Why Are Those with Pure Faith in a Single Thought Free from the Four Marks, Dharmas, and Non-Dharmas?

One who possesses pure faith in the Buddha's teaching that "seeing all characteristics as non-characteristics is to see the Tathagata" has exceptionally well-established faith roots, having planted profound roots of virtue and merit at the feet of countless millions of Buddhas. To attain pure faith, one must have personally realized the vajra mind and emptied the four characteristics as well as the characteristics of dharmas. Only after such realization can one be free of doubts regarding the characteristics of dharmas and non-dharmas; only then is the faith pure. Verified faith is pure faith. Before realization, faith invariably contains doubts of varying degrees—it is neither pure nor immaculate. After realizing the vajra mind, one naturally becomes free from the notions of self, others, sentient beings, and a lifespan. One directly perceives that all these characteristics are illusory appearances projected by the vajra mind and therefore are empty.

The four characteristics are relatively superficial, requiring observation wisdom that is not too profound or subtle. The characteristics of dharmas are more subtle than the four characteristics, demanding deeper and finer observation wisdom. Thus, the wisdom of no four characteristics is shallower than the wisdom of no dharma characteristics, belonging to the prajñā wisdom of the three virtuous stages. In contrast, the state of having neither dharma characteristics nor non-dharma characteristics belongs to the wisdom of seeds of consciousness-only attained after entering the bhūmis. The four characteristics fall within the scope of the five aggregates of sentient beings. Although the characteristics of dharmas do not exceed the scope of the five aggregates, they are extremely subtle and difficult to observe. For example, all worldly customs and traditions, all rules, principles, laws and regulations, all human behavioral norms and standards, various human ideologies, academic and technical knowledge across disciplines and fields, all phenomena in the natural world, as well as various Buddhist cultivation principles, concepts, views, and understandings—these dharma characteristics are too numerous, too vast, and too profound and subtle. Many cannot even be articulated and all belong to the realm of the wisdom of seeds of consciousness-only. Yet these dharma characteristics are themselves non-dharma characteristics; they are merely labeled as dharma characteristics.

Those who can generate pure faith in the profound Dharma principles spoken by the Buddha with a single thought not only have no four characteristics in their minds but have also eradicated the characteristics of dharmas, and even eliminated non-dharma characteristics. Their minds are extremely pure, neither grasping nor clinging to any characteristics, and their wisdom is profoundly sharp. Ordinary sentient beings who have not eradicated the four characteristics may also believe in the profound Dharma principles taught by the Buddha, but because they have not realized them, doubts remain in their minds. Their faith is not verified faith and thus is not entirely pure. Bodhisattvas who have only eliminated the four characteristics have verified the Dharma and possess verified faith, but they still have not eradicated the characteristics of dharmas. Their realization is insufficient and incomplete, and their faith is not yet fully pure. Only when they eradicate both dharma characteristics and non-dharma characteristics, making their minds utterly empty, pure, and free from attachment to characteristics, do they become true Bodhisattvas of pure faith.

If there is grasping or clinging in a person's mind, then the four characteristics exist, because only with a self is there grasping. If there is no self, who is there to grasp? Therefore, whenever a person grasps at characteristics, the notions of self, others, sentient beings, and a lifespan arise. If one grasps at dharma characteristics, the four notions arise; if one grasps at non-dharma characteristics, the four notions also arise. Hence, a Bodhisattva should not grasp at dharmas, nor should they grasp at non-dharmas. The Buddha said: The Dharma I teach can be likened to a raft. A raft must be used to cross water, but upon reaching the shore, it must be abandoned; otherwise, one cannot disembark. The Dharma should be used when needed, but after realization, when it becomes useless, it must be discarded. Not only must the Dharma be discarded, but non-Dharma must also be discarded. If the mind holds either Dharma or non-Dharma, it is not empty and pure, and one cannot disembark into nirvāṇa. Dharma is existence; non-Dharma is non-existence. Existence is erroneous; non-existence is also erroneous. Since both are erroneous, they must naturally be abandoned. As soon as this dichotomy of existence and non-existence is established and grasped, the four characteristics remain unemptied. Since existence is erroneous, non-existence, being its opposite, is naturally also erroneous. All dharmas are neither dharmas nor non-dharmas. Only by transcending the four characteristics and severing all erroneous views can one ultimately reach the destination. This chapter refutes the characteristics of dharmas and non-dharmas.