Contributed by the Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated, Australia
Mentor: Bennie Spirit
Editor: Yinyue(Ivy)
With gratitude to Google AI Gemini
With gratitude to Gemini NotebookLM
Draft Date: Aug 8, 2026
Location: BPI Meditation Center
Attendees at the Dharma assembly: Bennie, Ivy, Ellie, Grace, Enid, Dawn, Wujing
An Enlightened Person
If you are a truly enlightened person, you will certainly uphold the precepts (*śīla*), because you know that precepts are the foundation for leaving suffering and attaining happiness. That is to say, you realize that the very moment you break a precept, you are creating the causes and conditions for suffering, and in the future you will inevitably undergo the bitter karmic results. Even looking purely from the present moment’s dependent origination, it is already a form of suffering.
Therefore, a person who possesses precepts is bound to be happy, peaceful, and joyful, bringing comfortable and pleasant feelings to others just like incense. All of this comes from your wisdom (*prajñā*); only through the wisdom of the Buddhadharma can one recognize the essential importance of the precepts.
A person lacking wisdom cannot comprehend the importance of the precepts and may even foolishly regard them as obstacles that prevent them from gaining benefits—such is the behavior of an extremely ignorant person. Take the Ten Virtuous Actions (*daśa-kuśala-karmāṇi*) as an example: a person who frequently speaks falsehoods will inevitably incur vocal karma that causes them to lose all trust; no one will trust them anymore. If not a single person in the world can trust you, do you not become a solitary and destitute individual? Just from this single point, once you lose all credibility and no one believes you, how can you survive? Even if you were to go begging, people would not believe you were a beggar. Would that not be pitiful?
Hence, the importance of precepts is paramount. Whichever single precept you pick, it is intimately bound up with your own life. Whether you experience joy or suffering, liberation or entanglement, all are established right here.
Knowing Illusion Is Leaving It (*Zhī Huàn Jí Lí*)
Through mindfulness of the Buddha (*buddhānusmṛti*), one awakens to all the wisdom, power, and virtue of the Buddha, while also understanding that one inherently possesses the Buddha-nature (*buddhātman* / *buddhata*).
Sentient beings are confused simply because they mistake the false for the real. In truth, there was originally no trouble in the world; foolish people merely create trouble for themselves. There were originally no such affairs, yet ignorant people spend all day in the midst of nothingness imagining that something exists.
For example, human definitions of good and bad, right and wrong, true and false are all human constructs and labels—the object itself is not inherently that label. But once human beings mistake the false for the real, great trouble arises. Out of nothingness, they imagine an affair; where there is no right or wrong, they conjure up right and wrong; where there is no correct or incorrect, they create correct and incorrect. Consequently, amidst these dualities of right and wrong, they cry one moment and laugh the next, weeping and rejoicing over non-existent things—is this not a diseased state? What kind of person sits there crying and laughing at nothing?
Yet, people never realize that they themselves actually exist in this very condition—this morbid state. When trapped in this diseased state, is the suffering real, or is the joy real? Since all these joys and sorrows are built upon nothingness, are people not suffering and rejoicing in vain?
It is just like someone watching a movie or television show: it is all scripted and invented, yet people regard it as concrete reality, affirming how wonderful or terrible the main character is. There is no such event and no such person. Even if you smashed the screen to pieces, you could not dig the actor out. If this is not illness, what is it? Originally nothing exists, yet people experience suffering and joy toward nothingness, shouting, “I must have it!” or “I refuse to have it!” These are all illusory appearances (*māyā-lakṣaṇa*); there is no absolute right or wrong. Once you awaken to this, that is sufficient.
Knowing illusion is leaving it: “What am I doing? Over non-existent people, objects, and events, I firmly insist they exist, indulging in delusional thinking and proselytizing everywhere—how meaningless!” As soon as you recognize the illusion, leave it immediately.
Many people say, “I cannot leave it!” It is very simple: use something else to replace it.
For instance, there is no absolute right or wrong, good or bad; it is merely an illusion. If you have formed habit patterns, eat when you need to eat, and refrain from reckless, delusional thinking. If you must think, then think about things that are beneficial to you. Reflect upon how much virtue and wisdom you inherently possess, what each merit looks like, and what each blessing looks like. Furthermore, these inherent virtues are real and tangible things; reflecting on them is very important. Thus, even the Tathāgata lamented with profound emotion: “How extraordinary!”
If you must think, repeatedly reflect upon this passage. Looking back, why can you not let go of the thing your mind is attached to? That is called false thinking and grasping (*vikalpa* and *abhiniveśa*), and those thoughts are harmful to you.
Humans must learn and reflect, but the key lies in *what* you learn and *what* you reflect upon. Whether you learn what is beneficial or what is harmful to yourself is of critical importance.
What is truly beneficial to oneself is called the **Wisdom of Wonderful Observation** (*Pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna*). Subtle and profound observation reveals the true reality of all things and their underlying laws of operation. It shows you what rules you should follow to accord with these natural laws and fully manifest them. Does a path ultimately bring you peace and joy, or a series of the Eight Sufferings (*aṣṭau duḥkhāni*)? You can reflect on these matters, and gradually you will know what to think, what to do, and what to say. When grounded in solid evidence and accordant with reason and truth, you naturally break free from reckless thinking, reckless speech, and reckless actions. Your entire body, speech, and mind will function completely according to wisdom. Over time, you become a person of pure wisdom. A person of pure wisdom succeeds in whatever they undertake.
Only foolish people indulge in reckless thoughts, reckless speech, and reckless actions, and whatever they do is destined to fail because they violate natural laws and principles. It is just that simple.
Can you right now timely observe yourself and truly discover what you are doing? Are you building failure or success for yourself? Are you establishing peace and joy, or suffering? The crucial factor is wisdom.
A person with wisdom recognizes illusions. Illusions of suffering and obstacles must be left behind. Even if life is an illusion, one should create an illusion of peace, joy, and freedom, just as all Buddhas do.
Knowing the illusion, simply leave it; no other methods are required. Leaving illusion is enlightenment itself. Knowing that something is suffering and disaster, leaving that suffering and disaster is all it takes. Knowing that these dualities of right and wrong are merely human definitions, leave them behind and go about doing what you ought to do—it is that simple.
Many people claim they cannot leave it behind; that is nonsense—it is because you do not *want* to leave it. Your mind is controllable. Especially after studying for many years, when you know that something is suffering and disaster, why do you still soak yourself in it? Just leave it; leaving it is awakening.
To whom was the *Mahāvaipulya Pūrṇabuddha Sūtra* (*Sutra of Complete Enlightenment* / 《大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經》) spoken?
1. First, to explain how all Buddhas traversed their causal stage (*hetu-bhūmi*).
2. Second, to guide sentient beings of the Dharma-Ending Age (when the Buddha has passed and the Dharma is near extinction) on what to do if they wish to practice the Buddhadharma.
This is the essential pivot and key focus. All Buddhas traversed this path; this is how it was from the very beginning. Manjushri Bodhisattva asked: “Sentient beings in the Dharma-Ending Age are far removed from the Buddhadharma; what should these people do?” Therefore, the Buddha expounded this teaching. In final summary, he stated: **”Knowing illusion is leaving it; leaving illusion is enlightenment itself.”** (*知幻即離，離幻即覺*)
Why torture yourself and inflict harm upon yourself? Placing yourself in a heap of self-created suffering to soak—such a person has self-destructive tendencies. Thus I often say that people are constantly inflicting self-harm and self-destruction upon themselves. Think about it: when you immerse yourself in right and wrong, all those thoughts and opinions are merely delusions conceived by humans; the world does not inherently contain those things. Why do you soak in non-existent things to torment yourself? Why engage in self-harm and self-destruction? You cast away your inherent peace and joy time and again just to manufacture this suffering. That is why the Buddha said sentient beings are objects of deep pity (*kāruṇya*).
Wisdom encompasses all the content above. Now that everyone understands this, whether you can transform yourself is very simple: just leave it behind; no complex techniques are needed. Once you realize this, leave it immediately.
Questions and Answers
Question: In practical daily life, we often do not want to leave it. For example, if I just did a good deed and you beat me up indiscriminately, I will judge that you are wrong. I will definitely be angry, unable to leave it behind, constantly dwelling on it and feeling aggrieved.
Answer: You must realize that all phenomena arise relying on conditions (*pratītya-samutpāda*). Your Five Aggregates (*pañca-skandha*), Six Entrances (*ṣaḍ-āyatana*), and Seven Great Elements (*sapta-mahābhūtāni*) are all karmic manifestations of your own past actions (*karma*) that finally present as current phenomena. It is what you are meant to undergo. Because you lacked awareness (*bodhi*) and did not know the origin of these illusory appearances, you experience only afflictions (*kleśa*) without awakening, giving rise to hatred and resentment (*dveṣa*).
If you possessed wisdom, even if you were beaten, you would be overjoyed! Because you practice the Vajra teachings, and the *Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra* (*Diamond Sutra*) states that when one is disparaged by others, the sinful karma from past lives is eradicated—the karma is taken away and cleared out, enabling you to rapidly attain enlightenment. If you cannot leave it behind, it simply means you have not awakened. When you are filled with gratitude, you are in peace and joy, not suffering. The crucial point is whether you truly possess genuine awareness. Without awareness, you are in great trouble.
Furthermore, regarding how we define and attach labels to things, how is it explained in the canonical scriptures?
In the *Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra* (*Diamond Sutra*), it states that these are all definitions and labels affixed merely to make things clear to you, but they are not ultimate particles of dust, nor are they an ultimate world.
*In the *Śūraṅgama Sūtra*, two major sections thoroughly elucidate the principle of “identity and non-identity” (*即非即*).
All Mahāyāna sutras repeatedly emphasize what is identity and what is non-identity. To put it plainly, it is an illusion. In the *Diamond Sutra*, the Tathāgata speaks of fine dust particles to demonstrate that they are called fine dust particles, but are not truly fine dust particles. “Name” is merely a label or definition; none of these things exist inherently.
Take this world, for example: we see a rich array of colors, and especially when sunlight passes through a prism, we discover it is not a single color. But do these seven colors truly exist inherently? They are simply different light wavelengths. When received through the eyes and synthesized by the brain, they present as colors. In actual reality, the real world consists of waves, without these subjective colors. To put it even more clearly, you fabricated them mentally. You received different wave frequencies, concretized them, and gave rise to the manifestation of colors, which is not the original phenomenon of the world.
Originally, it is just wave activity. How foolishly we live, firmly believing in red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple without a shadow of doubt! If you truly understand Buddhadharma or modern science, you will know that these do not exist inherently; they are human definitions. Do not firmly insist on what something “is” within non-existence, driving yourself into overwhelming suffering, helplessness, and uselessness, until finally you leave yourself no way out. Why do this to yourself? Why engage in self-harm and self-destruction? You can comprehend these matters through science and through the Buddhadharma: they are truly your own definitions, not inherent reality.
Every household creates friction. A husband and wife label each other as “mine,” and after defining it, they believe the other person genuinely belongs to them. After a divorce, who belongs to whom? If someone is yours and you refuse to let anyone else touch them, will you refuse medical care? If something is yours, why not stop breathing air—since the air has been breathed by countless people, will you suffocate yourself to death?
Therefore, when human beings live within such false thinking and attachment (*vikalpa* and *abhiniveśa*), if it is not self-harm, self-destruction, and suicide, what is it? What is manufactured is pure suffering without peace or joy. Yet these delusional attachments are extremely rigid and unshakeable. People feel it must be this way, even vowing to guard it unto death. What on earth are you guarding? The thing itself does not even exist—what are you guarding?
By extension, every single false thought and attachment of human beings is illusory and fundamentally non-existent. Within this non-existence, people forcibly define something, insist that it must be a certain way—that this is unacceptable and that is acceptable—until ultimately no one even knows what “acceptable” means anymore. People conflict with one another, generating endless suffering. Many families cannot bear it and break apart; extreme cases lead to violence and murder. Even those who barely endure a lifetime together spend it grinding through disputes and turmoil. Because people affix labels everywhere and fight over those labels, the result is endless conflict and unceasing suffering. If that is not self-harm and self-destruction, what is it?
Question: If others forcefully drag me into conflict, and I get dragged away after reaching the limit of my endurance, what should I do?
Answer: I cultivate my own life; let others do as they wish. I remain peaceful, joyful, liberated, and happy, securing myself first. If there are those who believe and listen to me, I will share a bit of news to help them be happy as well, telling them: “There was originally no trouble in the world; foolish people merely torment themselves.” This is self-benefit and benefiting others (*svārtha-parārtha*).
Your true self cannot be dragged away by anyone. That which can be dragged away is not your real self. Your true self is your inherent Buddha-nature (*buddhātman*)—that alone is your real self. Therefore, even if others wish to drag it away, they cannot.
When it benefits sentient beings, you may think, speak, and act to protect their interests. When it does not accord with the welfare of sentient beings, do not think, speak, or act, because when a person is enraged, they will fight with you. Thus, in the *Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra* (*Great Heap Sutra* / 《大寶積經》), how does a Bodhisattva exercise eloquence (*pratibhāna*)? By according with benefit and refraining from what is non-beneficial. That determines what you should think and say. If another person insists on committing self-harm, self-destruction, and self-annihilation, you simply tell them: “This is harmful to you.” If they refuse to listen, let them test the outcome through actual facts. The final results will test everything. As the worldly saying goes: “When the tide recedes, it is revealed who is swimming naked.”
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