Today, I want to discuss four “No’s” in Buddhist practice:
1. No Overjoy: Do not allow a sense of self-importance to arise in your heart. Arrogance occurs when you feel superior because of the good deeds you have done or the great merit and virtue you have accumulated. This can lead you to look down on others and dismiss their worth.
2. No Fear: Do not be afraid or let your thoughts run wild. Maintain a mindset of equality, and fear will not trouble you. When you have wealth, fame, or gains, recognise that it is due to your own merit and virtue. Cultivating a mindset of equality allows you to face any situation without fear. Many people experience fear because of their sense of self-esteem. It’s important to know that your self-esteem is granted by the Bodhisattvas. Self-esteem comes from within and serves as a reminder that we should respect ourselves first. Self-esteem is built upon the foundation of equality. If you discriminate, you lose that self-esteem. For example, when you feel you are poor and others are rich, the notion of self-esteem will arise. One way to address this is to perceive others as being in the same situation as you. If you devalue yourself, you will lose your self-esteem.
3. No Attachment: Do not insist on believing that your views are always correct. Attachment occurs when you tenaciously cling to your beliefs and relentlessly pursue them, even when they are irreconcilable with reality. For example, in a casino, some people stubbornly believe they will win. This attachment arises from their conviction that they are absolutely right, leading them to become entrenched in their beliefs. This is the behaviour of a person lacking discernment and wisdom.
4. No Emptiness: When your mind is not entirely empty, you would fall into a realm of stubborn emptiness that resembles an illusion. By completely emptying your mind, you can avoid becoming trapped in this illusory world. However, only those who have reached a certain level of practice can attain this state.
I have previously mentioned that there are six types of supranormal powers: divine vision, divine hearing, knowledge of others’ thoughts, knowledge of past lives, teleportation, and the knowledge of the extinction of afflictions. It is important to know that supranormal powers are obtained through ‘realisation-awakening’. Realisation-awakening involves the confirmation of existence of, and the understanding of the Buddhist principles and Buddha-nature, which is also called enlightenment. When a person truly attains enlightenment, they will possess supranormal powers. However, pursuing supranormal powers without achieving enlightenment is not correct.
Supranormal powers may be acquired through the practice of mystical arts, karmic effects, or reciting mantras. Though it is possible to attain supranormal powers through these means, mystical arts are usually derived from the lower realms, that is, the Underworld. When a person is possessed by spirits, they may gain various mystical arts. These arts can be used to help or harm people, depending on which arts they practice. Reciting mantras is a more appropriate method. Another way is through karmic effects, which refer to the outcomes of one’s karmic force. This karmic force does not necessarily represent negative karma but can also result from positive karma. In this case, the supranormal powers a person can attain in this life are the result of the good deeds and cultivation from their past lives. Both karmic effects and reciting mantras can lead to supranormal powers.
There are actually various levels and types of supranormal powers; their classifications are very complex.
Supranormal powers themselves are a neutral force, and they cannot be relied upon. Why are they considered neutral? This is because supranormal powers can’t fully resolve problems and aren’t wholly reliable. Therefore, Bodhisattvas advise us not to rely on or pursue supranormal powers. Instead, we should focus on genuine cultivation to attain awakening. Blindly pursuing supranormal powers offers no significant benefits or usefulness.
My possession of supranormal powers serves to convince people so that they may transform their destinies through reciting Buddhist scriptures and cultivating their minds. My purpose is to save and help sentient beings who have an affinity with Buddhism to awaken. If everyone were to truly awaken and cultivate their minds, what use would my supranormal powers have? If everyone could attain enlightenment like me, reciting Buddhist scriptures and cultivating their minds, then what would be the purpose of having supranormal powers? The goal of supranormal powers is to save people, but they may not always succeed; hence, they are considered neutral.
In this world, everything is neutral in nature. For example, money can bring you happiness, but it can also bring you pain or disaster. A knife can cause you suffering or happiness; a knife used to kill brings pain, while a surgical knife brings relief by treating illness. Every situation has both positive and negative aspects. When a person faints, it signals a deterioration in their health, and from that moment on, they will likely pay more attention to their well-being. If they had not fainted, they might not have realised the need to take care of their health. This is neutrality, or in modern terms, a ‘dialectical way of thinking’.
Dialectical thinking, as inspired by the concept of dialectical materialism, involves focusing on the tangible or material aspects of the things we can see and perceive. On the other hand, the concept of “mind-only” pertains to the invisible or imagined phenomena. A dialectical way of thinking is about understanding issues from both positive and negative perspectives, acknowledging the dual nature of things. Thus, we must always consider both sides of any matter.
The wonder of the Buddha-dharma lies in helping you awaken to life through your experiences and become enlightened. As such, the Buddha-dharma is the essence of all things and the true origin of human beings.
What mindset should be adopted when using supranormal powers? What mindset do I apply when using my supranormal powers? This is a crucial question. When a person applies supranormal powers with a wholesome mindset, they are akin to a Bodhisattva. If they use supranormal powers with an unwholesome mindset, they become akin to a demon. For example, there are people who specialise in hypnosis. A benevolent hypnotist can help people relax, forget their past, and ease their body and mind. However, if this skill falls into the hands of a malicious person, they can use hypnosis to commit unlawful acts and engage in harmful activities.
The effects of supranormal powers differ depending on whose hands they are in (whom they serve). It’s like money: in the hands of a good person, it can be used for charity and helping others perform good deeds; when in the hands of a wicked person, it can be used to hire killers or for gambling, turning money into a source of evil. However, money itself is neither inherently good nor evil.