Part 6-3
“Why? All these sentient beings have no more image of self, image of person, image of sentient being, or image of soul. They have no image of Dharma, and no image of non-Dharma, either.”
Commentary:
The absence of the image of self, the image of a person, the image of sentient beings, the notion of a lifespan, the image of Dharma, and even the image of non-Dharma is the true nature of the Buddha’s formless reality. From the Buddha’s perspective, all sentient beings are fundamentally not different from the Buddha himself. As stated in the Avatamsaka Sutra, “I now observe all sentient beings and see that they all possess the wisdom and virtuous qualities of the true-Self (the Buddha), but due to deluded thoughts and attachments, they fail to realise it,” although we are all inherently Buddhas, we remain unaware of this truth because of the three poisons: ignorance, greed, and anger.
To briefly explain the three poisons, typically referred to as greed, anger, and ignorance, but reordered here as ignorance, greed, and anger:
- Ignorance refers to the inability to see things as they truly are, i.e., as empty. The Buddha taught that everything, including his own physical body, is a creation of our imagination and should be seen as a dream. However, ignorance leads us to perceive things as real, which is the root of all suffering. The opposite of ignorance is wisdom, which means seeing things as they truly are.
- Greed arises as a consequence of failing to see things as empty and dreamlike. Mistaking phenomena as real leads to desiring to possess, or draw near to what appears beautiful, or valuable and to push away what seems undesirable, or unpleasant. The opposite of greed is discipline (precept), and upholding discipline means skilfully controlling and managing such desires.
- Anger arises when the things we desire to possess, or avoid, do not align with our wishes, resulting in frustration, pain, and unhappiness. The opposite of anger is stillness (samadhi), which leads to a state of calm or nirvana.
Thus, the three poisons—ignorance, greed, and anger—are countered by the three trainings (learning): wisdom, discipline (precept), and stillness (samadhi). Transforming the three poisons into the three trainings (learning) is the purpose of Buddhist practice, leading to enlightenment.
As mentioned, all problems ultimately stem from the inability to see things as they truly are. The images of self, person, sentient beings, lifespan, and Dharma are all illusions that arise from failing to see reality clearly. Though we are inherently Buddhas endowed with immeasurable virtues, we remain sentient beings because we are trapped in these illusions.
Disciple: “How can I uphold discipline well?”
Master: “When there is no image of self, there is no ‘I’ to uphold discipline, and when there is no image of Dharma, there is no discipline to uphold. This is the true way to uphold discipline.”
The images of self, person, sentient beings, lifespan, and dharma— Do not say they are absent. For there can’t be even the word ‘absent’ for what is truly absent.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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