How to Perceive the Truth, Eliminate Delusions, and Shatter Ignorance

The root of sentient beings' suffering lies in perceiving unreal appearances as real, thus persistently clinging to them, inevitably giving rise to suffering. When the appearances cannot be grasped, the mind becomes even more afflicted. Therefore, the fundamental solution to suffering is to perceive the true reality, to dispel false and illusory appearances, and henceforth cease deluded clinging to illusions. Only then can liberation be attained, free from suffering. When perceiving appearances with complete right knowledge and vision, devoid of erroneous and perverted views, one will no longer cling to false and illusory appearances, thus avoiding the arising of suffering. Naturally, one will then be liberated from appearances, detached from them.

How can one perceive the true reality and cease perceiving erroneous appearances? This requires understanding the essence and root of appearances, ensuring that knowledge and perception do not fall within worldly phenomena. By dispelling the worldly characteristics of phenomena, one will penetrate from the surface to the core, perceiving the fundamental essence of phenomena. Thus, erroneous views will cease. Only with correct perception can one realize that phenomena are fundamentally ungraspable, enabling detachment from appearances. Only then can the clinging mind be extinguished, leading to liberation and ease, free from all afflictions.

How does one dispel the worldly characteristics of phenomena? First, we must understand what constitutes worldly phenomena: the various forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and tactile sensations defined by worldly conventions, along with the shapes, qualities, nuances, and worldly functions contained within these phenomena. Sentient beings perceive the various functions and nuances of phenomena as real and thus cling to them greedily. Yet whether this greed is fulfilled or not, it results in suffering. Pleasure is suffering; worry and resentment are suffering. All sensations are without exception suffering, agitating the mind and preventing stillness and coolness. This is suffering.

Do these worldly phenomena truly exist? In a dream, everything seems real, but upon awakening, one realizes it was all illusory and unreal. Only upon actualizing the Dharma and attaining enlightenment does one realize that all perceived appearances are unreal, illusory, impermanent, subject to birth, death, change, and transformation. Since worldly phenomena are impermanent, they are empty and ungraspable—impossible to attain. Since they are empty and ungraspable, they are suffering; emptiness and ungraspability entail suffering; they are the very nature of suffering. Since worldly phenomena are impermanent, suffering, and empty, they are not the self, nor can they be possessed by the self. Regarding impermanent phenomena subject to birth, death, and change as the self is an erroneous, irrational, and deluded view. Only by eliminating such irrational views can one attain right view, cease grasping phenomena, and liberate the mind, attaining ease and coolness.

How can one perceive the true reality and ensure knowledge and perception do not fall within worldly phenomena? We should understand that all worldly phenomena are born, transformed, and created by the fundamental mind, the Tathāgatagarbha. Thereafter, the Tathāgatagarbha conditions these phenomena and discerns them. However, the Tathāgatagarbha does not perceive the worldly characteristics of these phenomena; it perceives only the combined seeds of phenomena, knowing only the arrangement of various seeds within these phenomena. It continuously discerns karmic seeds, adjusting the proportional structure and distribution of seeds according to these karmic seeds. This causes phenomena to continuously change in accordance with karmic seeds, karmic conditions, or the mental activities of the ālayavijñāna.

Since the Tathāgatagarbha perceives seeds rather than worldly appearances, it cannot distinguish forms, sounds, scents, tastes, or tactile objects. Internally, it does not engage in worldly discriminations; thus, the mind remains pure and free from afflictions. It does not create karmas of affliction, birth, or death, and thus is free from the suffering of birth and death. To be liberated from the suffering of segmental birth and death and the suffering of changeable birth and death, we should emulate the Tathāgatagarbha, eradicating worldly phenomena from our minds and perceiving the true essence of phenomena. This way, the mind will become increasingly pure, increasingly close to the Buddha-mind, until wisdom equals that of the Buddha, abiding in non-abiding nirvana, dwelling in the land of constant tranquil light, in quiescent extinction and non-action.

Since all worldly phenomena are unreal, why can sentient beings still perceive them? This is, of course, due to the ignorance of sentient beings, giving rise to false views and false thoughts upon the truth, then engaging in false actions, creating false karmas, reaping false results, and suffering false cyclic suffering. For example, when a torch is rapidly shaken, sentient beings, failing to see the torch, perceive a nonexistent circle of fire instead. They regard this circle of fire as real and cling to it persistently, thus experiencing the suffering of birth and death. Sentient beings perceive worldly phenomena in the same way: due to ignorance, they regard nonexistent appearances as real while failing to perceive the true Dharma that is real. Due to erroneous and inverted views, they create karmas of birth and death, perpetuating the suffering of cyclic existence.

For instance, on a hot summer day, water vapor reflects onto a sandy beach. A deer, parched and confused, perceives water where there is none and runs toward it, attempting to grasp the water, only to find nothing upon arrival. Such ignorant, false perceptions cause sentient beings to gain nothing, yet they create karmas of delusion and suffering by clinging to illusory appearances—how unworthy it is! Therefore, dispelling ignorance and perceiving reality is the paramount focus of our practice and the ultimate goal. Once reality is perceived, ignorance will be dispelled, false appearances will gradually vanish, and one will cease clinging to illusions and creating karmas of birth and death. When delusion is exhausted and karma extinguished, one returns to the self-nature, the ocean of Sarvajñā—the one true Dharma realm—attaining quiescent nirvana henceforth.