Can 'No Wisdom, No Attainment' Lead to Every Day Being a Good Day?

No Wisdom, No Attainment

The Heart Sutra states ‘no wisdom, no attainment.’ Some people say not to seek wisdom, then there is no need for enlightenment; if there is no enlightenment to attain, then there is no wisdom to be gained. If there is no wisdom to be gained, then why practice? Therefore, such a person is very contradictory. Some people like to recite the Heart Sutra, and they recite it very well. But if you tell them that there is no such thing as wisdom, and nothing to be gained, they become very frightened!

There was an elderly layman who had been a Buddhist for many years. During a seven-day meditation retreat, he heard me say that there is no Amitabha Buddha, no Shakyamuni Buddha, and no enlightenment to attain. After hearing this, the elderly layman told me, ‘Master, I want to leave. I can’t stay any longer. I have believed in Buddhism for decades. Now that there is no Buddha, nothing, what else is there? I can’t take it anymore! I still hope there is a Buddha.’ As a result, he really left halfway through. Did this layman not recite the Heart Sutra? He recited it every day! We recite the Heart Sutra in our morning and evening services, so did he not see the phrase ‘no wisdom, no attainment’? He did, but he couldn’t accept it.

Wisdom and Emptiness

Having wisdom still belongs to the small vehicle, while having no wisdom is the attainment of Buddhahood. Having wisdom is still not a good day, but after having no wisdom, every day is a good day. Why is having wisdom not a good day? Because after reaching the stage of Arhatship, one still perceives the existence of ordinary people, saints, samsara, and nirvana; they renounce samsara and wish to reside in nirvana, to attain complete nirvana, and no longer undergo the suffering of birth and death in the six realms. It is evident that an Arhat still has discrimination. Even though relative concepts are absent, and unity is also absent, this is still wisdom; if even the relative and unified are absent, then it can be said to be without wisdom.

In the “Zen Verbal Discourses,” I talk about how everyone is dreaming, and those who are dreaming are dreaming, while those who are awake are also dreaming. So, does the Buddha dream? The Buddha also dreams, but this dream is shown to us. ‘No wisdom’ is not foolishness, is it? It is not. Emptiness has several levels: the first level is empty of discrimination and relativity, the second level is empty of unity, and the third level is empty of ’emptiness.’ The first level belongs to external paths, the second level is emptiness, and the third level is emptiness of non-emptiness. It must reach the stage of emptiness of non-emptiness to be considered ‘every day is a good day.’ When a person reaches the stage of ‘every day is a good day,’ can they still see bad people and bad things?

Afflictions are Bodhi

The “Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch” states: ‘Afflictions are Bodhi, and birth and death are nirvana.’ It can also be said in reverse: ‘Nirvana is birth and death, and Bodhi is afflictions.’ For a person who has achieved great enlightenment and eternal enlightenment, there is no longer a distinction between birth and death and nirvana. Because sentient beings have birth and death, they also have birth and death, not because they themselves have birth and death; they exist because of sentient beings, and they are just a reflection of sentient beings. They themselves no longer exist, they exist because of sentient beings. There is no such thing as a Buddha, they exist because of sentient beings; there is no such thing as a Bodhisattva, they exist because of sentient beings.

Eliminated all Discriminating Minds

Every day is a good day, everyone is a good person, and everything is good— for those who have achieved great enlightenment in Zen, there are no bad people, and there are no bad things. Because no one can harm them, and nothing can trouble them, they themselves have no concept of good or bad values. They do not make judgments based on personal values like ordinary people, nor do they make judgments based on the entire universe like external paths. Because they have eliminated all discriminating minds, every day is a good day for them.”

This is a book on Zen meditation practice written by Master Sheng Yen of the Chinese Chan School, based on his own experiences in the practice of necessary birth. If you want to free yourself from the troubles of life, eliminate negative emotions within, and lead a happy and fulfilling life, then you should read Master Sheng Yen’s book of “There is No Suffering“. It can bring a completely new experience to your life, allowing you to see the true nature of life, let go of emotions, and embark on a new journey in life.

——The above content is excerpted from the book of Master Shengyan