As mentioned earlier, in order to cultivaterenunciation and bodhicitta, one must first engage in the study and contemplation of the relevant sūtras and treatises. Conversely, studying and contemplating Madhyamaka and Yogācāra will also help us cultivategenuine renunciation and bodhicitta.
Why is this so? Because through study and contemplation, you come to realize, “Ah, so this is the true nature of the world.” Once the mind truly be convinced of this, renunciation naturally arises. And to put this into practice,, one must cultivate bodhicitta; then a strong aspiration to benefit others naturally arise. At present, however, our strongest inclination is to benefit ourselves. All our thoughts are directed toward self-interest.
For example, sometimes we do good deeds, engage in charity, or do volunteer work. Is this truly benefiting others? According to the Buddhist teachings, it may not necessarily be considered benefiting others. Why? Because, as the saying goes, “When you give someone roses, fragrance lingers on your hands.” Giving roses is the means; having fragrance linger on one’s hands is the goal. On the surface, it seems to be, “I want to do volunteer work; I want to help you!” But inwardly, one may actually be thinking that helping others will gain peace of mind. At its core, this is still benefiting oneself.
Buddihism teaches something different. The bodhicitta taught in Buddhism is purely for the sake of benefiting others; this is its sole purpose. Of course, in the course of benefiting others, one may experience positive results such as accumulating merit and purifying obscurations, but these are merely by-products . The fundamental motivation of Buddhist bodhicitta is to benefit others.
This requirement is very demanding. Everyone must study and contemplate it, and must practice accordingly; otherwise, there is no way to attain awakening. Just think about it: after attaining awakening, one becomes a bodhisattva, and a bodhisattva is the refuge and support for all sentient beings. How could a selfish bodhisattva possibly become someone sentient beings can rely upon? It is absolutely impossible.
Why do so many people fail to make progress in their practice? The fundamental reason is that they do not even have developed the basic qualities of renunciation and bodhicitta, instead, they are constantly fascinated by extraordinary phenomena: lights appearing in the east, flashes in the west, how remarkable this person is, how extraordinary that person is, and so on. Buddhism should not be judged by “special powers.” To do so is truly absurd. Once that happens, many “Buddhist myths” will be “exposed.”
We must engage in profound studying and contemplation of Buddhist principles, rather than merely accepting them at a superficial level. Therefore, we must learn and contemplate. We must not only practice on the cushion, but also apply the teachings in our daily lives..
The most crucial aspect is the study, contemplation, and practice of emptiness. Therefore, we should study Madhyamaka and Yogācāra, with Madhyamaka as the main focus.
When it comes to Yogācāra, many people think that it merely explains how conventional phenomena function—for example, that the mind consists of eight consciousnesses: eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, mental consciousness, manas consciousness, and ālaya consciousness, each with its own function. In fact, once a person has thoroughly studies Yogācāra well, one will understand their own mind very clearly. Yet this is only one of Yogācāra.
At a later stage, Yogācāra also speaks of the “tathāgatagarbha,” which belongs to Yogācāra in accordance with scripture. The description of the tathāgatagarbha is in fact also part of Madhyamaka, belonging to Other-Emptiness Madhyamaka. The Madhyamaka we previously studied is Prāsaṅgika Madhyamaka, which mainly teaches emptiness. As the Heart Sūtra states: “clearly seeing that the five aggregates are all empty… Śāriputra, form is not other than emptiness, emptiness is not other than form; form is emptiness, emptiness is form…” The Heart Sūtra basically presents the core content of Madhyamaka.
Studying Yogācāra can also greatly support the practice of Madhyamaka, but our primary focus should still be on Madhyamaka. So how do the study, contemplation and practice of Madhyamaka complement one another? First, we should study and contemplate the Madhyamaka sūtras and treatises as thoroughly as possible, examining them in a continuous and detailed way. This process of study , contemplation, and careful examination should continue until awakening.
Actually, saying “until awakening” is not entirely accurate. Even after awakening, one must continue to study and contemplate, because immediately after awakening, one ‘s realization is not yet stable ,or is it yet fully penetrating and unobstructed. . What does “not fully penetrating and unobstructed” mean? It means that one’s realization is not yet clear, expansive , and stable. Therefore, one must continue studying and contemplating. Even bodhisattvas from the third bhūmi to the eighth bhūmi are still engaged in study and contemplation. In other words, we must continue to study and contemplate throughout the entire path.
—Excerpted and edited 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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