Witnessing Buddha-nature means that when you observe someone performing good deeds with a Buddha’s heart, you recognise them as a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. Witnessing involves seeing and confirming their status as a Bodhisattva. Realising Buddha-nature requires a person to use their true heart to comprehend and awaken to their inherent Buddha-nature. The combination of these three aspects leads to the accumulation of merit and virtue. In other words, you will only accumulate merit and virtue when you perform good deeds, acts of kindness, and speak kind words with sincere intentions.
Performing good deeds brings rewards and blessings in both human and heavenly realms. However, those who merely seek rewards and blessings will not attain merit and virtue because they receive only rewards and blessings from the human and heavenly realms, not merit and virtue. Merit and virtue can eliminate your negative karma and karmic obstacles. True merit and virtue involve not only witnessing Buddha-nature but also applying and realising it. This is the genuine and wondrous application of Buddha-nature. For example, when you perform meritorious acts without seeking anything in return and genuinely help others, you are witnessing your own Buddha-nature. Helping others without any ulterior motive is an expression of your Buddha-nature, and your actions manifest it, resulting in merit and virtue. If you help others with an agenda in mind, it is not in accordance with the actions, words, or ways of a Bodhisattva, and thus, there is no merit and virtue. The genuine and wondrous application refers to the authentic application of the Buddha’s teachings in daily life.
Why does failing to apply Buddha-nature result in inequality? When we undertake any action without applying Buddha-nature, it tends towards inequality. How can this be? If our actions are driven by motives other than the awakening and liberation of sentient beings, can we truly call this equality? Consider this example: if we extensively help someone now, with the expectation that they will do more for us in the future, is this equitable? In principle, it isn’t, though it might appear so in mundane terms, as it involves reciprocation. However, this practice strays from the Buddhist principle of impartially benefiting all sentient beings. True equality is only achieved when we assist others without any hidden agenda, and with our whole heart.
Inequality emerges when we fail to apply Buddha-nature. However, any form of inequality is temporary. Once its duration has passed, equality is reestablished. For instance, when the good deeds you have performed for someone cease, equality is restored. It’s an inequitable mindset to presume that because you once helped someone, they should forever be indebted to you and endure your conduct. The moment they can no longer tolerate such treatment and depart, equality is reinstated. This signifies the expiration of inequality. Consequently, we should approach all sentient beings with a heart of equality, perceiving everyone with an unbiased mind, and viewing all sentient beings with equal regard.
To swiftly cultivate the mind through the body, speech, and mind, we first need to understand what these three components entail. Physical karma encompasses actions such as killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Verbal karma includes actions such as false speech, frivolous talk, harsh speech, and divisive speech. Mental karma involves emotions and thoughts like greed, anger, and delusion..
The rapid method of cultivating the mind through the body, speech, and mind involves having a mental practice within your heart. This practice is based on your inherent mind-only nature and is known as the ‘mind-dharma in the heart’. As your Buddha-nature is the most suitable method for you to practise Buddhism, this mind-dharma is already present within your heart. Uncovering the kindest and most compassionate Buddha-mind within you is the essence of the mind-dharma in the heart.
Let me explain the concept of “Imprinting the Ordinary Mind with Buddha-Nature” to all disciples. It requires accepting and integrating the mind of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas into your own ordinary mind. Regularly reflect on your ordinary mind in the light of Buddha-nature, and in turn, use your ordinary mind to mirror the Buddha-mind. For instance, when you’re angered by a memory of past harm done to you, consider your reaction. Would you vent this anger towards others? Would a Bodhisattva respond in such a manner? We should frequently compare our ordinary minds with the minds of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.
Imprinting the Buddha-mind involves aligning the ordinary mind with the minds of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. This implies that before undertaking any action, you should consult the Buddha and Bodhisattvas within your heart to discern if it’s the appropriate course of action.
The Buddha and Bodhisattvas dwell within your heart, thus we should endeavour to ‘transform the illusory into the true’. This entails using your transient body to realise your true Buddha-nature. Once you acquire the true Buddha-mind, your body instantly embodies Buddha, because all actions performed by your temporal body align with those of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. For instance, when you join your palms and chant the name of Amitabha Buddha with an empty mind, you’re using your transient body to pay homage to the true Buddha. As the true Buddha resides within your heart, your reflections on the Buddha you perceive and experience become real. Isn’t this an example of practising the true through the illusory? Suppose now you use your mouth to recite sutras, yet many years later, when your body and mouth no longer exist, wouldn’t this be considered ‘practising the true through the illusory’?
To imprint the mind with Buddha-nature, several conditions must be met:
Firstly, an expansive mind leads to great blessings. If your mind resonates with the mind of a Bodhisattva, the greater your mental capacity, the more your blessings will grow.
Secondly, when reciting sutras, maintain the presence of a Bodhisattva above your head. This means that while reciting sutras, visualise Guan Yin Bodhisattva sitting above your head, bestowing blessings upon you.
Thirdly, a Bodhisattva’s heart is expansive and forms positive connections. Bodhisattvas create wholesome connections with sentient beings. If you are a Bodhisattva, you bring the compassion of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to others, fostering good connections, and your heart will be filled with merit and virtue. If you are a wicked person, you bring adverse and harmful connections to others, creating negative connections.
Lastly, lead by example and practise the dharma of giving. You should lead by example and emulate a Bodhisattva. The practice of giving can help you develop wisdom, and with wisdom comes enlightenment. The dharma of giving here refers to the boundless giving that benefits all sentient beings. This is the essence of Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism emphasises benefiting sentient beings, not just oneself. Mahayana Buddhism promotes the well-being of others and all living beings. When you save someone, there will be a cost, but once they are well, the merit and virtue you gain are immeasurable. For example, when you give money to help others, even if you don’t have much money yourself, the gratitude they feel will be immense, and they may repay you many times over or be grateful for a lifetime.
To attain enlightenment, one must understand their true mind and persist in their cultivation to reveal their inherent nature. When a person perseveres in cultivating themselves, their inherent nature will manifest, ultimately reaching the state of unsurpassed, complete, and perfect enlightenment, which embodies the highest wisdom of complete harmony. This state of unsurpassed, complete, and perfect enlightenment is the state of a Buddha.
That concludes today’s teaching. All those who follow me in their Buddhist practice must maintain an alert and vigilant heart at all times, refraining from committing the three negative karmas of body, speech, and mind. The more negative karma one accumulates, the more merit and virtue will be lost. If a person’s behaviour resembles that of a Bodhisattva, they are essentially a Bodhisattva, and this is the foundation of practising the true through the illusory.