Now, I will discuss the “Ultimate Extinction of Afflictions” from the Six Supranormal Powers. This refers to the state where one is no longer bound by the troubles of birth and death, having fully understood the nature of life and death, and possessing the ability to foresee the future and the end of one’s life. This represents a state of enlightenment and complete understanding. The Ultimate Extinction of Afflictions is a wisdom-based enlightenment; if a person can attain this level, they will not be bound by the troubles of birth and death and will dwell in the peacefulness of Nirvana. In Buddhism, Nirvana means that a person’s spirit has left their physical body, although the body remains. This is referred to as Nirvana.
When a person meditates, their spirit can leave the body, which can also be called a temporary Nirvana. After reaching Nirvana, a person becomes tranquil and does not cling to the pleasures of Nirvana. Many people become overjoyed when they think they have achieved Nirvana, feeling that their spirit can leave or return at will.
In fact, attempting a temporary Nirvana in the Human Realm can sometimes be risky, as the spirit might not be able to return to the body. Meditation is a blissful experience; when a person meditates, they feel peaceful, and their spirit is at ease. However, only those with a certain level of spiritual cultivation can meditate safely. If someone without spiritual cultivation meditates, their spirit may not return, resulting in a disturbed mental state. Therefore, we must not be attached to the pleasure of Nirvana or consider it a source of happiness. It is about transcending both sides – one being Nirvana and the other being human life. Between Nirvana and human life, a person is neither truly in Nirvana nor genuinely living a human life. Choosing the middle path between Nirvana and human life is enlightenment.
Nirvana represents the state of complete liberation, but how can one achieve complete liberation in the Human Realm? From the perspective of the Human Realm within the Six Realms, you cannot escape the cause and effect of the human world. After cultivating your mind, you must save others and help them awaken, learn Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, and learn more about saving and awakening others. You also need to recite Buddhist scriptures and save your family members as well. Therefore, you can only engage in your cultivation between Nirvana and human life. I call it “walking the middle path,” which means always following the middle way without leaning too far to one side or the other.
What happens if you have developed some supranormal powers? It is crucial to maintain the right mindset. Firstly, you should not be overly joyful or excessively happy about your powers. Secondly, remain fearless, as some people may become afraid after gaining supranormal powers and might fear encountering phenomena from the spiritual realm. Thirdly, practise non-attachment by not becoming attached to your powers. Clinging to supranormal powers can lead a person to a disturbed mental state in the Human Realm, as they become obsessed with seeing things from the spiritual realm. Lastly, ensure your mind does not become completely empty, as this can also lead to a disturbed mental state.
Striking the right balance can be difficult, as you must cultivate emptiness without being entirely empty. Specifically, when your consciousness is still clear and alert, you should perceive all of these thoughts as empty. When it comes to true emptiness in cultivation, there is still consciousness. For example, when you know about a certain matter, but you don’t think about it, this is called conscious emptiness, a controlled and deliberate type of emptiness. In contrast, the emptiness that comes from awakening is called “true emptiness.” I have previously talked about true awakening, which involves genuinely understanding the essence of life.
If you indeed possess supranormal powers, you should refrain from being greedy for fame and fortune. Instead, you should strive to maintain a broad mind. Greater abilities lead to a broader mind as they are positively correlated. If one has abilities, they must also have a broad mind. Conversely, if a practitioner lacks an open mind, it indicates they have no abilities. What is the foundation of this open-mindedness? It is based on the ability to clearly discern good from bad, right from wrong, and to distinguish karmic creditors and karmic debts. Only when a person possesses such clear discernment can they see the truth of things vividly. That is when their mind will naturally become broader.
If a person possesses supranormal powers but deviates onto an evil path, they will fall into a state of irredeemable suffering. Moreover, if a person misuses the divine abilities bestowed by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to follow an evil path, they will be unable to be reborn as a human even for tens of thousands of eons. Similarly, if someone uses their limited knowledge or abilities, even the slightest supranormal power or intuition, to deceive others for money or commit evil deeds, they will certainly fall into a state of irredeemable suffering in the future.
In the Human Realm, many people are born with a strong and inflexible character. How should we deal with such strong-willed individuals? As we all know, softness can overcome hardness. That is to say, when a person has a very strong and inflexible character, we should use gentle language to tame and assist them. Moreover, there are people who are prone to change and may harbour doubts after hearing various opinions from others. In such situations, we must adhere to our own way of thinking and follow the path we believe is correct. When dealing with individuals who struggle to discern right from wrong when feeling confused, we should use our sincerity to touch their hearts. We must employ sincerity to cultivate our minds and move others, transforming them and guiding them along the correct path together with us.
Learning Buddhism is about learning how to conduct ourselves. The lamp of enlightenment should be lit within your heart, not hung in the air. Many people light a lamp and hang it with their name in the air as a way to pray for blessings. However, the lamp of enlightenment should be placed in your heart so that it can illuminate all directions. When a person’s energy is boundless, they can shine everywhere, but a lamp hung in the air can only illuminate a small area.
Avoid lighting the lamp externally, as it merely serves as a show; instead, light the lamp within your heart to illuminate the whole world. We all have such a lamp in our hearts, connected to every other person’s heart like the internet—this is the Buddha’s heart. However, some people’s lamps are extinguished and have not been ignited, indicating they have not encountered the Buddha’s teachings. To ignite the lamp, we must use our own cultivation.
To fulfil our greater self, we must let go of our lesser self. If we always prioritise the lesser self, how can we achieve our greater self? Cultivators should view wealth as emptiness and fame and fortune as non-existent.
Due to time constraints, I will conclude here today. Remember: genuine cultivation involves letting go of everything, being at ease in the present moment, eradicating afflictions, and putting down all worldly concerns. You must let go of all worldly concerns, diligently learn Buddhism, and cultivate your mind. There is no logic to talk about in this world, only causes and conditions, as all things arise from these causes and conditions (karma).
