真理は不意に見出される
Truth is discovered unexpectedly
2026-05-08
Many practitioners may believe that through diligent practice they will eventually discover something meaningful in their own way.
More specifically, they may think things such as, “Perhaps this practice existed in order to realize this,” or “I feel that this practice has changed me.”
However, such thoughts are unlikely to become the decisive condition for awakening.
For it is precisely those who devote themselves to practice without concern for intermediate attainments who, quite unexpectedly, encounter a crucial turning point and ultimately attain awakening (= liberation).
If one misunderstands this point, one falls into practicing merely for the sake of practice itself. In that case, no true merit is accumulated, and one ends up wasting time in vain, unable to draw nearer to Nirvana.
This is similar to working on a disentanglement puzzle.
Indeed, even if one feels partway through the process that one has understood something important, in most cases that insight does not actually lead to the solution. So long as one clings to such ideas, solving the puzzle only becomes more remote.
Rather, it is the person who sincerely engages with the puzzle who is able to carry out the necessary trials for solving it, and then, almost unexpectedly, the puzzle comes undone.
Likewise, so long as a practitioner continues practicing while thinking, “What is awakening?” or “How can one attain awakening?”, their practice does not truly progress. Only when one arrives at the fundamental question, “What is the truth of this world?” does merit begin to accumulate. Then, through virtuous conduct carried out in parallel with practice, one gains the opportunity to discern the truth of people and the world. As merit accumulates further, one finally reaches the moment of awakening (= liberation).
At that time, just as there is a reason why disentanglement puzzles do not come with instructions explaining their solution, one also comes to understand the truth of why the Buddhist scriptures are written in the manner that they are.
Conversely speaking, the Buddhist scriptures contain descriptions that are necessary and sufficient. A person who reads them, attains a certain degree of understanding, and furthermore develops faith in Buddhism, will then undertake the proper seeking (= noble seeking) and the proper course of spiritual practice, thereby proceeding directly toward Nirvana and ultimately reaching it.
In short, those who try too cleverly to attain awakening fall into roundabout and convoluted forms of practice, whereas those who devote themselves to the Buddhist path with the proper state of mind unexpectedly give rise to wisdom and attain awakening (= liberation).
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