III. Issues to note in practice
1.Do not cling to joy, sorrow, success, or failure
Next, Bodhidharma talked about several very important issues that practitioners must pay attention to. These topics are not closely related, so they are introduced separately.
If in a dream at night you see castles, palaces, elephants and horses, forests, or lakeside pavilions, do not give rise to even a single thought of attachment or joy. These are all places of rebirth, so be careful.
If in a dream at night you see castles, palaces, elephants and horses, forests, or lakeside pavilions, do not give rise to even a single thought of attachment or joy. Do not become attached to beautiful scenes.
Why? Because these are all places of rebirth. “Rebirth” is reincarnation.
You must know that dreams and the bardo share many similarities in essence and phenomena. The so-called bardo is the transitional period between the end of the previous life and the beginning of the next life. If we cling to dreams, such as having attachment to and desire for the scenery and characters in the dreams, we will also have attachment when we enter the bardo. At that time, a person with great blessings will see very pleasant and beautiful scenes; any attachment to this will bind the person to cyclic existence, cause rebirth, and destroy the chance of liberation in the bardo.
Therefore, you must be careful, you must watch out! Be sure not to cling to things in a dream!
But how easy is it to stay unattached? Our mind is clear during the day and we can still distinguish between good and bad, and right and wrong; but when we dream at night, our mind is confused and we crave beautiful things. No matter how many times Bodhidharma pointed this out, there is still nothing we can do. In tantra, dream yoga is a practice that can help us avoid attachment in dreams.
The special thing about dreams is that they are very similar to the bardo. This is part of the rationale behind dream yoga. If you possess the ability to change your life, you can easily transform its course during the bardo. So long as you master certain methods and techniques, you can choose to return to a specific realm of rebirth during the bardo, or be reborn in the Western Pure Land and attain liberation there. Tantra utilizes this principle by simulating the bardo through dream practices; these methods will come in handy when you enter the bardo. Bardo cannot be simulated in real life because the gap between the two is quite large.
Bodhidharma exhorted us not to delight in the beautiful scenes in dreams. The implication is that those who have bad fortune or have created a lot of bad karma will not see beautiful scenes such as pavilions and palaces in the bardo, but horrific things instead. He also said not to fear the terrifying phenomena that appear in nightmares. But to truly succeed, you must practice dream yoga; only then can you cope with ease in the bardo.
At the time of death, do not cling to appearances; without attachment, you are free from obstructions. Just a moment of doubt or suspicion, and you will be possessed by demons.
At the time of death, do not cling to appearances. Do not obsess with "appearances" when you are approaching death.
What are "appearances"? Firstly, they include all our assets – our house, car, bank cards, clothes, etc. The scriptures say that when we are alive, our property belongs to us; if we make offerings or give to those in need, we can create corresponding merits. After we die, no matter how much property we possessed during our lifetime, it is no longer ours. At this time, our family may use the money to do good deeds for us. Although this is very helpful, it cannot compare with the merit we can create ourselves. Therefore, it is best to properly handle all our belongings by giving as much as possible before we die. Secondly, "appearance" refers not only to our own property, but also to all things. At the time of death, we cannot be attached to anything. To achieve this, we must realize emptiness.
Without attachment, you are free from obstructions. "Obstruction" here refers to attachment. At the time of death, all attachments are to be given up. How is this accomplished? The enlightened person should abide in emptiness and take rebirth in this state.
Theravada Buddhism believes that it is impossible to die in emptiness like this, but Mahayana Buddhism such as tantra believes that it is entirely possible. If your consciousness is clear, you can directly rest in the state of enlightenment; if your consciousness is clouded, you must have someone by your side to remind you to abide in emptiness.
Just a moment of doubt or suspicion, and you will be possessed by demons. The "suspicion" here refers to doubts about emptiness, as well as to defilements such as greed, anger, and ignorance. The moment of death is extremely critical. If you have the slightest bit of doubt, and suddenly have this kind of thought, you will be possessed by demons, which is very dangerous!
Ordinarily, many people pay homage to the buddha, but when it comes to important moments such as facing buddha statues or meeting their guru, they often have bad thoughts that pop up uncontrollably, and are deeply troubled by it. Everyone must keep this in mind. People who have experienced similar situations may also have these thoughts at the time of death. There are many reasons for this phenomenon. You should supplicate to the buddhas and bodhisattvas regularly, recite Guru Rinpoche's mantra frequently, and pray for his help to remove obstacles.
In sum, at the critical time of death, you must do your utmost to avoid two kinds of obstacles: one is attachment; the other is doubt.
The dharmakaya is inherently pure and impassible, but due to delusion, you are not aware of it, you suffer retributions in vain. Therefore, with any yearning for or attachment to your possessions as death approaches, freedom cannot be attained.
The dharmakaya is inherently pure and impassible, but due to delusion. The dharmakaya is intrinsically pure and impassible; it is only due to ignorance that various attachments arise. It is not the dharmakaya itself that has attachment, but sentient beings that have ignorance.
You are not aware of it, and you suffer retributions in vain. Because sentient beings are unaware and unknowing of the delusion, they suffer retributions in vain, and continue to transmigrate in cyclic existence.
Therefore, with any yearning for or attachment to your possessions as death approaches, there is no freedom to be attained. Hence, if you are still sentimentally attached to your family, property, and human life at the time of death, you will not be able to achieve liberation. You will perpetuate in the cycle of rebirth.
Bodhidharma continued to talk about the problem of attachment as death approaches. The solution is very simple – you must eliminate all obstacles by not having attachments of any kind. Although this method is good, the prerequisite is that you already possess the wisdom of enlightenment. To an awakened person, enlightened wisdom is omnipotent. It is so because this wisdom can be used in dreams, it can be used at the time of death, it can be used at any time!
However, for those who are not enlightened, it is difficult to achieve, so other methods are needed. We need to learn the practice of the bardo before death. This practice is mentioned in tantras such as the Six Bardos and Dzogchen, and it involves many aspects such as how to face death and what to do when dying. Everyone will face death sooner or later. If we can prepare in advance, we will be able to go safely when the time comes.
Once you awaken to your true nature, you will no longer be tainted by habits.
"Habit" refers to defilements and habitual tendencies. If you realize the nature of mind while you are still alive, and stay in the enlightened state when you are dying, you will not be afflicted by negative emotions or habitual tendencies, and you will be able to pass away smoothly.
Powa is the unsurpassed practice in tantra that teaches how to face death through the wisdom of enlightenment. This method that is used at the time of death has four categories, namely dharmakaya powa, sambhogakaya powa, nirmanakaya powa, and the powa of ordinary people. Among them, the highest level is the dharmakaya powa; through this method, practitioners can pass directly from the state of enlightenment. This is the best powa practice for an enlightened person, none other is required. The method that Bodhidharma mentioned is in fact the dharmakaya powa.
Chan Buddhism is extremely special, its methods very high-end. It is suited to people who are highly accomplished like Master Hui Neng, or those with superior abilities. If you are that kind of person, all problems can be solved through Chan methods. But for ordinary people like us – the "heretics" in the words of Bodhidharma, no matter how good these methods are, they cannot help us for the moment. If there is no other way, we are then helpless.
Fortunately, Buddhism also provides other methods, like tantra that has four kinds of powa. Those who cannot use the dharmakaya powa now can try the sambhogakaya powa or the nirmanakaya powa; at least they can practice the powa for ordinary people – that which is explained in The Words of My Perfect Teacher. Tantra is called the vehicle of skillful means precisely because it offers many methods to suit practitioners of different capacities. People at any level can enter this path that starts with understanding precious human birth and culminates in the advanced practices in Chan, Dzogchen, and Mahamudra.
When a sage returns to the mundane world and appears in any of myriad forms as a sentient being, he is at ease in any circumstance, good or bad, unrestrained by karma.
When a sage returns to the mundane world. How does a sage go from the sacred to the mundane? It must be the intention of the buddhas and bodhisattvas to appear as sentient beings, for example, as ordinary people to save living beings.
And appears in any of myriad forms. "Myriad" refers to all kinds of sentient beings in the six realms of cyclic existence. The sages are all enlightened people, of the same type; while sentient beings are of different types from hell to heaven. This sentence means that buddhas or bodhisattvas manifest in the form of humans, animals, and so forth to save all living beings.
As a sentient being. Here we are referring to the external image or appearance of the buddha as a sentient being, not to the state of the buddha which itself can never regress or be transformed.
Why would a buddha manifest as an animal? When the buddha wants to help animals, he needs to assume the same identity, so that they can have a common language and communicate with each other. Thus, in other religions and in all walks of life, there must be incarnations of buddhas and bodhisattvas. Even a butcher, which is considered low-level by worldly standards, may be an incarnation of the buddha.
He is at ease in any circumstance, good or bad. The circumstance is "favorable" when the sage is a buddha or bodhisattva; it is "adverse" when the sage transforms into an animal or a lower-level human being. In fact, regardless of good or bad times, the sage's mind is always free and happy, without any pain or trouble.
Therefore, after we become a buddha, whether the circumstances outside are favorable or not, our mind will always be free and at ease. This is true happiness, so Buddhism uses the word "great bliss" to describe this state.
Unrestrained by karma. As mentioned before, the sage cannot be restrained by karma at all.
Having long attained enlightenment, a sage possesses great might and virtue, he can transform all kinds of karma, heaven and hell can do nothing to him.
Having long attained enlightenment, a sage possesses great might and virtue. A sage who has reached the eighth bodhisattva level has over time acquired great prestige and virtue.
He can transform all kinds of karma. "All kinds of karma" refers to all types of karma, including good karma, as well as bad karma such as the ten unwholesome deeds and five heinous sins. Any kind of karma is transformed by the sage into a method to save sentient beings. In other words, on the surface, the sage seems to be creating karma, but in fact he has transformed it and is not creating karma at all.
Heaven and hell can do nothing to him. To a saint who is free and at ease, there is no temptation in heaven, and no fear in hell. Nothing affects him.
Ordinary people are confused, but sages know everything inside and out. If you have any doubt, do not act; once you act, you wander into life and death, and regret having no refuge.
Ordinary people are confused, but sages know everything inside and out. Ordinary people have not yet attained enlightenment, so they are ignorant and cannot see things clearly like sages.
If you have any doubt, do not act. "Doubt" refers to attachment, and doubt about emptiness is also a kind of attachment. If you cling or are attached to things, you cannot say something like "good and evil karma does not exist."
Ordinary people have attachments to all things and cannot be like sages who seem to creating karma but are in fact saving sentient beings. Since they cannot do as sages do, they should strive to commit good and stop evil, and be mindful of the law of cause and effect in all decisions they make in life. This is the safe way to go.
Once you act, you wander into life and death. If an ordinary person commits transgressions such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying, the result will inevitably be to "wander in life and death," because he has not yet realized emptiness.
And regret having no refuge. It is useless to regret at that time. There is no salvation.
Poverty and hardship all arise from deluded thinking.
People often cannot help but confront poverty and hardship in life. This is in fact all created by deluded thinking. On the one hand, poverty is linked to our stinginess in the past and reluctance to give to others; on the other hand, it can be understood as a mindset, since a greedy person is always poor if he is never satisfied with the wealth he has.
The content here expounded by Bodhidharma is very profound, but it also touches on how we should live. Buddhists do not necessarily have to live in poverty, but in principle they should try to be content with less desire. This is in line with the low-carbon simple life that is both environmentally friendly and energy-saving and is now strongly advocated; it also leads to a more relaxed life. Not only Buddhists, but all people should take contentment with less desire as an important principle in life. If you are insatiable, no matter how much material wealth you have, you can never satisfy your infinitely expanding desires, nor can you achieve happiness in the end.
If you understand the mind, you should encourage and inspire one another, but do without doing; this way you will see things from a tathagata’s perspective.
If you understand the mind, you should encourage and inspire one another. In Buddhism, followers are all equal, without hierarchical distinctions; they are encouraged to interact often and help each other. If a person encounters material or spiritual challenges, everyone should actively lend a helping hand.
Nowadays, the happiness index among people is generally low; many people are unhappy, of which one reason is interpersonal problems. Poor interpersonal relationships can cause all kinds of troubles, while good relationships bring much joy. Therefore, Buddhism often highlights the importance of having good spiritual friends and fellow practitioners, in particular Tantric Buddhism which pays special attention to friends on the vajra path.
Each of us who study Buddhism should have at least two or three reliable and close friends in the Buddhist group. Regularly sharing thoughts and helping one another can bring about a sense of security and belonging. Friends are like rechargers, replenishing energy and cheering us up when we are vulnerable and in need.
Of course, we can also have good friends who are not Buddhists, such as materialists, atheists, and even followers of other religions like Christianity, Islam, and Taoism. But Buddhist practitioners share a unique view on many areas, especially major issues such as life and death. For example, when faced with hardships like birth, old age, illness, and death, or when one's consciousness is unclear at the end of life, spiritual friends can provide vital support. With the help of Buddhist principles and methods that both parties can easily accept, the outcome is certain to be better.
It is like crossing a strong river current without a bridge or boat. At this moment, a person crossing the river alone can easily be knocked down by the water, but holding hands with others allows him to cross safely. Similarly, it is often difficult to walk alone in the sea of samsara, so we need to help each other get through it smoothly.
Everyone encounters ups and downs of one kind or another in life, hence we should pay more attention to friends on the same path around us. If we find someone in trouble or depressed, we should take the initiative to care and counsel him. People who are in trouble often feel at a loss and even find it difficult to extricate themselves; other people who are free from such troubles are fully capable of helping. If we ignore the person, his problems may get worse, even developing to the point of self-harm. Once a person suffers from excessive greed, anger, and delusion, he is likely to become irrational and lose his judgment.
We often speak of saving all sentient beings, but this should start with helping the people around us. Concrete actions are necessary, just talking without taking any action is useless. If we are indifferent to fellow practitioners around us who need help, how can we talk about saving sentient beings?
Everyone must reflect often and apply what they have learned to their daily lives, so that families can be more amicable, society more harmonious, and all mankind and even all sentient beings happier and safer. In this regard, there is a lot that Buddhists can do. Buddhism teaches that human life is rare because human beings have the capacity to develop critical thinking, have different choices, and can do many meaningful things. Although heavenly beings enjoy better material conditions, they have few choices and can only do so much. Therefore, we must cherish this precious human birth.
When we practice together, care for and encourage each other, and become good spiritual companions, life is truly meaningful. Unity among fellow practitioners is also what Shakyamuni Buddha required of the Buddhist community and every disciple. This is especially vital for monastic communities, where monks and nuns, lacking familial support, rely on mutual care. Nowadays, many lay people who live alone, such as singles and elderly individuals, are also in great need of help. It is clear that "encouraging and inspiring one another" is imperative. Everyone must remember this!
But do without doing, this way you will see things from a tathagata's perspective. If you do without doing, you begin to enter the state of the tathagata, and the wisdom of the buddha.
The meaning of "do without doing" is profound. In essence, everything is emptiness. "Do without doing" means doing something after realizing emptiness. At this point, we realize that all things are illusory, that we are in a state of threefold wheel of essential emptiness; therefore, whatever we do whether it is exhorting each other or practicing meditation, we do not become attached to it or ask for anything in return. But before this realization, everything is real to us, we develop attachments, and act with expectations of return.
Bodhidharma's teachings are sometimes profound, and sometimes simple and down-to-earth. No matter what, they are very meaningful. It is difficult for us to "do without doing" at this stage, so it is a goal. But "encouraging and inspiring one another" is something we can do now and at any time, so we must act on it.
When you are new on the path, your mind is often uncertain.
Those who are new on the path are beginners. What is the difference between a beginner and non-beginner?
Regarding beginners, there are two interpretations, narrow and broad. In a broad sense, beginners are people who have just learned Buddhism. In a narrow sense, an example is this: if there is a deadly poison, non-beginners will be fine after taking it; they can resolve the harm caused by the poison simply by relying on their own spiritual practice – anyone who has not reached this level is a beginner.
This passage mainly refers to beginners in a broad sense, that is, Buddhists who have just studied the Dharma for one or two years and whose faith, renunciation, and bodhicitta are not yet stable. With this group, anything can affect their beliefs; their practice may be shaken at any time.
Some beginners who encountered problems at home, such as sickness or trouble at work, after entering the path would question whether their circumstances were related to learning Buddhism, practicing meditation, and reciting mantras. Thus frightened, they would be afraid to stay on the path. This is a typical example of "a newcomer whose mind is uncertain."
You are likely to see strange scenes in your dreams, but do not doubt that they all arise from your own mind and nowhere else.
You are likely to see strange scenes in your dreams. If you frequently dream about phenomena that are unusual or strange, it is indicative of something special.
Most of our dreams have no meaning, and it is normal to occasionally dream of strange things; but if we have the same dream repeatedly, it may have a special meaning. Specifically, two kinds of situation are possible:
One is related to the past. Some traces of our past life are brought into this life, resulting in frequent dreams of the same place or the same thing. There are countless such phenomena and they have occurred in many places. Foreign scientists have participated in this investigation and found that it is related to the person's past life experience. How do they know this? One is through hypnosis; the other is by locating, for instance, the building that the person often dreams about.
The second is related to the future. There are examples of people who before passing had recurring dreams of unusual scenes one or two years in advance.
If a beginner sees strange things in his dreams, he may be frightened and lose faith. What then? Do not doubt. There is no need to doubt, no need for attachment or fear.
They all arise from your own mind and nowhere else. Because all dreams come from our own mind, not from outside.
Why can we ignore that which comes from our mind? As mentioned before, our mind is empty; you just need to practice emptiness, and not worry about other things. This is what Bodhidharma taught from the perspective of emptiness. From the perspective of secular life, some dreams contain special meanings; we can make certain adjustments or prepare for the present based on the problems foreseen in the dreams. This content is discussed further in tantra.
Next, the passage lists several scenes that may appear in dreams and their predicted meanings.
If in a dream you see a light brighter than the sun, it means your remaining habits will come to an end, and the nature of reality will be uncovered. Such an occurrence is the cause of enlightenment. But only you know it, do not tell others.
If in a dream you see a light brighter than the sun. In your dream, the whole world is bright, even brighter than the light from the sun. This "brightness" does not refer to the clear light nature of mind (the nature of mind is originally pure, so it is called clear light), but to sunlight.
What does it mean if you often dream of such strong light? Your remaining habits will come to an end, and the nature of reality will be uncovered. Such an occurrence is the cause of enlightenment. Your remaining habitual tendencies and afflictions will soon be eliminated, and the nature of reality will appear before you. Having such a dream is a sign that you are about to become enlightened.
This is a good phenomenon, but do not cling to it, otherwise you will develop arrogance and turn a good thing into an obstacle. Some Buddhist treatises also introduce the meaning of special dreams. For example, after practicing Vajrasattva and repenting, you dream of sun and moon discs – the sun and moon in the sky, which symbolizes the purification of your wrongdoings. By studying these treatises, one can understand the meaning of dreams.
But only you know it, do not tell others. It is wrong to go around flaunting the dreams you have.
Many fellow practitioners often ask such questions, which are clearly explained by Bodhidharma here. We should not obsess with the various things we dream about, nor tell others about it; this way it will run its own course. If you obsess with the dream and spread it around, the originally good omen will turn into an obstacle to spiritual practice, and the originally meaningless dream will also become an obstacle. In the end, it is certain to lead to adverse consequences such as illness and trouble at work.
If in a quiet garden, while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, you see a light, whether bright or dim, do not tell anyone about it, do not cling to it; it is the clear light of your own nature.
Another situation is seeing a light when you are alone in a quiet place – not dreaming at night but during the day. This light may be red or yellow like the morning glow, or it may be blue like the blue sky or the sea.
What does this mean? According to Buddhist scriptures, when a diligent practitioner sees a light which is like the dawn, it means that he will soon achieve enlightenment – just like the dawn in the east means that the sun is about to rise.
Although the body structure of more than seven billion people in the world is basically the same, there are still differences in certain details. Some people are more prone to hallucinations. At this time, do not think that you are about to achieve enlightenment, nor rule out the possibility that the light signifies something meaningful. No matter what, remember not to develop attachment to it.
If in the stillness of night, while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, you see a light, like daylight, do not be surprised; the nature of your mind is about to reveal itself.
If in the stillness of night, while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, you see a light, like daylight. When it is quiet at night, when a person is walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, he can see light in the darkness that is just like daylight.
In Tibetan Buddhism, there is a practice called dark retreat, which is to practice in a room without a trace of light. After about twenty-four hours, various lights will appear before us, some shining like stars, and some as beautiful as a rainbow. In fact, these are not external scenes. Scientists have said that the colors we see are all images in our brain, and that there are no colors at all in the physical world. Similarly, the strange lights that practitioners see during a retreat may appear to be external things, but are in fact a phenomenon that manifests from the central channel within the body.
After people take certain medicine or drugs, strange sights will also appear in front of their eyes, which look completely real, making it difficult to tell whether they are genuine or fake. In fact, these phenomena are all hallucinations caused by the stimulation of human nerves. If even plants and medicine can play tricks on our senses, how reliable are our eyes, ears, etc.? Once these senses change even a little bit, the whole world changes accordingly. Thus, we really do not know what the world is like. In this regard, the Buddhist view is that the external world does not exist objectively – all appearances are just projections of our mind.
Sometimes the sights we see are not precursors to enlightenment, but simply products of our meditation. A typical example is the story of Gampopa mentioned earlier. At a retreat, he saw a lot of strange phenomena. In response, his master Milarepa explained that his meditation belt was too tight (when meditating, practitioners wear a belt from the shoulder to below the knees); this led him to assume an incorrect meditation posture which then affected the flow of air in the body, and caused various sights to appear. After Gampopa loosened the meditation belt, everything was fine; the scenes in front of him also disappeared.
The Lankavatara Sutra says: "When practitioners obsess with various appearances, like the sun, the moon, the lotus-shaped light, and fire burning in empty space, they are heretics on the path." People who practice meditative concentration sometimes see the sun, the moon, the lotus-shaped light, and flame-like patterns in the void. If they develop an attachment to these phenomena, they all become outsiders, or heretics.
This kind of phenomenon is sometimes interpreted as the work of ghosts and gods. In fact, in most cases, it has nothing to do with ghosts and gods, but one's own illusion. When such a situation occurs, there is no need to fear, no need to make wild guesses, and no need to cling to anything. Even if it is an auspicious phenomenon, there is no need to be complacent. The only solution, also the best, is to let it run its course.
Do not be surprised, the nature of mind is about to reveal itself. Do not be surprised. This kind of light indicates that the nature of your mind is about to appear – you are about to achieve enlightenment.
Or if in a night dream you see the stars and the moon clearly, it means your karmic hindrances will soon be eliminated; but do not tell others.
Or if in a night dream you see the stars and the moon clearly, it means your karmic hindrances will soon be eliminated. When we dream at night, seeing the moon and the stars, clearly and distinctly, is an indication that our inner troubles and karmic hindrances will come to an end. By practicing repentance, the causes and conditions that created various karma in the past such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying will soon be eliminated, and the above-mentioned signs will appear.
But do not tell others. You also cannot tell others. When encountering such auspicious phenomena, we often like to show off. We know very well that we cannot say anything, but it is hard to control ourselves. At this time, you must hold back and not reveal anything.
If the dream is murky, like you are wandering in darkness, it means your mind is clouded by afflictions; this too only you know.
If in your dream you seem to be walking in darkness, it means that your troubles and karmic hindrances are more serious. Just know it yourself, there is no need to tell anyone. This is different from the previous auspicious sign. It is also okay if you want to talk about it, but you may not want to, since others cannot help you in any case.
Understand that there are differences between people. Among people who do not practice, the vast majority see only the ordinary real world, but a few people can see mysterious things such as ghosts and gods (of course, some images are just their own illusion). Because Buddhist practitioners pay special attention to their mind, certain changes and adjustments will take place in the mind which may then cause a chain of reactions, such as seeing various kinds of light, seeing buddhas, bodhisattvas, or scenes like hell which Gampopa saw.
Whether you see heaven or hell, do not focus on it. Know that this may be a phenomenon that comes about when you correct your mindset or cultivate the practice of the subtle winds, channels, and vital essence (people who undertake this esoteric practice are more prone to seeing things); it is not real. People do not look on dreams as real; similarly, we can think of these phenomena as dreams and not pay attention to them. In this way, whether the phenomenon is good or bad, it will not affect your practice or interfere with your daily life. On the contrary, if you are attached to it, it will hinder your practice and even cause harm to your body.
Of course, not all practitioners encounter this kind of phenomenon. As mentioned earlier, although our body structure is roughly the same, some people are extremely sensitive due to differences in sensory details or past life habits. For example, a person said he happened to see ghosts and gods in a certain place, but others who were there did not see anything. People who are not very sensitive can only perceive the three-dimensional world they live in, whereas people who are sensitive can easily come across beings or objects in other spaces and dimensions. The latter is not the result of spiritual practice, since most of them have never engaged in practice; they are just intuitive and sensitive. This intuition has nothing to do with emptiness. It simply allows them to experience things that are special or about to happen. For those who have never had such an experience, it may seem a bit abnormal. But Bodhidharma said there is no need to make a fuss, as this is a normal reaction.
All in all, these are things that we may encounter in life which we need not worry about at all. So long as we ignore it, it will not have any impact on us. This is very important for practitioners to know.