#platform/youtube #channel/Master-YongHua #playlist/dharma-glimpses  And the sutra says that which has marks is empty and false. Leave this verse for people to recite and uphold. Those who cultivate in accordance with this verse will not fall into the evil destinies and will attain great benefit. anything that has marks. Okay, marks again this is a very important Buddhist concept, Chan concept in particular where marks are things that are observable that by our sense organs. So what has marks? Marks has form because it's recognized by the eye organ. Marks anything has marks might have a smell which is recognized by our nose organ. And mark could be among the taste meaning that whatever you taste you can taste is recognized by the tongue organ. Touch anything that you can touch with your skin that comes into contact of your skin. that will have would be received by your body organ, your skin organ and that is a mark. what else is a mark? Sound. Anything that has has a sound is a mark. So sound is a mark that is recognized by the ear organ. And finally anything that the mind recognizes is also has a mark. That is the concept for example is a mark. Let's say the beauty or the artistry that the mind appreciates that's a mark as well. creation creativity in is also conceived can be appreciated by the mind is also a mark. So anything that has a mark okay and the sutra says is fundamentally empty and false empty here refers that it is has no self nature and basically it is there based on conditions and therefore in particular it is basically illusions because they're perceived by our sense organs. Think about it. Anything that you perceive through your sense organs are fundamentally basically empty and false. False refer this is very very important. false here refers to the fact that our sense organs make it look like they're real but they're not. They actually are we are being fooled by our own sense organs. And this is why for the as far as Buddhism is concerned, it's very difficult to teach a worldly people because the worldly people have a hard time accepting this fact that our sense organs are false. Meaning that whatever measurements, whatever we can register actually it is false. It's not real. For example, Chanel number five is false. Can you believe so? Because when you whatever you inhale is false. Isn't that incredible? That beautiful woman you like is false. Buddhism in Buddhism we keep on talking about things they are false. Things are false. They all empty and they're false. What is really mean and then what is true? So this is the kind of questions that we Buddhist teachers need to be prepared to answer. If you cannot see the real truth behind appearances then you will suffer. You will create kas and that's why you will continue to suffer. That's why it's important to distinguish what is true and what is false. Buddhism is very practical. It's not like oh it's empty it's false and it's oh how wonderful principle. No it's not like that at all. You can stay at that level I mean it's scholarly level intellectual level and say Buddhism is so profound everything so empty everything is so false. Okay it's true you can talk at that level but actually it's more meaningful than that. It's much deeper than that. What is what is meant? What do I mean by deeper? Deeper because it's very useful. It's not a concept. If you stay at a scholarly level where everything is false and intellectual level where you know this is a this is a profound teaching then it's still false. You agree or not? Buddhism is meant for you to look at that and utilize it. If you utilize it properly then you benefit from Buddhism. If you don't utilize those Buddhist concepts then they are basically are false. Even those concepts of Buddhism whereas as which that which has mark is empty and false is also false because it basically there are words. This is about you not about the Buddhas. is not about sutras. It's about you. If you do the wrong things, then you will suffer because you mistake the false for the true. Is it clear? We're learning this because if we Buddhists are saying that what you know you are suffering and and and and there's no end to it and this now the Buddha explained a little bit further. Is that you suffering because you mistake the false of the true and therefore you create the wrong karmas the bad karmas that's fundamental to the Buddhist concept of true and false if your mind on the other hand your mind is able to discern the true then you will not create the wrong karmas anymore and therefore you will stop suffering If you enjoy suffering, no need to learn about the true and the false. But if suffering bothers you, if aging bothers you, if sickness bothers you, okay, those are the suffering that arise from your mistaking the false for the true and thus created karmas in the past. On the other hand, say I'm talking about normal people. Yes. Who's not bothered by sicknesses? We all are, right? And we are sick because we create karmas in the past. We mistook the false for the true and acted upon that knowledge. And therefore it's very important for us if we want I repeat we want to stop our suffering put an end to all suffering you have to recognize the true once you recognize the true we see you will cease to create more karmas therefore no mass no more suffering in what way this is important in the way that because you recognize the false and therefore you no longer are creating new karmas that will create future sufferings. So future sufferings end. Yes, it's no more new karmas. However, even if you recognize the truth, what happens to the past karmas? They keep on coming. Yes. How does it end your suffering? This is very important distinction folks. It's true that when you create new karma, you stop creating new karmas, you are no longer having future sufferings. Straightforward reasoning. Yes, logic. However, what about past karma you created? They're still being pushed forward in the pipeline. What happens to them? They still coming. How does recognizing the true from the false, discerning the true and false stop all suffering at all? Once you see everything is false, when past karmic retributions come and inflict suffering upon you, what is suffering? Suffering is a mental construct. Suffering is comes from recognition of your mind. Therefore, it is false to the person who can see the truth. If you cannot see the truth, that's why you look at suffering as true. But those who can see the truth, they can then they are able to rise above the suffering, the concept of suffering already. So they say, "What suffering? What sickness?" So that's why once you see the truth, there's no more suffering because you're not creating more karmas for you to suffer in the future. And whatever karmas you create in the past when the retributions come, those so-called sufferings will not bother you anymore. That's why we Buddhists can claim that once you see the truth, you never suffer again. Ato. To a meto To a me to a to