Part 10-3
“For this reason, Subhuti, all Bodhisattvas should have a mind that is pure and clear like this, and should not have a mind that dwells on forms; they should not have a mind that dwells on sound, scent, flavour and touch, or Dharma.”
Commentary:
A pure mind is not one that thinks only of holy, good, or clean things. Rather, it is a mind that is not deceived by words or forms, seeing everything as it truly is. It is a non-dwelling mind and a non-choosing mind. A Bodhisattva is not separate from the Buddha; a Bodhisattva is the very function of the Buddha. We are all essentially Bodhisattvas, but because we cling to forms, we are deluded by illusions and call ourselves sentient beings. To be a Bodhisattva, one must give rise to this pure mind.
To give rise to a pure mind means to see form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects as empty. It means seeing and hearing everything as the function of Buddha-nature. As the Avatamsaka Sutra says, “Sentient beings cannot see the Buddha because they do not see reality as it is; they are shaken by appearances,” we wander looking for the Pure Land while standing right in the middle of it.
The Sutra also says, “If one sees the Buddha and has no attachment in the heart, this person knows the Buddha and can see the true-Self.” For one with a pure mind, all discrimination falls away. They know there is no Buddha outside of themselves. Even if they see a physical Buddha, they regard it as a mental image and do not cling to it; only then do they see the true, formless Buddha.
There is a saying: A pure practitioner does not enter Nirvana. This is because a pure practitioner sees that they are not two with Nirvana. They are already Nirvana itself, so there is no other Nirvana to enter.
Monk: “How can I enter Nirvana?”
Master: “Go to a place where not a single blade of grass grows.”
Monk: “How do I get there?”
Master: “If you move even a single step, you are already in a field of grass.”
A pure mind knows that
Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought
Are all the functions of Buddha-nature.
If the mind is pure,
One will surely see the Tathagata within the form.
Koan:
The famous poet Bai Juyi asked Master Jogwa, “What is the great meaning of the Buddhadharma?”
The Master replied, “Commit no evil; do all that is good.”
Bai Juyi scoffed, “Even a three-year-old child could say that!”
Master Jogwa replied, “A three-year-old child may be able to say it, but even an eighty-year-old man finds it difficult to practise.”
Question 1: Why did the Master mean by such a simple answer?
Question 2: What is the meaning of the second reply?
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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