三界唯心=the three realms are created by the mind; 星雲大師=Venerable Master Hsing Yun; 無始時來界=realm from beginningless time; 阿賴耶識=alaya consciousness; 如來藏=Tathāgatagarbha
“The three realms are created by the mind” is one of the most important teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. For Venerable Master Hsing Yun, an influential master of contemporary Buddhism, the concept of “the three realms are created by the mind; the myriad of phenomena are of the consciousness” is fundamental when explaining the teachings in Buddhist scriptures or giving Dharma talks to devotees. Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s interpretation of “the three realms are created by the mind” ultimately comes down to all phenomena in the three dharma realms that cannot be separated from the original mind and buddha nature, also revealing that his fundamental position is still linked to the Chan school. In his commentaries on the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, Venerable Master Hsing Yun explains “the three realms are created by the mind; the myriad phenomena are of the consciousness” from the perspective of “samādhi of one characteristic and samādhi of perfect unity of body and mind in all activities.” Namely, when there is no attachment to any form, or one can act with an honest and frank mind, the three dharma realms and myriad phenomena will be pure, thus “a pure mind sees the world just as pure.” This shows that Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s interpretation of the teachings has always been closely related to actual practice and demonstrates the qualities of Humanistic Buddhism.
