4.All appearances are false

The sutras say: "All appearances are false." They also say: "Wherever you are, there is a buddha." Your mind is the buddha, do not use a buddha to worship a buddha.

All appearances are false. What is "appearance"? In daily life, all things we can see, hear, and have contact with are called appearances; all appearances are false and unreal.

As mentioned before, the colors and shapes we see do not actually exist; they are false appearances. Scientists explain that colors, shapes, etc. are images that appear in the brain. Buddhism believes that these are all illusions produced in our mind. Both mean the same thing.

Wherever you are, there is a buddha. Wherever people are, there is a buddha. Why? Since the mind is where the person is, the nature of mind and buddha nature are also there. Do not look for a buddha outside; the real buddha is in your own mind.

Your mind is the buddha, so you should not worship a buddha. Your own mind is the buddha, so do not use a buddha to worship a buddha. It is meaningless. Moreover, the buddha inside is the dharmakaya buddha, a buddha in the true sense; the buddha outside is just the image of a buddha.

Take note that the discussion here is on the essence of mind. In our everyday life, the mind operates at the superficial level – when we feel the slightest physical discomfort or hear a few bad words from others, we will know then whether we are a buddha. I have also talked about the fault of denying causation before; this is particularly important.

These insights in Chan Buddhism are very profound and must be understood correctly, otherwise problems can easily arise. For example, from the perspective of enlightenment, there is indeed nothing to pay homage to, our own mind is the buddha; but some people may think in this case the buddha does not exist. Originally, I was very happy thinking that I am a buddha, but then I heard that the buddha no longer exists. What should I do? Problems such as this will arise.

Or for instance, some people think that Chan practitioners do not need to prostrate and pay respect to the buddha statues. This is not right. Although everyone knows that a buddha statue is not the real buddha, just as a photo is not the real person, the buddha statue that has been consecrated in a tantric ceremony has a special power, which is the blessing of the buddha. Even buddha statues that have not been consecrated contain blessings and energy, which stem from the power and vows of buddhas and bodhisattvas who have practiced over many lifetimes. This is why we pray to the buddhas and bodhisattvas for help.

Although we do not need to rely on external buddhas to realize the inherent emptiness and clarity of the mind, as a Buddhist, we should still treat buddha images and Buddhist scriptures with reverence. Moreover, people who practice Chan need to accumulate blessings, so they also need to make offerings to and worship the buddha. This may not be necessary if your spiritual practice has reached a very high level and you can complete offerings and worship in meditative concentration. However, even a bodhisattva like Nagarjuna, who is almost the equivalent of a buddha, paid respect to the buddha statues, and worshiped the buddha, let alone ordinary people like us who practice meditation!

Some views of Chan Buddhism are concise and profound; few words are used, so sometimes they are easy to misinterpret. The reason Chan asserts there is no need to worship the external buddha is because we have an attachment to the external buddha, and we worship and make offerings to the buddha with attachment. From the perspective of Chan, such attachment is wrong. But for the unenlightened who cannot let go of their attachments, these methods will help in gradually reaching the state of non-attachment; to attain this state, a process is required. Therefore, we must clearly make this distinction.

Even if a buddha or bodhisattva suddenly appears before you, there is no need to pay homage. This mind of ours is empty and without form; those who hold on to appearances are devils; they fall into the wrong path. 

The following content is very important for practitioners and is emphasized again and again in tantra. Everyone should pay special attention to it.

Even if a buddha or bodhisattva suddenly appears before you. "Appear before" means to be present in front of us. When we are in meditation, or even in daily life, we may suddenly see buddhas, bodhisattvas, deities, ghosts, gods, Dharma protectors, etc. before us. These are not visualizations, but actual appearances. What should we do at this time?

There is no need to pay homage. Whether it is the Buddha's mandala, Amitabha Buddha, or Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, do not show reverence or awe. There is nothing to do, just keep meditating. This is very important.

The great master Gampopa was a very outstanding disciple of Milarepa. He studied under him for thirteen months. When he was meditating one day, he saw Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva everywhere in the sky; moreover, there was a moon wheel on the top of each deity's head. So, he went to Milarepa for an explanation and was told that this is neither a merit nor a fault, it is a phenomenon caused by the workings of the vital points within the energy channels; it does not matter whether it is good or bad, it can be ignored.

Another time, Gampopa saw images of hell while meditating and felt very uncomfortable and frightened. The next day, he consulted Milarepa again. Milarepa said that these images appeared because a certain posture of the body is incorrect during meditation, which causes the vital points within the energy channels to operate abnormally; this is neither merit nor fault, just let it fend for itself and leave it alone.

Later, Gampopa also saw many mandalas of the deity. Milarepa still said these are nothing to worry about. Sure enough, these phenomena eventually disappeared on their own.

Practitioners will encounter many such situations, both good and bad. There is, for instance, the true story of a modern-day practitioner of kusali chod.

The kusali chod or cutting through method is a special practice in Tibetan Buddhism. The practitioners go to sacred mountains or places where ordinary people dare not offend, and intentionally incur the wrath of the mundane spirits there; when the ghosts and gods are angered, thunder, strong winds, and other terrifying signs appear immediately. In the face of fear, people have a heightened sense of self; the cutting through method is used at this moment to bring out the ego that is not usually obvious, then rely on the wisdom of emptiness to cut through it. Everyone knows the Diamond Sutra – the wisdom of Prajnaparamita is like a sword that can eradicate self-attachment.

This practitioner had a recurring problem whenever he meditated; something like a balloon or an animal's stomach would fall from the ceiling each time. He hated it so much that he wanted to stab it. One day, he took out a knife and was about to make a move when suddenly he had doubts, so he decided to consult his master first. The master told him not to rush but to put a mark on it and see. He did as he was told; when he looked the next day, the mark unexpectedly appeared on his stomach! If he had stabbed it with a knife at that time, he would have been in a lot of trouble.

Another practitioner was Master Xuyun, who at one time was practicing in Zhongnan Mountain. Perhaps because of the harsh conditions there, one morning when meditating in the hut, he thought of eating noodles; a female donor then brought him a bucket of noodles in the afternoon. Xuyun usually abstained from food after midday, but because of his craving for noodles, he thought about it for a long time and accepted the offering. While making offerings to the buddha and reciting mantras before taking food, Xuyun became suspicious when the woman suddenly ran away; when he came back, he discovered that there were no noodles at all in the bucket, only caterpillars!

These are all real situations that practitioners encountered. We need not worry since neither good nor bad situations are likely to occur at our current stage of practice. Nonetheless, we should still know the method in advance and be prepared, in the event this kind of situation turns up in the future.

In short, if something extraordinary suddenly appears in front of us during meditation, we are overjoyed, thinking it confirms the state of our spiritual realization, and become attached to it, then we are under the spell of demons! These so-called demons are obstacles to spiritual practice. The best way at this moment is to ignore all appearances and continue to meditate.

This mind of ours is empty and without form. Our mind is empty, so there can be no Amitabha or Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. These phenomena are all illusory and can be ignored. We do not have anything to fear even if images of hell and devils appear; the nature of mind is clarity, so these things cannot really exist. If we hold on to this belief, there will be no obstacles. This is the only way to solve the problem.

As Milarepa said, due to the operation of the inner energy channels of the human body, the senses will produce certain phenomena. Just as in a dream, these phenomena seem to be outside, but in fact they are not. For example, sometimes certain things that appear in front of you can be seen even if you close your eyes; this fully shows that they do not exist in the outside world. So where are they? Tantra has a clear explanation for this. These phenomena are in fact in our central channel and can be perceived through the eye consciousness. Therefore, if they appear to be external buddhas or demons, we need not pay attention to them.

Such manifestations will occur unexpectedly not only during meditation, but also in the bardo stage after death; many buddhas and various terrifying phenomena can be seen, and various terrifying sounds can be heard. The person in the bardo thinks that these sounds and phenomena are external; in fact, they all occur in his or her mind. This is the exact experience of someone suffering from tinnitus.

At this time, people who have never engaged in practice will really be frightened, but practitioners understand that all these are phenomena of the mind which they can deal with calmly. "My mind is empty, and it is without form." If this thought comes up when you are in the bardo, that would be excellent!

Dzogchen talks about many bardo practices, of which there are two key points: first, everything is a phenomenon of the mind; second, the mind is inherently emptiness and clear light. Understand these two points, and all horrifying phenomena will disappear immediately. These concise treatises of Bodhidharma are basically not simple or ordinary exoteric treatises in sutra; they contain a lot of esoteric content.

Those who hold on to appearances are devils. If you think that this is the emergence of the Three Saints of the West or the tantric mandala, and you become attached to it, this is the demon, that is, an obstacle to spiritual practice.

Some phenomena are neither good nor bad; if we do not cling to them, they will not have any impact on our practice. But if we develop even a trace of attachment to them and think that we have reached a certain level of realization, they will immediately become an obstacle to our practice. This is exactly what tantra teaches.

They fall into the wrong path. When practicing emptiness, these attachments are to be discarded.

If illusions arise from the mind, there is no need to bow. Those who worship do not know, and those who know do not worship; to worship is to be possessed by the devil. I say this because I am afraid practitioners do not understand it.

If illusions arise from the mind, there is no need to bow. These phenomena are all illusions born of the mind; since they are illusions, there is no need to bow.

For example, when we meditate and the Three Saints of the West appear in front of us, this is in fact our illusion. If so, why worship an illusion? At this time, do not leave the state of meditative concentration, but continue to practice emptiness. Gampopa once saw the thousand buddhas of the bhadra kalpa while meditating, and reported this to Milarepa the next day. Milarepa gave him the same answer: this is a projection of the vital points of your own inner energy; it is neither good nor bad, so remain undistracted and do not become attached to it! Therefore, if we see the Three Saints of the West while meditating, it would be wrong to immediately stand up and bow.

Those who worship do not know. At this time, a person who does not know that this is an illusion will immediately get up and bow. Those who know do not worship. A person who knows that this is an illusion will naturally not pay reverence.

To worship is to be possessed by the devil. If you regard these illusions as the real Three Saints of the West to worship, you will be possessed by demons. Because after developing attachment, they become obstacles to the practice.

I say this because I am afraid practitioners do not understand it. The above sentences are extremely important. Bodhidharma was worried that later practitioners would not understand it, so he specially emphasized and explained these principles as clearly as possible.

As for various situations that arise during meditation, tantra provides many solutions. Among them, there is an excellent method that covers everything, which Bodhidharma taught: whether you see heaven or hell, good or bad, do not dwell on it; know that everything is an illusion of the mind; simply continue to meditate, with the mind calm and undistracted in emptiness. This is the unsurpassed way.

As mentioned before, these phenomena are inherently not a problem, but if you develop an attachment to them, they become obstacles. For example, when practicing kusali chod, so long as the practitioner ignores the terrifying phenomena that appear, no harm is done; but with only a little attachment and a bit of fear, one can immediately fall ill and may even die. Just like a mobile phone signal: if the recipient does not respond, the signal has no effect at all; only when the recipient picks up will the ringtone sound. In the same way, it is our attachment to these phenomena that gives them power.

My fellow practitioners often ask how they should deal with different kinds of sensations that come up during meditation. Actually, most of these are our own illusions and hallucinations, and there is no need to pay attention to them. The human body is very intricate; sometimes certain drugs can also affect the nervous system, resulting in various strange phenomena. Therefore, whether we are meditating or dreaming, we should take all these phenomena in stride. Even if they are the actual blessings of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, we should continue to practice unperturbed, because the true nature of mind is the dharmakaya, the ultimate buddha among the three kayas.

As Buddhists, we must not be superstitious. When some people see rainbows, iridescent clouds, or similar natural phenomena, they immediately associate them with the auspicious signs of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. They prostrate with excitement, and even burst into tears. This kind of fervor is inappropriate. We must remain calm and rational, and approach everything with wisdom.

For example, the so-called “buddha's light” that everyone sees is also a natural phenomenon. Even if we are not at a sacred site, a rainbow will appear when there is fog all around and the sun shines behind us. This rainbow may well be an actual blessing of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, but it is still just a natural phenomenon which we need not worship blindly.

Of course, the buddhas and bodhisattvas will appear in various forms, but please do not hastily label ambiguous phenomena as their manifestations. Otherwise, people will think that the followers of Buddhism are a group of superstitious people, which leaves a poor impression. In fact, Buddhism is a religion that places utmost emphasis on reason and true principles. Therefore, Buddhist practitioners should not pay too much attention to these external phenomena. As stated in the scriptures, the buddha is basically in our own mind.

In sum, if various feelings arise during practice in the future, just ignore them. Simply continue to practice emptiness, and everything will be fine. Bodhidharma’s advice on this matter is profoundly important. If you encounter such situations in the future, you need not ask around as the answer is already very clearly stated here. Be sure to remember this.

The true nature of all the buddhas and tathagatas is without form, this we must remember. 

The true nature of all buddhas and tathagatas is without form. This sentence means that the true body of all buddhas and tathagatas is the dharmakaya and clear light, which is free of all form.

As we all know, in Tibetan Buddhism, a mandala is dedicated to the buddha; enshrined in the mandala are all kinds of wrathful and peaceful deities, male and female. In addition, the mandala is classified as either fully revealed truth or partially revealed truth. The so-called "partially revealed truth" means that it is not real or ultimate. All the mandalas we see and visualize using the generation stage method belong to this category; they are not ultimate. What is the real mandala of the buddha? It is the nature of our mind, that is, the dharmakaya; it has no appearance, color, or image, only this is the mandala of fully revealed truth.

It can thus be seen the teachings in tantra are not different from that expounded in the Platform Sutra and the Bloodstream Treatise. Moreover, these practical tips are difficult to find in ordinary scriptures and are very important for practitioners.

This we must remember. Therefore, you must pay attention to these words mentioned before.

If something unusual appears, do not pay attention to it, do not fear, do not doubt; your mind is basically pure, how can there be forms? 

If something unusual appears, do not pay attention to it. When practicing, so long as there are special appearances, such as the hell realm that Gampopa saw, the buddha, the mandala of a deity, as well as many strange things and changes in nature like solar and lunar eclipses, do not pay attention to them. If we just continue to practice, these problems will not affect us at all.

Do not fear. Do not be afraid either. For example, when we see hell or various changes in nature, we may think it is inauspicious and worry that something bad will happen. This is unnecessary.

Do not doubt. Do not question whether it is a deity that you see or if it is a sign that your practice has reached a certain level. It is none of these.

Your mind is basically pure, how can there be forms? The only thing you need to know is that your mind is basically pure and free of forms. All appearances are illusions.

Even if you see devas, dragons, yakshas, ghosts, or divine beings, do not pay homage or harbor fear; your mind is inherently empty, all appearances are illusions, do not cling to these appearances. If you envision a buddha, a dharma, or a bodhisattva and bow to them, you descend into the world of mortals. 

Even if you see devas, dragons, yakshas, ghosts, or divine beings. If you see devas, dragons, ghosts, yakshas (an ugly, man-eating ghost, brave and violent, later converted by the Buddha to become a Dharma protector, also designated as one of eight classes of demi-gods and semi-devils); or if you see King Indra, King Brahma, buddhas and bodhisattvas, do not pay homage; there is no need to pay reverence even to the buddha; do not be afraid when you see horrific scenes such as hell. Because your mind is inherently empty, and all appearances are illusions. This is a principle Bodhidharma repeated many times.

Do not cling to these appearances. So long as you do not hold on to these appearances, it is not a problem. If you envision a buddha, a dharma, or a bodhisattva and bow to them, that is, if you have an attachment to the buddha, you see the mandala of a buddha as the real buddha, then start to cry, prostrate, and burn incense...what will happen? You descend into the world of mortals. 

If you want to be enlightened directly, you will succeed just by staying free of attachment. I have nothing more to add. Therefore, the sutras say: "All appearances are false." Having no fixed reality or form, they are impermanent. If you do not cling to appearances, you are of one mind with the buddha. Therefore, the sutras say: "Being free from all appearances is the buddha." 

If you want to be enlightened directly. If you want to attain realization directly, you will succeed just by staying free of attachment. I have nothing more to add. So long as you do not cling to any form, there is nothing more to say.

The sutras say: All appearances are false. Having no fixed reality or form, they are impermanent. The Buddhist scriptures say that all appearances are illusory and unreal, so whether it is a mandala or a ghost, they are uncertain and everchanging, and do not truly exist on their own.

If you do not cling to appearances, you are of one mind with the buddha. So long as you do not hold on to any form, you are in line with the buddha's will.

The sutras say: Being free from all appearances is the buddha. Therefore, the Buddhist scriptures say that a person who is free from all appearances is called a buddha.

Question: Why shouldn't we pay homage to the buddhas and bodhisattvas? Answer : The demons, mara, and asuras possess the power of manifestation and can appear as bodhisattvas. All kinds of transformations are those of heretics, not the buddha. The buddha is your own mind, so do not misdirect your reverence.” 

Question: Why shouldn't we pay homage to the buddhas and bodhisattvas? Some people may ask, since they have seen the buddhas and bodhisattvas with their own eyes, why can't they pay homage to them?

Answer: The demons, mara, and asuras possess the power of manifestation and can appear as bodhisattvas. All kinds of transformations are those of heretics, not the buddha. Because what we see may not be the buddha or bodhisattva, but the demon, mara, or asura instead, their intention being to hinder the practice of practitioners by allowing them to be happy when they see good phenomena and fearful when they see bad phenomena. In the end, these become obstacles to spiritual practice.

The buddha is your own mind, so do not misdirect your reverence. The real buddha is the nature of your mind, so know what you are paying homage to.

However, if we have truly realized the deity through practice, we may also see the real buddha and bodhisattva; at this time, if we treat them as demons and monsters, it will be an obstacle to our realization. Nonetheless, even if we see the real buddha, bodhisattva and mandala, we must know that these are projections of the dharmakaya in our own mind. The dharmakaya is the real buddha. No matter how supreme the buddha is, he cannot transcend the nature of mind.

To sum up, if you suddenly see buddhas and bodhisattvas during meditation, there are three possibilities:

First, due to the operation of the inner energy channels and vital points, some buddhas and bodhisattvas appear, as in a dream. This situation neither helps nor hinders practice, just leave it as is.

Second, to interfere with and hinder the practice of practitioners, Mara and asuras deliberately transform into various images or mandalas of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, causing practitioners to become attached and overjoyed, and subsequently develop arrogance. This ultimately becomes an obstacle to practice.

Third, you see the real buddha and bodhisattva, or mandala of the buddha.

No matter what situation arises, remain undistracted; do not cling to the appearance or become fearful, and do not bow or worship the buddha. The best way is to continue to dwell in the empty and clear light nature of mind.

Milarepa also said: "Clinging to demons as the devil results in harm, recognizing their presence as the mind brings liberation, and realizing they are emptiness cuts through the self. Before you realize the nature of mind, demons in the form of male or female rakshasas are still demons, creating obstacles and causing harm; if you realize they are the deity, all siddhis arise from within.” If you cling to the devil as a devil, you will encounter difficulties; if you see the devil as an illusion of the mind or emptiness, you will be liberated.

This content in the Bloodstream Treatise generally does not appear in the scriptures in sutra. Please remember it is of great value to those who practice it!