When You Attain the One, All Things Are Completed (Issue 275)

Here is another simple analogy. When is the period of ‘One’? The period from ages one to fourteen for girls and ages one to sixteen for boys, the One is not lost. When is the period of ‘Zero’? It starts from the time of conception until birth. During this period, there are no random thoughts, afflictions, greed, anger, and delusions. By the time you learn to eat, greed for food arises when you’re hungry; and then greed, anger, and delusion all start to occur. Nonetheless, at this time, you still have not lost the ‘One’. This is the start of you living as a human person. When ‘Zero’ turns to ‘One’, the ‘One’ is still intact, and it is the beginning of everything. When you have undergone the vicissitudes of people and matters, more things get added onto ‘One’. One becomes two, two becomes three, three becomes four, on and on it keeps adding up. When more things are added on, the burden gets heavier, and the stupider you become.

The nature is ‘Zero’, and ‘Zero’ is the nature. Put together, Zero nature is devoid of everything.

Originally, there is not a single thing;

Upon where can the dust alight?

In cultivating the Way, we have to cultivate to the point of having the heart of a child. Our mind should be void, like that of a child. As we grow old, we should go back to our childlike wonder. This does not mean simply waiting to be fed. Rather, it means you should cast out all thoughts of greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubtfulness. It is “going back to the root and returning to the source.” Our thoughts and outlook resemble those of a child — innocent and pure, without the slightest bit of laziness or slackening, without greed for taking advantages, without a mind that discriminates self vs. non-self, right vs. wrong. This is the stage of “Originally there’s not a single thing; upon where can the dust alight?”
If we can understand this principle when we are cultivating the Way, then we can truly become enlightened. Why do we have to listen to sutra lectures? It is because we want to return to the origin. Why do we have to cultivate? It is because we want to get back to the source. We have to clean up all the bits and pieces of our messy garbage. Do not spend our time and energy dwelling on issues between self and others. When someone criticizes us, we get upset and cannot bear it. If someone touches even just one strand of hair on our bodies, the pain would sear our hearts; even if we could benefit the world by pulling out one strand, we would not do it. With such selfishness, we will not be able to cultivate the Way.

A cultivator should not have the mark of self, the mark of others, the mark of living beings, and the mark of a life span. Not having the mark of self does not mean when it is time to work, you delegate it to others and exempt yourself. Not having the mark of others does not mean when it is time to eat, you eat to your heart’s content with total disregard of other people. You may feign not having the mark of others, but other people do have the mark of others, meaning they see you and your behavior. Not having the mark of living beings does not mean when you are engaged in a fight, you disregard your rival as a living being. Not having the mark of a life span does not mean when you eat meat, you bear total disregard of having ended the life span of the creature you are devouring. That is wrong. Those are all deviant knowledge and deviant views. What is the right way?

1. Not having the mark of self: Do not be arrogant, and do not scheme for your own benefit.
2. Not having the mark of others: Do not impede or obstruct other people.  Do not do anything that will harm others.
3. Not having the mark of living beings: Regard all creatures as being one of the same substance.
4. Not having the mark of a life span: Everyone has the right to live.  Do not take the lives of other people or other beings.

Hence, in cultivation, we should never seek for anything for ourselves or scheme for our own benefit. We should always think on behalf of others.