????Understand karma, stop evil and do good, this is the basic skill of Buddhism, Dharma Outline 3-3

(English Subtitles) 佛法修學概要 先懂因果，斷惡修善，這是大乘佛法的基本功 Lectured by Master Jìng Jiè (淨界法師) from Taiwan. Subtitles:
【48】What is the subtle way and dharma?
Let us explain this subtle way and dharma. Some way and dharma are not necessarily subtle and inconceivable. For example, if we do good deeds, we will receive happy fruit, and if we do sinful deeds, we will receive painful fruit. This is very clear and there is nothing profound about it.
Impermanence is nothing profound either. As long as you calm down, you will find that you are different today than you were yesterday. Your body and mind have changed significantly since childhood. Your physical body has changed, and your thoughts have changed as well. It’s just that we cling to an unchanging self, which is something you fabricated out of delusion. It’s just that we cling to an unchanging self, which is something you fabricated out of delusion.
So, the path of good deeds, the path of cause and effect, and the path of impermanence cannot be described as subtle and inconceivable, because this is easy to understand.
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The hardest is to realize true emptiness via wondrous existence, and realize wondrous existence via true emptiness. The Buddha does not hinder the dependent origin of all matters while in emptiness. In the midst of dependent origin, he can also peacefully abide in emptiness. One dwells nowhere while raising his heart. One raises his heart while dwelling nowhere. That is inconceivable.
This is what the Shurangama Sutra says: "Apart from all forms, and yet able to approach all matters." When he is able to come into contact with the form, he is not contaminated by it. However, within the form, the Buddha practices the six paramitas, practicing the Dharma via the form. Using the form to practice the dharma
What is it about the practice of Mahayana Buddhism? First understand cause and effect, stop evil and cultivate good, this is the basic skill. But the second one is negation. Buddhism is about negation before affirmation.
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You should know that this door is negative to enter but is positive to exit. Buddhism first denies the existence of forms. These forms will only make you suffer, will lead you to be negligent, and will activate your karma of life and death. You see, when the Buddha was practicing the path of liberation, he denounced this state of forms as: impurity, suffering, impermanence, and ego, all of which are worthless.
Look at those tell us to be free from forms. The Diamond Sutra, the Heart Sutra, and even the Shurangama Sutra all denounce and deny the state of forms.
But you see, the Buddha’s attitude was different when he spoke the Lotus Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra. The Buddha began to praise the state of form and said that the form will not hinder you, and you should borrow back the form that you had thrown away before. Therefore, the Lotus Sutra borrows back the form and calls it: cultivate the mind via forms. You should make donations via the forms of sentient beings, hold the precepts via the forms of sentient beings,
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and cultivate forbearance through the forms of sentient beings. This is called the true emptiness with wonderful existence, and cultivating the Dharma via forms.
This subtle path means that the Buddha first left the form and chose to become a monk due to impermanence and non-self. But after attaining Buddhahood, we see that the Buddha came back to the human world to spread Buddhism. At this time, the green mountain still exists, while the sun has set numerous time. The green mountain s still the same as yesterday, but the sunset is no longer the same. The Buddha's mentality is different.
[49] How did the Buddha move from the path to liberation to the path to bodhi?
Therefore, we can see that the Buddha went through two processes: the first was to go from falsehood to emptiness. The Buddha first left the state of form and entered the nature of emptiness, which is called the path to liberation. For example, the Buddha left home, practiced asceticism, and cultivated meditation.During the eleven years of the Buddha's life, he did not see anyone,
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and he practiced the path of renunciation, which is called "going from the false to emptiness." But when he became enlightened, he went to falsehood out of emptiness. It turned out that there is no good or evil in form, and it is up to people to gain or lose.
Just like Master Ouyi said, a knife, if you use it properly, can cut out the toxic tumor. If you don't use it properly, it hurts you physically. There is no good or bad for a knife.
We should first stay away from forms, because forms can make us cling to them, giving rise to attachment and affection, causing us afflicted. But after you've stayed away from the state of forms, you have to remember to get it back someday. Because to achieve the splendor of all virtues, you still have to rely on these forms. You have to cultivate your mind via forms and cultivate the truth via falsehood.