Among the five layers of profound meaning, the second layer is “Distinguishing the substance”.
What distinguishes the substance of this book?
What kind of genre does this book belong to?
What is the main body/substance in “The Buddha Speaks Of Amitabha Sutra”?
If using dharmata/true appearance as the substance, then what is this true appearance?
True appearance is also called formless (without an appearance); it is having no form, yet not without form. This says that there is neither with nor without form, it has left the four forms for it to be the absolute truth.
The four forms mentioned here are written in “The Vajra Sutra“, the so-called no notion of self, no notion of others, no notion of sentient beings, and no notion of lifespan. This is called the non-existence of the four forms. So without these four forms, it is called dharmata/true appearance.
I’ll explain “no notion of self”.
Today, I am discoursing the dharma here, today I am not discoursing the dharma here, these two views are contradictory.
Right now, I am discoursing the dharma here, do you believe this?
You all believe!
But if I say that I am not discoursing the dharma here today, do you all believe?
You all do not believe!
It is because right now I am discoursing the dharma. However if all of you leave, then I also leave, suddenly someone arrives but there is no one here, does he believe that I was discoursing the dharma here today?
He does not believe.
There is a problem that exists here. If there is “self” then there is suffering, if there is “no-self” then there is no suffering.
All the suffering in this world is caused by “self”.
Today, someone came to scold somebody. If he is scolding someone else there is no suffering, but if it is scolding me then there is suffering.
Go to the court, go to the court to sue someone, going to sue someone, because you scolded me, so I sue you. This is because there is “self”, there is this “self” that appears. If you cultivate until there is no “self”, your scolding comes from here, passes by here, leaves from the back, because it cannot meet me. Therefore this scolding has no use, and causes no suffering.
Sentient beings have suffering, because there is the notion of self. Therefore the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas want us to have no notion of self.
Today, if others have money, it is others who have money. However, if one says one has money, it can bring about jealousy. It is because “self” appears; even if you have no money you also will be troubled, because “self” also appears.
For example if you remove this notion of “self” you will not be jealous of others, and others will not be jealous of you.
The notion of self is the culprit of all troubles, this is all very deep, so a cultivator must cultivate until there is no notion of self.
I have cultivated until I have half-self, someone hits me here, it coincidentally hits this half, the half that does not exist. I didn’t feel any pain. If you hit me here, I will duck to the other side, so it hits the side that does not exist. Although I still see that you are trying to hit me, the suffering is very little.
What about “no notion of others”?
It is there is no self and no you. If there is self, then there is self centredness; if there is other, then there is comparison. Therefore the Buddha wants us to have no notion of others.
Example:
If we make a comparison between each other, I believe in Buddhism, and you also believe in Buddhism.
I say that my Buddha is bigger than your Buddha, you say that the Buddha at your home is more insightful than mine.
I ask you, what mantra do you practice?
He says that he practices the Rebirth mantra, I say that I chant the Seven World Honoured Buddhas Mantra and have six more.
Alright! So in this way, there is self, there is you, there is comparison, this is awful!
I want to ask you, what do you cultivate?
Cultivate the Yellow Jambhala, he said that Yellow Jambhala is mainly for cultivating wealth.
Then he asks, what do I cultivate?
I cultivate Medicine Buddha.
Then I say, my Medicine Buddha is mainly for delivering sentient beings, mainly to save others, your cultivating Yellow Jambhala only has the smell of money.
This is the notion of self, and the notion of others, both appearing.
Comparing among each other, fighting with each other. We cannot fall into the trap of fighting, because Buddhism wants us to have no notion of self, no other, evolving into something bigger, then there are no sentient beings.
In the end it becomes doing nothing against nature, nature will help you achieve everything. Dwelling in Nirvana and still not in Nirvana, everything is free and without restraints. Those who can truly reach this stage are those who have no four forms.
Leaving these four forms, it is then absolute truth, leaving these four forms is then dharmata/true appearance. According to what Shakyamuni Buddha said, when you reach no four forms, the stage of absolute truth, it is then reality/dharmata, it is then as one wishes.
Of course this stage is very profound, it is not what ordinary people can achieve. That is why I have only cultivated half-way now. Every time a picture is taken showing the radiating light, I still reveal a hand and leg. It seems that if you hit my hand or leg, I will still kick you!
Today we will just talk about “Distinguishing the substance”.
“Distinguishing the substance” is taking the body as reality/true appearance.
In the past, there was a fellow practitioner who argued with me about this question. He said:
“This Western Pureland has such beautiful places, how can it be true appearance/reality? Then “The Buddha speaks of Amitabha Sutra“, its body substance is real, is that correct?”
I answered him like this:
“You see it as true form/ appearance, I see it as emptiness, all the sights in Western Pureland of Amitabha Buddha are a kind of transformation, it is transformed from emptiness to existing. Therefore someone who looks at the external will see that form exists, someone who looks at the internal will see it as emptiness.”
So today, is Lu Sheng-yen here expounding the dharma, yes or no?
No!
Because when separated, these are clothes, but the place I speak out of is formless. When the whole body is analysed it is flesh, bones and blood. If it is all broken down, nowhere can this “self” be found. Then where is this me?
Zen Buddhism requires people to contemplate, “Where am I now?”
“Who is teaching the Dharma?”
If you all can say “Who is teaching the Dharma” now, you all have become Buddhas.
Om Mani Padme Hum