In the presence of the spirit of resolving ignorance, separation; in the presence of the spirit of overcoming the dividing obstacles to become intactness; in the presence of the spirit of struggling against the lazy and tardy self, that is really a limitless will and courage. It is unthinkable for the great heroes who go from erroneous passions to enlightenment. From this human world to the outside of this world, it is the spirit, which constructs all things, and in lack of spirit, everything is paralyzed. Let us see what the spirit is? How it has great impacts like that? It is nothing, but it can achieve everything.
The spirit is truly unthinkable, beyond thought or discussion. The spirit is the main essence and capacity of the Tathagata, why? It is because the Buddha has attested and directly indicated that “The Tathagata neither comes nor goes, has no dwelling-place, thereby being called the Tathagata.” The Bodhisattva rank generates the great vow of serving the limitless Tathagata. The Bodhisattva serving makes practical uses, aiming to save living beings. Living beings are practical uses according to the using essence of the Tathagata’s operation. Therefore, the Bodhisattva has served with his entire spirit, accomplishing the True Advanced Wisdom, seeing the Tathagata's main essence and capacity, and being ordained by the Tathagata. —T. V.
All Tao practitioners with intelligence admit that the success or failure of the Dharma practice is depending on the spirit; with a courageous spirit everything is possible. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have also followed this way, which is very practical. The spirit is the main essence with a limitless capacity from the Tathagata, unifying living beings and the Tathagata into one unthinkably. After integrating himself into the constitution, the Bodhisattva affirms that the Tathagata neither comes nor goes, has no dwelling-place. The Tathagata seeds are present everywhere from the non-beginning to the endless; they are permanent and constant; also, they are perfect and extremely lively. A spirit of will and courage is essential in the Dharma practice for liberation through knowing, seeing, and solving. Though having an earnest and sincere spirit, but without Buddhist intelligence, a Tao practitioner still falls into the fanatical spirit; they therefore are in need of a Good-Intelligent-Awakened One who could show them the right way to the liberation through knowing, seeing, and solving. If having not met such a Master, a Tao practitioner should have the spirit of rooted goodness and good will, making offerings of their virtuous deeds to the Triple Gem. Such a spirit is very peaceful and precious.
A Tao practitioner recites the Dharma sutra basing only on the sutra form, without reciting its holy meaning; how can they truly know and see? Secondly, listening to the Dharma preaching without perceiving in safety, with a unilateral judgement, that is not in conformity with the spirit of the Dharma; how can they see and know the holy Dharma? —T. V.
Living beings live without leaving their mind consciousness. Even the educated people or the erudite people cannot escape from the mind consciousness; though, they have consciousness, which is the mind consciousness of their individuality. A Buddhist practitioner reading the Dharma sutra, studying and learning the scriptures though with consciousness, that is no other than the mind consciousness, in which their understanding is still subject to being known and they are, therefore, being practiced. These three points mentioned above are all erroneous. The mind consciousness controls all of them by the hour and by the minute, making them live in a winding path because it nourishes chaos and confusion. The mind consciousness is like lightning of thunder, like moonlight under water, constantly shaking… It is truly difficult to dissolve the precepts with a thorough understanding of them to be completely pure. Being living beings, they practice the Dharma according to their living beings’ regulation; they haven’t realized the basic Buddhist intelligence, the advanced Buddhist intelligence, and the Prajñà Intelligence, how can they attain the Holy Mind, True Enlightenment?
The enlightenment based on doctrine and hypotheses are plenty, but that is being practiced, being attained, while the formation of the Holy Mind, True Enlightenment, up to the Saint-Appearing is very difficult. When there remains only a conception, there is still the embracing self, self-possession. It is as small as a tiny dust, very easily mistaken. Therefore, to succeed in the Dharma practice, a Tao practitioner with will and courage needs a Bodhisattva, who leans on the Tathagata Buddha to save them.