, “Good! Good! Today you have heard this rare teaching and experienced and understood the true aspect of things, just as I have explained it. Today, I will pass these words on to all living beings of later generations, so they too may understand and attain an insight no different from the one you have now.”

At that time, the assembly bowed their heads and praised the teaching.

Chapter Three: Distinguishing the False from the True

At this point, Perfected One Pudenteng, one of Daoism’s revered deities, rose from his seat, stepped forward, and bowed to the Celestial Worthy. “I often reflect on this: the Celestial Worthy’s radiant form is extraordinary, its subtlety beyond imagining, like a King of Vajras able to shatter all things. Your wisdom is clear and bright; the habitual tendencies and afflictions accumulated through cultivation have been forever severed. You abide in serene independence, in a state beyond comprehension. I have a question I would like to ask, but I dare not speak rashly. May the Celestial Worthy, in great compassion, instruct me in the rites and stages of cultivation. What principles underlie them? May beings in generations to come thereby see the true and authentic Dao.”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Good, good, Perfected One Pudenteng! You have thought of beings in generations to come and raised this question to awaken those still in darkness. Sit down now, and I will explain it to you. Questions are generally of two kinds: proper questions and improper questions. Proper questions draw one closer to the Dao; improper questions belong to the retinue of demons.” Perfected One Pudenteng asked again, “What is a proper question, and what is an improper one?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “If someone asks a question about matters involving deliberate action…”

The Celestial Worthy said: “If a question begins by clinging to ‘conditioned action’—things brought about by causes and conditions and subject to change—or by clinging to ‘non-action’—what is unmade and still—then it is a misguided question. To cling neither to conditioned action nor to non-action is to ask rightly.

“If someone asks from the belief that things are born or cease, that is a misguided question. To cling neither to birth nor to cessation is to ask rightly. The same applies to abiding and decay, sin and merit, purity and defilement, right and wrong, intimacy and distance, emptiness and existence, suffering and joy, the sacred and the ordinary, good and evil, giving and stealing, keeping the precepts and breaking them, long and short, noble and lowly, gain and loss, the misguided and the right, and even ‘asking’ and ‘not asking.’ To cling to either side and ask is misguided; to cling to none of these distinctions is to ask rightly. There are many similar cases. The misguided and the right both arise from the mind; the distinctions that arise in the mind are often inverted attachments and views.

“What seems to exist does not truly exist; what seems not to exist is not truly nonexistent. Nor should birth, cessation, abiding, decay, sin, merit, purity, defilement, right, wrong, intimacy, distance, emptiness, existence, suffering, joy, the sacred, the ordinary, good, evil, giving, stealing, keeping or breaking the precepts, long, short, noble, lowly, gain, loss, the misguided, the right, asking, or seeing be clung to as fixed realities. All such views are illusory, like visions and dreams. Only ‘death is truly real.’ The original text reads ‘death is truly real,’ but its meaning is difficult to determine with certainty.

“The scripture then explains why: the things themselves have no mind that makes distinctions. To use the mind to distinguish among them is called a misguided view. To understand that things have no mind and to stop raising views through attachment is right view. Thus, questions asked with attachment are misguided; questions asked without attachment are right.

“So I speak of these things not because beings must first eliminate every affliction before they can attain truth. I speak of ‘affliction’ and ‘truth’ as a way to guide beings troubled by deluded thoughts. In reality, there is no actual cycle of birth and death to transcend, and no substantial truth to attain. Why? Because all things are pure: from the outset, they have neither two opposing aspects nor coming and going. I am therefore not saying that beings must extinguish afflictions in order to attain truth. Though afflictions are spoken of, there is no real affliction to be eliminated; though abiding joy is spoken of, there is no abiding joy to be coveted. Since afflictions are not real, beings have not lost the truth; since truth is not a graspable entity, I do not for that reason abandon speaking of afflictions.

“If someone in the latter age, when the Buddha’s teaching is in decline, can give rise to this understanding and experience and comprehend the true principle, this is called the Great Vehicle: the true and right path of practice.” After hearing these words, Puding was filled with joy and told the assembly: “Countless people have thereby awakened together to the principle of non-action and entered together into the realm of truth.”

This scripture presents two different explanations in succession.

The Great One of Sagely Practice said to the Celestial Worthy: “In a future age, if living beings come to believe that all kinds of things truly exist and cling to them without letting go, the Great Dao will remain hidden for a long time and will be unable to circulate in the world. If someone regards the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)—the three highest deities revered in Daoism, and also a state of profound purity—and longs for that state, then even if they practice for a long time and accumulate merit, they will be unable to attain liberation.

“Why is this so? The realm of the Three Pure Ones is called ‘quiescent extinction,’ meaning freedom from worldly turmoil and from entanglement in the many forms of desire. If one still regards it with a mind of attachment and discrimination, one falls into mistaken views and strays from proper cultivation. That is why such a person is said to have forever lost the supreme teaching.”

Then the Celestial Worthy praised Shengxing, saying, “Well said, well said. It is just as you have said. In the past, the true practitioner Shengxing cultivated a deep foundation of De (Virtue/Power), understood the truth, and reached a state of unobstructed understanding. That is why today you can resolve the doubts of the assembly. This is indeed a profound and important teaching.

“If someone clings to views about all kinds of things, rejects the impure world in pursuit of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), rejects the bodies of living beings in pursuit of the form of the true Dao, and wishes to cut off all afflictions, enter the state of Wuwei (non-action), and believes that they can attain quiescence by leaving behind all views, I call such a person one who clings to wrong views and is arrogant and conceited.

“This is like a fool who fears Heaven and Earth and tries to escape them: wherever they flee, they remain on the Earth. Living beings are the same. Afraid of the body caught in birth and death, they hasten to escape the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm. They hold only aversion in their hearts, yet the body and mind they attain still have not gone beyond birth and death. Such people have not truly seen the Dharma or found the true Dao. How pitiful.

“The true nature of the Dao is uncreated: it neither arises nor ceases. It is neither being nor nonbeing, neither long nor short, neither large nor small. It is neither the physical body nor thoughts of the mind. Only those who can realize this true nature are said to be practicing the Dao correctly.

“I will tell you further, Shengxing: the delusion of people in the world is deep. The true Dao is within them, yet they cannot see it. It is like a fool who runs about searching for empty space with shape and color, not understanding that all things with form and color are themselves empty. People in the world are the same: their thoughts chase in every direction as they seek the Dao, unaware that body and mind themselves are the Dao.

“Again, it is like a fool who sees only bamboo and wood, but does not know fire. They discard the wood to search for fire, not understanding that fire is already within the wood. People in the world are the same: they abandon themselves to seek the Dao, not knowing that the Dao is within them. Seeking fire after discarding the wood is like abandoning a form to search for its shadow, or abandoning a sound to search for its echo, without understanding that form is the basis of shadow and sound is the source of echo.

“Therefore, know that the wrong views and blazing afflictions of the world are like forests filled with thorns and brambles; they are not fit places to draw near. Today, through these words of instruction, you should pass these teachings on to those who come after you. Let them know that the Three Pure Ones are not beyond afflictions, and the Great Dao is not somewhere far away. By observing body and mind and practicing the right conduct, they can naturally attain liberation, leave afflictions behind forever, and abide always among the Three Pure Ones. Think this over carefully, and you will naturally find peace and joy.”

Shengxing asked the Greatly Virtuous Heavenly Worthy: “Why do you say that all beings are, from the beginning, the true Dao, yet also teach people to cultivate the correct path in order to attain peace and happiness? If beings are already the Dao, why must they cultivate it? Birds are born able to fly, so why must they learn to fly? Fish live in water by nature, so why must they learn to swim? Clouds rise and rain falls without any need to learn. If beings are already the true Dao, why must they cultivate it to attain peace and happiness? Please explain this to me and dispel my doubts.”

The Heavenly Worthy replied: “True Adept Shengxing, your question is well asked. As I said just now, the relationship between the true Dao and all beings is like the fire within wood: they can be said to be neither entirely identical nor separate from one another. Fire exists within the wood, yet the wood does not appear as fire. Put this way, the matter should resolve your doubts.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “Noble practitioner of the sacred path, your question is a good one. As I just explained, the relationship between living beings and the true Dao is like that between fire and wood. It is wrong to say they are completely the same, and wrong to say they have no connection at all. One may say that fire is within wood, but not that wood itself is fire. Apart from wood, fire cannot appear; yet fire itself is not identical to wood. Since wood is not fire, the two are not one. Since fire cannot be separated from wood, the two are not different. You should understand from this that living beings and the true Dao are neither one nor different: they are neither completely identical nor wholly separate. The Dao is present within living beings, but living beings are not themselves the Dao. Apart from living beings, there is no way to speak of the Dao; yet the Dao is not identical to living beings. Since living beings are not the Dao, the two are not one. Since the Dao does not leave living beings, the two are not different.

“Therefore, if you want to obtain fire, you should seek it in wood, not in ice. If you want to seek the Dao, you should seek it within yourself, not elsewhere. If you look for fire in ice or seek the Dao somewhere else, then even with the power to move mountains and fill seas, even if you exhaust all your strength and display extraordinary abilities, you will only move farther from the Dao, however long you keep at it.

“So now I tell living beings: to obtain fire, you must rely on human effort. Prepare the tools for drilling wood to make fire, then turn them with your own hands; only then will fire appear. It is the same when living beings study the Dao and practice proper conduct: they must work through good deeds, cultivate various forms of wisdom, observe themselves, and make use of their mind and spirit. Only then can they see the Dao. That is why I teach living beings to practice the true and upright Dao, so that they may attain peace and happiness.

“Fish swim in water, but they must move of their own accord to rise and sink. Creatures that fly through the air or swim in water do not thereby count as understanding the true Dao. Clouds rise and rain falls without awareness or intention, and without learning or cultivation. These phenomena belong to the natural changes of the world; they cannot be compared with the practice of the true Dao. Reflect carefully, and you will understand.”

At this point, Shengxing again asked the Venerable Heavenly Worthy: “Living beings should seek the Dao within themselves, rather than searching outside. Is the Dao within oneself empty and absent, or is it somewhere else?”

The Heavenly Worthy replied: “Shengxing, true adept—that is, one who cultivates with integrity—asking questions in this way gives rise to thirty-six kinds of questions, all of which belong to mistaken views, views that depart from right understanding.”

Shengxing asked again: “Venerable Heavenly Worthy, we can see that there is fire in wood and water in ice, and that there is no fire in ice. Can we then see that there is no water in wood?”

The Heavenly Worthy replied: “Shengxing, true adept, asking questions in this way gives rise to thirty-six kinds of questions, all of which belong to mistaken views.”

Shengxing asked again: “Venerable Heavenly Worthy, we can see that there is fire in wood and water in ice, and that there is no fire in ice. Can we then see that there is no water in wood?”

The Heavenly Worthy replied: “This is said to help those who have not yet awakened to the Dao understand; the answer follows the customary way of speaking in the world.”

Shengxing asked again: “Is there fire in ice? Is there water in wood?”

The Heavenly Worthy replied: “It is like someone seeing images of various colors in empty space.”

Shengxing asked again: “Is it right to seek fire in ice and water in wood?”

The Celestial Worthy replied: “Those who cultivate the sacred practice and seek the Dao by looking only at their own bodies, hoping to eliminate all conditioned phenomena—the things formed through causes and conditions, and subject to change and arising and ceasing—in order to attain liberation, are not following the right path. To seek the true Dao, one need only observe oneself; to understand emptiness, one should observe all things. By observing the true nature of the body, one understands that the Dao manifests through the body and the mind, through the eyes and ears, through the nose and tongue, through the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, and through every part of the body. By observing the true nature of things, one understands that emptiness manifests through heaven and earth, through oneself and others, through water and fire, plants and trees, through the ten directions—the four cardinal directions, the four intermediate directions, above and below—and through all things.

“Therefore, I say that this scripture has delivered beings as numerous as motes of dust, yet I have never seen a single being truly delivered. Why? My eyes are empty, and beings are empty; in emptiness there is no distinction. Distinction itself is also empty. Thus my eyes are clear and my wisdom bright: I can observe all things and pass through without obstruction. I survey the three thousand great thousand worlds—the vast realm made up of many worlds in the Buddhist cosmology—and have never seen a single being delivered. Why? My eyes are empty, and beings are empty; in emptiness there is no distinction. Distinction itself is also empty. Thus my eyes are clear and my wisdom bright: I can observe all things and pass through without obstruction. I survey the three thousand great thousand worlds and all beings of the past and future, and they have all already attained deliverance. For this reason, I say that within emptiness are fully present forms and images without limit.”

Then the True Worthy of the Sacred Practice and the assembled multitude heard these profound words. They rose together, paid their respects, and said:

“How wondrous and exalted is one who possesses all wisdom! The subtle meaning of the teaching you have expounded makes the distinction between deviance and the true path perfectly clear.

“Only inverted delusions give rise to grasping and rejection. The true Dao lies in neither existence nor nonexistence. The mind and all phenomena are not inherently real; clinging to the existence of mind gives rise to delusion.

“Skillfully employ expedient means and accord with all conditioned phenomena. When these phenomena disperse, they accord with what is true. In truth there are no fixed forms; at their root, afflictions too are empty.

“Beings and the Dao are not two, and no partial or biased view has any inherent nature. If one clings in one’s heart and tries to eliminate something, then however extensive one’s practice may be, it can never be truly carried out.

“The Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest gods revered in Daoism, are neither distant nor mysterious; stillness and cessation of afflictions lie within the heart. If one forms a view that clings to existence, the tender shoots of wisdom are utterly destroyed.”

The Celestial Worthy called such people “arrogant monks.” They are like people afraid of the earth, who run about in haste, trying to hide from it.

Even if one travels a thousand miles each day, without the earth there is nowhere to stand. One may reject the self in the hope of seeking the Dao, yet after encountering the Dao, one still does not forget the self. Clinging to the body takes one ever farther from the Dao and entangles one instead in birth and death. The utmost true Dao has neither arising nor perishing; the Great Dao transcends both extremes of annihilation and permanence.

If one can realize this mystery, one may be said to cultivate the true and proper Dao. Because their obstructions run deep, living beings cling to the body and lose sight of the Dao, seeing only physical form. They try to seek the Dao through the body, yet observe its shape and color without knowing that its nature is empty. They are like a fool who sees wood but does not know how fire emerges from it.

Shadows and echoes may seem close to their source, yet they arise from form and sound. Wrong views give rise to afflictions, bringing harm like thistles and thornbushes. Clinging to what has form and appearance gives rise to poison and harm. How is harming oneself any different? The Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest deities revered in Daoism, are within affliction, and the Great Dao truly resides within me.

It is like fire hidden in wood: tools for drilling the wood and human labor are needed to bring the fire forth. By accumulating good deeds and seeking the true Dao, one will at last find peace and accord with what is true.

Proclaiming the teachings of the scriptures to save all living beings yields merit beyond measure. But if one sees through to the source and understands the principles of coming and going, then all that one has been taught to receive is merely empty words.

The expanse of space is vast and boundless. What, then, can living beings rely upon? My eyes are originally pure and can reach throughout the entire great chiliocosm—the vast universe described in Buddhist teaching. Whatever I see, whether in the future, past, or present, is minute as dust. Through immeasurable eons, I have long been in complete accord with what is true.

The Wondrous Forest Scripture of the Great Vehicle, Scroll One

The Wondrous Forest Scripture of the Great Vehicle, Scroll Two

Chapter Four: Contemplating the Body

At this, the Perfected One of Great Compassion rose from his seat, bowed before the Heavenly Venerable, and asked: “All of us gathered here have been thinking that the principles the Heavenly Venerable has spoken of are subtle and profound, and difficult to fathom. The true nature of affliction is no different from the nature of the Dao, yet the meaning of this is exceedingly deep. Now we have heard the Heavenly Venerable’s teaching with our own ears, and the doubts in our hearts have been dispelled. But future beings may not yet have awakened in their spiritual capacities. When they hear this wondrous teaching, how can they understand it?

“The Heavenly Venerable says that the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest deities honored in Daoism, are not far away, and that the Dao is within oneself. All beings hear that the Dao is within them, yet do not understand what this means, and instead become more doubtful. What method should be used to dispel their doubts, so that beings may find peace of mind, freedom, and happiness?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Excellent, excellent! Greatly Compassionate True Adept, you have taken on the suffering and distress of living beings through measureless kalpas, and so today you have asked this good question. Sit down again, and I will explain it to you, so that in the future all who sincerely seek the Dao may find peace and happiness.

If living beings enter my Dharma gate and hear its wondrous meaning but still cannot understand it, they should be comforted and guided by three methods so that they may awaken. What are these three methods?

First, if someone hears the Mahayana teaching but cannot yet trust and accept it, use the Five Precepts to restrain and regulate body and mind. This prevents indulgence and laxity, purifies the Five Faculties—the powers of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching—and brings body and mind into harmony. They will then no longer fear the Buddha-Dharma and can listen with ease and accept it.

Second, if someone hears the Mahayana teaching but cannot yet understand it, use the three kinds of meditation to settle the mind. The mind will cease to waver, become peaceful within, and grow even in temperament, allowing the person to read, recite, and uphold the teaching with ease.

Third, if someone hears the Mahayana teaching but cannot yet contemplate it fully, use the six kinds of wisdom to reach throughout body and mind. This clears what is within and without and purifies body and mind. Wisdom then extends freely like empty space, penetrating one’s true nature. They will no longer fear the Buddha-Dharma and will be able to receive and practice the teaching entrusted to them.

What are the Five Precepts? If the eye faculty clings to forms, contemplate those forms through the wondrous forest’s great precept: they are continually changing, flowing on from moment to moment, and there is nothing in them worth desiring. Then contemplate your own eye faculty; it is the same. When the ear faculty clings to sounds, the nose faculty to scents, the tongue faculty to flavors, or the body faculty to objects of mind—the things apprehended by the mind—contemplate them in the same way. These objects are always changing and impermanent from moment to moment; there is nothing worth clinging to. The faculties that perceive them are the same.

What are the Three Meditations? If someone’s mind and spirit are unsettled and they have many desires, use the wondrous forest’s great meditation to contemplate the world as illusion, dream, flame, and lightning—not real or unchanging. Understanding this, the mind will no longer chase after things and scatter; this is called Settling. If someone’s mind and spirit are unsettled and they often feel anger, contemplate the world as an echo, mist, and cloud—not real or unchanging. Understanding this, they will no longer feel anger; this is called Dharma Meditation. If someone’s mind and spirit are unsettled and they often fall into delusion and pride, contemplate the world as wind, empty space, bubbles on water, and shadows—not real or unchanging. Understanding this, they will no longer be deluded or proud; this is called Determination.

What are the Six Wisdoms? To understand that forms are continually changing and impermanent from moment to moment, and to cease desiring them so that the eye faculty is purified, is called Seeing Wisdom. To understand that sounds are impermanent, cease desiring them, and purify the ear faculty is called Hearing Wisdom. To understand that scents are impermanent, cease desiring them, and purify the nose faculty is called Pervasive Wisdom. To understand that flavors are impermanent, cease desiring them, and purify the tongue faculty is called Discerning Wisdom. To understand that all phenomena are continually changing and impermanent from moment to moment, cease desiring them, and purify the body’s objects of awareness is called Awakening Wisdom. To understand that greed, anger, and delusion—the Three Poisons—are continually changing and impermanent from moment to moment, no longer be obstructed by them, and purify the mind faculty is called Penetrating Wisdom.

Greatly Compassionate True Adept, if in the latter age, the time of the Final Dharma, living beings wish to enter the Dharma gate, you should use these three methods to settle their minds and free them from fear. When there is no fear in the heart, peace and happiness will come naturally. Body and mind will be firm, resting without movement, and the six wisdoms will be clear and unobstructed. Contemplating the world in this way, one will see that nothing in it is without wondrous appearance. From this, understand that one need not eliminate every affliction in order to recognize the marks of reality.

Do not pass this Dharma gate carelessly to those who are not suited to receive it. If even a single thought of doubt or slander arises, you may be unable to encounter this teaching again for a long time. Be very careful, be very careful.”

At that moment, Perfected One Pervasive Insight—a Daoist title for an enlightened perfected person—reported to the Celestial Worthy: “Today we have heard the teachings of the Great Dao. Our bodies and minds are joyful and uplifted; we feel happy and at peace, with nothing to fear. This is truly inconceivable. Yet we still have doubts in our hearts and do not dare ask rashly. We respectfully beg the Celestial Worthy to listen and allow us to voice them.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “Perfected adept Pervasive Insight—a respectful title for a perfected person—ask whatever troubles you. I will explain it so that you may understand principles you have never heard before.”

Pervasive Insight then asked, “Great Virtue, Dharma King, why do you say that beings who wish to enter the Dharma gate should use three methods to comfort their minds and bring them peace? Are the minds of all beings originally deluded and false? If the mind originally exists and its nature is already fixed, why say that these three methods can settle it and make people free of fear? If the mind does not originally exist, how can it be settled? What are we to make of your saying that these three methods comfort the mind and bring it to rest?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “A good question. Listen carefully, and I will explain, so that people in later generations may also understand what puzzles them. Adept Pervasive Understanding, the mind of all beings follows the same principle as arising. What does it mean to say that the mind of all beings follows the same principle as arising? Do all beings originally have birth? If they do, where does birth come from? Do all beings originally have no birth? If they do not, why can we see bodies coming into being? Do you now consider the body to exist or not to exist?”

Pervasive Insight replied, “Great and Virtuous Celestial Worthy, we consider the body not to exist. Why? Because the former form body—the body with visible shape—has passed away, and a later form body has arisen.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “Adept Pervasive Insight, if beings originally have no birth, yet you see bodies come into being, do you now consider the body to exist or not to exist?”

Pervasive Insight replied, “Great and Virtuous Celestial Worthy, we consider the body not to exist, because the former form body has passed away and a later form body has arisen.”

The Celestial Worthy told the Perfected Adept Biantong, “The principle of the mind is the same. It is neither truly existent nor completely nonexistent; each thought arises and passes away. Once a previous thought has ceased, it cannot cause the next thought. And when the next thought arises, it is not the result produced by the previous one. That is why I say that the mental processes of all sentient beings are like arising phenomena.”

The Perfected Adept Biantong asked, “Since the Celestial Worthy says that the mental processes of sentient beings are like arising phenomena, and arising phenomena can be seen, can mental processes also be seen in the same way?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Mental processes can be seen. To see them, observe them as you would arising phenomena: arising phenomena have no fixed location; mental processes, too, have no fixed location.”

The Perfected Adept Biantong asked again, “The Celestial Worthy says that mental processes are like arising phenomena, and that neither has a fixed location. If so, how can people’s minds be comforted so that they may find peace and happiness?”

The Celestial Worthy asked, “Can the body be made secure and stable?”

Biantong replied, “The body changes with each thought, so it cannot be kept secure and stable forever.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “Mental processes are the same; they cannot be made permanently secure and stable.”

The Perfected Adept Biantong asked, “If the mind cannot be made secure and stable, why do you say that people’s minds should be comforted so that they may be happy?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Because sentient beings see their bodies as truly existent, they must first be comforted. Once comforted, they can understand that the mind is neither truly existent nor completely nonexistent. Understanding this principle of being and nonbeing, of neither being nor nonbeing, is called attaining the True Mind; through it, they can find peace and happiness. That is why I use these three ways of contemplating to comfort people’s minds and bring them peace and happiness.” The “three methods” here refer to the earlier ideas of “nonbeing, being, and neither being nor nonbeing,” which guide people toward recognizing the mind’s true condition.

The assembly present heard the Celestial Worthy’s teaching and gained insight. They praised him in unison, saying:

“As the Dharma King of the Three Realms, the Celestial Worthy embodies great compassion and sits in solemn manifestation, in a state beyond all conception. You teach this subtle Dharma to sentient beings, opening the conditions that lead them toward the supreme fruit of the Dao.

“From this we understand that affliction and the true aspect are not utterly separate. With insight, one sees that the place of practice and ignorance, too, are inseparable from one another. The minds of beginners are not yet pure, so the Celestial Worthy, in great compassion, establishes skillful means and opens the layers of darkness that obscure them.

“Therefore the Celestial Worthy expounds the wondrous Dharma for sentient beings, using the three methods of the Scripture of the Wondrous Grove to guide beginners: contemplate the body through the Five Precepts, thereby purifying the Five Roots—the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch; and gather the mind through the Three Concentrations, eliminating the Three Poisons of greed, anger, and delusion.”

The One Vehicle (the teaching that leads to ultimate truth) is taught widely, enabling beings lost in darkness to awaken. Thus the Celestial Worthy expounded the Three Methods of the Wondrous Grove to the assembly, helping beginners understand their principles. By upholding the Five Precepts and observing themselves, they purify the Five Faculties—the powers of perception associated with the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body. By gathering their thoughts through the Three Concentrations, they can eliminate the Three Poisons of greed, anger, and delusion.

The One Vehicle reaches throughout the three thousand worlds. By repeatedly cultivating the Six Wisdoms and undertaking nine nights of purification, one comes to understand that the world is like an illusion or a dream, with no real existence. Yet it would also be wrong to say that it is utterly nonexistent, for phenomena are neither truly existent nor utterly empty through annihilation.

Thus one can abide in the Land of Bliss. The state that is neither empty nor existent endures without perishing, yet this enduring state is not apart from the human world. The wondrous truth is also revealed in this world.

Before awakening, this was called affliction; now, with great awakening, it is called a true immortal. One and the same substance bears two names, depending on the perspective from which it is observed. They seem to be two, but in truth they are one body.

The Unsurpassed Worthy, who reaches through all things to ultimate truth, held all beings tenderly in his heart and never ceased to keep them in mind. He asked: How do beings arise? How are we to determine whether there is mind or no mind?

Now, through the kindness of the Greatly Compassionate One and his unsurpassed secret teaching, I understand: beings have mind, and mind too arises; yet its arising can be said to be neither wholly nonexistent nor truly existent. Mind is neither truly existent nor wholly absent.

A former life and a later life do not continue one another without interruption; nor are mind and no-mind mutually causal. Observe the body and one finds that it is not truly existent; the same should be understood of mental phenomena. Seeking the mind does not yield nothing, just as observing the body does not.

If one can understand that body and mind are neither entirely the same nor wholly different, how could one cling to the claim that they must be either existent or nonexistent? Once the two biased views of existence and nonexistence have been explained and relinquished, even the thought of “the middle” should be let go. What fixed “middle” could there be in what is called the Middle Way?

Understand that neither the extremes nor the middle have any fixed reality, and that mind and no-mind do not bring about one another. The body is not truly existent, and the same is true of mental phenomena; seeking the mind does not yield nothing, just as observing the body does not.

If one can understand that body and mind are neither one entity nor two separate things, how could one cling to the claim that they must be either existent or nonexistent? Let go of both extremes, existence and nonexistence, and do not cling to “the middle.” The extremes of existence and nonexistence, and the middle between them, have no fixed reality. This profound and subtle teaching of the Double Mystery, which transcends distinctions such as existence and nonexistence, is difficult to fathom. Thus body and mind may rest in peace, while the true mind remains constant and undying through myriad kalpas.

At that time, after the Celestial Worthy had heard the assembly expound the Great Dharma and recite their verses, he said to the Realized Ones: “At this gathering, you have deeply understood the marks of the Dharma, and your hearts are joyful and at peace. What you have said is indeed so, true and without error. In ages to come, you must also enable all beings to awaken.” The assembly rejoiced when they heard this, bowed their heads in acceptance, and then withdrew together.

Fifth: Questions from the Youth

At that time, the attendant boy seated nearby was named Huiming. He rose, straightened his robes and cap, and bowed before the Celestial Worthy. “Greatly compassionate Celestial Worthy, your wondrous radiance shines throughout the ten directions, reaching countless worlds as numerous as motes of dust and every land. Countless perfected immortals and holy beings have gathered in this inconceivable city. Its ground is level, its palaces are adorned with rare treasures, and it can accommodate people as numerous as motes of dust without seeming crowded. Why is this land so wondrous? What merit have these perfected immortals cultivated? Having encountered the precious light, they were able to enter this city—truly a rare and unfathomable event. Hearing the Wondrous Grove Scripture, I am filled with joy. I beg you, Celestial Worthy, to teach and enlighten us, and to inspire those who cultivate the Dao in generations to come.”

The Heavenly Worthy praised the boy, saying, “Well done, well done! Huiming, you are skilled at bringing this subtle affinity to light, so that people in future ages may resolve the doubts in their hearts. That wondrous mountain is called the Great Hall of Blessings. There one may escape birth and death, in a pure land that is beyond the sight of practitioners of the Two Vehicles, such as Hearers and Solitary Realizers.

The Heavenly Worthies of the past, present, and future have all gathered there. A patch of ground as small as a speck of dust can accommodate a gathering of eighty thousand—a marvel beyond imagining. The palaces, couches, all kinds of fragrant and delicious food, clothing and bedding, flowering and fruit-bearing trees, and pools for bathing the whole body are all made of the seven treasures. Whatever is needed appears as soon as one thinks of it. This is a land formed through blessings and virtue, vast beyond words.

In the lands of the ten directions and throughout the three thousand worlds, countless Perfected Ones have gathered. They are all accomplished practitioners: single-minded and pure, with wisdom fully realized and clear. They understand the nature of all teachings and, over immeasurable eons, have cultivated the roots of many virtues. Thus today they are able to encounter the light and gather together. Now I proclaim the subtle teachings of the Great Vehicle, universally saving immeasurable beings. Anyone who hears the name of the Wondrous Grove Scripture, or recites even one chapter or a single line, should know that all the faults they have committed in the past through body, speech, and mind can be purified, and they will no longer suffer the corresponding evil consequences.

If beings hear the name of this scripture, or recite even one chapter or a single line, they will always be born in pure lands, with ample food and clothing and nothing lacking. After hearing this scripture, they will not fall into the three evil paths. The many forms of suffering and retribution—sword mountains and forests, bronze pillars, blazing furnaces and coals, freezing ice, and iron beds—will naturally vanish. Wherever they go, they will find peace and well-being; calamities of war and poisonous beasts will be unable to harm them.”

The boy asked again, “Great and virtuous Heavenly Worthy, please explain in detail how the Perfected Ones cultivate the Way and contemplate the nature of all teachings. Through what power of mind do they attain freedom and unobstructed understanding, encounter revered scriptures, and hear the subtle Dharma?”

The Heavenly Worthy replied, “Huiming…”

The Youth asked again, “Venerable Celestial Worthy, please explain in detail the practice of a perfected person. With what kind of mental discipline does a perfected person observe the nature of all things, attaining freedom and unobstructed understanding, and becoming able to encounter revered scriptures and hear the subtle Dao?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Huiming, when a perfected person practices, they expect nothing from any of the various things, because thoughts of distinction and attachment have already ceased in the mind. They observe forms and colors without craving them, because they know the eye faculty is empty by nature. They hear sounds without craving them, because they know the ear faculty is empty by nature. They smell fragrances without craving them, because they know the nose faculty is empty by nature. They taste delicious foods without craving them, because they know the tongue faculty is empty by nature. They hold precious things without craving them, because they know the hand faculty is empty by nature. They walk on level ground without craving it, because they know the foot faculty is empty by nature.

“When they see the heavens, they do not become absorbed in their pleasures, because they know there is no fixed, unchanging ‘self.’ When they see hell, they feel no fear, because they know that suffering, too, has no fixed nature. When they see others give alms, they do not rejoice on that account, because they know nothing can truly be gained. When they see others seize things, they do not become angry, because they know nothing can truly be lost. When praised, they are not elated, because they know praise has no fixed substance. When slandered or insulted, they feel no resentment, because they know harm, too, has no fixed substance.

“When they see Jade Capital Mountain, they do not regard it as high, because there is no enduring, unchanging distinction between long and short. When they see a low mound of earth, they do not regard it as low, because there is no enduring, unchanging distinction between high and low. When they see a tree that lives to a great age, they do not regard it as long-lasting, because lifespan has no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see a hibiscus flower that blooms only briefly, they do not regard it as short-lived, because there is no fixed, unchanging nature of premature death. When they see the vast Heaven of Great Luo, they do not regard it as vast, because size has no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see something as tiny as a hair’s tip, they do not regard it as small, because size is not fixed and unchanging.

“When they see a fierce fire, they do not assume it must be hot, because burning has no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see the immense Bohai Sea, they do not assume it must be wet, because moisture has no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see finely wrought carvings and paintings, they do not regard them as exceptional skill, because skill and clumsiness have no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see a dull, taciturn person, they do not conclude that the person is foolish, because skill and clumsiness have no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see almsgiving, they do not regard it as difficult, because material possessions have no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see greed and stinginess, they do not regard them as deserving pity, because stinginess has no fixed, unchanging nature.

“When they see the various kinds of beings, they do not regard them as entirely different from one another, because forms have no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see empty space, they do not take it to be a real entity, because even ‘formlessness’ cannot be clung to as fixed. When they see their relatives, they feel no attachment, because love has no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see their enemies, they do not deem them evil, because hatred has no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see Heaven and Earth, they do not regard them as everlasting and unchanging, because there is no fixed, unchanging state of abiding. When they see lightning, they do not assume it must be swift, because coming and going have no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see the sun rise, they do not insist that it comes from the east, because rising has no fixed, unchanging nature. When they see the sun set, they do not insist that it returns to the west, because sinking has no fixed, unchanging nature. To say there is no west and no sinking means that no fixed sun is in the act of sinking. To say there is no east and no rising means that no fixed sun is in the act of rising.

“Therefore, understand this: although a perfected person sees all things, they do not cling to what they see. Precisely because they do not cling, today they are able to dwell in the Pure Land, encounter rare radiance, hear me expound the subtle Mahayana scriptures, and receive, understand, and retain them with a single-minded heart.”

At this, the attendant boy Shànxìn rose from his seat, respectfully bowed, and gazed up at the Celestial Worthy with full attention. He said, “The teachings spoken by the Great Virtue Celestial Worthy are profound and subtle, beyond the reach of ordinary thought. If living beings hear these teachings, what kind of intent and strength should they rely on to understand and awaken?”

The Celestial Worthy tells the devoted youth: If sentient beings encounter this scripture but cannot yet understand it, they should use wisdom to examine their own bodies. Do the senses—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and the rest—have an inherent, true nature, or do they not? Do they arise from causes, or without any cause?

Suppose there is a real “self,” and the senses, such as the eyes and ears, all arise from the Four Great Elements of earth, water, fire, and wind—the four basic substances that make up the body. Then consider this carefully: if the nature of the Four Great Elements is empty, how can they combine? If the Four Great Elements are empty from the outset, then the body formed by their combination is empty as well. Since the body is made of the Four Great Elements, and those elements are empty, the body must itself be empty. Why? Because it has no fixed substance to begin with.

Suppose the body and its senses arise from the Four Great Elements, while the elements have different natures. How, then, can they combine? If each element is distinct, then the body formed from them must also differ in accordance with those elements, since their natures are different from the outset.

Suppose the body arises from the Four Great Elements, yet the elements cannot combine. Where, then, does the body come from? If the elements can combine to produce a body, but cannot combine in the first place, how could their combination give rise to one? Tigers, deer, snakes, and mice are also made of the Four Great Elements, yet each is different; the elements do not thereby combine to form a single body. So if the Four Great Elements cannot combine, how could they combine to produce a body?

From this, one should understand that our present body is like wind, a shadow, dew, or lightning; like an illusion or a dream; like a sound and its echo. In the end it falls silent and has no fixed substance or independent, unchanging cause. To understand it in this way is called “contemplation of the Dharma”: using wisdom to observe the nature of all phenomena.

The power of this contemplation can open the gates to many virtues and bring one to abide among the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), dwelling always in a pure land. In the face of differing views, the mind remains undisturbed. Observing all things in the world with the same wisdom, one sees that they are all pure and free of defilement.

The devoted youth listened with joy and praised this teaching as something he had never heard before. The Celestial Worthy then recited a verse:

I now proclaim: All the Celestial Worthies of the past and future share the same power of mind. The worlds in the ten directions are as numerous as fine dust; all the Dharma Kings (those who have attained the Dao) within them likewise teach the wondrous principles and the supreme One Vehicle scripture. If someone hears even one chapter, one sentence, or one verse, makes a vow, sincerely puts it into practice, and passes it on to later generations, then wherever that good man or good woman may go, calamities and epidemics will not dare to harm them. With single-minded recitation, the five sufferings will be dispelled.

Please explain further the outstanding causes and conditions cultivated by realized beings, and the teachings they attain. A realized being observes the self and understands that all things are empty: suffering and joy have no two fixed forms, and aversion and affection are equal; high and low lead to no different destinations, and great and small have no essential distinction. The sun’s rising does not begin with its gathering in some place, and its setting is not a complete extinction. It has no fixed east or west, and its rising and setting have no definite location.

What power of mind, then, enables one to attain this vision of equality? The answer: observe with wisdom until attachment to every part of the body dissolves. The Four Great Elements (earth, water, fire, and wind, which constitute the body and all things) do not truly combine to form a fixed entity; a tiger and a deer are not of the same kind. From this, we understand that all things are illusory, like dew and lightning, and in the end are all empty. Ultimately, there is no true arising or passing away. Through contemplation of the Dharma, wisdom in the mind grows clearer day by day. Abide always in a pure realm, in lasting joy without end.

At this, the young attendants standing beside the seat and everyone present heard the Celestial Worthy proclaim these wondrous verses. They leapt with joy and praised teachings they had never heard before. Then they all bowed their heads and voiced their approval together. After paying their respects, they withdrew.

Chapter Six: Following Along with the Way

At that time, the Heavenly Worthy said to Biantong, “In the final age, if someone can understand the principles I teach, praise their subtle meaning, and explain teachings people have not yet heard so that they may understand and awaken; if this person grasps their deeper meaning without being bound by the surface of the words, and knows that the nature of all dharmas is not something to covet or cling to, then you should know that this person has long been accumulating good merit before countless Heavenly Worthies and has deep spiritual roots.

“If people in the world provide for such a person, giving them whatever they need—clothing, food, bedding, incense and flowers, lamps and candles, and medicines—they will gain immeasurable merit. Such a person is the highest seed of the Great Vehicle, the vast and ultimate teaching. They can preserve and spread the treasury of the Dharma, keeping the teaching from dying out. In a former life, they entered the jeweled city and heard the subtle Great Vehicle scriptures I taught. Later, they were born among humankind and proclaimed my orthodox teaching. That is why I say that providing for such a person is like providing for me. Why? Because they deeply understand the purpose of my teaching and can adapt their explanations to the needs of living beings without becoming rigid or attached. Thus, those in the world who provide for them gain immeasurable merit.”

Biantong asked, “Greatly Venerable Heavenly Worthy, what does ‘adapting to circumstances’ mean? What does it mean to teach in response to living beings’ circumstances without becoming attached?”

The Heavenly Worthy replied, “True Adept Biantong, I teach the Dharma in ways suited to the different circumstances of living beings. Sometimes I teach the One Vehicle scripture, which points toward a single ultimate path; sometimes I teach the Dharma of the Three Ages: past, present, and future. Sometimes I teach conditioned dharmas, things and principles brought about by causes and conditions; sometimes I teach unconditioned dharmas, realms not brought about by causes and conditions. Sometimes I teach worldly dharmas, sometimes transcendent ones; sometimes I teach impure dharmas, sometimes pure ones; sometimes I teach about wrongdoing and…”

The Celestial Worthy told the perfected adept Biantong, “The teachings I expound adapt to the different capacities and circumstances of living beings. I speak of the One Vehicle Scripture, the teaching that returns to a single principle; of the teachings concerning the three ages—past, present, and future; of conditioned phenomena, arising through causes and conditions, and the unconditioned realm, not produced by causes and conditions. I also speak of worldly and transcendent teachings, defiled and pure teachings, and of sin and merit, suffering and joy, cause and effect. These different ways of speaking are all called adaptation.

“The world in which living beings dwell is like an illusion conjured by a magician, with no fixed, enduring reality. It is also like a dream at night: everything seen in the dream is unreal. If living beings deeply understand this principle, they are my true children. They can bear the trust placed in them, uphold the storehouse of the teachings—the scriptures and essential meanings—and ensure that it is passed down without interruption.”

Biantong asked, “Great and virtuous Celestial Worthy, the teachings you expound are profound and subtle. You adapt your words to the world, yet also say that nothing has a fixed, unchanging definition. Does this mean that sin and merit have no fixed measure, and that suffering and joy have no fixed measure either?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Perfected adept Biantong, in teachings adapted to living beings, I sometimes call sin merit and merit sin; suffering joy and joy suffering. Thus, my teachings have no fixed, unchanging definition that leaves one in doubt.”

Biantong asked again, “Great and virtuous Celestial Worthy, why do you call sin merit and merit sin, suffering joy and joy suffering? If there is no fixed definition, how should living beings cultivate themselves so they can leave the cycle of birth and death and attain true liberation?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Broadly Attuned Adept, the teachings I expound sometimes call sin a blessing because the many sinful acts committed by sentient beings are, in their nature, empty and have no fixed, unchanging substance. At other times, they call a blessing a sin because when people do good while expecting something in return and clinging to its rewards, that very attachment binds them. The same applies to the principles of suffering and joy, cause and effect, and the like. You should therefore understand that the sin and blessing, suffering and joy, cause and effect I speak of have no fixed, unchanging form.

“When someone understands that the teachings are not fixed, the mind is no longer constrained or bound by things. This is called attaining liberation. One no longer passes through the six paths of rebirth, but abides always in peace, joy, and purity, unmoving. This is teaching in response to the moment and in accord with worldly circumstances. What is called teaching according to what is appropriate is meant to guide sentient beings; it does not proclaim fixed, unchanging principles. By means of the principle that the teachings are not fixed, sentient beings can enter a stable state and be free of fear. They can also enter the Three Realms and become guides to sentient beings, saving countless beings and bringing them to lasting joy.”

Then Broadly Attuned reported, “Greatly Virtuous Celestial Worthy, I have reflected that our assembly, having heard these profound principles, now understands them and has no doubts. But in the future, there will be sentient beings who hear these profound teachings without truly understanding them. The Celestial Worthy says that sin and blessing, suffering and joy have no fixed form, and that these teachings are spoken in response to the needs of beings in the world. What, then, is the intention with which you respond to the world and expound teachings that have no fixed form?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Broadly Attuned Adept, all that I teach now has been cultivated and nurtured through great compassion, the compassion that rescues and protects sentient beings. The words, expressions, and phrases spoken in response to the world are skillful means. They guide and lead sentient beings according to their different circumstances so that they may be delivered. Conditioned things in the world arise and change through the coming together of conditions; they are illusory and unreal. Sentient beings are troubled by ignorance, their inability to understand truth, and by suffering. If they can understand the nature of the teachings, they will see the true Way. This is called teaching in response to sentient beings’ capacities, in the manner suited to them.”

Biantong asked again, “Great and Virtuous Celestial Worthy, why do you feel great compassion for all beings? Is this not illusory?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “True Adept Biantong, suppose someone asks me what empty space is, and I explain it to them. Would that be illusory?” Biantong answered, “Great and Virtuous Celestial Worthy, since empty space cannot be spoken of, how can you explain it?”

The Celestial Worthy said, “True Adept Biantong, empty space cannot be spoken of in the first place. I explain empty space now because it is empty by nature, and what I say is likewise empty. From this, you should understand that all things in the world are illusory and have no fixed, real existence. Although I speak of the world, I do not fall into illusion. Why? Because the nature of illusion is also empty. I speak of illusion, but the ‘illusion’ I speak of is likewise empty. Thus my words do not fall into illusion.”

Biantong asked, “Great and Virtuous Celestial Worthy, you say that everything in the world is empty, yet you speak in ways that accord with beings’ understanding. What benefit does this bring?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “True Adept Biantong, this is to teach and guide beings, so that they may escape and no longer fall into illusion.”

Biantong asked again, “Great and Virtuous Celestial Worthy, you say that everything in the world is empty, yet you speak in ways that accord with beings. What benefit does this bring?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “True Adept Biantong, this is to teach and guide beings, so that they may escape, enter the gate of emptiness—the realm of practice in which they realize that all phenomena are empty in their own nature—break through all kinds of fixed views, understand signlessness, which means not clinging to fixed forms, and understand non-action, which means not clinging to acts of fabrication. In this way, all activities of body and mind ultimately subside into stillness and cease to arise. Once arising and ceasing have ended, they abide forever, unmoving. Therefore, I now accord with the world out of great compassion, so that beings may receive this great benefit.”

At that moment, the Perfected One Deman rose, bowed, and asked the Celestial Worthy, “Great and Virtuous Celestial Worthy, how can a Perfected One remain free of attachment to things in the world?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “True Adept Deman, that is a good question. What do each of you gathered here think?”

Deman answered, “Great and Virtuous Celestial Worthy, as I understand it, the Perfected One’s practice…”

The mind-nature is originally still and clear, without two opposing aspects. To cling to two aspects is delusion.

I now observe all things: when I hear of good deeds, I do not rejoice; when I hear of evil deeds, I do not become angry. I make no distinction between love and hatred. The mind-nature is quiet and seeks nothing. I observe the myriad things of the world as if they were illusions conjured by a magician. Seeing things that have been conjured, I know they are not real, so I do not become attached to them.

The realized person sees all conditioned phenomena in the world—the things that arise through the gathering of causes and conditions and that change and pass away—in the same way. Knowing that none of them is real and unchanging, they no longer become attached.

At that moment, the young attendant seated nearby, whose name was Shangxiang, heard the realized person’s teaching and was filled with joy, leaping with delight beyond words. His feeling was like that of an elder whose beloved son had died, only for the son to come back to life a few days later.

Shangxiang said, “Hearing the realized person’s teaching today has filled me with just such joy. Yet I still have some doubts in my heart and do not fully understand.” He stepped forward, bowed, and asked the realized person: “Great and virtuous adept, you say that when we observe the phenomena of the world, they have no two aspects. Because they have no two aspects, we do not become attached; to cling to anything is delusion. What is called deluded phenomena is like dreams and illusions. Since they do not truly exist, what fault is there in regarding them as deluded?”

The Perfected One replied, “Young Lord Shangxiang’s question is excellent. It gives me the chance to dispel the doubts of future generations. What I am saying now is this: when living beings become deeply attached to things that arise and perish through causes and conditions—that is, conditioned phenomena—this is delusion. Once the deluded mind arises, it gives rise to two opposing views, each distinguishing itself from the other.

If someone can see through these two distinctions and understand that they are originally no different, they should know that the delusion they perceive is both delusion and without any real delusion. So what I am saying now is this: to make opposing distinctions in the mind and become attached to worldly things is delusion. A person free from opposing distinctions observes the various appearances of delusion and understands that none belongs to the real world. Since they are not attached to the world, they have no opposing distinctions.

But the idea of being free from opposing distinctions itself gives rise to opposing distinctions. If one then becomes attached to the world, this is still delusion. A person free from opposing distinctions observes the various appearances of delusion and understands that none belongs to the real world. Since they are not attached to the world, they have no opposing distinctions. With no opposing distinctions, there is no delusion. From this we can see that one who truly sees through delusion observes all the things of the world and loses nothing.”

The Young Lord of the High Ministry asked again, “The Perfected One of Great Virtue says that things are illusory because mind and the world are regarded as two separate things. People’s attachment to the world all arises from the mind. Yet if a person has not clarified the relationship between the world and the Dharma of mind—that is, the principles concerning the mind—which is cause and which is effect? Does the Dharma of mind produce the world, or does the world produce the Dharma of mind? Without the Dharma of mind, who would know the world? Without the world, what would the mind know? If the Dharma of mind can know the world, then the world should not exist before the Dharma of mind appears. If the mind knows by depending on the world, then the Dharma of mind should not exist before the world appears. Neither account has made the matter clear. I humbly ask you to distinguish and explain it for me, so that I may understand a principle I have never heard before.”

The Perfected One replied, “Young Lord of the High Ministry, I will tell you now: the Dharma of mind and the world are neither cause nor effect. They have no before or after; they are neither one nor different. They are neither existent nor nonexistent, and yet one may speak of existence or nonexistence, oneness or difference, and even cause and effect. It is like a hen laying an egg, and the egg hatching into a hen. Between mother and offspring, one cannot simply say which is cause and which is effect, nor can one claim an absolute order, sameness, or difference. One cannot cling to them as truly existent, or insist that they are entirely nonexistent; yet depending on the circumstances, one may speak of existence or nonexistence, oneness or difference, and even cause and effect.

“If you understand non-arising—that the myriad things do not truly come into being—you will not ask such questions. If you cling to the idea of attaining something, such questions are false inquiries. Those who pose false inquiries will forever lose the immeasurable knowledge and vision of the Great Vehicle. Young Lord of the High Ministry, why seek the appearance of something truly arising in an echo from an empty valley? Why look for signs of sprouting in scorched grain? The Dharma of mind and the world are just the same: ultimately, both are quiescent, beyond discussion in words. They are like deadly poison that must not be tasted, and like a raging fire that must not be approached. To discuss the true character of the world and the Dharma of mind is like a blind person speaking of colors or a deaf person speaking of sounds. Ultimately, they have no fixed cause that can be grasped, and cannot be explained in words.”

At that moment, the Celestial Worthy praised Deman, saying, “Well said, well said! It is just as you say. You have skillfully distinguished and explained that neither the Dharma of mind nor the world has any existence. As with a deaf person speaking of sounds, ultimately they have no fixed cause that can be grasped, and cannot be discussed in words.”

At this point, the Celestial Worthy praised Deman, saying, “Well said, well said. It is indeed as you have said. You are skilled at distinguishing mind, dharmas, and the world: none of these three has an independent, unchanging substance, and none can be fully explained in words. These words are profound and to the point.”

Hearing this, the assembly was filled with joy and offered a verse of praise:

“How wondrous, honored one! You have raised such a question. Whoever hears and understands its profound meaning will be able to proclaim this great teaching and open and point out the true path for those in later generations. Know that this great being has long since accumulated immeasurable merit.

“People throughout the world should make offerings to this great being and do all they can to provide what he needs. His merit is beyond measure. Those who understand these profound teachings are my true disciples. They can inherit and spread the Sutra of the Wondrous Grove, and they have the capacity to attain unsurpassed wisdom.

“You understand that my teachings respond to different circumstances. Suffering and joy have no fixed source, just as a master illusionist clearly sees the illusions he creates. Though acting in accordance with worldly conventions, the wise mind understands that all things lack an independent nature arising from causes and conditions. In this way, you guide sentient beings and help them enter the Mahayana with firm resolve.

“By penetrating the nature of the world, one is liberated and no longer suffers the misfortunes that follow from it. I now speak of worldly principles without falling into falsehood. When someone asks about emptiness, seeking concrete forms within it, the teaching of emptiness must also accord with conditions and with the listener’s understanding. In this way, you guide sentient beings and help them enter the Mahayana with firm resolve.

“By penetrating the nature of the world, one is liberated and no longer suffers the misfortunes that follow from it. I now speak of worldly principles without falling into falsehood. When someone asks about emptiness, seeking concrete forms within it, the teaching of emptiness must also accord with conditions.

“Deman is truly a great being. On behalf of the assembly, he asked how one should apply the mind in practice. After receiving the Celestial Worthy’s supreme guidance, he described his past cultivation. Though he follows worldly ways, the principles he sees are not false.

“The noble youth had not yet resolved his questions, but the Perfected One explained them skillfully, and his doubts melted like ice and snow. Mind-nature, the world, and all dharmas are neither fixed effects nor fixed causes. Understand the meaning of a blind person speaking of colors, and you will know that there is no need for much explanation in an empty valley. The Celestial Worthy praised this true great being, and the whole assembly opened their hearts to receive the teaching.”

At that moment, after the assembly gathered in the Inconceivable City had finished reciting their verses, they addressed the Celestial Worthy: “Great and virtuous Celestial Worthy, we earnestly beg you, with your compassionate heart and without forsaking your vow to save all beings, to bestow a great radiance that will illuminate the countless worlds below. Let even those of shallow roots behold the precious light, dispel the darkness of ignorance, form a bond with the Dao, and return the Dao to its source.”

Then the Celestial Worthy raised a hand and snapped his fingers. From his palm issued a supreme precious light, round as a bright mirror. It illuminated the countless lands below, reaching even the Three Destinies of Evil—the realms of suffering endured by beings burdened with evil deeds—and the suffering souls of the Nine Depths, the tormented dead in the underworld. All these places became bright and pure. The punishments in the hells briefly ceased, bringing peace to those undergoing retribution and punishment. The six kinds of illness, such as deafness and blindness, and all manner of distress were also dispelled, and living beings rejoiced. Humans, birds, and beasts alike gave rise to kind thoughts and ceased harming one another.

By means of this radiance, all beings could raise their eyes and see the Inconceivable City clearly in the distance, as though it lay in the palm of a hand, with nothing hidden. Anyone who saw this light would surely be able to reach the Hall of Lasting Joy and Blessing, enter the Treasure City, and enjoy endless bliss.

At this time, the attendant of the Celestial Worthy, a young acolyte named Shanjian, rose from his seat, bowed, and addressed the Celestial Worthy: “How fortunate I am to serve here today and hear this rare and subtle scripture. My body and mind are filled with joy and excitement, and my happiness is beyond words. The parables you have taught are profound indeed; those of the Two Vehicles—whose level of cultivation is lower and who have not yet grasped the principles of the Great Vehicle—could neither hear nor understand them. This is a wondrous assembly such as has never been seen before. Countless Perfected Ones, as numerous as grains of dust, have gathered here. By what power of mind do these great beings contemplate the nature of all things and thus encounter this subtle and exalted scripture? I beg you, Celestial Worthy, to explain how the Perfected Ones cultivate and contemplate the nature of all things, so that all beings may awaken.”

The Celestial Worthy praised Shanjian, saying: “Good, good! The young acolyte attending my seat has asked me to explain how the Perfected Ones of the future will cultivate and contemplate the nature of all things.” Then the Celestial Worthy addressed the Perfected Ones: “Today you have encountered my subtle radiance and are able to gather here. This is a wondrous and inconceivable event. You are all people of superior capacity, with single-minded purpose and free of defilement; you understand the nature of the Dharma. The young acolyte has asked me to explain fully the power of mind on which the Perfected Ones rely in their cultivation. Therefore, today you may hear this essential teaching: it is the subtle path of the Great Vehicle, exceedingly rare, with remarkable and profound meaning. Each of you should explain how the Perfected Ones cultivate, so that the acolyte present here and all beings of the future may understand the secrets of their cultivation and the essential meaning of the Great Vehicle’s hidden practice.”

At that time, the Perfected One Miao Xiang said to the assembled youths, “Listen carefully, everyone. We Perfected Ones will explain broadly the Dao practices cultivated by the Perfected, so that people may observe the nature of all things, understand their essential meaning, hear teachings they have never heard before, and thereby attain understanding and awakening.

“To cultivate the Dao, a Perfected One must uphold the various precepts and rituals. Just as good men and women of the world rejoice in their hearts and have no doubts when they hear the teachings, giving rise to firm faith, so the Perfected, from ages long past, have upheld the precepts and rituals through immeasurable kalpas—extremely long periods of time—with joy and unwavering faith, never violating them or turning back. These are the precepts upheld by the Perfected, and this is the practice of reflecting inwardly and discerning the nature of all things.”

The Perfected One Baoguang said, “Child Shanjian, when a Perfected cultivates the Four Boundless Minds—the four vast and impartial states of mind—and remains steadfast without turning back, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Yaoming said, “When a Perfected observes all things and is certain that they can attain the unsurpassed Dao, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Putong said, “When a Perfected guides all beings without favoring any one of them, regarding each as their own child, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Shengxing said, “When a Perfected practices the true Dao without wavering in mind, and observes the many forms without seeing them as having different natures from one another, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Dabei said, “When a Perfected remains amid suffering and still helps all beings, without the slightest wavering in resolve, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Biantong said, “When a Perfected sits in quiet reflection and observes all beings, recognizing that none lacks its true nature, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Deman said, “When a Perfected understands and penetrates every teaching, subdues heterodox paths—teachings of cultivation that differ from the true Dao—and guides people back to the true Dao, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Minji said, “When a Perfected understands that the nature of all things is pure from the outset and cannot be fully grasped through thought or speech, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Daoshi said, “When a Perfected guides all beings through body, speech, and mind, without any falsehood, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Shan’ai said, “When a Perfected regards all things as real and true, and recognizes that nothing is apart from the Dao, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Daxiang said, “When a Perfected is harassed and harmed by many demons—forces that disrupt cultivation—and still feels no anger, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Gaoshang said, “When a Perfected sees beings caught in the cycle of birth and death and takes no pleasure in this, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Shengci said, “When a Perfected saves beings through the unsurpassed aspiration for the Dao, enabling them all to attain it, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Kaiming said, “When a Perfected upholds the various precepts with unwavering resolve and never turns back, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Shoucang said, “When a Perfected encounters precious things and wealth without craving or attachment, and is always glad to offer them in acts of devotion, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Huchi said, “When a Perfected faces the Five Desires—the objects of desire such as form, sound, smell, taste, and touch—without craving or indulging in them, and constantly practices purity, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Dengguan said, “When a Perfected observes beings without clinging to the appearances of their arising or passing away, this is called the practice of purity; it is also called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Jiding said, “When a Perfected knows that beings who hear this scripture will surely attain the Dao, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Wuwei said, “When a Perfected allows the fragrance of merit to spread constantly and unobstructed through the Five Paths—the five destinations of beings in the cycle of rebirth—this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Lingkong said, “When a Perfected sees those who have set their minds on cultivating the Dao and knows that they will eventually ascend to the Treasure City, the wondrous realm sought by cultivators, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Changnian said, “When a Perfected sees beings and thinks of inspiring them to awaken their minds to the Dao, never growing weary, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Shanbian said, “When a Perfected knows that nothing in the world remains in a constant state, and that nothing has a fixed state of departure, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Jingding said, “When a Perfected teaches the Dharma to beings without clinging in the heart to the idea of ‘Dharma,’ this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Miaoguang said, “When a Perfected can use wisdom to dispel immeasurable offenses, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Miaohua said, “When a Perfected sees the jeweled trees of the Celestial Worthy’s merit spread throughout the worlds in the ten directions, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Daci said, “When a Perfected sees beings suffering and does not turn away from them, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Huiming said, “When a Perfected sees that beings are deluded and guides them to dispel their delusion, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

The Perfected One Baogai said, “When a Perfected shelters all beings through the Dao of Wuwei (non-action), bringing them peace and security, this is called reflecting on the nature of all things and giving rise to firm faith.”

At that time, the attendant boys were countless. After hearing the Realized Ones speak the subtle truth and profound principles of the Mahayana teaching, they each gained some understanding. They all praised the teaching, paid their respects, and withdrew.

Chapter Eight: Contemplating the Nature of the Dharma

At that time, the Realized One Duming rose from his seat, bowed, and asked the Heavenly Venerable: “As you said just now, when Realized Ones contemplate the nature of all things, they have no desires in their minds, because they know that all things are empty. How can those who contemplate in this way adorn and benefit all sentient beings, enabling them to attain the Dao?”

The Heavenly Venerable replied: “True Adept Duming, the nature of all sentient beings is originally pure, because nothing truly exists within it; it is like empty space. The nature of the Dao is also empty. Since the nature of the Dao is empty, why ask how all sentient beings can attain the Dao? The nature of sentient beings is no different from the nature of the Dao. The nature of sentient beings is like an illusion; the nature of all illusory transformations is called the nature of the Dharma. Within the nature of the Dharma, there is neither gain nor loss, neither increase nor decrease. That is why I say that all sentient beings can realize their true nature without having to eliminate afflictions.”

The Realized One Duming asked again: “Great Virtue Heavenly Venerable, if all is truly as you say, will all sentient beings naturally find peace and joy even if they do not practice or make vows?”

The Heavenly Venerable replied: “True Adept Duming, within the nature of the Dharma, could there be any joy gained through practice and vows? What is called peace and joy all arises from the mind. The mind’s nature is originally empty, so what is there to cling to in practice? If one still seeks peace and joy, that is desire. To understand that all things are empty is true peace and joy.”

The Perfected One Who Saves Lives asked again, “Greatly Virtuous Celestial Worthy, since the original nature of sentient beings is empty and still, why do we say that they must cultivate every kind of merit through immeasurable kalpas before they can enter the inconceivable Pure Land?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Perfected One Who Saves Lives, it is like a troubled person whose mind and spirit are confused, whose distress burns fiercely, and whose anguish is unbearable. Someone performs an illusion before him, setting out wooden men and women, oxen and horses, and arranging all kinds of tricks. When the troubled person sees them, he takes them for real oxen and horses. His distress then subsides, and his mind becomes calm. What I say about cultivating merit follows the same principle. Sentient beings are confined by illusory distress and affliction, and cannot yet be at peace. That is why I say they must cultivate immeasurable, boundless merit in order to be reborn in the inconceivable Pure Land.

“If they understand that the illusory has never had any existence of its own, they will know that every step sentient beings take and everything they do already lies within the inconceivable. If they understand that their pure nature is free and unhindered, the wishes they hold in their hearts can be fulfilled as they desire. Those who cultivate good deeds can also be reborn in the wondrous land of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the pure realm where they dwell. These teachings are skillful means for guiding sentient beings and putting an end to their illusory distinctions. In truth, there is no eternal, blissful realm of the Three Pure Ones to seek.

“If you wish to reach swiftly the jeweled city of the Three Pure Ones and the eternal, blissful Pure Land, contemplate with the great, unsurpassed wisdom mind: ‘From what dharma has the form of my body arisen, through immeasurable kalpas?’ When you understand that no fixed causes and conditions can be found, you will know there is no real, unchanging ‘self.’ Because there is no real self, my body is always within the eternal, blissful Pure Land of the Three Pure Ones.”

At this, the Perfected One Who Saves Lives asked again, “Greatly Virtuous Celestial Worthy, since the nature and life of sentient beings are empty and still, illusory and unreal, like a dream, with no definite, unchanging substance, can virtuous men and women attain the Dao without disciplining the three actions of body, speech, and mind, cultivating the six perfections (six practices for ferrying beings toward goodness), or practicing the four immeasurable states (the four impartial states of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity)?”

The Venerable One told him, “Duzhēn Zhenren, why do you still ask this? The three forms of action—body, speech, and mind—are all called impure because they have no fixed, unchanging source. Even when practiced diligently, they remain illusory. Why call them illusory? The three forms of action are pure from the beginning, so what is there to cultivate? To think there is something to cultivate is already to assume that some impurity exists.

“This is like a gravely ill person who summons many skilled physicians and medicines worth a thousand gold pieces, and has them escorted all the way home. Yet if these things are not the medicines needed to treat the illness, in the end they cannot cure it. It is also like a madman speaking eloquently about flowers in the sky: however subtle his words, they cannot make anyone believe him. So it is with beings who cultivate the body and seek the Dao.

“There are two faults in cultivating the body and seeking the Dao: first, clinging to the existence of evil; second, clinging to the existence of this body. Both views are grave illnesses for those seeking the Dao. Therefore, beings who wish to seek the Dao should use the unsurpassed wisdom of the Mahayana—the highest wisdom described in Mahayana Buddhism—to contemplate themselves. When they understand that the body has no fixed substance, the three forms of action—body, speech, and mind—are naturally pure. They should then practice the Six Perfections—giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom—and cultivate the Four Immeasurable Attitudes—loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. These are skillful means for following the principle and guiding beings.

“Suppose a traveler is blocked by a mountain valley and wants to reach the opposite shore but cannot cross. He has no choice but to use a boat to get past the dangerous stretch. Once he reaches the other shore, the boat is no longer needed. The Six Perfections and the Four Immeasurable Attitudes are the same: beings have not yet grasped the Dao of non-arising, the principle of not clinging to birth and death, so they rely on practices such as the Six Perfections to settle and discipline body and mind. Once they understand that the body has no fixed substance and reach the realm of the Dao, these methods of practice are no longer needed.”

Duming asked again, “Greatly Virtuous Celestial Worthy, the parable you have spoken is profound and subtle. Living beings cultivate all kinds of good deeds in order to transcend the mundane world. Once they have been delivered, they no longer need to cultivate. After attaining realization and the Dao in this way, do they then do nothing at all? If they no longer act, would they not lose their heart of great compassion? Why, then, does the Great Dao still regularly uphold the Four Vast Vows to relieve the suffering of living beings?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Perfected Duming, when the Celestial Worthy uses the power of supreme holiness to save lives and remove suffering, there is from the beginning no distinction between self and others, no difference between love and aversion, and no thought of success or failure, gain or loss. Take a bridge or a ferry: without any intention, it bears and conveys all things. It does not choose between the clean and the polluted, nor distinguish between people and other beings. People, oxen, horses, mules, and donkeys can all cross. The Celestial Worthy’s impartial deliverance of living beings is just the same.

“Though living beings are delivered, there is no attachment to self and others, love and aversion, success and failure, or gain and loss. It is like the great sea receiving a hundred rivers: its waters are neither increased nor diminished, and it makes no distinction between the polluted and the clean. Without choosing, it embraces all things. Gold, silver, pearls, jade, crystal, glass, giant clamshell, agate, coral, amber, and every other precious treasure are held within it. So it is with the great treasury of the true Dao—the vast realm encompassed by the Great Dao. The Great Luo, the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Four Heavens of Brahma, the Three Realms, the five paths of heavenly and human beings, and the perfected immortals and great sages are all embraced within it. Thus, the Dao-heart lacks nothing; there is no need to deliberately cultivate various practices, nor to cling to the appearances of coming and going.”

Hearing this, Perfected Duming praised him: “What the Greatly Virtuous Celestial Worthy has said is subtle and profound, beyond comprehension. Hearing this teaching fills my heart with leaping joy, boundless and measureless. This is not something the Two Vehicles—the practitioners of the Hearer and Solitary Realizer paths—can hear or understand.” Then the Perfected Ones bowed together in reverence and spoke this verse:

The Supreme One whom you revere skillfully used wondrous means to expound this profound Mahayana scripture, clarifying its meaning for those present at the time: the intrinsic nature of all things is originally empty, so there is no real, unchanging arising or ceasing.

The nature of the Dao and the nature of sentient beings are originally indistinguishable; they need not be obtained through the conditions of spiritual practice. “Dharma-nature” and “illusory nature” are simply different names. They point to the same pure and tranquil realm.

In the past, we were constantly sorrowful and grieved, believing that ceaseless afflictions were our true nature. Only today, at this Dharma assembly, have we heard this wondrous Mahayana teaching, never heard before.

Now we understand that sentient beings are originally empty and still, and have always dwelt in joy and ease throughout measureless eons. Only after desires arose to pursue what truly exists did they undertake various practices. Yet they did not know that all practice is itself empty, and that there is no fixed, unchanging “practice” to grasp.

To guide sentient beings, the Great Sage spoke of practice as a skillful means, just like a magician performing tricks. Wooden oxen and wooden horses—wooden figures that seem alive in an illusion—make people sorrowful, and people grieve because they cling to these phantoms. This is precisely the truth that the wondrous Mahayana teaching reveals.

Now we understand that sentient beings are originally empty and still, and have always dwelt in joy and ease throughout measureless eons. Only after desires arose to pursue what truly exists did they undertake various practices. Yet they did not know that all practice is itself empty, and that there is no fixed, unchanging “practice” to grasp.