Emptiness of Mind, Free from Afflictions: The Triumphant Return

The sixth and seventh consciousnesses are formless and without characteristics, and the dreams they produce are likewise formless and without characteristics. Yet why do we see people, objects, and phenomena with form and characteristics within these dreams? How can a formless, characterless dream carry or manifest entities with form and characteristics? The formless and the formed should be mutually incompatible. Since they are incompatible, how can dreams contain people, objects, and phenomena with form and characteristics?

Similarly, the Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature) is formless and without characteristics. The seven great seeds are formless and without characteristics. Karmic seeds are formless and without characteristics. How then can all dharmas (phenomena) born from them possess form and characteristics? All dharmas do not exist outside the Tathāgatagarbha. How can the formless, characterless Tathāgatagarbha carry or contain all dharmas which have form and characteristics? How can the formless Tathāgatagarbha be compatible with all formed dharmas? Therefore, it is said: All appearances of dharmas, when they fall upon the eye, become a cataract; when they fall upon the ear, they become an affliction; when they fall upon the nose, they become an affliction; when they fall upon the tongue, they become an affliction; when they fall upon the body, they become a cataract-affliction; when they fall upon the mind, they become an affliction. It is only because the seventh consciousness is afflicted that dharmas are perceived. If the seventh consciousness were free from affliction, where would any dharmas be? Therefore, it is said: Cultivation (practice) is the removal of the cataract-affliction, the elimination of appearances and attachments. Only when the mind is empty is the affliction cured; only when the mind is empty can one return home having passed the examination (attained realization).

Whenever you become attached to the appearances of dharmas, you must alert yourself: This is seen due to the cataract-affliction. I have the cataract-affliction; I should eliminate this cataract-affliction. Persisting in this way, sooner or later the day will come when the cataract-affliction is removed, restoring you to a normal state, no longer clinging to appearances. It turns out we were never normal people. What we originally considered normal is not truly normal; it is merely called normal. The "normal" restored after recovery is also not truly normal; it is merely called normal. The liberation attained after becoming "normal" is not truly liberation; it is merely called liberation. The path of cultivation is like this. Any path not like this is not true cultivation; it is merely called cultivation – false cultivation.

Do not think that learning the Buddha's teachings and cultivating is about gaining something; rather, it is about removing something. This is precisely the opposite of conventional understanding. Wanting to gain the Dharma, gain fruition, gain honor, gain the great chiliocosm (the entire universe), gain a beautiful life, gain superior karmic retribution (正报) and supporting conditions (依报) – whatever you seek to gain, it is all deluded fantasy. You should extinguish all thoughts of having, empty all thoughts.