The Point of Dharma Practice

Many people wonder, “What exactly is Dharma practice all about?” With so many sutras, pujas, rituals, what are these all about? Buddhadharma teaches the truth of life. Everyone is fear of death. So, the Buddha encourages us to explore the deathless life, which is the Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya.  

The Dharmakaya is the never-dying kaya. It is all-pervasive in this universe. The Dharmakaya qualities of the Buddha are also inside everyone. It is like an immortal remedy. The immortal quality is the primordial awareness that we must uncover. 

The Sambhogakaya is unobstructed wisdom. Everybody has afflictions. With wisdom, we can cut through afflictions. This is called prajna wisdom. It is an insight to see through all facades and let the truth come forth. We can realize the truth with prajna. The unobstructed wisdom can be acquired after the eradication of afflictions through prajna. There will be no more obscurations. 

The Nirmanakaya is the activity of compassion after we’ve realized the unobstructed wisdom, the unarising, and the undying. Engage in all compassionate activities. The Nirmanakaya is to manifest compassionately in accordance with the capacities of beings. The manifestation is auspicious. Compassion is to break through conflicts so inner obscurations and obstacles are eradicated. By being compassionate to all, we can acquire all the merit. Engage in this activity life afterlife, we'd make an immense accumulation.

What is Dharma practice all about? It is the walk the path. Without the walk, it's just empty talk. A fulfilling life is a Dharmic life. We work to uncover our primordial awareness. Such awareness is within us instead of being part of the delusion. Through the consistent and long-term practice of Chan, primordial awareness will show eventually. They can distinguish the ultimate truth and the relative truth. With it, we will never “die”. This is the state of Dharmakaya. The unarising and unceasing Dharmakaya is also named nirvana. We’d obtain the freedom of life, the freedom of living and dying, and the freedom coming and going.