When the Mind-Ground Is Level, the World Ground Is Level (The Perfect Penetration Realized by Bodhisattva Dharanindhara)

Original text from the Śūraṅgama Sūtra: At that time, the great king of the state prepared a feast and offered alms to the Buddha. At that moment, I stood on level ground waiting for the Buddha. The Tathāgata Vipaśyin touched my crown and said to me: 'Level your mind-ground. Then the ground of the world will all be level.' My mind instantly opened, and I saw that the subtle dust particles composing my body and those creating the world were entirely equal, without distinction. The intrinsic nature of these subtle dust particles does not interact or collide; even weapons cannot touch them.

Explanation: When the Bodhisattva Dharaṇīśvara first left home countless kalpas ago, he constantly repaired roads and built bridges to help people pass, always silently providing convenience to all beings without seeking reward, diligently engaging in conditioned dharmas without realizing the mind-ground. After countless Buddhas appeared in the world, he accumulated immeasurable merit and virtuous roots, laying an extremely solid foundation for realizing the path. He may have awakened to the truth multiple times during this period, but his realization was not yet profound enough.

It was not until he encountered the Buddha Vipaśyin that he leveled the ground for the Buddha to pass. The Buddha touched his crown to bestow blessings and instructed him: "You should level your mind-ground. If your mind-ground is leveled, then all lands in the world, including those in the ten directions, will become level." Under the Buddha's blessings and upon hearing this teaching, Bodhisattva Dharaṇīśvara instantly experienced a profound awakening. He immediately saw that the subtle dust particles composing his physical body and those creating the world were entirely equal and without distinction. The intrinsic nature of these subtle dust particles is empty—formless and without characteristics—thus they do not interact or merge with each other. Even weapons on a battlefield cannot affect or touch them in the slightest.

What does "leveling the mind-ground levels the earth" mean? All phenomena arise from the mind. An unleveled mind perceives uneven ground, sees the world's rises and falls, witnesses the vastness of heaven and earth, and distinguishes good and evil, right and wrong, beauty and ugliness. If one can level the mind, whatever is perceived becomes bodhi, whatever is seen is the manifestation of the seven primary elements, and all is perceived equally without distinction, high or low, superior or inferior. Therefore, leveling the mind-ground allows one to perceive the true reality, directly attaining unsurpassed bodhi.

After the Buddha finished expounding the principle of leveling the mind-ground, Bodhisattva Dharaṇīśvara, through the immeasurable virtuous roots and merit cultivated over countless kalpas and his profound meditative concentration, instantly entered samādhi. He perceived that the subtle dust particles within his own body and those creating the world were entirely equal and without distinction—that is, composed of identical elements and constituents—immediately realizing the non-duality of body and world. Yet the essence of these subtle dust particles is empty. The dust composing both body and world is formed from the five great elements, which are themselves formless and without characteristics. Though the composed dust particles appear to have form, their form is empty.

Since the form is empty, there is no substantial entity called "subtle dust," and thus they cannot interact or combine. Consequently, there is no obstruction or hindrance between bodies; they do not overlap, collide, or impact each other, like the merging of space with space. Between body and world, and between world and world, there is likewise no obstruction, hindrance, overlapping, or impact—like the merging of space with space, utterly without contact. Since this is so, immeasurable spiritual powers can manifest without hindrance. The body can enter all realms as if entering empty space, without expending the slightest effort or moment.

Original text: Within the Dharma-nature, I realized the patient endurance of the non-arising and became an Arhat. Turning my mind, I now enter the ranks of Bodhisattvas. Hearing all Tathāgatas proclaim the wondrous lotus of the Buddha's knowledge and vision, I first realized and testified to it, becoming the foremost. The Buddha asked about perfect penetration. Through discerning observation, I perceived that the two kinds of dust—body and world—are equal without distinction, fundamentally the Tathāgatagarbha. Falsely, dust arises; when the dust vanishes, wisdom becomes perfect, accomplishing the unsurpassed Way. This is foremost.

Explanation: Bodhisattva Dharaṇīśvara said: "Within the Dharma-nature of the subtle dust, I realized the patient endurance of the non-arising and attained Arhatship. Turning my mind toward the Mahayana Bodhisattva path, I heard all Buddhas proclaim the wondrous Lotus Sutra—the Buddha's omniscient vision. I first realized and testified to what the Buddha taught, thereby becoming foremost. When the Buddha asked about my method of perfect penetration, it was through careful observation of the two kinds of dust—the physical body and the Dharma realm—seeing them as equal and without distinction, both fundamentally arising from the Tathāgatagarbha. In samādhi, when the dust vanished from the mind, wisdom became perfect, accomplishing the unsurpassed fruition. This is my foremost method of perfect penetration."

This account by Bodhisattva Dharaṇīśvara also reveals the key to accomplishment in practice. After hearing the profound Dharma principles expounded by our Buddha, he personally practiced them and ultimately verified the truth of the Buddha's teachings—not merely accepting them through faith. Faith and actual practice belong to different levels. Faith alone does not make one a true disciple of the Buddha; practicing the Dharma taught by the Buddha is true reverence for the Buddha, true understanding of the Buddha's intent, and makes one a true child of the Buddha. If one does not practice, what use is faith? What use is studying theory and knowledge?

Having understood the principles above, are our body, mind, and world now free of obstructions? Not the slightest bit. Obstructions remain obstructions, karmic hindrances remain karmic hindrances, afflictions remain afflictions, ignorance remains ignorance—nothing is resolved, nothing is improved. Only by diligently practicing according to these principles and realizing the non-duality of subtle dust can those obstructions be removed, karmic hindrances and afflictions be eliminated, and body, mind, and world become perfectly harmonious. Only then can immeasurable samādhis, spiritual powers, and wisdom manifest. Principles are meant to guide practice. If one has no intention to practice, even mountains of principles are useless; knowledge alone cannot save a person—only practice and realization can rescue one from suffering. Therefore, those who pride themselves on their accumulation of knowledge should have awakened long ago—stop indulging in fanciful dreams. If knowledge cannot be transformed into the power of practice, having it or not makes no difference.

For several years, someone has repeatedly sent me various tables—outlines of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, compiled and organized by an unknown person. For years, they have focused solely on these outlines, researching the structure of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, yet never willing to follow the methods taught in the sūtra to guide their own actual practice, never willing to put theory into practice. Such research, at best, can only make one a scholar or a theoretical researcher. But what is a scholar or researcher? Nothing but someone skilled in manipulating words. Even after revolving within words for a billion years, they would still be nothing at all.