Part 10-4
“They (Bodhisattvas) should raise the mind without dwelling on anything.”
Commentary:
This is one of the scriptures best known as the core of this Sutra. Let me give you an easier and more detailed explanation regarding not dwelling on anything.
What would happen if there were no words at all? All that reaches our eyes and ears would appear to be one that is nameless, changeless, boundless and formless. It would be perfection itself. In fact, the word ‘perfection’ may not be suitable to depict it, not only because it is also a word created by our imagination, but also because there would be nothing to compare with it. Nothing would happen in this state. It follows from this that in such a state there are no birth, no ageing, no illness and no death since there is nobody to go through such things.
That is actually the foundation, the source and the root of everything, and there is nothing beyond this. This is referred to as the true-Self, Emptiness, Oneness, the Buddha, the Pure land.
We sentient beings break the Oneness into many with words such as the sky, the earth, the universe, human beings, a tree, a bird and so forth. The reason why there are countless things, including the sky, the earth, human beings, a tree, bird, and the universe, is that we have broken Oneness into many with words. All the countless things created with words are called forms in Buddhism. The realm of form refers to the mundane world, which is full of a host of things, occurrences and endless change, including birth, ageing, illness and death. In fact, nothing, good, or bad, can happen unless we divide, or break Oneness into many, that is, unless we classify what reaches our eyes and ears with words. This is why the Buddha said that everything is created in our minds.
However, none of the words mentioned above are real, innate, or intrinsic but artificial, extrinsic and imaginary. The sky has never said that it is the sky, and no tree has never said, “I am a tree. Call me a tree.” The sky is the sky because we named it sky, and a tree is a tree only because we named it tree and imagine it as such. In fact, there is nothing at all such as a tree, the sky and the like. They are not real but imaginary forms. This is why the Buddha said that we can see the true-Self if we see things just like dreams and why an ancient master said that even if we recite the word ‘fire’ hundreds of times, it never burns our lips.
Dwelling on things means to look upon such imaginary forms and names as substantive, that is, to see things only as different and separate from each other without realising that they are essentially one, Emptiness. This is referred to as being deluded by illusions, words.
So, ‘They should raise the mind without dwelling on anything’ means that although we use numerous words when seeing and hearing things, we, not deluded by the words attached to them, should be able to see and hear them in both ways; as many, forms and as Oneness at the same time. This is to see many as one, to see forms as Emptiness, and to see things as the Buddha. When we can see things in this way, it can be said that we divide Oneness into many, and when we cannot see things in both ways like this, it can be said that we break Oneness into many just as if we broke it by mistake against our will.
When we divide Oneness into many, they are not conflicting with each other, no matter how many pieces it is divided into, because we can reassemble them into Oneness, the original form easily at any time. When we break it into many, they are always at odds with each other, because we don’t know how to put them back together. This is why ancient masters, when explaining the way of seeing things, advised that we should chew a thing well but should not break it so that we may enjoy its flavour fully.
Student: “How can I stop dwelling on things?”
Master: “Don’t be deluded by words.”
Student: “How is it when we are not deluded by words?”
Master: “A stone woman gave birth to a baby.”
Student: “It doesn’t make any sense. Why do you talk such nonsense?”
Master: “Because you are deluded by words.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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