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 If you have attained enlightenment, this O is great
bright wisdom. If you haven't attained enlightenment, then it's
ignorance. Ignorance is just the O, and great bright wisdom is
also the O. Thus the O is beginningless and endless; it has
neither inside nor outside; it is neither big nor small. It's so
big there's nothing outside of it, nothing is bigger. When you
draw this O, you can make it as big as possible, or as small as
possible. Therefore, it is so big there's nothing outside it, and
so small there's nothing inside it. Its bigness transforms into
the pure and clean fundamental source, the wonderful true nature.
Its smallness and hiddenness is the single initial though of your
ignorance. This is how I explain “beginningless.”
Transmigrating in birth and death is the O. The so-called
transmigration in the six paths is just revolving within the O.
Before this circle is broken, living beings are born and die, die
and are born again, revolving in the O for countless great kalpas.
This is called eternally revolving in birth and death. Don't you
think this word “eternally” is horrifying? It is! You keep turning
‘round and round’ in transmigration. Why do you revolve eternally?
Because your thoughts are produced and extinguished one after
another. When you give rise to one defiled thought, you become an
animal, or a hungry ghost, or fall into the hells. If you incline
toward purity, you may be born a human or an asura, or ascend to
the heavens. All this transmigration is caused by your mind.
Because our mind has created the corresponding karma, we receive
the retribution of transmigration. Such karma does not start when
we receive the retribution. In reality, you had lots of false
thought sin the past. With false thoughts about the heavens, you
are born in the heavens; with false thoughts about asuras, you are
born an asura; with false thoughts of being human, you are born a
human; with false though of animals, you are born an animal; with
false thoughts of hungry ghosts, you are born a hungry ghost; with
false thoughts of hells, you fall into the hells. If you always
create offenses, you fall into the three evil paths; if you always
establish wholesome merit and virtue, you ascend to the three good
paths. This is just a general explanation. If I were to explain
this in detail, I wouldn't be able to finish to the end of time.
In short, this world is created from living beings' false
thoughts. If no one had any false thoughts, then this world would
be empty.
Living beings don't understand this Dharma
of the real appearance of true emptiness, the Dharma of the real
appearance of true suchness, the Dharma of true emptiness and
wonderful existence. All of these are called actual Dharma. The
Dharma of true emptiness and wonderful existence is just the O
mentioned above. The great heaven and earth are produced from the
O; so is this vast world, the numerous living beings, and all
other things. Because the O does not fall into the category of
numbers, it is not within numbers. It is beyond numbers or
reckoning. It has no beginning or end, no inside or outside, no
big or small. “when released, it fills the six directions. When
rolled up, it retreats and hides away in a secret place.” The
actual Dharma is just this Dharma of true emptiness and wonderful
existence. True emptiness is not empty. Why? Because it contains
wonderful existence. Wonderful existence does not exist. Why?
Because it encompasses true emptiness. It is said, “true emptiness
does not obstruct wonderful existence; wonderful existence does
not hinder true emptiness.” This principle resolves the question
of whether the man came first or the woman came first. It also
resolves the question of whether the chicken came first or the
egg. The O can solve all problems. Why? Because the O is the true
emptiness. Form it, wonderful existence and the myriad things
manifest. Yet this wonderful existence is not separate from true
emptiness. Without having attained the Dharma of the mind-seal of
the Buddhas you cannot understand this state. If you understand
the mind-to-mind-seal Dharma-door of the Buddhas, you will
understand this Dharma. Therefore, it is said, “the actual Dharma
is not understood.”
Living beings are forever adding a head on top of a head, or looking for the mule while riding on
one. They all run around seeking outside, and don't know that they
should reflect upon themselves. This true Dharma is inherent in
the self-nature, it abides constantly and originally in the
self-nature. One doesn't need to seek outside for it. If you go
outside to try to find it, you can spend eighty thousand great kalpas and you still won't be able to find it. However, if you can
return the light and look within, it's there instantly. It is
said, “The sea of suffering is boundless, but a turn of the head
is the other shore.” That is to say, when you seek outside, just
that is the boundless sea of suffering; when you reflect within
and work on your self-nature, just that is the other shore you
find upon turning your head.
We people are all upside down. From morning to night we pursue false conditions, follow the
six sense organs and the six defiling objects, and do not
understand the actual Dharma. In the eternal still light, the
Buddhas enter Samadhi in full lotus posture. They come to this
world in their Samadhi. Why? Because they see how truly pathetic
we foolish living beings are, forgetting the real and clinging to
the false. We don't know how to turn from delusion and return to
enlightenment, how to turn from the false and return to the real,
how to use the false to facilitate the cultivation of the real and
how to reflect upon ourselves. We are truly pathetic. Therefore,
in their Samadhi, all the Buddhas give rise to a greatly
compassionate mind and come to this world to point out our
confusion. However, we seek false conditions and don't recognize
this actual Dharma. The more the Buddha speaks Dharma to us, the
more we keep retreating. The Buddha shakes his head in
frustration; he is at a loss. What can we do if the Buddha is at a
loss? Well, you can turn around. When you do so, the Buddha will
come face to face with you, to teach and transform you. Therefore,
it is said, “Thus all Buddhas appear in the world.”
This actual Dharma cannot be destroyed by any externalist ways. If
you understand the actual Dharma, you know it encompasses
everything throughout empty space and the Dharma Realm. Buddhas,
demons, heavenly demons, and externalist ways are all included in
this true Dharma; nothing is outside the Dharma Realm. Therefore,
even the heavenly demons and those of externalist ways should
follow and accord with the proper Dharma. Why? Because they are
unable to destroy it. The proper Dharma cannot be destroyed by
anyone. If one were able to destroy it, it wouldn't be the actual
Dharma. The actual Dharma is indestructible.
The great brightness of self-mastery is just this O. When you have
perfected your cultivation, the great bright store will manifest,
the great awesome spiritual power of self-mastery will appear.
This great bright store pervades empty space and the Dharma Realm.
Thus the Buddha comes to universally guide all living beings in
this world through the Dharma-doors of leaving birth and death, of
reflecting upon oneself, and of returning to the source. Your
great bright wisdom can shatter ignorance and reveal the inherent
Dharma nature. If you don't believe what I say, just go ahead and
try it out. When the time is ripe, you won't be able to disbelieve
it. You'll believe it even if you don't want to. Because that's
the way it is. How can you not believe? This great bright store is
originally your own, it's not given to you by other people, nor is
it given to you by the Buddhas. It is inherently yours. |
