A Brief Discussion on Ignorance or False thinking —- How a Bodhisattva practitioner can subdue ignorance and use Buddha’s wisdom to rescue and protect sentient beings
Instructor：Shi Wuguang
Author: Wang Huaigu
May 30, 2021
Abstract
A bodhisattva practitioner should not only know the miseries of ignorance, be ashamed, subdue the ignorance, and not harm all sentient beings with the ignorance, but also joyfully, actively, and proactively apply right insight to rescue and protect all sentient beings. This is because the Bodhisattva knows deeply that it is his duty and responsibility to truly benefit others, and that is his true sense of happiness and achievement.
Key words: Bodhisattva, ignorance, miseries, right insight, benefit others
Chapter 1 Introduction
Section 1 Research Motivation
As it is written in the Flower Adornment Sutra, “There is no sentient being who does not possess the wisdom of the Buddha, but who does not attain it because of false thinking and perverse attachment; if one is free from false thinking , all wisdom, natural wisdom, and unhindered wisdom will be realized.” In the long practice of subduing demons and achieving the Way , the subduing of ignorance and the breaking of evil opinions is the most important thing for a true Buddha. The Bodhisattva practitioner vows to break all ignorance of self and others. Then, as a Bodhisattva practitioner, one should understand very clearly what the mind of ignorance is. What kind of serious harm and suffering does ignorance and evil views bring to sentient beings? How does it manifest itself in one’s own and others’ oral and physical karma? What can be done to subdue the ignorance in oneself and others?
Section 2: Purpose of Research
The harm that ignorance brings to sentient beings, practitioners and Bodhisattva practitioners is too great. It can destroy one’s own and others’ wisdom, blessings, good roots, cause, condition, abilities, interpersonal relationships, and even the supreme Buddha path. Therefore, as a true Buddha, one should aspire to first subdue the ignorance, and then subdue the demons and attain the path of Buddhahood ultimately. If every practitioner and bodhisattva practitioner can subdue not only his or her own ignorance, but also the ignorance of sentient beings, and even subdue the demons and become the path, then it will be a blessing for all sentient beings, for Buddhism, and for the world, and the world will be one and peaceful!
Section 3: Research Methods
As a practitioner or a Buddhist son, how should one think and act correctly in order to subdue the ignorance? Of course, we should follow the Buddha’s wisdom to subdue the ignorance . We should be wise and enlightened, that is, we should first understand and realize what ignorance is, the danger of ignorance, the way ignorance works and operates, and how to subdue ignorance . For example, ignorance and evil views can produce a kind of special effect: those who are in authority are confused, those who are on the sidelines are clear. The specific ways to subdue ignorance include: keeping the right view and right thought, thinking what you should think; recognizing the delusion, deception, and corruption of ignorance, not paying attention to, following, and controlling false thinking; practicing the wisdom eye, following the Buddha with one single mind, not following delusions; subduing false thinking with the power of Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’ supreme power vows and merits, etc.
Chapter 2: What is ignorance
As a practitioner, especially a Bodhisattva practitioner, in the long process of subduing demons and achieving the Way, subduing ignorance and eliminating evil views is the most important thing. It is not only necessary to cut off all ignorance for oneself, but also all ignorance for all sentient beings, and this is a matter of urgency and cannot be delayed, because stupidity and evil opinions will affect a series of practices and achievements in the later stages. So, what exactly is ignorance?
In Buddhism, ignorance is also known as foolishness, evil view, avidya, perversion , and interconnected false thinking, and these terms are used to describe foolishness and delusion at various levels. They can also be interpreted as what modern people call have a bee in one’s head, where one thinks one knows everything but one does not know anything at all.
What do the Buddhist scriptures expound this ignorance and delusion?
The Avatamsaka Sutra says: “ There is no sentient being who does not possess the wisdom of the Tathagatas, but who does not attain it due to delusions, perversions and attachments. If one is free from the false thinking, all wisdom, natural wisdom and unhindered wisdom will be realized. ” This passage is often quoted by almost all the masters, which shows its importance. It is clear from this that this delusion , perversions and attachments is a real obstacle to the wisdom and virtue of the Buddha that all sentient beings possess originally.
Now that we know all the information and their dangers about foolishness and false thinking, what exactly are foolishness, false thinking, evil view, and ignorance?
The Sutra on the Right Conduct of the Agama Preached by the Buddha defines them in this way:
What is ignorance? They came from stupidness, and in this life they are human beings, but they can’t understand and open their eyes of wisdom. They do not know where to go when they die; they do not ask questions when they see the Buddha, they do not read the sutras when they see the sutras, they do not serve them when they see the Buddhist monks , they do not master morality, they do not respect their parents when they see them, they do not think of the suffering in the world, and they do not know the treating and tragedy in the hell of mud plough. They are called ignorance, so they have birth and death.
Moreover, if one does not understand that when the cause and condition meets, the fruit is still self-received, and that one is one-single-mindedly calculating the fruit without cause, calculating the fruit without condition, calculating the fruit when the cause and condition are not ripe, and calculating the fruit when the cause ,condition and time has not yet arrived, all of which are ignorance and evil views.
Just as all sentient beings want to be rich, but they can’t get rich because they are always covetous and stingy, creating karma of covetousness and stinginess and not planting the cause of getting rich. There are also sentient beings who want to seek good fame, but what they do is not in line with good fame, and they always say that others are bad. Then from the wisdom of cause and effect, he will not have a good reputation in his lifetime after lifetime. This is foolishness. What one wants, but what one does does not match what one wants, and this is a complete violation of the law of cause and effect.
Chapter 3: The Effects, Harms, and Sufferings of Delusions
Section 1: The specific manifestation, creation, and operation of infatuation and delusion
First of all, let’s see how the ignorance and delusion manifest, creates and operates.
The minds of sentient beings are not good or skillful at dwelling, and they cannot dwell . They are like a monkey on a tree, jumping from one branch to another, jumping from one branch to another without cease, never willing to stop. The delusional minds of sentient beings is like this, they have to think this way and that way all day long, knowing that it is meaningless, but they have to think about it. This is the general state of sentient beings who follow foolish delusions.
According to the Buddha’s Nirvana Sutra, “Those who are born with many worries are worried about their parents, brothers, wives, relatives, servants, knowledge, animals, and land. What they are worried about are all worries of ignorance. It can be seen that all sentient beings have many worries and sorrows, today they worry about this and tomorrow they worry about that. In fact , they are all worries of ignorance.
The delusions of sentient beings occur all the time, it is just a matter of whether one is aware of them or not. In the following, first of all, through some Buddhist and life stories and examples to see how beings in the world make specific delusions, and how ignorance and delusion of beings is a specific manifestation, creation and operation.
1. Consciousness is without a cause, delusion is without a basis
First of all, let’s look at the famous story of Yorodatta in the Surangama Sutra. It is written in the Shurangama Sutra that:
Did you not hear that in the city of Shiluo, when the Yorodatta was suddenly looking at his face with a mirror in the morning, he loved to see his head and eyes in the mirror? He was angry at his own head, but he could not see his face, so he thought he was a ghost of Chimei and ran away without any reason. What do you mean? Why did this person walk wildly without any reason?…If it is called delusion, why does it have a cause? If there is a cause, why is it called delusion? So, the cause of confusion is produced because of confusion. If there is no cause of the confusion of consciousness, the delusion has no basis. If there is no birth, how can it be destroyed?
It may well be asked: What is the difference between all sentient beings and the madman Yorodatta in the story? In all their lives, they have been running around wildly for something that has no shadow at all, with their own ignorant delusions, making themselves tired and miserable.
Likewise, all sentient beings often arrange and assemble themselves with great interest for things that are not in the shadows, and think about them with great interest, and then create a series of joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, love, hatred, the lasting affection of boys and girls, family feud, hatred of the country, hatred as deep as the sea, and think of anything. This is how the sentient beings are, and they are used to walking this path of ignorance and delusion in life after life. But if you want to be a bodhisattva who wants to be the disciple of a Buddha and subdue demons, you should not take this path, it is better to take the path of wisdom indicated by Buddha.
As I have just analyzed, that sentient being started with the first delusion, the feeling, and then proceeded to a series of delusions, associations, random thoughts, and interconnected false thinking. In fact, all sentient beings are like that, from the beginninglessness to this life, they have been chasing after each other, chasing after each other so much, chasing after false thinking livelily, chasing with a murky sky over a dark earth and without stopping.
2.The delusion of man is very strange, very cunning, and very good at interconnecting
Let’s analyze the delusions of the mind. For example, if someone has suffered a little bit, has kept a little bit of precepts, and has practiced a little bit, he thinks, “Oh, why am I suffering? I am so miserable, right? In fact, that is the delusion of human beings. It is very strange and cunning, and it does not want people to gain any merit and virtue.
Sometimes, people like to pamper themselves, indulge themselves, and tend to be easy and comfortable. If this is always the case, they will feel that this is not enough, and they have to go one step further, they will start to indulge themselves and be reckless. Even if it is done more, they feel still too light and tasteless. After that, they can go one step further and indulge themselves and tend to become a debauch, even a debauch of the bodies.
What is this delusion? It is the delusion of integration. It can put all the related and unrelated things together, even the grain of a thousand years and the chaff of ten thousand years, the long of the east family and the short of the west family, all put together and mix together very clearly, one, two, three, four, five, six, as if it is very organized. People still foolishly think they have a rich imagination, but they do not know how many times they have been betrayed by delusions.
3: The five skandhas of material, feeling, thinking, acting and consciousness are all delusions
All five spheres skandhas of material, feeling, thinking, acting and consciousness are all false thinking . According to the Shurangama Sutra, The five skandhas of material, feeling, thinking, acting and consciousness are all delusions, also known as the five demons skandhas, and are within the scope of the Bodhisattvas’ demon subjugation. From this, we can see that delusion has a place in the demons of annoyance and the five skandhas demons, and Bodhisattva practitioners should pay special attention to it. The Shurangama Sutra says,
The Buddha enlightened and showed that the original cause of the five skandhas is the same delusion …… The five feeling skandhas are created by the five false thoughts.
We already know that the five skandhas are the five delusions, but now we have to further understand that the five skandhas are also the gods of destruction. The five skandhas can destroy all the good in human beings and let all the bad in human beings expand infinitely. But man still protects them well, my body, my feelings, my thoughts, my actions, my consciousness, my this and my that.
So people are strange, they are protecting their own five skandhas everywhere to destroy themselves, but they don’t know it yet. Many people are always destroying themselves, originally they wanted to gain good , and in a result , not only do they not get what they want, but they also destroy it. It is easy for people to let their five skandhas destroy all their good at any time and any place. This is because he does not know that the five skandhas are the gods of destruction.
4: Delusion merges greed, hatred, ignorance arrogance and doubt together
In this delusion, there is a combination of greed, hatred, ignorance arrogance and doubt . For example, people guard the material，feeling ,thinking , acting, consciousness, and then they associate and integrate them with greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance and doubt . This kind of association is more and more, from this to the other, from the other to this, and from each other to non-each other, then everything is there.
If one observes this kind of thinking sometime, you will find that people are really wronged and miserable . The reality is that there is nothing, but they have created all kinds of rights and wrongs, all kinds of grudges, all kinds of conflicts, all kinds of evil karma, and finally they have to suffer themselves.
If you look at it more closely, you will see that the disputes between nations, the conflicts between peoples, and the rights and wrongs between people are all caused by false thoughts. But sentient beings do not know how to control this thought, so they only think and talk nonsense, and as a result, they do not know how to do it, causing themselves a lot of pain, and after that, they start to blame heaven and earth. After that, they continued to associate, continue to blend, in fact, the more they engage in them, the more suffering they become.
If one sees and observes more, one will be truly enlightened and realize that all sentient beings are really unjust and miserable! They all let the delusion, which is unwarranted, non-existent, and does not exist at all, make themselves confused and confused. People are completely deceived, because they are deceived comfortably by these delusions and vexations, and they are willing to be deceived, and finally they are very difficult to get well.
5. When people think of shaking delusions, they are always in delusions by day and by night
People are in delusions during the day, and they are also in delusions at night and do not stop? In fact, dreaming is the manifestation of delusion, and sentient beings are constantly chasing after clouds and dreams. As the Buddha said, “Waking up is the mind of false thinking, and sleeping is all dreams.
In summary, the success or failure of anything depends on one’s own single thought, depending on how one thinks, whether it is a wise thought, a compassionate, joyful and giving thought, a foolish thought, or a vexation thought.
Above, we have analyzed and understood the specific manifestation, creation and operation of delusion. If we understand it more clearly, the more helpful and confident we will be in subduing the ignorance and evil views, because we will not be easily deceived anymore.
Section 3: The Sufferings and Dangers of Foolishness, Delusion, Ignorance and Evil Opinions
“I repent for all the evil deeds I have done in the past, all of which were caused by the beginningless greed, hatred, and ignorance, and which were generated from the body, speech, and mind.” These four verses are all familiar classics and famous quotation, mentioning that delusion is one of the three poisons, the root of all sentient beings’ creating evil deeds, and the root of all sentient beings’ sufferings.
As the Buddha said in the Surangama Sutra, “These are the false thoughts of the previous dust that confuse your true nature. From the beginninglessness to this life, you have considered the thief as yourself and lost your original and unchanging self-nature, so you suffer from reincarnation. All sentient beings do not attain bodhi or arhatship because they are misled by the vexations like the guest dust.” From this we can see how harmful delusion is to sentient beings and practitioners.
那麼痴心妄想它又會給我們帶來哪些危害與痛苦呢？下麵筆者來具體分析、探討痴煩惱所產生的危害、痛苦與破壞力。
Then what harm and suffering will ignorance and delusion bring to us? In the following, I will analyze and explore the harm, suffering and destructive power of ignorance and delusion.
1. Foolishness and evil views are the great pit and poisonous ravine
As the Shurangama Sutra says, “All the Buddhas in the ten directions treat evil vision as the same name of the pit of evil vision. A bodhisattva who sees all falsehoods and paranoia is like entering a poisonous ravine.” Once a bodhisattva falls into it, he cannot get out, and he cannot even save his life and life wisdom.
2. Ignorant and evil views lead to the birth of an evil family and flattering minds
The sentient beings’ delusions and foolishness and evil views will incur these rewards: “If one is born in the world of human beings, he or she will receive two kinds of rewards: one is born in a house of evil opinion, and the other is flattering in mind. If you have delusions and foolishness, you will be born in a family of evil views and your heart is not upright, and you often go in circles and make detours. Is it not fearful to bring us such terrible consequences ? Don’t you want to stay away from it?
3 Foolishness and evil opinions are constant self-cruelty, destruction, and suffering
Since the beginningless time, all sentient beings have been ignorant and foolish, and their evil views have been confused, and their thoughts have been revolving around delusions. They give play to their greed, anger, ignorance , arrogance and suspicion according to their false thoughts. They are always working and thinking according to the dust of foolishness and delusion, so that it keeps destroying themselves. Any delusion is corrupting themselves, but it does not hurt, it does not hurt, the pain is all suffered by oneself.
4 Ignorance and evil opinions are corruption, betrayal of oneself
Ignorance and evil opinions can corrupt, betray oneself. The demons of five skandhas and the demons of vexation are all delusions that can corrupt, and betray oneself, and one’s own hands make oneself very miserable!
Just as the Buddha said in the Flower adornment Sutra: “The pleasures of the world are nothing but suffering; the realm of the demons, the greed of fools, and the scorn of the Buddhas.”
5 Ignorance and evil opinions can produce special effects: those in the bureau are confused, those on the sidelines are clear
The danger of foolishness and evil opinions is endless, but it can also produce a special effect, that is, those in the bureau are confused, those on the sidelines are clear. As long as the person in the bureau has ignorance, he is confused. However, it does not prevent him from looking at other people, and he can see at a glance whether they are troubled by greed and anger.
People always think they are good because of their foolishness and evil opinions, but in reality, they do not know that they are not good. He is not aware of his own delusions and vexations, but he can see clearly the delusions and vexations of others, because the special effect of delusions and vexations is that those who are in the bureau are confused, but those who are on the sidelines are clear. Only those who have subdued their vexations will not be confused by the the bureau. Therefore, subduing false thinking and vexations is the number one priority of Bodhisattva practice. Other things can be slowed down a little bit, but the subduing of false thinking and vexations cannot be slowed down at all. The author will discuss this later on.
In summary, the dangers of ignorance and evil opinions, false thinking and vexations are indeed very numerous. Think it over, one will feel horrible. Therefore, a true Buddhas’ disciple will not let these false thoughts and vexations go unchecked, but will use Buddha’s wisdom and right wisdom to subdue them and break them.
Section 4: What are the specific actions and manifestations of one’s own ignorance and evil views?
Now that I have realized the many falsehoods, hazards and destructiveness of ignorance and evil opinions, I am more aware of my own thoughts, words and deeds in my daily life and work, and I recall my past thoughts, words and deeds. I was so ashamed and embarrassed that I realized that my karma of ignorance and evil opinions was very deep and heavy, which made me very afraid and horrible. Then, how did my foolish and evil views in the past manifest themselves in concrete ways?
The points of foolishness and evil opinions are really limitless. Sometimes, it is like the foolishness of the moving mountains of foolish old man, chasing after food, drink ,play and fun, tired and hard, but still thinking that it is good, not knowing how much blessing these things consume, not subduing the ignorance with the help of the Buddhas’ teachings, but on the contrary, allowing the vexations to be nourished with the help of the Buddhas’ teachings and blessings, and even gaining great freedom; not knowing that spinach and honey cannot be eaten together; not knowing politics, economy, trade, commerce, industry, agriculture, military and many other aspects of learning and management. I did not know how to behave, conduct myself in society and speak normally; I used to foolishly think that sleeping is rest and the seasoning of life, not knowing that it only comforts and perpetuates habits of karma and unites with greed ; sometimes, my whole brain is especially sensitive, and I associate with a word that someone says, especially if it is contrary to my heart and wish half of the day. The more I think about it, the more tired I am, and the more tired I am, the more I think about it, and the more I think about it, the worse it is , and in a horrible mess. Because of too many thoughts, the sense faculty of the consciousness is not pure at all.
Sometimes, I even show off, trying to pull the topic to my own advantage as much as possible, and even often abduct others’ topics so that I have more opportunities to show off. Sometimes I consider myself always right: I’m not doing anything, I’m just showing myself off. In fact, I am looking for an excuse for delusion and vexation, and I am hurting myself, and I am stinking and harming myself to death, making everyone detest myself.
On the other hand, since I do not have the free wisdom and magical power to fully understand my own state of mind and body, nor can I fully understand the state of mind and body of others, it is very difficult for me to truly benefit myself and others, especially when I cannot help those around me and those closest to me, I was so lost and helpless that I could only feel ashamed and repent for my foolishness, ignorance and incompetence.
Chapter 4: The Great Benefits and Happiness of Not Following Ignorance and Evil Views
In the previous discussion, we have understood the great harm and suffering that comes from following the dust and dirt of afflictions such as ignorance and evil views. Now, let’s look at the great effects, benefits and happiness that come from not following ignorance and evil views.
Section 1: Achieving All Wisdom, Natural Wisdom, and Unhindered Wisdom
All the wisdom of the Buddha, such as all wisdom, natural wisdom, and unhindered wisdom, is highly desired by true Buddhists. Then, how can one attain these wisdoms?
The answer is found in the Avatamsaka Sutra : “ There is no sentient being who does not possess the wisdom of the Tathagatas, but who does not attain it due to delusions, perversions and attachments. If one is free from the false thinking , all wisdom, natural wisdom and unhindered wisdom will be realized. ” From the above sutras, it is clear that if sentient beings are free from delusion, perversions , and attachment, they can achieve all wisdom, natural wisdom, and unhindered wisdom.
Why? All sentient beings have the wisdom of the Buddha, but if sentient beings are delusional, confused, and clinging every day, then this original wisdom of the Buddha cannot be realized. The key is that this delusion, confusion, and clinging are affecting sentient beings and hindering them. Since sentient beings put all their minds on delusion, confusion, and clinging, their all-wisdom, natural wisdom, and unhindered wisdom cannot be realized. Just like a person who has only one socket, and his delusion, confusion, and clinging are plugged into this socket, then there is no place to plug his all-wisdom, natural wisdom, and unhindered wisdom into this socket.
The same is true of all beings. They are so foolish and stubborn that they have to put all their mental energy into delusion, confusion, and clinging, so naturally they cannot achieve all wisdom. If sentient beings, on the contrary, adjust the direction of their mind and the power of the heart, and truly stop following these delusions, confusion, and clinging, and devote all their mental energy to training to subdue the vexations, and to hearing, thinking, and practicing the Dharma, then all the wisdom of the Buddha will be realized.
Section 2: Entering Samadhi
Samadhi, is an extraordinary state for practitioners to aspire to. How can one enter the realm of samadhi? The answer is also given in the Shurangama Sutra: ” Ananda, you should know that as a cultivator sits in the Bodhimanda, he is doing away with all thoughts. When his thoughts come to an end, there will be nothing on his mind. This state of pure clarity will stay the same whether in movement or stillness, in remembrance or forgetfulness. When he dwells in this place, and he will enter samadhi.” From this, we can understand that once the delusions are over, we will be able to enter samadhi.
Chapter 5: How a Bodhisattva Practitioner Can Subdue Ignorance and False Thoughts
Now that the Bodhisattva practitioner knows the many dangers of foolish false thoughts, he should stop following them and find ways to subdue them.
In the Sutra of the Forty-two Chapters, the Buddha admonishes us, “Be careful not to believe in your consciousness, because your consciousness cannot be believed. Then, you can believe your consciousness after you have been an arhat.” Then, as a Bodhisattva practitioner, one should not believe in one’s own delusions, nor should one treat delusions as reality, but should actively subdue ignorance and delusions.The following is a discussion of some ways to subdue delusions with the help of sutras and theories and my own personal practice.
Section 1: Do not compare yourself with people, but with the demons of ignorance
In life, people often compare themselves with others for the sake of some petty profits. In fact, we do not need to calculate ourselves with others, it is meaningless, but we can calculate ourselves with the demons of ignorance. For example, when we eat a good meal, we have to calculate ourselves with the demon of foolishness and greed: You give me a little bit of sweetness at first, but then you give me a lot of pain and harm my life and wisdom! This calculation is correct and necessary, but in fact it is not called calculation, it is called wisdom. It is called wisdom. But sentient beings, because of their foolishness and deviant views, often do not calculate what should be calculated, but do calculate what should not be calculated.
Section 2: Understanding the Delusion, Deception, and Corruption of Delusions
As long as people have delusions, they will always be greedy, greedy for food, greedy for sleep, greedy for fun, pulling people to anger, to be arrogant, to doubt, pulling people to think about the east and the west. Therefore, we should always be alert to this delusion and recognize its falsehood, deceitfulness, and corruptibility. We must know that delusion is a grievance, a thief, and is dedicated to harming and corrupting ourselves with our own merits and blessings. Don’t let it get you away. Stick to our own rules and follow the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the Dharma, and precepts ,meditations and wisdom with one heart.
Some people often say, “I’m so annoyed, my delusions are out of my control, what should I do? In fact, everyone’s thoughts and delusions are not under their control. It comes to nothing and goes to nothing. The delusion comes and goes as it does. Don’t pay attention to it, don’t follow it, and don’t try to control it. If the delusion comes, and you cooperate the habits of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, then the delusion will become more and more severe and intensify.
If you know clearly that the delusion exists and will naturally appear, develop, and disappear, and do not add greed, anger, arrogance and suspicion to it, and do not try to integrate it, what it appears to be is what it is, and let it slide, ignore it, and do not try to control it, you will be at ease. It is especially important not to control delusion, because when you try to control it, you are adding another layer of delusion, which is the same as cutting off the water with the blade and more flowing water.
Section 3: Do it directly
Sometimes when it comes to solving specific problems and practicing specific practices, the real good or not good is not in thinking about it or not, but in doing it directly by oneself. For example, if you want to live a good life, you don’t need to have delusions , just do it.If all the problems are solved, any problems of the family, the problems of everyone in the family are solved, that’s all right. If you have to sit there and think about it for hours, can you live a good life? Then, at this time, no matter how good or right one’s thinking is, it is better to just go ahead and do it.
In Zen practice there is also this concept, that is, from the very beginning, one must start to hold back all delusions. If the beginner has to ask the master why he is doing this, then it proves that he is thinking nonsense and will be scolded and beaten. In Zen practice, there is no reason, you just do it, it’s very straightforward.
Section 4: Practicing the wisdom eye, following the Buddha wholeheartedly, not following false thinking
What is the eye of wisdom? It is the question of who one chooses to follow, whether to follow the Buddha or the satan ! Ignorance and delusion are all demons, and the five skandhas of material, feeling, thought, action, and consciousness are all demons. If you can remember this, you will have wisdom eyes. In addition, we should know that Buddhism, Dharma and Sangha are our friends ,and can stand on the side with us to subdue demons and make ourselves achieve the path. Because of being with the demons, countless sentient beings have made themselves distorted and deranged ,and suffer endlessly since the beginninglessness of time, and they are still suffering now. If you stay with the Buddha, you will get or have gotten a lot of happiness, good fortune and freedom. So, who are you going to follow now? After all, everyone wants to get better, so you should always think about who you should follow. Train yourself to form good habits to follow the Buddha and not to follow the devil.
Chapter 6: How a Mahayana practitioner can stay away from foolishness and give full play to the Buddha’s insight and wisdom in order to rescue and protect sentient beings
The Bodhisattva practitioner knows: “The mind is the root of all good and bad deeds. In other words, the mind is the root of creating all karma. If one relies on the root of wisdom, one will have good results no matter what one does, but if one relies on the root of ignorance, one will be unlucky no matter what one does.
In that way, as a Bodhisattva practitioner, since he has such great wisdom and knows the horrors and dangers of infatuation, he will always use Buddha’s wisdom to treat everything and forever cut off the infatuation, and at the same time, he will actively bring into play Buddhas’ insight and wisdom to rescue and protect all sentient beings so that they will also forever cut off the infatuation. How should one practice and do that?
A bodhisattva practitioner does not rely on imagination like all sentient beings do, he does not rely on the imagination, he shines with wisdom. Because he has wisdom and spiritual power,when he can see everything and instantly know clearly what its past is, what its future is, and what this is at the moment. Therefore, the bodhisattva does not regard everything by imagination, but by wisdom.
On the other hand, should a bodhisattva think? Yes, but he does not think delusionally, he thinks wisely. He thinks according to the Buddhas’ teachings, and he thinks about things that are meaningful and beneficial to him and to all sentient beings. He has only right thinking, not evil thinking, every thought is right thinking, not evil thinking, is all free from suffering and attain happiness. Because he is profoundly aware that delusions are 100% harmful to himself and others, and have no real meaning. Therefore, the bodhisattva will think wisely as the Buddha taught in the the Sutra of the Great Square Equal and Large collection, so that he can joyfully carry out right actions to benefit all sentient beings.
To think of all good dharma as precious treasures, to think of those who teach as the five desires , to think of those of contentment as the absence of disease, to think of love for seeking the dharma as a wonderful medicine, and to think of those who reveals one’s own guilt as a wonderful doctor.
From the above sutra, we can see that a Bodhisattva practitioner lives in wisdom and enlightenment, so he is full of Dharma joy and always treats everything with right thoughts and right views, so that he and others can be free from distortions of all thoughts, minds and visions and all kinds of distortions .
On the other hand, a Bodhisattva practitioner does not harm all sentient beings with his evil views. On the contrary, he uses right knowledge and view and the Ten Good Ways to rescue and protect all sentient beings. As it is said in the Flower Adornment Sutra:
“He abides in the right path, does not practice divination, does not take bad precepts, has a right and straight mind, is free from cheat and flattery, and has decided faith in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. He always thinks: “I will stay away from the ten bad paths and make the ten good paths the garden of the Dharma, loving and dwelling therein, and persuading others to dwell therein.”
The Bodhisattva practitioner will also do what is stated in the Shurangama Sutra: “ You should gain a thorough understanding of this false thinking and then transmit your understanding to cultivators in the future Dharma-ending Age. Let them recognize this falseness and naturally give rise to deep disdain for it. Let them know of Nirvana so that they will not linger in the Triple Realm.”
In other words, by actively promoting the Dharma, we will make all sentient beings know the false nature of delusion, stop being deceived, know that there is a self-nature that is not born and not destroyed, and stop clinging to all people ,things and objects in the Triple Realm.
The Bodhisattva practitioner also demonstrates how to benefit sentient beings by acting according to the Buddha’s wisdom, so that sentient beings will stop following delusions and will not allow them to corrupt themselves and stop destroying themselves with delusions.
Therefore, a Bodhisattva practitioner should not only be aware of the danger of infatuation, but also be ashamed, subdue the infatuation, and not harm all sentient beings with the infatuation, and at the same time, joyfully, actively, and proactively use right knowledge and insight to rescue and protect all sentient beings.
In summary, it is extremely important and imperative for a Bodhisattva practitioner to understand, recognize, and subdue ignorance.
Chapter 7 Conclusion
Ignorance is the great complaint of all sentient beings and practitioners. It can destroy all good deeds, good roots, and other virtues and abilities, and can bring about the disaster of great extinction. Every thought of sentient beings is a delusion creating demonic karma, which is so delusional and at the same time a great deception and destruction. Practitioners should always be vigilant and should not be deceived.
As a practitioner or a Bodhisattva practitioner, it is imperative to subdue ignorance , to cultivate good karmic habits such as non-obsession, to joyfully and actively give full play to Buddhas’ knowledge and insight, kindness, compassion, joy and giving, and to ambulate all sentient beings, so that one can become a solid refuge for all sentient beings, to become pure and free as soon as possible, and to accomplish the great task of enabling all sentient beings to be free from all ultimate suffering and to attain ultimate happiness!
References
I. Ancient texts (in chronological order of dynasties)
1. [Later Han] Translated by An Shigao: The Sutra on the Right Conduct of the Agama Preached by the Buddha, vol. 2, Dazhengzang.
2. [Western Jin] Translated by Bai Fazu: the Buddha’s Nirvana Sutra, vol. 1, Da Zheng Zang Zang.
3. [Later Qin] Translated by Kumarajiva: The Treatise on Attaining Achievement by Great Wisdom,vol. 25, Dazhengzang.
4. [Northern Liang] Translated by Tanwuchan: the Sutra of the Precepts for the Upasakas, vol. 24, Dazhengzang.
5. [Northern Liang] Translated by Tanwuchan: the Sutra of the Great Square Equal and Large collection, vol. 13，Dazhengzang.
6.[ Tang Dynasty] Translated by Siksananda: The Flower Adornment, vol. 10，Da Zang Jing.