The Awakening of Consciousness (13)
The Buddha teaches: The ten realms are but the mind. All phenomena arise from consciousness. The Buddha said: The ten dharma realms are created by my one mind. All things manifest from consciousness.
All phenomena in the world are manifestations of the mind and consciousness. The Buddha appears in the world solely to address one great matter: how to subdue one’s own heart. Consciousness is the true heart; seeing is the true nature. Beings inherently possess the wisdom of prajna, which can cut off the roots of affliction. There are eighty-four thousand dharma doors to counteract eighty-four thousand afflictions. These are not rare treasures of the world; they are treasures that belong to oneself, only you have yet to uncover them.
For those who have just awakened, the most challenging obstacle is overcoming their illusory or deceptive mind. The initial awakening period also stimulates one’s ability to sense and connect with information from the dharma realm. Coupled with ignorance and misunderstanding of this realm, individuals rely on their own perceptions and acquired information to interpret messages conveyed by the dharma realm, distinguishing beings as either gods or ghosts, either Buddhas or demons. This gives rise to phenomena that seem to create something out of nothing, constantly changing with one’s own conscious feelings. Thoughts arising from illusions attempt to explain the existence of the dharma realm, leading one into confusion and unrest, unsure whether they are encountering a divine spirit or a malevolent presence—whether it is a godly visitation or an invasion by dark forces. The connection with information from this realm relies on personal feelings rather than wisdom for discerning beings within it. If one feels comfortable and peaceful, they may imagine it as a divine visitation; if they feel discomfort and aversion, fear arises in their heart, leading them to suspect that demons or ghosts may be obstructing them. Various illusory imaginations arise when thoughts that create something out of nothing occur, burdening one’s spirit with heavy invisible pressure—this is a departure from the essence of life itself. Everything around—people and events—is what should be faced and borne in the present moment, not born from illusory fantasies about an unknowable world.
Why do practitioners often suffer interference from beings in the dharma realm? It is due to your own arising thoughts resonating with this realm. Daily actions create good and evil karma; when ignorance stirs up illusory thoughts, it reaches a certain magnetic resonance with the dharma realm naturally connecting you with it. Good connects you with benevolent beings; evil connects you with malevolent ones. Beings in this realm inherently possess spiritual powers but remain entangled in afflictions due to attachments to good while not letting go of evil. If practitioners engage in practices that oscillate between extremes—continuing actions without relinquishing good or evil—they will encounter distinctions between right and wrong through their senses; agitation arises within their hearts alongside incessant illusory thoughts created by desires without rest. In such states of ignorance, one remains continuously connected with beings in this realm who may confuse or disturb them at will. If one’s heart does not awaken and this connection continues unabated, they find themselves trapped in an illusory state where reckless desires prevail; interference from this realm will lead you into endless unrest.
Afflictions arise from ignorance; choices stem from love and hate—phenomena emerge from within one’s own heart as illusions born out of emptiness.
A single mind can give rise to myriad phenomena; all phenomena ultimately return to one mind. When lost in delusion, myriad phenomena scatter; when awakened, it returns once more to one mind.
by – Master Liu Hongming