The human mind has a particular characteristic: concepts can deceive it and temporarily suppress some of its perceptions. Yet the mind never truly believes concepts. For example, if you constantly tell someone, “Your mother is a bad person. Your mother is a bad person. She really is a bad person...,” ten thousand times over, he may temporarily accept it. But one day, when he grows up and actually meets his mother, that seemingly solid concept may collapse instantly. The reason our minds can sometimes be deceived is that conceptual constructs have not genuinely aligned with the mind.
In other words, we should not deceive our own minds. To avoid doing so, we must thoroughly understand these principles for ourselves. We need to reflect deeply: Why should we seek liberation from saṃsāra? Is saṃsāra truly so terrifying? Do hell realms really exist as Śākyamuni Buddha taught? Is there truly rebirth within the six realms? How can we bring our minds to genuinely believe these teachings? To do so, we must study Madhyamaka and Yogācāra.
For Chinese lay practitioners, if they wish to generate genuine renunciation and bodhicitta, merely studying the basic text The Words of My Perfect Teacher is not sufficient. Having received decades of scientific education, Chinese lay practitioners often need to understand the underlying logic before they are willing to believe. If one wishes to truly believe in rebirth through understanding the reasoning, one must study Madhyamaka and Yogācāra, and study them deeply and contemplate them deeply. Only then is it possible to truly believe in rebirth.
Only when we truly believe in rebirth will we develop the wish to escape saṃsāra, thereby giving rise to genuine renunciation. If our desire to transcend saṃsāra becomes strong, and the scriptures teach that bodhicitta is indispensable for liberation from saṃsāra, then we will naturally develop a powerful aspiration to generate bodhicitta and become a bodhisattva. In this way, authentic bodhicitta arises and gradually grows stronger.
With strong bodhicitta, it becomes possible to tame the turbulent activities of the mind, restrain selfishness and emotional reactivity, and soften the mental continuum. Only when the continuum has become pliable can we begin to recognize what the continuum itself actually is. “Continuum” refers to the continuity of the ālayavijñāna, or more broadly, the continuity of body and mind. Buddhism does not regard the body as an inherently existent entity; rather, consciousness is constantly changing and flowing. Therefore, it is called a “continuum.” This is a remarkably apt term.
In fact, for those who wish to generate renunciation and bodhicitta—especially intellectuals—it may be beneficial to begin by examining the foundational theories of Buddhism and investigating whether Madhyamaka and Yogācāra are actually correct. If these systematic and fundamental doctrines prove to be valid, then one can confidently conclude that Buddhadharma is not superstition. Nor is it some elaborate deception orchestrated by Śākyamuni Buddha and a group of followers to entrap countless future generations within a massive hoax.
We can rationally analyze whether Madhyamaka and Yogācāra are true. If they are true, then saṃsāra must genuinely exist, and liberation from saṃsāra must also be possible. Such understanding can indeed be developed through study and contemplation. However, this remains only a theoretical understanding. If we merely study the theory without engaging in actual practice, sooner or later we will eventually reach a dead end where we can no longer read or digest the teachings.
—— Excerpted and compiled from The Relationship Between Buddhist Theory and Practice
This article is a preliminary translation draft and has not yet been reviewed or proofread by the speaker.
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