ask:Master, what is the difference between form and form being empty?How to understand the Pure Land Dharma?
Master Da'an replied:These are two sentences in the Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita.Color refers to things that have shape, color and quality.The five roots of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body, the five dusts of color, sound, fragrance, taste, touch, and all material phenomena in the universe are all material laws.
The first sentence: The form is not different from emptiness. It is based on the condition. The dependent origination of various form laws comes from emptiness in nature. Without emptiness in nature, there will be no dependent origination.Therefore, in terms of phenomena (facts), there is no difference between form and emptiness, which is called no difference;
The second sentence, form is emptiness. From its nature, in fact, form and emptiness are the same thing.
Why the same thing?First, since it is a destiny and destiny, it is a form that combines various causes and conditions. It does not exist in its original state, so it is empty in its essence.
Form means emptiness, not to destroy form and emptiness beyond the form law, and it does not need to be destroyed. Form is now empty, and the five aggregates are all empty in the emptiness of the form, feeling, thinking, action, and consciousness. This is to use true emptiness to accommodate false existence, and use true emptiness to overcome all sufferings.
This is a very insightful explanation of the Prajna Classic scriptures. If we Buddhists truly understand the concept that color is not different from emptiness, color is emptiness, can believe, understand, and follow the teachings, we will live a very happy and free life.
Why?Because we know the emptiness of material phenomena, we will not be greedy and attached to everything in the phenomenon world. They are all dreams, bubbles, and empty things.
It is precisely because we believe that the true existence of material phenomena will lead to a kind of greed and attachment. When we get it, we are ecstatic, and when we don’t get it, we are extremely depressed, so we are confused and desolate.
《The Diamond Sutra says that if you can understand the principles of emptiness and no four aspects of all dharmas, and even further understand the eighteen kinds of emptiness and dharmas, emptiness and inability to be empty and empty, and so on, after hearing this, you will not be shocked or afraid, such people will not plant good roots in one Buddha, two Buddhas, three, four, and five Buddhas, or even countless Buddhas.
Therefore, sentient beings rely on their own blessings and wisdom to grasp both form and emptiness. Most people are confused about things in the phenomenal world, deceived by illusory things all their lives, busy and make wedding clothes for others all their lives.
If he has a thought to observe this emptiness, this person will have wisdom, not ordinary worldly wisdom, but transcendental Prajna wisdom.
Then in the Pure Land Dharma, form and emptiness, the relationship between emptiness and existence, are integrated into the merits of this name.
Amitabha Buddha has two core merits, one is infinite life and the other is infinite light. Infinite life is emptiness, and infinite light is wonderful existence. This light comes from emptiness, called: the pure aurora is clear, and silence is hidden in the void.
What is purity?There is no delusion of seeing, no delusion of thinking, no delusion of dust and sand, and no delusion of ignorance. This is called purity.When you are pure, you will enter the infinite life mind body. When you reach the extreme, you will naturally emit light, and there will be infinite light.
Therefore, Amitabha Buddha is called infinite life light or infinite light and life. Infinite life and infinite light are the same. Infinite life are infinite light, and infinite light is infinite life. Only when there is life in light and there is light in life is Amitabha Buddha.
If this light does not have the basis of infinite life, its light will become impatient, which is not a good phenomenon;If infinite life does not have infinite light, the so-called silence is dry and stubborn, and that is not possible.
It is necessary that there is wonderful existence in emptiness and light in life, which is the middle way of Buddhism, the first truth, which is called the wonderful state of the first truth.From this we understand that color is not different from emptiness, color is emptiness.
For example, the dependent and majestic nature of the Western Pure Land is a form, which is now emptiness, true nature, and nirvana. It is Amitabha Buddha who has attained the emptiness of all dharmas. Through his great compassion and vows, the endless majestic form of the Western world is revealed.Therefore, this form comes from emptiness, which means emptiness is form, color, color, and emptiness.
There is a profound dialectical relationship between form and emptiness. If we understand it in this way, we can integrate the emptiness of Prajna with the wonderful existence of Pure Land. Empty and existence are not two, and light and life are the same, which is the right realm of the middle way of Buddhism.
