IV. The essence and functionof the mind

The buddha is also known as the dharmakaya and the fundamental innate mind. This mind has no form, no cause and effect, no tendons, no bones; it is empty like space and cannot be held. It is unobstructed, it does not look outside for the buddha. Only the tathagata understands this mind, all other living beings are confused and cannot understand it. 

The buddha is also called the dharmakaya and the fundamental innate mind. The "fundamental innate mind" is the nature of mind. The buddha is also known as the dharmakaya and the fundamental innate mind. The three names are different, but the meaning is the same, all of which are the nature of mind. The "buddha" here refers to the dharmakaya, not the sambhogakaya or nirmanakaya of the buddha.

There are two interpretations on the three bodies of the buddha. One is from the perspective of the nature of mind: the three parts of the nature of mind are referred to as dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya; apart from this, the three bodies of the buddha do not exist. This point is clearly made in the Platform Sutra. Another explanation is that the nature of mind is the dharmakaya; the buddhas like Amitabha, the Medicine Buddha, and Vajrasattva are the sambhogakaya, which only the bodhisattvas from the first level up can see; the buddhas like Sakyamuni, who are visible to everyone, are the nirmanakaya.

This mind has no form, no cause and effect, no tendons, no bones. The "mind" is often mentioned in the Platform Sutra and the four treatises of Bodhidharma. Sometimes it should be understood as consciousness or alaya consciousness, and sometimes it must be understood as the nature of mind, tathagatagarbha, and buddha nature. Here, we are referring to the latter. In fact, the two explanations are not contradictory, because the essence of consciousness is the tathagatagarbha.

This sentence means that the nature of mind has no color, shape, height, length, no cause and effect, no muscles, bones, or other substances.

So, what does the nature of mind look like? It is empty like space and cannot be held. The true nature of mind is difficult to describe directly and is often compared to the void. This analogy is found in many Prajnaparamita sutras.

Space refers to the sky, but not its blue color, which is caused by the scattering of sunlight. The color itself is light, not space. The void has no color or shape, but it exists. If empty space did not exist, we would not be able to move or breathe. The nature of mind is the same – it has no color, shape, or appearance of any kind.

To be enlightened, we must at the very least realize the nature of mind, or see the essence of every thought directly. When a thought arises and we reflect upon it, the thought is as insubstantial as empty space; it is like a water screen movie, where countless water droplets and light create vivid images of people, buildings, and scenes. However, these images, including the screen, do not actually exist.

Before enlightenment, we feel that our thoughts and emotions are very real. After enlightenment, they are still thoughts and emotions, but we can see they are empty in essence. When you realize this personally, it is enlightenment. If conditions permit, you can seek confirmation from your guru. If you cannot find a master, you can confirm it yourself.

As I have said before, renunciation and bodhicitta are clearly explained and defined in the Buddhist scriptures. I have also talked about it a lot in other books. Whether or not you have renunciation and bodhicitta, you only need to ask yourself, not the master. The enlightened mind is also explained very clearly, especially in the Platform Sutra and the Bloodstream Treatise. What is enlightenment? A theoretical understanding of enlightenment through listening and reflection is not enlightenment, it is just an understanding; the conclusions obtained by logical reasoning are also not enlightenment. When you directly realize that the nature of your mind is empty like space, only then is it called enlightenment – at least a preliminary enlightenment.

This preliminary enlightenment is at a lower level than that obtained in Dzogchen, but it is nonetheless very meaningful. At this stage, you cannot immediately let go of all your afflictions. You need to train for a certain time to strengthen your enlightenment. In so doing, you can slowly control negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, and sadness; you can ultimately eliminate any fear of birth, old age, sickness, and death, and attain the state that Bodhidharma mentioned many times in which "all karma cannot restrain you."

Everyone must complete four objectives in life: first, we must pledge unwavering faith in the Three Jewels, otherwise we cannot enter the Buddhist gate; second, we must develop firm renunciation, otherwise we cannot take the path to liberation; third, we must cultivate indomitable bodhicitta, otherwise we cannot embark on the Mahayana vehicle; fourth, we must attain enlightenment. Along with enlightenment, we can possess prestige and wealth in this world, if we are so blessed; they are not contradictory. Whether these four goals can be achieved depends entirely on our own effort.

If these four goals are achieved, we will be able to end this journey in life with our hands full, with satisfaction and gratitude, and with no regrets of any kind. We are not accomplished enough in our practice to know where we will take rebirth, but wherever we end up in our next life, we can actively and naturally restore the refuge, renunciation, bodhicitta, and realization obtained in this life. Such a practice is full of hope! Therefore, we must seize the opportunity to practice in this life. We should at the same time achieve a balance between practice and everyday life by also fulfilling our responsibilities to our family and society.

One other point: after enlightenment, do not announce it everywhere! Both Chan and Dzogchen teach that you can speak about teachings, but not the realization itself. If it is said, your practice may stagnate for some time, three years, five years or even longer. A practitioner must maintain a low profile. On the surface, he should live as ordinary people do, while upholding the precepts; in private, he should practice quietly with diligence.

It is unobstructed. "Obstacle" refers to the obstructive nature of physical objects, just like the hand cannot pass through a table because the table is an obstacle. Before enlightenment, there are all kinds of attachments that bind us. These attachments that we cannot cut through are the cause of afflictions, so it is said with attachments there are obstacles. After enlightenment, the mind is without attachment – it is as vast and unimpeded as space.

It does not look outside for the buddha. Unlike heretics who look for the buddha outside the mind.

Only the tathagata understands this mind, all other living beings are confused and cannot understand it. Only the buddha completely understands the nature of mind; all other beings are deluded. Of course, one does not become a buddha immediately after attaining enlightenment. Preliminary enlightenment is not full enlightenment. One achieves the resultant state only after complete enlightenment.

This mind is inseparable from the body of four elements; without this mind, you cannot move. The body itself, being insentient, is like grass and rubble. If the body has no feelings, why can it move? 

This mind is inseparable from the body of four elements. On the surface, the nature of mind is not separate from the body composed of earth, water, wind, and fire.

The "mind" here still refers to buddha nature, the mind of clear light. With this mind of clear light, a consciousness exists that can think and judge. The first moment of consciousness arises within buddha nature; when one becomes a buddha, the last moment of consciousness also disappears within buddha nature. Therefore, each of our thoughts comes from dharmadhatu, that is, the nature of mind and ultimately disappears therein. It has never left dharmadhatu for a moment.

Without this mind, you cannot move; the body itself, being insentient, is like grass and rubble. The nature of mind is buddha nature, the tathagatagarbha; on the surface, buddha nature appears as the eight consciousnesses, such as alaya consciousness, mental consciousness, eye consciousness, and ear consciousness. Without buddha nature and the eight consciousnesses, the body composed of the four elements is like a corpse, unable to move, like a stone with no awareness.

It is the nature or essence of mind that we want to find, not the phenomenon that manifests on the surface as emotion. We can feel our emotions any time of the day except during deep sleep; they are always there, even in dreams. For example, anyone can see that a table is rectangular or round, but this is not the essence of the table; a microscope must be used, since the eye cannot see it. Similarly, when we look at our mind, we can find various emotions and their changes, but these are not the essence of mind. The essence of mind is at the deepest part of emotion. If you observe the composition of emotion in depth, where it comes from, what its deepest level is, you will discover that its essence is "empty like space and cannot be held, it is unobstructed." When you experience this feeling personally, it is enlightenment.

If the body has no feelings, why can it move? The body itself is just a substance with no feelings. Why can it move? 

We need the mind to be involved when speaking, walking, and doing things. The mind in this instance is not buddha nature but consciousness. But consciousness has a lot to do with buddha nature, since the essence of consciousness is buddha nature. Without buddha nature, there is no consciousness; without consciousness, the human body is just a pile of substances, unable to speak or do things.

It is the mind that moves; even language and actions, perception and awareness are movements of the mind. 

It is the mind that moves. What happens when a thought arises?

For example, I want to say "a cup of coffee." First, the mental consciousness produces an abstract image which is the content to be expressed; then, the flow of winds in the body changes accordingly, which in turn affects the brain; the brain triggers vibrations in the vocal cords, which spread through the air and form the four words "a cup of coffee"; finally, when the other party hears the sound, the corresponding content also arises in his mind. In this way, I expressed it, and the other person understood it.

If the concept of a cup of coffee does not appear in the other person's mind after I say "a cup of coffee," then we cannot communicate. This is what happens between people who do not understand each other's language. They can hear sounds, but they cannot transmit thoughts. Clearly, sound is just a carrier; communication is mainly dependent on the mind, that is, consciousness.

Both Tantric and Tibetan medicine believe that the brain plays a major role in our understanding of the world. The brain has 500 special channels ("500" refers to a large number, not a specific number). These channels control the various organs of the human body, and the organs understand the outside world through the brain. This principle is elaborated in tantra. Simply put, thoughts first arise in the mind, which cause the winds in the channels to flow; the winds act as a driving force that brings about changes in a certain part of the brain; finally, the brain allows the eyes, ears, and other organs to sense the world outside.

Even language and actions. The word "even" refers to a process that involves the generation of thoughts, the flow of winds, the changes in the brain, and the perception of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and other organs. Once the mind is in motion, this process takes place, then actions such as speaking, doing things, and walking are produced.

Perception and awareness. Motion includes the awareness of the senses such as seeing and hearing.

These are all movements of the mind. These all originate from the activities of the mind. If the mind moves, the brain and other organs will move, and people can talk and do things; if the mind does not move, they cannot feel the outside world. Without the mind, all the functions of the organs would instantly disappear, and the body would immediately become a pile of matter – a corpse.

The "mind" here refers to the nature of mind. What we see, hear, and speak is not the nature of mind, but the appearance of mind, that is, consciousness. But consciousness is closely related to the nature of mind, its essence is buddha nature. Therefore, it can also be said that the generation of thoughts is the movement of buddha nature. To be precise, buddha nature does not move, but in general, these are the function of buddha nature – with buddha nature, thoughts are generated; with thoughts, one can perceive the world outside.

All movements are the mind’s motion. Motion is its function. There is no mind apart from motion, and there is no motion apart from the mind. Motion is not the mind, and the mind is not motion. There is basically no mind in motion, and there is basically no motion in mind. Motion is not separate from the mind, and the mind is not separate from motion.There is no mind for motion to exist apart from, and no motion for mind to exist apart from. Motion is the mind’s function, and its function is the mind’s motion. To move is to use the mind, and to use is to move the mind. But in essence, there is neither motion nor function. The essence of function is emptiness, and emptiness is inherently without motion. Motion and function both return to the same mind. The mind is basically free of movement. 

This passage is very important. Before explaining it sentence by sentence, we need to first understand the main idea expressed here, as well as the meaning of several keywords.

Bodhidharma elucidated on a fundamental principle: from the standpoint of the sensory world, that is, conventional truth, all speech, movement, and activities are real; but from the standpoint of the essence of mind, we have never said or done anything. The same is true for the world we live in. What seems very real to us basically does not exist.

Observing reality from these two perspectives is a very important method in Mahayana Buddhism. For example, there is a scene in the movie "The Matrix" where the male protagonist sees all kinds of people and objects on the street, all of which appear the same as in real life. But while he is looking, these things do not really exist. Everything is a computer program.

Appearance and emptiness exist at the same time without contradiction; in Mahayana Buddhism, there is "no difference between appearance and emptiness." "Appearance" refers to all kinds of phenomena. Everything that we see, hear, and feel about people, animals, plants, mountains, rivers, and land, as large as the universe, as small as a particle of dust, these all exist in our senses. From this perspective, there is good and evil, cause and effect, heaven and hell, real life, you, me, and others. "Emptiness" is the empty nature of reality, the essence of all phenomena. From this perspective, all the above-mentioned phenomena do not exist. The above is the main idea expressed in this passage.

There are three important points or keywords that appear repeatedly in the passage: mind, function, and motion. To avoid any confusion, we need to understand their basic meaning and causal relationship.

"Mind" here refers to the mind of clear light, which is buddha nature, tathagatagarbha, and the nature of mind; it is not our consciousness. If the mind is said to be consciousness, this would also be a valid explanation but on a very superficial level, so it cannot be understood in this way.

"Function" literally means its use. It cannot be established alone. Who exactly is playing a role here? It is consciousness. Therefore, "function" refers to the consciousness of ordinary people, which includes alaya consciousness, manas consciousness (self-grasping), etc.

"Motion" means movement. Buddha nature does not move because it has no cause and effect, it is not impermanent. What moves directly is consciousness. The essence of consciousness is buddha nature, so it is sometimes also said that buddha nature is moving.

Once you are familiar with these terms, the following will be easy to understand.

All movements are the mind’s motion. When the mind moves, its function starts.

The so-called "function" refers to the process from birth to disappearance of consciousness – from the beginning when it has not yet played a role, to when it starts to play a role, produces effects, and finally disappears.

What is "mind’s motion"? People can see, hear, speak, and do things because their mind is moving; if their mind is not moving, none of this can happen. In fact, the mind’s motion is its function, that is, consciousness is at work.

Motion is its function. "Motion" refers to the movement of consciousness, that is, the arising of thoughts; "its" refers to the "mind" mentioned above, which is buddha nature, clear light, and tathagatagarbha. This sentence means that arousing thoughts is the function of buddha nature.

The following uses several metaphors to illustrate the relationship between mind, function, and motion.

The first metaphor. Compare the "mind," or buddha nature, to the sea, and "motion," or consciousness, to the waves on the sea surface. Who is "moving"? Not the sea, but the waves. But waves are part of the sea, so we can either say "the sea doesn't move, the waves move" or "the sea is moving." Both versions are possible, but the former is more accurate.

This metaphor helps us understand that all seeing, hearing, and awareness are surface phenomena, just like waves on the surface of the sea. The so-called "motion is its function" means that these superficial phenomena that are produced are the function of the nature of mind.

The second metaphor. The strings on the guzheng make no sound when they are at rest, but they make sounds when they vibrate; but it is just the strings that are vibrating, there is nothing apart from this so-called vibration. The so-called vibration is just a movement of the strings. Is it the strings or the vibrations that really make the sound? It is both. Without the strings or the vibrations, it is impossible to make a sound.

"Mind" – buddha nature, or the mind of clear light, is like the strings of the guzheng; the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, consciousness, and their movements are like the vibration of the strings, which is "motion" and "function" at the same time. The effect produced by the vibration of the string is function; the specific action is vibration.

The function of the string is to vibrate, and it is the vibration that produces sound. Without vibration, there would be no sound, and without the string, there would be no vibration, so the source is the string. In the same way, our current consciousness and all seeing, hearing, and awareness are the function of buddha nature; they all originate from buddha nature, the mind of clear light. Once the mind begins to function (in other words, after the mind begins to move), just like a string vibrating and making a sound, consciousness and seeing, hearing, and perception are born. This is the meaning of the expression "motion is its function."

On the other hand, when we speak, do things, or get angry, these are not happening in essence. Just like the sound produced by the strings, the vibration of the strings causes the surrounding air to generate pressure waves; the waves are transmitted into the ears and vibrate the eardrums, thereby producing sound. The strings themselves have no sound. Just like in the first metaphor, when the waves on the sea are rough, only the water on the surface is moving; most of the water below remains calm. Similarly, no matter how sad or angry we are, at this moment, the nature of mind does not have these negative emotions. It remains unmoved and uncontaminated.

There is no mind apart from motion. "Motion" refers to consciousness; "mind" refers to buddha nature, the mind of clear light. Apart from consciousness, there is no buddha nature. Why? Because buddha nature is the essence of consciousness. Without consciousness, how can there be essence? Consciousness is certainly inseparable from its essential buddha nature. We can analyze and talk about them separately, but in fact they are not two, but one thing.

Bodhidharma elaborated on this in Treatise on Realizing the Nature of Mind by using the metaphor of ice and water. When the temperature drops below zero, water condenses into ice, but the essence of ice is water; when the temperature rises, ice melts into water again, its essence never changes. In the statement above, "motion" is consciousness, which is like ice; "mind" is buddha nature, the mind of clear light, which is like water. When water freezes, there is no water except ice; water exists in the form of ice, the two forms are different but the essence is the same. Therefore, it can be said that there is no water except ice, and "no mind apart from motion" – there is no buddha nature apart from consciousness.

The statement “affliction is bodhi” has the same meaning. Defilements such as hatred, jealousy, and arrogance are like ice. When the mind is filled with these troubling emotions, the essence of mind is clear light, just as the essence of ice is never separate from water, but we ourselves cannot feel it. This very profound concept is easier to understand through the metaphor of ice and water.

In essence, there is only buddha nature and nothing else. Buddha nature itself has many functions, but in the sensual world of ordinary people, buddha nature has become something else – desire, anger, and jealousy. Because of our ignorance, we do not see the essence, only mistaken appearances; like looking at the world though colored glasses, we do not see its true color. However, even as these emotions arise, their essence is always wisdom and clear light.

Every winter in Harbin's Ice and Snow World, a variety of ice sculptures are displayed. They look exactly like the real thing, but their essence is always water. Likewise, when our heart turns to hatred, its essence is always clear light. Unfortunately, ordinary people cannot see the essence and can only feel the anger on the surface. The purpose of practice is to train us through various methods to directly see the essence of afflictions when they arise.

There is no motion apart from the mind. Apart from buddha nature and the mind of clear light, there is no movement of consciousness. Borrowing the previous metaphor, it can be understood as "no waves apart from the sea." Human consciousness will take on different forms. Sometimes it appears as good thoughts such as bodhicitta, compassion, and renunciation; sometimes it appears as afflictions such as desire, hatred, and jealousy. Whether good or evil, its essence is always clear light.

Simply put, "motion" means movement; specifically, consciousness is moving, and "motion" refers to consciousness. "There is no mind apart from motion, and there is no motion apart from the mind" – there is no mind of clear light beyond consciousness, and there is no consciousness beyond the mind of clear light. Is that to say clear light is consciousness and consciousness is clear light? Yes. The same can be said for affliction is bodhi, and samsara is nirvana.

Motion is not the mind, and the mind is not motion. When water turns into ice, although the essence of the ice is water, its form is not water. Water is a liquid and ice is a solid; liquids and solids are not the same. From this standpoint, we can say that affliction is not bodhi, and bodhi is not affliction.

Although the essence of mind is buddha nature, ordinary people always see its negative manifestation such as hatred, jealousy, and arrogance, not its pure nature. Like two sides of a coin, they can only see one side but not the other.

In the ultimate sense, ultimate truth and conventional truth do not exist. The reason for this division is that ordinary people cannot see the true face of the mind, only its appearance – phenomenon of mind. Furthermore, even when we talk about the inseparability of appearance and emptiness, phenomena and emptiness are not the same and must be observed separately. If no distinction is made, it is often difficult to make sense of it. For example, from the perspective of phenomenon, drinking water can quench thirst. If we do not differentiate between the two truths and simply look at emptiness, water is naturally inseparable from emptiness, can emptiness be used to quench thirst? There is nothing in emptiness, how can it quench your thirst? But after the two truths are separated, one part is phenomenon, and the other part is emptiness; that which can satisfy hunger and thirst is phenomenon, not emptiness.

From this perspective, it can be said that "motion is not the mind, and the mind is not motion." Ice is not water, and water is not ice. Although the form is different, the essence is the same.

"Motion" and "mind" are essentially indistinguishable and are completely integrated, but from the perspective of an ordinary person, they are two things; at this time, we cannot talk about phenomena and emptiness as one. Emptiness and phenomena are divided for the unenlightened, but in fact there is no such distinction. The reason why Bodhidharma sometimes said that the two are not one, and sometimes said they are one, is to let us understand this principle.

There is basically no mind in motion, and there is basically no motion in the mind. From the standpoint of emptiness, there is basically no mind in motion, and no motion in the mind. "Mind" – buddha nature, the mind of clear light, does not move, otherwise buddha nature becomes impermanent. That which is impermanent is not buddha nature, because buddha nature is eternal and unchanging.

Motion is not separate from the mind. "Motion" refers to the eight consciousnesses, mainly the sixth consciousness, whose essence is inseparable from buddha nature, the mind of clear light. This sentence has the same meaning as "form is not other than emptiness," which is equivalent to ice never leaving water and waves never leaving the sea. The mind is not separate from motion. For unenlightened people, although there are eight consciousnesses, their essence is buddha nature, so the mind of clear light always exists. After becoming a buddha, the eight consciousnesses disappear, leaving only buddha nature. There are several verses in the Heart Sutra that express the same meaning, specifically the familiar saying "form is emptiness, emptiness is form; form is not other than emptiness, emptiness is not other than form."

There is no mind for motion to exist apart from. "Motion" has no "mind" that can leave it. There is no motion for mind to exist apart from. "Mind" has no "motion" that can leave it. It is so because they are essentially one and the same.

Motion is the mind’s function, and its function is the mind’s motion. The eight consciousnesses are the function of buddha nature, and this function is the movement of buddha nature, the mind of clear light. To be precise, the mind of clear light does not move, but since the essence of consciousness is the mind of clear light, consciousness can move, so it can also be said that the mind of clear light can move.

To move is to use the mind, and to use is to move the mind. The movement of the eight consciousnesses is the function of buddha nature, and this function is the movement of buddha nature. This sentence has the same meaning as the previous sentence, but is expressed in a different form.

But in essence, there is neither motion nor function. "Motion" and "function" are both superficial phenomena. In essence, there is neither movement nor function.

The reason there is "neither motion nor function" is that the essence of function is emptiness. "Function" – consciousness, its essence is emptiness, so it is immovable, that is, it has "no motion and no function." But in the ordinary world, there is movement and function.

Emptiness is inherently without motion. Emptiness is not impermanent, so it has neither motion nor function. This is from the standpoint of emptiness.

Motion and function both return to the same mind. Regardless of movement or function, the essence of both is the mind of clear light; they ultimately return to the mind of clear light. This is from the standpoint of phenomena.

Just as there is a conventional world and the dream world, our inner spirit also has two worlds, one real and one false. These two worlds are inseparable: one is the essential buddha nature, the mind of clear light, and the other is its appearance or illusion.

Every phenomenon has this duality. A table, for instance, is a phenomenon but what is its essence? We can analyze it layer by layer: the essence of the table is molecules, the essence of molecules is atoms, the essence of atoms is nuclei and electrons; the essence of fundamental particles is even smaller matter. Buddhism believes that the essence of all matter ultimately returns to the human consciousness. All large and small objects in the outside world, including fundamental particles, are images projected from our mind.

In this regard, current scientific findings and Buddhism are very close, but scientists are still looking for something more specific and basic. The Buddhist point of view is that fundamental particles do not exist; only relative fundamental particles exist. This is because the so-called fundamental particles are composed of even smaller particles; eventually everything dissolves into energy; energy is also seen as a projection of our innate mind. In short, the physical world, like a dream, is an illusion created by consciousness. This is the ultimate answer in Buddhism.

As we all know, matter has both a macroscopic and microscopic world. The external objects visible to the naked eye in the macroscopic world are far from their true essence. On this point, there is no dispute between Buddhism and science. In fact, the same is true for consciousness. The various emotions we feel, like matter that we see in the macroscopic world such as tables, bricks, and buildings, are not their true face but surface phenomena.

The true nature of consciousness is like the microscopic world of matter. Matter can eventually be decomposed into energy, while the fundamental nature of consciousness is the mind of clear light (this term in Buddhism has nothing to do with light as described in physics). From this we can say that consciousness also has both a macroscopic and microscopic world; the macroscopic is not its essence, but the microscopic is.

The microscopic world of matter can be revealed through a microscope. To this end, scientists have developed different types of microscopes, particle colliders and other instruments to decompose matter and uncover its basic composition. The microscopic world of consciousness can only be perceived through the power of meditation and the wisdom of enlightenment. Buddhists meditate to find the essence of their innate mind. Once you see your true face, you will instantly understand that all thoughts and ideas are mistaken and illusory appearances. You can immediately eliminate the many afflictions caused by them – this is the goal in Buddhism.

Whether it is motion or function, the essence of both is the mind – "motion and function return to the same mind." What is the mind like? The mind is basically free of movement. The essence of the mind has no function and no movement.

In fact, "mind," "function," and "motion" exist at the same time and cannot be separated. People are naturally inclined to focus only on "motion" and "function," not the "mind," which is the source of endless afflictions. Now, we need to look at the "mind" through Buddhist practice, not its "motion" and "function."

When our afflictions arise, for example, when we are furious and want to hit or curse someone, the "mind" in the moment – the essence of the anger – is still pure and clear. At this time, if we can see this "mind," the anger will immediately turn into the wisdom of the buddha. This is called transforming affliction into the path. In fact, there is no actual transformation, because the "mind" is always pure; it does not go from being impure to pure. The tantric saying "affliction is bodhi" is precisely the transformation of affliction into the path to liberation. Bodhidharma used the three words "mind," "function," and "motion" repeatedly to convey this meaning.

We must first understand this concept, then learn the method – how to sidestep "motion" and "function" and directly observe the "mind." This is called the practice of observing the mind. If you can truly focus on the mind alone, your afflictions instantly disappear and the wisdom of the buddha arises right then.

People who have some realization in Dzogchen or Mahamudra also have anger and other negative emotions, but they will immediately observe the nature of mind. On seeing the true nature of mind, a calmness arises instantly just like when cold water is poured into boiling water; anger disappears without a trace and cannot be found even if one tries to find it. Those with realization eliminate afflictions by observing the mind, which is the best way to address them.

If you feel sad or at a loss because of emotional setbacks, the death of family and relatives, or career difficulties, and cannot yet apply the method of observing the mind, you must remember to generate bodhicitta and renunciation, or at least the thought of impermanence, to overcome difficult situations. I hope everyone can select one or two verses from Dzogchen and Mahamudra works, such as the Ganges Mahamudra and the Treasury of Dharmadhatu, or Collection of Precious Virtues of the Mother of the Buddhas of Prajnaparamita, and memorize them. Whenever you feel angry, depressed, or anxious, recite the verse, think about its meaning, then take a moment to calm down. This can quickly resolve negative emotions.

Without a certain level of realization from your practice, your negative emotions will of course come back after a few minutes, but their power will be greatly weakened. It is indeed not easy to become a buddha, but it is not difficult to placate your emotions if you find the right method and put in a little effort.

At present, mental health issues are a serious problem. Regardless of wealth or status, people are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with their lives and are less happy. The reason is nothing other than their own endless and infinitely expanding desires. This is a difficult problem, but it can be solved through Buddhist methods.

We must apply all the teachings to real life. When we encounter afflictions and can use the appropriate methods to deal with them, our practice is successful. If, after much study and practice, we are still helpless when afflictions arise, this kind of listening, contemplating, and practicing is undoubtedly a failure.

Buddhist methods are truly effective. They are not about illusory things such as ghosts and gods, but about a person's real experience and feelings; moreover, these methods have already been tested by countless practitioners. If we can truly apply what we learn, everyone can gain the same tangible results.

The significance of studying and practicing Buddhism is to resolve our afflictions through Buddhist methods, and to share these methods with those around us so that they can also eliminate their afflictions. This is benefitting oneself and others. Many people think that helping others requires material things. While material assistance is indeed crucial for some, for most people today, spiritual support is even more important. Attaining buddhahood allows us to benefit all living beings absolutely. Although we lack this ability now, we can also help to a certain extent.

To achieve this goal, we must practice diligently and transform what we have learned into our own experience. If you only have an intellectual understanding but no personal experience, you will not be able to put it to use when needed. Moreover, your words will be pale and unconvincing when you explain it to others.

Therefore, the sutras say: "Move without moving , come and go without coming and going, see without seeing, laugh without laughing, hear without hearing , know without knowing , rejoice without rejoicing, walk without walking, abide without abiding.” 

Bodhidharma then quoted a Buddhist scripture. The sutras say: Move without moving. On the surface, consciousness is moving, and all the senses are moving – seeing, hearing, and perceiving the outside world – but in essence there is no movement or perception. The previous content can be summed up in this sentence.

From the standpoint of conventional reality, this statement sounds contradictory and hollow. But, with a little bit of realization, we can experience what it is like to "move without moving." When we "move," such as when we are particularly depressed, anxious, or angry, we discover through meditation that these things basically do not exist. Since they do not exist, what is the anxiety or anger for? All emotions disappear in an instant.

Some people want to rely on others to get through life and solve all their problems for them. Though possible, this is fundamentally difficult; even if we find such support, how long can we rely on it? Things are unpredictable, and others may not be able to handle everything. The closest and most reliable people in our lives are our parents; they will try their best to help unconditionally, but they do not necessarily know how to help, especially inner mental issues, which are difficult for others to share.

Therefore, instead of relying on others, it is better to rely on oneself. The best way is to cultivate bodhicitta and renunciation and to hold the view of emptiness. Before enlightenment, when you feel lonely, anxious, or sad, it will certainly be helpful to have someone by your side, but it is far better to meditate by yourself: think about bodhicitta and renunciation, even contemplate on the preliminaries such as the suffering of samsara and the impermanence of life. Afflictions can quickly be dispelled this way, but of course it would be better if you attained enlightenment.

If you have these inner strengths, you can put them to use at any time. In this way, so long as your fundamental needs are met, no matter what environment you are in, you can live a happy and comfortable life. Not only that, you will also be able to benefit all living beings, both yourself and others. The prerequisite for all this is practice – we should seize every opportunity to practice before we encounter problems. This is most critical.

Come and go without coming and going. We are busy all day long, coming and going, but in essence these are all illusions, like dreams, that do not really happen.

See without seeing means seeing many things every day, but never actually seeing them.

The following analogy goes like this: Laugh without laughing, hear without hearing, know without knowing, rejoice without rejoicing, walk without walking, abide without abiding. Joy, anger, sorrow, walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are just like the feelings and emotions in dreams. If you know how to see their true nature, they do not exist. The above is what the Buddhist scriptures tell us.

People work hard all day long and concurrently produce emotions of all kinds. If you do not know how to see the nature of mind, then all of this is real and cannot be said to have never happened. But if you know how to look at the nature of mind, then everything is just a phenomenon – the "motion" and "function" mentioned above never happen at that level, because the nature of mind is always pure.

Therefore, the sutras say: "The essence of mind can neither be expressed nor conceived; seeing, hearing, and perceiving are inherently empty." Even anger, joy, pain, and itching cannot be found if you examine and look for them; in that sense we are not unlike wooden figures.

Therefore, the sutras say: The essence of mind can neither be expressed nor conceived. "Mind" here refers to the consciousness we use in our daily lives. The Buddhist scriptures tell us that the essence of the path or the true face of the mind cannot be expressed in words, nor can it be conceived with consciousness, because the latter is bound by ignorance and does not have the wisdom of enlightenment. The phrase "inconceivable and inexpressible" often appears in Buddhist scriptures. We cannot describe or conceive the true face of mind. Only by looking at it with wisdom can we experience it.

Seeing, hearing, and perceiving are inherently empty. Everything we see, hear, and perceive are superficial phenomena and only exist at the mundane level. At the essential level, they have never been produced and do not exist, so they are empty.

Even anger, joy, pain, and itching cannot be found if you examine and look for them; in that sense we are not unlike wooden figures. These feelings, such as anger and joy caused by inner consciousness, pain and itching caused by our body, so long as you use wisdom to investigate and observe, you will discover none of these things can be found. In essence, they have never been born and do not exist –they are all illusions. From this perspective, we are nothing more than wooden beings with no feelings.

Therefore, the sutras say: "Evil deeds result in painful retributions, and good deeds result in good retributions; anger takes you to hell and happiness takes you to heaven." But if you know that anger and joy are empty in nature, and do not hold on to them, you will be free from all karma. 

Therefore, the sutras say: Evil deeds result in painful retributions, and good deeds result in good retributions; anger takes you to hell and happiness takes you to heaven. From a secular perspective, evil begets evil, good begets good. Anger can cause people to descend into hell, and compassion can cause people to be reborn in the human realm or the celestial realm. In the secular world, these causal relationships are entirely true.

But if you know that anger and joy are empty in nature, and do not hold on to them, you will be free from all karma. If you understand that the nature of hatred and compassion is emptiness, then as long as you do not hold on to it, you will not create karma. Only with attachment can we create karma. With no attachment after realizing emptiness, how can we create karma?

In Chan Buddhism, it is often said that so long as you are not attached, you can do anything. This statement must be understood correctly. Some people commit bad deeds and claim, "I am not attached." Is this non-attachment? Of course not! If you go to the hospital and get an injection, you will know if you have attachment. If you are even afraid of injections, why talk about anything else? Using non-attachment as an excuse is a complete mistake.

The prerequisite for non-attachment is, in fact, to realize emptiness and profoundly feel there is nothing to be attached to. Reaching this state is true non-attachment and true letting go.

If you do not see your nature, teaching the Dharma is baseless and speaking about it is endless. Briefly distinguishing good from evil is possible, but it barely covers a thing or two about the Dharma.

If you do not see your nature, teaching the Dharma is baseless and speaking about it is endless. Without enlightenment, there is no basis for propagating prajna, Madhyamaka and other Buddhist teachings. It would be no more than a collection of theories, which are endless. It is useless to say a lot when you have not attained realization and cannot grasp the core concepts of the Dharma.

Some of the principles in Madhyamaka and Abhidharma correspond to those in ancient and modern philosophy. Conceptualizations of this kind are even more common now, but they are not as profound as in Buddhism. Therefore, expounding the sutras without any realization is merely philosophical extrapolation at best. It is impossible to convey the true essence of Buddhism.

Briefly distinguishing good from evil is possible, but it barely covers a thing or two about the Dharma. It is difficult to talk about emptiness when you have not yet attained enlightenment. At most, you can briefly talk about what is evil and what is good. For example, not believing in cause and effect is wrong, believing in cause and effect is right. These teachings on good and evil, and cause and effect, account for only a tiny fraction of the Dharma, perhaps less than one-thousandth or one-ten-thousandth of its entirety. The real core of Buddhism is buddha nature – clear light and emptiness. Before attaining enlightenment, we cannot transmit this essence at all, and can only relate to it at a very superficial level.

Verse: 

The mind, mind, mind is hard to find,

When vast, it pervades the Dharma realm,

When narrow, it cannot hold a needle.

I seek the mind, not the buddha outside,

I know the three realms are empty of substance.

To seek the buddha, seek the mind alone,

For this very mind is the buddha.

I seek the mind, the mind is ever present,

It cannot be obtained, let the mind know itself.

Buddha nature is not found outside,

To look beyond the mind is wrong.

The song goes like this: The mind, mind, mind is hard to find. Why are there three "minds"? My personal understanding is that they represent the past mind, present mind, and future mind, respectively. This sentence means that no matter which mind we have, it is difficult to discern its essence and grasp it. Because the human mind is ever changing, invisible and intangible, and not as easy to control as external matter, it is difficult to define.

When vast, it pervades the Dharma realm. “Vast” refers to the state of enlightenment. When the mind is enlightened, it fully merges with the Dharma realm. "Pervading the Dharma realm" means that the Dharma realm and the nature of mind are inseparable. The Dharma realm is not just emptiness, it is both emptiness and clear light; the clear light aspect is the nature of mind. After enlightenment, the mind and the Dharma realm are one; the clear light nature of mind is as vast as the Dharma realm is vast, it is as boundless as the Dharma realm is boundless. At that point, the mind can embrace everything. Even if we are beaten, scolded, ridiculed, or slandered by others, we can forgive and not be affected.

When narrow, it cannot hold a needle. “Narrow” refers to the unenlightened state. Before enlightenment, our mind is extremely narrow, so narrow that it has no room even for a needle. All unenlightened people naturally haggle over everything, and become furious when someone says something that is disagreeable or looks at them in a strange way. Why does he say that to me? Why does he look at me like this? Even the most trivial of things is difficult for them to accept.

Indeed, the "mind" is difficult to define. When enlightened, it is as open and broad as the Dharma realm; when unenlightened, it cannot even accommodate a needle. Thus, it is said: "the mind, mind, mind is hard to find."

I seek the mind, not the buddha outside. Bodhidharma said: I seek my own mind, not the buddha outside. This means that I only look inward to realize my own mind; my own mind is the buddha.

I know the three realms are empty of substance. I know that the desire realm, form realm, and formless realm, that is, the entire world is empty of substance – everything is emptiness. There is no external buddha, so I do not look for the buddha outside.

To seek the buddha, seek the mind alone, for this very mind is the buddha. To find the buddha, I only need my own mind, because the essence of our mind – past mind, present mind, and future mind – is the buddha.

I seek the mind; the mind is ever present. The mind that I seek, what does it look like? This mind (buddha nature) of the three times always abides in its own state without any change. In fact, I need not "seek the mind," only discover its true nature, because it is ever present. This is the main point of the third turning of the wheel of Dharma.

It cannot be obtained, let the mind know itself. The reference here is to emptiness as expounded in the second turning of the wheel of Dharma. It means that the mind we seek cannot be obtained, it is empty. “Let the mind know itself” means allowing the mind to recognize its emptiness, that is, awakening.

These two phrases encompass the essence of the teachings on buddha nature in the third turning, and on emptiness in the second turning of the wheel of Dharma. The clear light aspect of buddha nature is always present; the nature of mind that we seek is fundamentally empty like space, like the Dharma realm. We only need to let the mind perceive and realize its nature.

Buddha nature is not found outside, to look beyond the mind is wrong. Buddha nature is discovered from within one's own mind; when a person thinks of looking for the buddha outside the mind, a transgression is committed. Bodhidharma called such a person an outsider.

Verse:

I originally came to this land

To teach the Dharma and save people from confusion.

A single flower will blossom into five petals,

Its fruit will naturally ripen. 

This stanza at the end also appears in the Platform Sutra.

I originally came to this land to teach the Dharma and save people from confusion. Why did the First Patriarch Bodhidharma come to China? It was not to hold a Dharma meeting or to beg for alms, but to spread the Mahayana teachings on sudden enlightenment and save deluded beings.

A single flower will blossom into five petals. There are two interpretations of this phrase. In the first, the "single flower" refers to Chan Buddhism, the sudden enlightenment method that Bodhidharma preached; the "five petals" symbolize the five schools that Chan Buddhism later evolved into: Guiyang, Linji, Caodong, Fayan, and Yunmen. In the second, the "single flower" refers to Bodhidharma himself; the "five petals" refer to the five Chan masters from the Second Patriarch, Hui Ke, to the Sixth Patriarch, Hui Neng.

Its fruit will naturally ripen. Whether it is the five schools of Chan Buddhism or the five founders, they will continue to carry forward the teachings of Bodhidharma, allowing thousands of people to realize the nature of mind and eventually become buddhas.

This completes the interpretation of the Bloodstream Treatise.