The Realm After Enlightenment

Question: "Does one, at all times and in all places, manifest unobstructed wisdom and perfectly penetrating mindfulness, seeing no dharmas as obstacles, without even a moment's interruption?" This is one of the ten criteria in the <i>Zongjing Lu</i> for verifying enlightenment. How should this statement be understood?

Answer: This passage should be understood as follows: After enlightenment, a bodhisattva, in all actions within the five aggregates (skandhas), at all times, in all places, and regarding all dharmas, should be able to observe that they are all functions of the Tathagatagarbha. There is no independent function of the five aggregates themselves; all are manifestations of the True Suchness nature. The mind does not fall into the illusory appearances of the skandha realm. This level of wisdom is extremely profound, reaching the stage of patient endurance of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-ksanti). It partially realizes the One True Dharma Realm, confirming that all dharmas, both worldly and transcendental, are solely functions of the Tathagatagarbha.

Such observational wisdom is utterly impossible for bodhisattvas below the first ground (bhumi) to achieve. It requires possessing meditative absorption (dhyana) at least at the level of the first dhyana or higher, with unwavering stability and continuity. One must also possess profound Wisdom of Specific Discrimination (唯识种智, nana-prasthana). Otherwise, it is impossible to observe with such subtlety, thoroughness, and depth. This is the genuine True Suchness Samadhi (真如三昧, tathata-samadhi). Buddhas fully realize True Suchness Samadhi, while bodhisattvas on the grounds (bhumis) only partially realize it; they cannot yet attain complete True Suchness Samadhi because many dharmas remain unrealized, and some dharmas still fall within worldly appearances.

When verifying the enlightenment state of bodhisattvas below the first ground who lack the Wisdom of Specific Discrimination, their daily observation should fall within the scope of the non-self of persons (pudgala-nairatmya). They should constantly observe, at all times and places, the absence of self in the five aggregates, recognizing that all dharmas within the five aggregates and eighteen elements (dhatus) are the functional manifestations of the Tathagatagarbha's virtues, with no real existence of the five aggregates themselves. To possess such observational wisdom, two conditions are essential: first, ensuring genuine enlightenment; second, maintaining either access concentration (未到地定, upacara-samadhi) or the first dhyana without regression. Once meditative absorption regresses, coupled with external disturbances, their power of observation diminishes, and their perception of dharmas falls back into worldly appearances. Living in the Saha world, where environmental influences and disturbances are intense, maintaining such observational skill is extremely difficult. Generally, practice is intermittent and hard to sustain continuously because meditative absorption is easily lost and difficult to maintain, and without meditative absorption, there is no corresponding observation.