Commentary :
The Wisdom of Chan can directly be transmitted from the master or patriarch to the disciple through instantaneous enlightenment. Besides direct transmission beyond the Scripture, Yung Chia advised us to supplement and invigorate transmission of Wisdom through a more penetrative theoretical examination of the teachings of ‘Sākyamuni Buddha. This is especially pertinent if one is to become a master craftsman of Chan instructor. A professional Chan instructor ought to be adept at both theory and practice so that he can assume the dual position of a teacher as well as a commentator. Without theoretical education and training, preaching of the abstruse ultimate Truth is not readily intelligible to the yogis.
The instantaneous Truth discernment of Emptiness or initial instantaneous experience of Gnosis ought to be served as the cornerstone of more profound Dharma investigation into the Six Perfections (Pāramitā). The objective is to deepen the discernment of the ultimate Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality. Dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality is Emptiness (‘Sūnyatā). Emptiness is the process Reality that all phenomena are dynamic unity or synthesis of impermanent, mutable and interdependent causes and conditions. Causes and conditions are the contigent conditions of dependently co-arisen Unity of dynamic process becoming (Sanātana dharma)). Dynamic process becoming is insubstantial and dynamically changing through transformation.
Human personality, as the microcosm, is a dynamic process becoming. The universe, as the macrocosm, is an infinite dynamic process becoming. Since the causes and conditions (contigent conditions of conditioned phenomena) are dynamic, holistic, and changing incessantly, individual defining signs, marks or characteristics of all phenomena or multiplicity are not evident ultimately. What is ultimately evident is the dynamic non-dual unity of process becoming which is signless, markless or characteristicless.It is empty of inherent existence. It is Emptiness. The process thought obliterates erroneous substantial thought as it is formless or empty of inherent existence. Process Thought of Emptiness effaces self-centric ego and eliminates ontological commitment to all phenomena. Elimination of ontological commitment is obliteration of the substantial view of ontology – the intellectual or conceptual thoughts of all phenomena. Paradoxically, logical conceptualization is wrong view and wrong thought as it is substantial ontology. Logical conceptualization is constructed upon substantial ontology of static discrete entities which do exist ultimately. They exist conventionally but illusory because they are apparently real but ultimately unreal.
The only ultimate Reality is non-dual Unity. Discriminative multiplicity of concrete myriad things or beings are illusory and unreal. Multiplicity are the perceptions of mental conceptualizations resulted from mental obsessions. Mental obsessions are the consequences of substantial object reification or conceptual thought evoking grasping upon the five aggregates. Conceptualization or intellectual reasoning is only the sphere of thought (citta gocara). The sphere of thought is only the conventional truth (saṃvṛti satya). Unity in multiplicity is the ultimate Truth (paramārtha Satya).
Ultimate Truth is beyond the sphere of thought. It is domain of intuitive realization which cannot be designated. The ultimate Truth of dynamic process becoming is the Process Thought which is beyond the sphere of thought. It is ineffable. In the dynamic process becoming of continuous changing phenomenal world, there is neither arising nor ceasing; neither impurity nor purity; neither increase nor decrease (Heart Sūtra). Tritemporal existence is valid only if a phenomenon is a concrete or substantial entity. But discrete entities do not exist. All apparent entities are conglomerated into a universal Unity in which individual identities or forms have merged and dissolved into the infinite universal unity. Metaphorically put, the waves are never separate from the Ocean. When the wind ceases, the waves also cease. The waves merge completely with the Ocean. In the ultimate Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity, individuations are annihilated in the cosmic Self – the oneness of the totality of infinite universe.
The purpose of further Dharma investigation of the Dharma is to strengthen the Perfection or Consummation of each of the Six Perfections (Pāramitās). The Six Perfections are the Perfection of Generosity, Perfection of Precepts, Perfection of Endurance, Perfection of Energy, Perfection of Meditation and Perfection of Wisdom. The Perfection or Pāramitā is said to be comprehensively consummated when one has actualized the climax of spiritual Perfection designated as Emptiness of Emptiness (‘Sūnyatā-‘sūnayatā). Emptiness of Emptiness is the state in which one’s Self-enlightenment or Gnosis is unimpeded or unhindered by the notion of Emptiness realized. The reification of Emptiness or its grasping is a spiritual obstruction to Gnosis. This is most crucial part of self-cultivation and the critical point of entering the door of Non-duality.
The first state of Gnosis is to realize the Truth of Emptiness or Insubstantiality of all phenomena. Having discerned the concept of Emptiness, the Truth- Discerner should exercise perfect mindfulness so as not to reify the notion or concept of Emptiness. Reification of Emptiness reverses the gear from accomplished Gnosis. The initial station of Emptiness is metaphorically compared to a raft utilized to traverse a sentient being from this shore of saṃsāra to the other shore of Nirvāṇa or from delusion to enlightenment . Having traversed, one should not be carrying the raft again. It must be discarded.
Discarding the raft is the state Emptiness of Emptiness which is the perfection of wisdom of the Middle Path philosophy. The ultimate Reality is neither absolute existence nor absolute non-existence . The ultimate Reality is Dependent Co-arisen unity of dynamic process becoming. The static data appearing on the Balanced Sheet represents metaphorically the knowledge of conventional truth. The constantly changing data on the Balanced Sheet mirrors the ultimate Reality.
The abandonment of the raft is metaphorically compared to the perfection of liberation by the actualization of Emptiness of Emptiness. The summit of liberation (mokṣa) is the state of relinquishing all views comprising both substantial (not empty) and insubstantial (empty) view. Any form of view, dharma or adharma, is a subtle grasping upon the five aggregates with the notion of I or mine. Emptiness of Emptiness is the perfect purity of human consciousness transforming a sentient being into a Bodhisattva. Perfect purity is the complete obliteration of self-centric ego. Perfect mental consciousness is the manifest of the Buddha-mind. The Buddha-mind is the pure and infinite consciousness of Emptiness of Emptiness (synonymous with Sufi Gnosis of al-Fanā’ al-Fanā’) .
Yung Chia admitted that he was not the only Chan Gnostic who had experienced the Nirvāṇ̣a of Emptiness of Emptiness. All Buddhas of the past, present and future of the ten directions are the offsprings of the mother of Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā). Perfection of wisdom is Emptiness of Emptiness. The number of Enlightened Ones is as countless as the sands in the Ganges River. The immeasurable number of enlightened ones mirrors that all immeasurable number of sentient beings are potentially Buddhas.
Universal Buddhahood is parallel to the universal claim that God is immanent and pervasive everywhere. Buddha is one who has entered the door of Non-duality; The Unity with God connotes that the believers have entered the door of non-duality to be in communion with God . Non-duality is Anattā (Selflessness; Egolessness). Buddha is Anattā; God is also Anattā. God and Buddha are philosophically and theosophically identical. The diverge paraphrases communicate the communal Truth of Wisdom – the Unity of Existence (Sans.: Advaita; Ara.: Waḥdat al Wujūd) or the Emptiness of all phenomena.
