Translated By Tony Qin

The Buddha’s Wisdom: Focusing on the Great Matter of Life and Death

The Buddha did not answer Māluṅkyaputta’s ten indeterminate questions (Note 1) not because his wisdom was imperfect, but because of its profound depth. The Brahmā’s Net Sutra states that the Buddha is “the one of omniscient wisdom.” He understands the workings of the cosmos and the laws of cause and effect, yet such knowledge alone does not lead to liberation.

Scientists strive to unlock the secrets of the universe, but they can grasp only its surface phenomena—not the underlying noumena. Our intellectual capacity is far too limited to unravel such cosmic mysteries—especially when relying on a deluded mind, which can only give rise to further delusions.

As Faith in Mind states:

“When a single thought departs from truth, discrimination arises.”

Māluṅkyaputta’s questions stemmed from attachment—a desire to cling to definitive answers for the sake of reassurance. It is much like the Greek philosopher Socrates, who asked, “What is justice?” only to become entangled in an endless maze of logic.

The Buddha, however, offered different guidance: Do not ask about the universe—ask about your own mind. To live in the present moment is true wisdom.

The Buddha’s teachings are centered on the great matter of life and death. As the Lotus Sutra says:

“The Buddha appeared in this world for one great cause alone: to teach all sentient beings to realize and awaken to the Buddha’s own insight.”

His purpose is to guide us out of the suffering of samsara and into the peace of nirvana. The ten indeterminate questions are like asking, “Where does the wind come from?”—they have no definitive answers. As the Śūraṅgama Sūtra states:

“We do not know where the wind comes from, nor where it goes.”

An ancient poet once asked: “Where does spring return to?”

Bhikṣuṇī Wu Jin replied in verse:

“I searched everywhere but could not find spring;

My straw sandals wore thin on cloud-topped peaks.

Returning by chance beneath a plum tree’s branch—

Spring was already blooming upon its boughs.”

Spring arrives and departs, we cannot hold it still—only feel its presence. As another poem puts it:

“Spring slips away without a trace—nowhere to be found.

Yet as blossoms fall from the bough, spring return once more.”

The truth of the universe is like this. When we try to grasp it through logic or cling to it with self-attachment, it is like trying to seize a shadow—any understanding we gain is imagined, while the truth continues to elude us.

The Buddha’s Four Noble Truths: The Emergency Medical Kit

The Buddha did not want us to become entangled in endless speculative questions, because the suffering of samsara is far too urgent. Life is short and fleeting. As the Saṃyukta Āgama Sūtra says: “Human life is like a flash of lightning—gone in an instant.” If we spend our limited time scrutinizing the details of rebirth—asking “Who was I in a past life? How did the universe begin? Was the world created by a god?”—we are like someone struck by a poisoned arrow who delays treatment in order to scrutinize the arrow’s origins. By the time we find the answers, life will have already slipped away.

Samsara is like a house engulfed in flames, and our suffering is like the fire raging within it. We must escape at once—not stand in the blaze and analyze how fire burns.

The Buddha’s teaching of the Four Noble Truths is like an emergency medical kit, meant to rescue us swiftly from the cycle of samsara:

• The Truth of Suffering: Birth, aging, illness, death, unmet desires, separation from loved ones—samsara is filled with suffering, like a bleeding wound.
• The Truth of the Cause of Suffering: This suffering arises from greed, anger, and delusion—the poisons that drive deep into the heart.
• The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering: When the three poisons are extinguished, samsara ceases, and the peace of nirvana, like a healed wound, is attained.
• The Truth of the Path: Precepts, concentration, and wisdom are the ambulance that carries us to the land of purity and liberation.

How urgent is this emergency medical kit? Imagine you’ve been struck with the arrow and are bleeding heavily. An ambulance arrives with sirens blaring. The doctor yells, “Quick—get in!” Would you reply, “Wait, I want to know where this arrow came from”? Of course not—saving your life comes first!

In the same way, the suffering of samsara is like a great flood bearing down on us. We must rely on morality, concentration, and wisdom to escape the torment of the six paths of samsara. Our human life lasts only a few decades and can end at any moment. How can we afford to waste it investigating “Where does the wind come from?”

As the Dhammapada teaches:

“Do not fall into heedlessness. Do not cling to sensual desires. Those who are diligent shall realize Nirvana.”

Live fully in the present. Do not squander this precious life on questions that can wait.

Practicing the Path: Escaping Samsara and Living in the Present through Morality, Concentration, and Wisdom

The Buddha taught us to practice morality, concentration, and wisdom (note 2) not as mere theory, but as a practical path to break free from the cocoon of samsara. Many people hear the Dharma and think it is just philosophy, but knowing is not the same as practicing. As the Buddha said in the Dhammapada:

“To know but not to practice is like counting another’s treasure.”

Morality, concentration, and wisdom are not abstract ideas—they are the path we walk in our spiritual practice:

Morality (Śīla): Refraining from All Evil, Practicing All Good

Morality is the foundation, like clearing and preparing the field of the mind. The Dhammapada teaches:

“Refrain from all evil, practice all good, purify the mind—this is the teaching of all Buddhas.”

Refraining from evil means abstaining from killing, stealing, false speech, sexual misconduct, and intoxicants.

Practicing good means helping others, being generous, and speaking kindly.

For example, if today you chose not to get angry or speak harshly, and gave your neighbour a helping hand, your heart will feel lighter. This reduces the unwholesome karma you create in this life, and prevents the karmic burdens from past lives from growing heavier. With body and mind purified, you will be better able to cultivate concentration and wisdom.

Precepts are not restrictions—they are a form of protection for body and mind, guarding us from committing harmful acts. Like a fence around a well, they keep us from falling into the pit of samsaric suffering.

Concentration (Samādhi): Cleansing the Mind through Stillness and Insight

Concentration is the practice of quieting the mind and letting go of scattered thoughts, like a still lake reflecting the true moon. The Śūraṅgama Sūtra says: “When the restless mind ceases, that cessation is bodhi.” Stilling (śamatha) and insight (vipaśyanā) are the twin aspects of cultivating concentration:

• Stilling means stopping deluded thoughts and setting down the burdens of the mind—like turning off the phone to be fully present.
• Insight means clearly observing the arising and passing of thoughts, like watching clouds drift by without chasing them, dissolving afflictions with wisdom.

For example, when sitting in meditation, your mind may wander to tomorrow’s worries. Gently bring it back and focus on your breath. This is living in the present moment. Concentration steadies the mind so it is no longer pulled away by afflictions, laying the foundation for the awakening of wisdom.

Wisdom (Prajñā): Returning to the Mind’s Original Purity

Wisdom means seeing the truth and breaking free from the cocoon of samsara. The Diamond Sutra teaches: “All appearances are illusory.” Through the cultivation of stillness and insight, one comes to clearly see the impermanence and selflessness of all phenomena, as ephemeral and insubstantial as a dream, mirage, bubble, or shadow.

Wisdom is not something we think our way into—it is something we cultivate through practice. For example, when you observe anger, you may notice how it clouds your mind. But when you see that it arises and passes away, without any true substance, you no longer need to cling to it. Your mind is no longer entangled. Wisdom dispels karmic obstructions and frees you from the suffering of the six paths of samsara, like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon and soaring toward nirvana.

The path of morality, concentration, and wisdom is a step-by-step journey—not just philosophical understanding. When you uphold morality, your mind becomes clear. When you train in concentration, your mind becomes steady. When you awaken wisdom, your mind becomes free. Start today: try not speaking words that hurt (morality), sit quietly for five minutes and follow your breath (concentration), and observe your thoughts without clinging to them (wisdom). Live in the present moment. Don’t waste time asking where the universe came from—because every step you take is already moving you toward freedom from samsara.

An Alternative Path: The Easy Practice of Mindfulness of the Buddha

The path of morality, concentration, and wisdom leads to liberation. Yet the Buddha understood that for many, this path may feel steep and difficult, like climbing a high mountain. It often requires countless lifetimes to fully uproot delusion and realize the truth. This is known as the “difficult path,” which Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva—the revered patriarch of the Eight Schools—described as relying on one’s own effort: only by thoroughly eliminating greed, hatred, and delusion can one attain Buddhahood.

Out of great compassion, however, the Buddha opened another path: the practice of mindfulness of the Buddha. Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva called this the “easy path.”

The Amitābha Sūtra states:

“If sentient beings hear the name of Amitābha Buddha and wholeheartedly recite it with unwavering focus, then at the moment of death, Amitābha Buddha will appear, accompanied by a host of sages, to receive them into the Land of Ultimate Bliss.”

The practice is simple: by sincerely reciting “Namo Amitābha,” one can attain rebirth in the Pure Land, even while still burdened by karmic afflictions. There, in that pure environment, one continues to cultivate the path and swiftly attain Buddhahood. This is known as rebirth with karmic residue.

The difficult path is like rowing across a vast river by oneself—it may take many lifetimes. The easy path is like boarding the great vessel of Amitābha Buddha: one can reach the other shore in a single lifetime.

Both paths lead beings away from suffering and toward bliss. The path of morality, concentration, and wisdom helps us sever delusion and realize nirvana. The path of mindfulness of the Buddha relies on Amitābha’s compassionate power: first arrive in the Pure Land, and then awaken to ultimate truth. Why is the easy path especially effective? Because in today’s fast-paced and restless world, it is hard for people to overcome delusion through self-effort alone. But mindfulness of the Buddha is simple—just reciting “Namo Amitābha” ten or a hundred times a day attunes your mind to the Buddha, while karmic obstructions gradually dissolve.

The Sutra on the Contemplation of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life states:

“A single recitation of the Buddha’s name eradicates the grave karmic offenses of eighty billion eons of birth and death.”

You don’t need to master profound doctrines—you can board the great vessel simply by having faith in the Buddha and reciting his name.

Try it today: When you get home, recite “Namo Amitābha” ten times. Let your mind settle and feel the light of the Buddha. Live fully in the present moment—don’t waste time on things that are not urgent. The practice of morality, concentration, and wisdom, as well as mindfulness of the Buddha, are all a part of the Buddha’s emergency medical kit, saving you from samsara and guiding you swiftly toward ultimate bliss.

Concluding Remarks: Living the Buddha’s Wisdom

The mysteries of the universe are like the vast ocean, while our minds are like small cups, unable to contain them. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: “The mind is like a skilled painter, painting the myriad phenomena of the world.” Seeking truth with this deluded mind is like trying to cook sand into rice—futile and fruitless. The Buddha offers us two paths: the cultivation of morality, concentration, and wisdom through one’s own effort, or mindfulness of the Buddha by relying on the Buddha’s power. Instead of asking, “Where does the water come from?” ask, “How do I purify my mind now?” Live in the present moment—observe morality, recite the Buddha’s name, cultivate stillness and insight—and every moment is a step toward liberation. Let us emulate the Buddha by focusing on the great matter of life and death, and advance toward Nirvana and the Pure Land! Namo Amitābha!

Endnotes:

Note 1: The Ten Indeterminate Questions (Sanskrit: avyākṛta) refer to ten abstract questions that the Buddha chose not to answer: 1. Is the universe eternal? 2. Is the universe not eternal? 3. Is the universe finite? 4. Is the universe infinite? 5. Is the soul the same as the body? 6. Is the soul different from the body? 7. Does the Tathāgata exist after death? 8. Does the Tathāgata not exist after death? 9. Does the Tathāgata both exist and not exist after death? 10. Does the Tathāgata neither exist nor not exist after death?

Note 2: The Threefold Training of morality, concentration, and wisdom forms the core of Buddhist practice. Observing morality involves following ethical precepts—such as refraining from killing and stealing—to purify body, speech, and mind, laying the foundation for practice. Concentration is cultivated through meditative practices like stilling and insight to stabilize the mind and develop focus. Wisdom arises from prajñā, enabling insight into impermanence and non-self, dissolving delusive attachments, and realizing the ultimate reality of true suchness.