Clinging to Conventional Truth, Failing to Perceive Ultimate Truth: The Absence of the Path

Holding green rice seedlings, planting the entire field; bending down, one sees the sky reflected in the water. Only when the mind-ground is pure and clear is it the Way; stepping back is originally moving forward.

These four lines all manifest that special, formless and shapeless Way, revealing the functioning of Tathagatagarbha. Yet, those who are unenlightened immerse their minds entirely in perceived realms, pondering the meanings within, seeing people, environments, and events, being moved by the scenery, filled with countless emotions. In truth, pondering realms is a grave mistake—there are actually no realms to ponder. This poem expresses no realm whatsoever: no person, no environment, no event—it is all just one word: the Way. May I ask: where is the Way? In all matters where people and environments connect, it is also within people and within environments, omnipresent. Yet ordinary beings do not perceive the Way; they only see mundane appearances. Gold dust fills the sky, falling into the eyes causing obstruction. Gold dust is not seen with the eyes; what one sees is all sand and soil. Yet when comprehended with the heart, it is all gold.

Someone says: “Aren’t you speaking like this falling into the evil view of emptiness?” This is not the evil view of emptiness. The evil view of emptiness denies even the existence of this Way, Tathagatagarbha, empties all dharmas entirely, leaving nothing at all, not even cause and effect—no cause, no effect, no precepts—all actions of body, speech, and mind become unrestrained. What these four lines demonstrate, however, is precisely the non-empty Way of Tathagatagarbha, where there is no person, no environment, no event; whereas clinging to person, environment, and event is precisely clinging to emptiness. Ordinary beings, because they have not yet realized the Way, hold incorrect views no matter what perspective they take. When clinging to person, environment, and event, how could they perceive Tathagatagarbha and realize Tathagatagarbha?

Emptiness, however, is the direction pointed to by both Mahayana and Hinayana teachings. The five aggregates—form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness—are empty of person; the six internal and external dusts (objects of the senses) are empty of environment. With no person and no environment, there are no events. Only by emptying these false dharmas can one perceive that non-empty Tathagatagarbha. If one clings to the dharma of emptiness, it obscures the eye of wisdom—how then could one perceive the non-empty Tathagatagarbha?