Commentary:
Fine and coarse refer to a dualistic view which is the product of ignorance or delusion. Whenever a dualistic view arises, there is a tendency towards comparison and contrast giving rise to the motion of bias or prejudice. Prejudice or bias is unjust to the receiving party. This brings about disharmony in human inter-relationship. Most importantly,, it obstructs the supreme way, that is, the noble path towards gaining full enlightenment to effect full liberation.
Let us examine the untruth of duality when it is applied in a limited context. For instance, the following observations, proportions and conclusion are made:
A is shorter than B;
B is longer than A.
Therefore, A is short and B is long.
But if A is compared with another object C which is shorter than A, then A is considered long. Therefore, the same object can be designated as either short or long in dependence on the context or situation. From this analogy, we can conclude that what is good for A may not be good for B ; what is bad for A many not be bad for B. Therefore, it is discovered that a language may not perfectly mirror the truth.
Let me illustrate the analogy with a real life story. We know that the Chinese mourn the dead with sadness or grief expressed through loud cries or heavy tears. Their sadness or grief is justified because it is way by which they expressed their filial love for the departed one. However, certain African natives seem to rejoice at the a funeral service with songs and dances. They even construct a coffin designed in the shape of a soccer shoe because the dead one loved playing soccer when he was alive. The joy of these African natives was justified as they speculated that the dead would go to heaven for his past enormous wholesome, meritorious actions.
Therefore, the Buddha preaches that we should not discriminate between idea A and idea B. Both ideas may be right or wrong. Hence, discrimination is unwise. Besides, discrimination may manifest bias or prejudice. It also obstructs the path to Truth discernment. Abandonment of duality is parallel to the arising of the wisdom of Emptiness. The wisdom of Emptiness is the perfection of wisdom. No-mind ensues from the right vision of non-duality. No-mind connotes no false mind. False mind is directed and empowered by illusive self or ego. No mind is Buddha-mind which is the pure, luminous and infinite consciousness of a Bodhisattva, an Enlightened Being.
To be continued ….
