Book Summary: The Bloodstream Treatise by Bodhidharma (Part 3/4)

Conditioned Practices and Worldly Dharmas

“The Buddha neither adheres to nor violates precepts. The nature of the mind is inherently empty, neither pure nor impure. All dharma requires neither cultivation nor attainment, neither cause nor effect.”

佛無持犯，心性本空，亦非垢淨。諸法無修無證，無因無果。

All phenomena are mere projections of the mind and are inherently empty. Therefore, there is nothing to cultivate or attain. These projections pollute consciousness, whether it’s the pursuit of heaven, striving to be a "good" person, or believing a particular notion of how to attain Enlightenment. 

Awakening is a process of purifying water—simply removing impurities rather than adding ideologies or beliefs, much like attempting to add “pureness” to the water, that only further contaminates the water. 

Buddha doesn’t recite scriptures, doesn’t adhere to precepts, doesn’t violate precepts… doesn’t cultivate goodness, commit evil, or diligence or laziness. The Buddha embodies non-action.”

佛不誦經，佛不持戒，佛不犯戒⋯⋯佛不持戒，佛不修善，佛不造惡，佛不精進，佛不懈怠，佛是無作人。

Buddha-nature is a state of non-action, an effortless natural flow. The Buddha embodies non-action because the true nature of the self is empty—there is no action, no projection, and it is free from artificial, self-imposed beliefs or frameworks. Action implies outward effort, while Buddha-nature is your innate self-nature. Any force or intervention only pulls you further away from this natural flow.

Reciting scriptures may calm the mind, precepts offer basic guidelines for social harmony, and charity makes the world a better place—all commendable. However, they do not lead you back to your natural nature and have no direct relation to awakening. Thus, those actions are considered "conditioned practices/dharmas" (有為法) or "worldly practices/dharmas" (世間法). 

Question: ‘If one does not see their true nature, can they become a Buddha by reciting the Buddha’s name, chanting sutras, charity or almsgiving, observing precepts, practicing diligently, or improving the welfare of others?’

Answer: ‘No.’

Question: ‘Why not?’

Answer: ‘Those actions remain bound to karmic retribution and reincarnation, unable to break free from the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, do not lead to the path of Buddhahood.’

問曰：若不見性，念佛、誦經、布施、持戒、精進，廣興福利，得成佛否？ 答曰：不得。又問：因何不得？答曰：是受報、是輪迴法，不免生死，何時得成佛道。

Practices such as reciting the Buddha's name, chanting sutras, giving alms, observing precepts, and diligently cultivating merits correspond to the Six Paramitas (六度) in Buddhism—generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom. While these practices may help cultivate virtue and moral discipline, they do not dispel illusions, reveal your true nature, or liberate you from the delusive dream state. 

The tricky part is that Bodhidharma conveys the state of awakening, which is challenging to interpret without first returning to the natural state and waking up from the illusion. Many misunderstand this concept, believing that simply doing nothing will lead to awakening because we already possess Buddha-nature. While it’s true that all water inherently shares the same pure essence. However, when poured into containers of various shapes and tinted with colors or pollutants, its clarity becomes obscured. Similarly, to return to your true nature, you must break free from the framework of false beliefs and remove the impurities. Otherwise, it is muddy water speaking murky words, lost in confusion.

Those who follow deviated paths fail to grasp the true meaning of Buddha. Thus, they exert tremendous effort in their practices. They stray from the teachings of the sages and spend their days busy reciting the Buddha’s name and chanting sutras, yet remain obscured from their true nature, thus bound to samsara and reincarnation. The Buddha is one of non-action, so why busy chasing fame and fortune—what use after death? 

Unawaken ones believe that studying sutras, reciting the Buddha’s name, practicing diligently; practicing meditation day in and day out, sitting without lying down; acquiring vast knowledge—believe that constitutes understanding the Buddha’s Dharma. Those are slanders of the Dharma. 

外道不會佛意，用功最多；違背聖意，終日驅驅念佛轉經，昏於神性，不免輪迴。佛是閑人，何用驅驅廣求名利，後時何用？但不見性人，讀經念佛，長學精進；六時行道，長坐不臥；廣學多聞，以為佛法。此等眾生，盡是謗佛法人。

This highlights the significant difference between Chan and traditional Buddhism. While both share similar metaphysical concepts, Buddhism possibly gains insights through meditation and spiritual experiences but remains confined within the realm of metaphysical knowledge. Without dismantling the framework of the self, it doesn't truly break free from delusion. This is evident in practices like the Six Paramitas and the verbose, intricate scriptures, which may cultivate virtue but do not necessarily lead to the realization of one’s true nature.

If seeking the Buddha, one must see the true nature. The nature is Buddha. The Buddha is at peace and free of trouble and effort. Without seeing one’s true nature, one remains perplexed, drifting aimlessly through life, constantly seeking outward but never discovering the Buddha.

若要覓佛，直須見性。性即是佛，佛即是自在人，無事無作人。若不見性，終日茫茫，向外馳求，覓佛元來不得。

To seek the Buddha, one must see the true nature. Seeing one’s true nature is Buddha. If not seeing the true nature, then chanting the Buddha's name, reciting scriptures, observing vegetarian practices, and keeping precepts have no benefit. Chanting the Buddha's name may bring good karma, reciting scriptures may bring intelligence, observing precepts may lead to rebirth in heaven, and offering may bring blessing—but never meet Buddha. 

若欲覓佛，須是見性，見性即是佛。若不見性，念佛誦經持齋持戒亦無益處。念佛得因果，誦經得聰明，持戒得生天，布施得福報，覓佛終不得也。

More precisely, practices such as chanting the Buddha's name, reciting scriptures, following a vegetarian diet, and observing precepts won’t lead you to realize your true nature. Conversely, once you see the true nature, then such practices are unnecessary. This resonates with the earlier text: “Buddha doesn’t recite scriptures, doesn’t observe precepts, doesn’t break precepts, doesn’t uphold or violate, and doesn’t do good or evil.”

“I have come to this land to teach the instantaneous path of Enlightenment, where the mind itself is Buddha. There is no emphasis on precepts, diligence, or austerity. Entering fire and water, standing on a sword wheel, eating once a day, and sitting for long hours without lying down—those are all deviated paths and conditioned practices.”

「吾今來此土，唯傳頓教大乘，即心是佛，不言持戒精進苦行。乃至入水火，登於劍輪，一食長坐不臥，盡是外道有為法。」

The instantaneous path to Enlightenment refers to awakening through a direct, immediate realization: ‘directly pointing to the heart, seeing one’s true nature, and becoming a Buddha.’ This contrasts with the slow, gradual approach taught in traditional Buddhism, which involves progressing through multiple stages over countless lifetimes and eons. 

Austerities, enduring extreme hardships—eating only once a day or sitting for long periods without lying down—are all conditioned practices. Without realizing the inherent awakened nature, even if the body is reduced to dust, one still cannot find the true self.

All speech arises from the sage's heart. The functional body is inherently empty. Words cannot reach it, so how could any scriptures explain it? 

The way (道) is perfect. It requires no practice and attainment. The way has no sound or visual. It is subtle and difficult to perceive. Only one who drinks water know how cold or warm it is, yet is unable to explain it to others. Only the Tathagata (another term for Buddha) knows, while others, whether human or deities are unaware. The awareness of common people falls short, so they cling and attach to appearances. One does not realize that the essence of the nature of the mind is emptiness. Thus, one attaches to the appearances of phenomena, falling into a deviated path. If one realizes that all phenomena arise from the mind, one should not attach to it. Attachment implies a lack of realization. 

Once one realizes their inherent nature, all scriptures become nothing more than idle words. Thousands of scriptures and countless teachings exist solely to guide one toward the realization of the mind’s true nature. But once this is realized, what need is there for further teachings? The ultimate truth transcends language; teachings are merely words, not the true path. The way is inherently wordless, and any attempt to describe it is, in itself, delusion.

所有言說，皆是聖人從心起用。用體本來空，名言猶不及，十二部經憑何得及。

道本圓成，不用修證。道非聲色，微妙難見。如人飲水，冷暖自知，不可向人說也。唯有如來能知，餘人天等類，都不覺知。凡夫智不及，所以有執相。不了自心本來空寂，妄執相及一切法即墮外道。若知諸法從心生，不應有執，執即不知。

若見本性，十二部經總是閑文字。千經萬論只是明心，言下契會，教將何用？至理絕言；教是語詞，實不是道。道本無言，言說是妄。

This resonates with U.G. Krishnamurti’s statement in the book The Natural State. 

“Knowledge must come to an end. Your wanting to know only adds momentum to your knowledge.”

Knowledge is a double-edged sword. While it is essential for dismantling the framework of the self, abandoning knowledge or words would be foolish. However, knowledge can also become a constraint, trapping us in a particular framework of thinking. Many focus on accumulating knowledge rather than using it as a tool to break free from self-imposed false beliefs. As a result, instead of leading to liberation, knowledge becomes another layer of attachment.

This is often the case for those who study scriptures rigorously without truly engaging in the practices. They talk about letting go, yet are reluctant to let their personal belief go. It’s also common in many philosophical arguments—speculating about abstract and metaphysical concepts—yet offering little in practical application. Concepts like illusion, dualism, and the afterlife may provide insight into how the world operates, but prolonged discussion on these matters is merely beating around the bush. It may satisfy the brain’s craving for knowledge, yet it does little to advance one's spiritual journey. It’s also like studying the purpose and function of every tool in a toolbox, becoming an expert on all tools, yet never getting your hands dirty to build.