Mentor: Bennie
Author: Lotus
This Saha world, dreamlike and illusory, is filled with a dazzling array of beautiful scenes and heart-wrenching tragedies, all of which are nothing more than reflections in a mirror or ripples on water—illusory and unreal. Yet, from beginning to end, we remain deeply attached to the notion of their reality, taking them as true. Thus, in the whirlpool of this mundane existence, we genuinely taste the flavors of joy and sorrow, separation and reunion, enduring the waves of happiness, anger, grief, and delight. However, this is far from the wisdom of the Bodhisattvas, far from the ultimate realization that penetrates the truth of the universe.
We ought to fully awaken to the understanding that all blessings, wisdom, abilities, and merits originate from the supreme functioning of our own minds—like dreamlike bubbles or shadows, seemingly real yet ultimately ethereal. When we construct the sustenance of life with a heart as empty and illusory as a dream, then, when the conditions ripen and the fruits manifest, we can wield and arrange them as we please. Just as the good and evil karma we create can either be willingly borne to resolve past causes and effects or transcended through the power of wisdom, freeing us from their burdens. In the future, no matter what extraordinary achievements we attain, even if we wish to immerse ourselves among the most ordinary people in this world, we can freely transform our forms, resonating with them and sharing in their collective karma. All this is possible because the myriad phenomena of the world are illusory—mere phantoms in a dream, not truly existent. That which truly exists is often fixed and immutable, difficult to manipulate; whereas that which is illusory harbors infinite possibilities, able to flow and transform at will.
So, how exactly do we embark on this dreamlike, illusory journey of spiritual practice? In truth, the initial method of cultivation is not complicated. In the minutiae of our daily lives, every person and every object before our eyes should be regarded as images in a dream. Once, we stubbornly believed them to be real, and the myriad sensations they brought—sweet or bitter—felt so vivid that we thought we could hold them fast, unaware that all things are in a state of constant flux and impermanence. In reality, no matter how authentic they appear, we cannot preserve them forever. For all things in this world shift with the waxing and waning of karma: our bodies gradually age and approach death, and everything around us ceaselessly arises and ceases, vanishing into nothingness. At this moment, we must reexamine and redefine all of this, deeply recognizing that they are dreamlike and illusory, manifesting only through the pull of karma.
Once we perceive the world anew with this fresh perspective and begin to create, we must do so with full awareness—crafting this illusory realm, shaping these dreamlike images. Because they are illusory, because they are dreamlike, they can be freely combined and molded as we desire. In the future, when we wield this illusory power, we can do so with ease and mastery, arranging and orchestrating it at will. Thus, for now, we need only transform our ingrained perceptions of things, steeping our minds anew in the wisdom of the Dharma, liberating ourselves from our former attachments to notions of inherent reality, and deeply realizing that all is dreamlike, all is illusory. By breaking free from the shackles of these concepts of inherent existence, we allow the dust of greed, hatred, and delusion within our hearts to fall away entirely. In this way, the illusory world we construct will be free from the clamor and turmoil of the mundane, as well as the stains and distractions of the mind. We can instantly let it dissolve into the troubles and defilements of the dusty world, or return it to its original state of empty stillness—because it is illusory, because it can be freely wielded.
As for how long it takes to perfectly realize this dreamlike, illusory state of practice, there is no fixed answer—it varies from person to person. If one can diligently practice day and night without interruption, sustaining this effort for twenty-one days, perhaps this dreamlike, illusory understanding will take deep root in the heart, becoming a natural and effortless realization. However, if one cannot practice ceaselessly day and night—for instance, dedicating only twelve hours of the day to focused cultivation—then it will require twice the time and effort, a prolonged immersion in the essentials of this dreamlike, illusory practice. Remarkably, this seemingly simple key to practice contains boundless wisdom, capable of penetrating the ultimate truth of all Buddhist teachings, simply because all is like a dream, all is like an illusion.
With gratitude to our compassionate mentor，Bennie, whose boundless kindness and wisdom have revealed to us this supreme, dreamlike, and illusory Dharma. In this complex, dreamlike, and illusory world, we have been granted a lamp of wisdom to illuminate our path forward, guiding us through layers of confusion toward the shore of liberation and ease, returning us to the true home of our hearts.