Turning the hearing back to hear the Self-nature
In the Śūraṅgama Sutra, the method of “turning the hearing back to hear the self-nature; when the nature is realized, it becomes the unsurpass ed Way” taught by Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva carries precisely this meaning. The Śūraṅgama Sutra teaches us the method of reversing the six sense faculties. The Buddha mentioned only one faculty among the six external sense objects and spoke of turning it back to follow the self-nature: one should reverse the flow of the six faculties. This is called “turning hearing back,” using the word “hearing” as a symbol. In other words, the six faculties should not attach themselves to external objects, but instead should follow the intrinsic nature of the six faculties. That is correct. The intrinsic nature of the six faculties is one’s own True Suchness and original nature.
In the Śūraṅgama assembly, among the six faculties, the Buddha singled out the eye faculty. At the beginning of the Śūraṅgama Sutra there is a very long passage known as the “Ten Revelations of Seeing.” “Seeing” here is not visual consciousness, nor is it the “five-associated mental consciousnesses” that arise simultaneously with visual consciousness. It is not those. Once visual consciousness and the associated mental consciousnesses are left behind, what remains is the seeing-nature. The seeing-nature is the true nature. In the eyes it is called the nature of seeing; in the ears, the nature of hearing; in the nose, the nature of smelling. It is one nature, not two. If one can truly discover this, one attains the unsurpassed Way.
For this reason, Buddhism is called an “inner study.” One must turn inward, reflect the light back upon oneself, and not follow external circumstances. If one follows external circumstances, one will never attain the true reality. The Buddha teaches us to cultivate through this method.
“To observe, investigate, and examine thoroughly”: “Observe” means to comprehend with the mind; when the mind understands clearly, that is “observation.” The three words “observe,” “investigate,” and “examine” all mean “to understand clearly.” This clarity comes from direct realization, not from research, thinking, or reasoning. The moment one uses those methods—research, thinking, reasoning—one goes astray and falls into the realm of discriminating consciousness.
“To trace it to its root source” means to pursue it to the utmost and penetrate its deepest depths. Consider this: are we able to accomplish these three phrases—“turn the thought back and observe, investigate and examine thoroughly, trace it to its root source”? Why can we not do so? To speak frankly, our minds are too coarse. Here, a very subtle mind is required. What is a subtle mind? It is a mind in concentration, a pure mind. Therefore, we understand that the One Mind at the level of Principle comes after the One Mind at the level of Phenomena. If afflictions are not severed, there is no way to accomplish this practice. As long as we still have notions of right and wrong, self and others, greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, worries, gains and losses, there is no way to carry out this work. Only someone whose mind is extremely pure can do so.
“To investigate to the utmost”: investigation and realization are the work of concentration. Concentration is not “dead concentration”—rigid, lifeless, and inflexible. If it were dead concentration, there would be no contemplation within it. True concentration contains contemplation, as mentioned earlier: “turn the thought back and observe it.” In the Tiantai teaching this is called “cessation and contemplation practiced together.” In Chan, meditation is “stillness and reflection”: stillness is concentration, reflection is wisdom. It is “maintaining concentration and wisdom equally.” By applying this practice and deepening it sufficiently, one suddenly awakens. “Suddenly accords with one’s own original mind.” This is enlightenment. In Chan it is called “seeing one’s nature through understanding the mind”; in the doctrinal schools it is called “great and complete understanding.”
“Dharmas” are all phenomena. What is their wonder? What the eyes see is the nature of form. What the ears hear is the nature of sound. Whether one says “nature of sound” or “sound-nature,” the meaning is the same. In the Śūraṅgama Sutra, the Buddha said: “The six faculties, when in contact, are wondrous nature.” This is precisely “seeing the nature.” The eyes see the nature, the ears hear the nature, the nose smells the nature, the tongue tastes the nature, the body touches the nature. There is nothing that is not nature. Ordinarily, we use one phrase to express it: “understand the mind and see the nature.” Upon seeing the nature, one becomes a Buddha.
The Śūraṅgama Sutra says: “Arising at that very place, ceasing at that very place.” It is almost as though arising and ceasing occur simultaneously. If scientists were to study the Śūraṅgama Sutra, perhaps science would advance further and be able to verify the truths spoken of in the Buddhist scriptures. Today, we investigate in the wrong direction. We always assume that things occur in sequence and always assume that they have a beginning. Regarding the origins of the universe, life, and humanity, science constantly says they have a before and after, not realizing that they do not.
This can be understood and verified through dreams. When we dream, the dream world suddenly appears. Does that dream world arise in sequence? When one thing arises, everything arises. The moment we awaken, the dream disappears. When one thing ceases, everything ceases. It does not cease sequentially, nor does it arise sequentially. The phenomena of the entire universe are the same. This reveals the meaning of the “indestructible seal of mind.” Both the subject and the object are indestructible. The phenomena that appear are merely “continuity appearances.” Phenomena continuously appear and disappear, yet if one searches for true arising and ceasing, they cannot be found. Entering this state is called “attaining the Patience of the Unborn Dharma.”
“Unborn” means that all dharmas truly have no arising and no ceasing. If there is no arising and no ceasing, that is the unborn. If there is no arising, there is no extinction. “Dharmas” refers to all phenomena. “Patience” means acceptance. When one has seen this reality and accepts the Buddha’s teaching that “all dharmas are neither born nor destroyed,” this is called “attaining the Patience of the Unborn Dharma.” The truth that all dharmas are unborn and undying is the meaning of the “indestructible seal of mind.”
