## Two Parables
### 1.
A burning oil lamp gives off light. The lamp does not illuminate using only the very tip of the wick, nor does it rely solely on the base of the wick. However, for the lamp to burn and provide light, it cannot be separated from either the tip or the base of the wick.
Similarly, the realization of supreme, perfect enlightenment is achieved neither through the initial mind nor through the later mind alone. Yet, this realization cannot be attained without both the initial and later minds.
### 2.
A prisoner’s hands are bound together with hemp rope. If a bowl of water is poured onto the rope, it will become rougher, causing the prisoner’s hands to suffer even more.
Likewise, if a person harbors greed, hatred, and ignorance in his heart and then watches a performance that aligns with these desires, he may feels joy. However, this joy only strengthens his greed, hatred, and ignorance. At the same time, the performer, by catering to such emotions, also accumulates unwholesome karma.
Mr. Gao Jingyi said:
*"At dusk, when the sun sets, take a moment to reflect on the day's actions. If one does not earnestly cultivate both body and mind, then the day has been wasted. Letting time slip away is what is truly frightening."
He also said:
"Why should one cherish time? It is to prevent impure thoughts from occupying the mind, even for a moment. By doing so, one can hope to make progress day by day, month by month, allowing one's character to become ever more radiant."
Desire is the root of affliction. One should constantly engage in self-reflection, eliminating selfish desires induced by external temptations, so that one’s innate goodness can be fully nurtured.
During the Song Dynasty, Mr. Zhao Kangjing prepared a bottle and some beans. Whenever he had a kind thought, he would place a white bean into the bottle; whenever he had an evil thought, he would place a black bean inside. At first, the bottle was filled mostly with black beans, but over time, they became fewer and fewer. Eventually, he reached a state where he no longer had either kind or evil thoughts, and the bottle and beans were no longer needed. This was because his thoughts had gradually subsided, leaving his heart pure, serene, and luminous. Hence, the ancients spoke of a "clear and radiant disposition."
Similarly, Song Dynasty scholar Wei Zhongda once recorded a dream in which he realized:
*"As soon as an evil thought arises, even if not acted upon, it still harms one's hidden virtue. Conversely, when a good thought emerges, even if it cannot be carried out in action, as long as it is sincere, it still accumulates merit and blessings."
All Are Devoid of Grasping; Non-Nature as True Nature; Acting or Not Acting
**The Dialogue Between Venerable Śāriputra and Venerable Subhūti on Prajñāpāramitā:**
Venerable Śāriputra asked Venerable Subhūti,
"What is the reason that when a Bodhisattva Mahāsattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they grasp nothing in all dharmas?"
Venerable Subhūti replied,
"Because the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is unattainable. Why is this so? Because all dharmas take non-nature as their true nature.
Therefore, if a Bodhisattva Mahāsattva, while practicing Prajñāpāramitā, grasps at existence, non-existence, both existence and non-existence, neither existence nor non-existence, or even at neither grasping nor not grasping, this is not the practice of Prajñāpāramitā.
Why is this so? Because all dharmas lack inherent nature and thus cannot be grasped.
Śāriputra! When a Bodhisattva Mahāsattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they do not grasp at practice, nor at non-practice, nor at both practice and non-practice, nor at neither practice nor non-practice; even non-grasping itself is not grasped."
Good deeds are like mountains, and kind wishes are like the sea.
By studying the **Prajñā Pāramitā** and approaching wisdom, one cultivates purity in bodily actions, speech, thoughts and remains unattached to appearances—free from greed, anger, and ignorance, without flattery or arrogance. The mind remains unwavering, unaffected by external changes. As a result, in the next life, one will no longer be born from a mother’s womb but will instead undergo **spontaneous birth**. Except in cases where one has a past-life vow to save beings in the lower realms, one will not be reborn into realms of suffering or hardship but will instead be reborn through **spontaneous transformation** in the **Pure Land** of a Buddha, where one will follow the Buddha’s teachings and attain **supreme enlightenment**.
Kindness is believing that one has a sense of shame. Being free from greed is the root of virtue. Diligently reflecting on oneself, one should strive to remain in a state of mindfulness, giving to all beings without causing them harm.
A madman runs wildly toward the east, and those chasing him also pursue in the same direction. While everyone is running east, their reasons for doing so are entirely different. A drowning person falls into the water, and the one saving him also jumps in. While both are in the water, their reasons for entering it are completely different.
Both Bodhisattvas and ordinary people live in this world. Ordinary people cling to the notion of self, becoming attached to appearances, and their minds are troubled by gains and losses. They love and hate in cycles, experiencing suffering when faced with hardship and joy when encountering pleasure. Bodhisattvas, however, act with selflessness in all virtuous deeds, taking the salvation of all beings as their fundamental vow. They show great compassion without attachment, love all equally without discrimination, and do not define themselves by suffering or joy.
There is nothing in the world that hates each other more than glue and paint, and nothing that loves each other more than ice and charcoal.
"Glue" and "paint" are both adhesives, but if they are put together, they may fail or separate. So things of the same nature combined together may weaken their original functions or even destroy each other's nature.
Ice melts into water when it meets charcoal fire, restoring its liquid nature. In adversity, people's hearts are more likely to return to their true state. When charcoal fire meets ice, the fire weakens and the charcoal is preserved. People's true nature is over-consumed in good times, but adversity can help people maintain their true nature.
Ice and charcoal seem to be opposites, but their interaction can bring balance and harmony. Seemingly contradictory things or people can actually produce complementarity and balance.
Excessive dependence on glue and paint can lead to negative effects, while ice and charcoal seem to be opposites, but they can bring harmony and balance.
Nothing is more visible than the hidden. Nothing is more obvious than the subtle.
Often reflect on yourself, eliminate selfish desires induced by external temptations, and cultivate your innate goodness.
Human nature (heavenly nature) is originally pure and free of desires. However, when external objects stimulate human senses, they trigger emotions and desires. Only after a person perceives external objects does a sense of preference or aversion arise. If one's likes and dislikes lack restraint, and their perception is influenced by external temptations without self-reflection, they will lose their innate moral principle (heavenly principle) and become immersed in desires. Since external objects exert an endless influence on people, if one cannot control their emotions and desires, they will be assimilated by external things, becoming slaves to material desires and completely abandoning moral principles. When a person is entirely driven by desire, they develop rebellious, deceitful, and hypocritical thoughts, indulge in immorality, and ultimately bring about social disorder.
The *Kang Gao* states: "The Mandate of Heaven is not fixed." Those who follow the path of virtue will obtain the Mandate of Heaven, while those who act unrighteously will lose it.
Countless sentient beings are all Dharma companions, and the myriad dust-like worlds are all places of practice.
— Emperor Wu of Liang
For all phenomena and things, the mind remains unchanged and without discrimination; this is called "the mind that is not the mind's nature" (心非心性).
"Mind that is not the mind's nature" is a wisdom that transcends attachment to the mind, pointing to a state of awareness that is free from discrimination, free from attachment, and remains unchanged while adapting to circumstances.
The true mind (awareness, fundamental nature) is unchanging; it does not generate discrimination due to external phenomena, and for this reason, it is called "mind." However, at the same time, it does not cling to any fixed concept of "mind-nature," and thus, it is not the conventional "nature of the mind."
This emphasizes the Buddhist wisdom of "arising the mind without dwelling" (无住生心), meaning neither denying the existence of the mind nor becoming attached to a fixed notion of it.
"After I leave, you should respect the precepts, just as light comes to darkness, or treasure comes to a poor person. You should know that the precepts are your great teacher, just as I taught them when I was still alive."
Regarding all worldly and non-worldly phenomena and things—such as existence and non-existence, purity and defilement, birth and extinction—one should not hold any "view" in the mind. If the mind harbors no "view," no waves will arise. If one neither attains nor perceives anything in the realm of mental objects and consciousness, the mind remains undisturbed.
Thus, the bodhi mind should understand things without attachment. The unsurpassed mind and vast mind should also be established on the foundation of understanding without attachment. All realms are not purely realms in themselves. Our true nature is originally pure, and no realm is truly our self-nature.
There is nothing to see in all dharmas. When there is nothing to see in all dharmas, the mind is not startled, fearful, or terrified. The mind is not overwhelmed, nor does it feel sad or regretful about all dharmas. ...Bodhisattvas have never gained or seen anything in all realms of mind and consciousness. In this way, the mind of bodhisattvas is not startled, fearful, or terrified about all dharmas.
Those who travel lose their wisdom, and those who stay in one place change their thoughts.
For those who travel far, if they do not possess supreme virtue, they must have supreme wisdom. If one does not strive for self-improvement, they will not dare to go far; but if they travel far without the right qualities, they will not reach their destination.
The ups and downs of life are like a dream, a cool breeze blows in the middle of the night, all kinds of tricks are useless, only the ordinary life is the real meaning.
Any evolution at the level of the soul begins with silence.
When one sees nothing in all dharmas, one’s mind is not startled, fearful, or terrified; one’s mind is not overwhelmed, nor does it feel sad or regretful.
"Maintain harmony without blindly following the crowd, and be upright without being reckless." — *The Doctrine of the Mean*
"Dyed in blue, it becomes blue; dyed in yellow, it becomes yellow. What it is immersed in changes, and its color changes accordingly."
Books of Purification:
- *The Great Learning* (*Daxue*)
- *The Doctrine of the Mean* (*Zhongyong*)
- *The Analects* (*Lunyu*)
- *Mencius* (*Mengzi*)
- *The Book of Rites* (*Liji*)
- *The Book of Documents* (*Shangshu*)
- *The Book of Songs* (*Shijing*)
Books of Contamination:
- *Strategies of the Warring States* (*Zhanguo Ce*)
- *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* (*Sanguo Yanyi*)
- *The Art of War* (*Sunzi Bingfa*)
- *The Book of Lord Shang* (*Shangjun Shu*)
- *The Works of Gongsun Long* (*Gongsun Longzi*)
- *Master Guigu* (*Guiguzi*)
- *Thirty-Six Stratagems* (*Sanshiliu Ji*)
- *Han Feizi* (*Han Feizi*)
- *Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government* (*Zizhi Tongjian*)
- *Rongzhai Essays* (*Rongzhai Suibi*)