The Dharma gate of non-duality

 The Dharma gate of non-duality is the Dharma gate of “not two.” In other words, it is where dualities are no longer discriminated. If one wishes to write about realizing and entering the Dharma gate of non-duality on this site, one would still have to use words and language. For example:

– Birth and death: If you clearly understand that phenomena have never truly arisen and never truly ceased, you attain the patience of non-arising.

– Self and what belongs to the self: Because of attachment to a self, one becomes attached to what belongs to the self. If one clearly understands that there is no self and no possession of a self.

– Grasping and non-grasping: Clearly understanding non-grasping and having nothing to attain. Because there is nothing to attain, there is neither increase nor decrease, neither doing nor resting, and no attachment to any phenomenon.

– Defilement and purity: Clearly understanding that defilement and purity are not two; then there is no discrimination. Completely cutting off discrimination, one moves toward the trace of quiescent extinction.

– Distraction and thought: Clearly understanding that there is no distraction and no object to be thought about; therefore there is no mental fabrication. Abiding in non-distraction and having no object of thought, there is no mental fabrication.

– Form and formlessness: Clearly understanding that phenomena have no single form, no other form, and no absence of form; then one knows that one form, another form, and no form are all equal.

– Bodhisattva and Śrāvaka: Clearly understanding that the nature of both minds is empty, like an illusion. There is no Bodhisattva mind and no Śrāvaka mind. The characteristics of both minds are equal and equally illusory.

– Good and evil: Clearly understanding that neither goodness nor evil has a place of origination. Form and formlessness are equally balanced, neither grasped nor abandoned.

– Sin and no sin: Clearly understanding that sin and no sin are equal. Through vajra-like wisdom one comprehends that phenomena are neither bound nor released.

– Conditioned defilements and freedom from defilements: Clearly understanding that the nature of all phenomena is equal. Regarding defiled and undefiled states, there is no dual conception. One does not cling to the conception of existence nor to the conception of non-existence.

– Conditioned and unconditioned: Clearly understanding that the nature of both is equal. One departs from all activities, with awakened wisdom like empty space. Wisdom is pure, neither grasping nor rejecting.

– Worldly and transcendental: Clearly understanding that the nature of the world is empty and tranquil—neither entering nor leaving, neither flowing nor dispersing, neither lost nor attached.

– Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa: Clearly understanding that the nature of saṃsāra is originally empty, with neither transmigration nor extinction.

– Finite and infinite: Clearly understanding that there is ultimately neither finitude nor infinitude. Only complete exhaustion is called exhaustion. If one reaches complete exhaustion, there is no longer exhaustion; this is called inexhaustibility. In every instant there is certainly no finitude; this itself is inexhaustibility. Because finitude does not exist, inexhaustibility also does not exist. One clearly knows that the nature of both finitude and inexhaustibility is emptiness.

– Self and non-self: Clearly understanding that even self cannot be grasped, much less non-self. One sees that self and non-self are not two.

– Knowledge and ignorance: Clearly understanding that the nature of ignorance is knowledge. Neither knowledge nor ignorance can be grasped or measured. Going beyond all calculation, one directly contemplates the equality of both without duality.

– Form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness with emptiness: Understanding that the nature of the grasped aggregates is originally empty. Form itself is emptiness; it is not that form must cease before it becomes emptiness. The same applies to consciousness.

– The four elements and emptiness: Understanding that the four elements are themselves the nature of empty space. The nature of the four elements and emptiness is never distorted before, during, or after; thus one awakens and enters all elements.

– Eye–form, ear–sound, nose–smell, tongue–taste, body–touch, mind–dharmas: Clearly understanding that the nature of all is emptiness. Seeing the true nature of the eye in relation to forms, there is no greed, hatred, or delusion. Likewise, seeing the true nature of the mind in relation to dharmas, there is no greed, hatred, or delusion. All are thus empty. Having seen in this way, one abides in stillness.

– The nature of generosity and dedication to omniscient wisdom: Likewise, distinguishing the nature of morality, patience, diligence, meditation, Prajñā, and dedication to omniscient wisdom creates duality. If one clearly understands the nature of generosity, one has already dedicated it to omniscient wisdom. The nature of dedication to omniscient wisdom is itself generosity. Likewise, up to the very nature of Prajñā, it is the nature of dedication to omniscient wisdom, and that dedication is itself Prajñā.

– Emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness: Clearly understanding that within emptiness there are no signs at all. Within signlessness there is also no wish. Within wishlessness there is no mind, no intention, and no consciousness to move.

– Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha: Clearly understanding that the nature of Buddha is the nature of Dharma, and Dharma is the nature of Saṅgha. Thus the Three Jewels are all unconditioned characteristics, equal to empty space. All phenomena are likewise.

– View of self and the cessation of self-view: Clearly understanding that self-view itself is the cessation of self-view. Knowing this ultimate truth, one does not generate self-view. Regarding self-view and its cessation, there is no discrimination, no distinction. One realizes the ultimate cessation of both without doubt or fear.

– The three disciplines of body, speech, and mind: Clearly understanding that these three disciplines are all characteristics of non-action. This characteristic is not two. Why? Because the three karmic paths are all characteristics of non-action. The non-active characteristic of body is the non-active characteristic of speech. The non-active characteristic of speech is the non-active characteristic of mind. The non-active characteristic of mind is the signless characteristic of all phenomena. If one enters the characteristic of non-fabrication, that is realization and entry into the Dharma gate of non-duality.

– Actions of sin, merit, and immovability: Clearly understanding that actions of sin, merit, and immovability are all characteristics of non-action. This characteristic is not two. Why? Because the nature and characteristics of all three are emptiness. Within that emptiness there is no distinction among sinful, meritorious, and immovable actions.

– All dualities arise because of the self. If one knows the true nature of the self, duality does not arise. Because duality does not arise, there is no discrimination. Because there is no discrimination, there is no object of discrimination.

– All dualities arise because of attainment. If one clearly understands that all phenomena are utterly unattainable, there is neither grasping nor abandoning. Having neither grasped nor abandoned.

– Light and darkness: If one clearly knows that ultimate reality is neither dark nor bright, its nature is not two. Just as a bhikṣu in the attainment of cessation has neither light nor darkness, so too are all phenomena. One comprehends the equality of phenomena in this way.

– Delight in Nirvāṇa and aversion to saṃsāra: If one clearly understands that there is nothing to delight in or reject regarding Nirvāṇa and saṃsāra, then there is no duality. Why? Because one seeks liberation only when bound by saṃsāra. If there is absolutely no longer any bondage of saṃsāra, why seek Nirvāṇa and liberation? Understanding this, there is neither bondage nor liberation, neither delight in Nirvāṇa nor aversion to saṃsāra.

– Right path and wrong path: If one abides in the right path, then following the wrong path is completely absent. Because there is no such activity, there are no two characteristics of right and wrong paths. Because these two characteristics are removed, there are no two forms of awareness. Without dual awareness, one realizes and enters the Dharma gate of non-duality.

– False and true: If one contemplates the nature of ultimate truth and does not even see “truth,” how could one see “falsehood”? Why? Because this nature is not seen by the fleshly eye; only the wisdom eye sees it. Seeing in this way, with regard to all phenomena one does not see, yet it is not non-seeing.

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With the examples above, although they may all be perfect, expressing them in this way is still called “two.” If, regarding all phenomena, there is no writing, no speaking, no conceptualization, no expression, no indication; if one departs from all conceptual elaboration and completely ends discrimination, that is realization and entry into the Dharma gate of non-duality.

We could write another hundred treatises, and you could read another thousand commentaries and scriptures. You might gain profound understanding of the Dharma teachings, yet still find it difficult to realize and enter the Dharma gate of non-duality.

Why?

Because to realize and enter the Dharma gate of non-duality, there can be absolutely no discrimination based on words and language. Therefore, the words we have written are as though nothing was written. The treatises you have read are as though unread. Discursive reasoning and verbal analysis are no longer present. Only then is there realization and entry into the Dharma gate of non-duality.