Commentary :
When the enlightened one has perceived his Original Nature (root), he does not have to worry about his actions which are automatically pure or cankerless. Pure or cankerless actions are actions of non-action. on-action mirrors that the Buddha-nature has been perceived into by the Buddhist Gnostic . He thus enters into the door of Non-duality. Entrance into non-duality is annihilation of individual self in the Unity of Existence or cosmic Unity. There is no distinction between self and others. This is right vision of Non-duality. Non-duality is Unity of Existence. The Unity of Existence is the Essence of Emptiness. mptiness is the Attribute of the Buddha. The ultimate Reality is only the dynamic flow of process becoming.
When the innate Buddhahood is realized and unveiled, the perfection of wisdom is the resultant highest fruit (paramā̄rtha phala). The crystal clear pool metaphorically represents the pure consciousness of the human mind unveiled by gnosis. The Moon metaphorically represents the Buddha-mind. The images reflecting from the pool metaphorically represent the multiplicity of the phenomenal world.
It is important to know that the Buddha-nature can only be discerned esoterically through the bright and illuminating mind of Man. Bright and illuminating mind is the mind of perfect mindfulness and clear awareness of the systemic or holistic interrelationship between the five aggregates. Whoever knows himself knows his Buddha-nature. Buddha-nature should be sought internally and not externally. ‘Sākyamuni Buddha admonished us to seek refuge in our inner Heart. The inner Heart is island of refuge. One sees the Buddha through one’s inner Heart and not anywhere else. The inner Heart is the pure, infinite consciousness of Man. It is the communal haven for all faith adherents irrespective any religious denomination.
When one directs and empowers all sense activities with the pure and infinite consciousness of the Buddha-mind, the illusive self-centric ego is annihilated. The self-centric ego is the false self or lower self, the Buddha-nature is the True Self or Cosmic Self. One dies before one dies. The Truth Body (Dharmakāya) is resurrected. The Truth Body is our Original Self which is the cosmic Self.
The self-realization plus utility of the Buddha-mind is the perfection of wisdom. The perfection of wisdom is the mother of all Tathāgatas. Consequently. all actions through the body, speech and mind are purified and consummated as Right Actions. When one dwells in the complete silence of the inner Heart – the Buddha-mind, how could one be disturbed or agitated ? The inner Heart of the Buddha-mind is the centre of refuge for all sentient beings. The external conduct reflects the state of the inner mind. When one is obsessed and disturbed mentally, the Buddha-mind is absent. When one is not obsessed and disturbed, the Buddha-mind is present. The Buddha-mind is not remote from us. Only we are remote from the Buddha-mind.
Wisdom is the insight into the Buddha-mind. Only a crystal-clear pool representing metaphorically the liberated mind of wisdom can reflect the moon perfectly or clearly. The bright and illuminating mind unveils the Buddha-nature. The mind is bright, illuminating and clear only when it is purified. Morality and concentration are the cornerstone for developing wisdom of insight of this suchness. Wisdom purifies the ordinary mind of the worldlings. Perceiving Buddha-nature manifests the Buddha-mind or no-mind . No-mind is a cankerless mind devoid of false conceptualizations and obsessions. No-mind is the bright and illuminating mind of the perfection of wisdom. No-mind is freedom from self-centric ego. It denotes no mind of grasping or clinging.
Esoterically, a Gnostic returns to the inner Heart of the Buddha-mind. In the complete silence of the inner heart, no external conditions can affect the Gnostic. Metaphorically put, the inner Heart of the Buddha-mind is akin to the main root of a tree and its branches are likened to the human six senses. When one dwells in the cave of the inner Heart of Buddha-mind, no external conditions can shake the inner Heart. The branches of the tree may be moved by the winds but its root is unshaken.
Furthermore, the Buddha-nature is like the pearl hidden in the oyster which is like the human body. We seek the Buddha-nature in the human body and not outside the human body. The human body is the temple of the Buddha. The Kingdom of pure Land is within us. The Truth is within but not without. The Buddha-nature is a hidden treasure to be unearthed by man through personal development and self-cultivation of the Six Perfections of perfection of generosity, perfection of morality or precept, perfection of patience or endurance, perfection of energy, perfection of meditation and perfection of wisdom. The attributes and Essence of Six Perfections expounded by Mahāyāna tradition differs not from the Noble Eight Fold Path of the Theravāda tradtion. They vary only in the variable depth of gnosis due to varying sharpness of human faculties.
Having realized the Buddha-nature (ascent of Enlightenment), the Gnostic known as Bodhisattva should return exoterically to human society to teach the Truth (descent of great compassion). The Truth should be utilized for the benefit and well-being of oneself as well as of others continuously. From wisdom, altruistic compassion ensues. If great compassion is not manifested, wisdom has not truly been realized. Wisdom and Compassion are one.
With wisdom one ascends; with compassion, one descends to guide the world. This is the central theme of Buddhist philosophy. Synonymously, Sufi Rumi also expounds the doctrine of ascent and descent as the journey to God and the journey from God.
With clear awareness like a moon reflected clearly in a crystal clear pool, the Buddhist Gnostic discerns the Truth. With an unobstructed mind like the wind blowing through the woods, the wise is emancipated. The Bodhisattva (Wisdom Being) dwells wisely in the mundane world with a superior non-discriminative wisdom.
He or she is akin to a lotus flower penetrating through the sullied muddy water and springing forth through and over the sullied water. Yet it remains unsullied. The path of a Bodhisattva is learning, practice, realization and teaching. The goal of genuine or true Buddhists is to emulate the supermodel of a Bodhisattva. ‘Sākyamuni Buddha is a supermodel of a Buddhist Bodhisattva – the Perfect Man. Return esoterically to your root and take refuge in it. This is the final advice of ‘Sākaymuni Buddha before his parinirvāṇa.
