In the chapter on Cultivating Persistence of the Infinite Life Sutra, the Buddha said: “Towards the Buddha, one must be filial, always remember the teacher’s gratitude, so that this Dharma-door will last long and not be destroyed. One must persevere, not abandon it, not give rise to desires, increase or decrease the Dharma-sutras, always remember it without ceasing, and quickly attain the fruit of the path. My Dharma is like this, so it should be said like this. What the Tathagata does, one should also follow, cultivate good fortune, and seek rebirth in the Pure Land.” This clearly states: In the path that benefits all living beings, one must first cause the Pure Land Dharma-door to last long and not be destroyed. And if one wants this Dharma-door to last long, Buddhists must persevere, not abandon it, not give rise to desires, increase or decrease the Dharma-sutras. The Buddha strongly admonished living beings not to be selfish, to do things that go against the Master, to deviate from the Sutras is to betray the Path.

The Patriarchs also taught: “To interpret the meaning according to the sutras is to be wronged by the Buddhas of the three times; to deviate from the sutras by one word is to speak the same as a demon.” Just half a step away from the Buddhist scriptures, just one word wrong in the Buddhist scriptures and you have already fallen into the devil's path, let alone not staying in the Buddhist scriptures, not speaking the Buddha's words. The difference between Buddha and devil is only a thought of enlightenment or delusion; therefore, leaving the Buddhist scriptures to recite the Buddha's teachings is no different than reciting the devil's. For that reason, today many people who recite the Buddha's teachings are still possessed by devils; that is because they do not stay in the Buddhist scriptures and practice correctly, increasing or decreasing the Buddha's teachings themselves. We must know, as ordinary sentient beings, there is no way to have a path, the path we practice and speak of is the Buddha's path, not our path. Even the patriarchs did not dare to speak outside of what the Buddha said, they only repeated what the Buddha said in other languages so that sentient beings could easily understand and receive the Buddha's teachings! Therefore, those who abandon the Buddha's teachings are traitors to the Buddha.

Bhiksu Dharma Zang, in order to fulfill his own vow to save sentient beings, prayed to attain Self-Enlightenment. To attain Self-Enlightenment, Bhiksu Dharma Zang must pray to have wisdom as vast and deep as the ocean, and a mind as pure and clean of worldly defilements so that he can escape from the boundless paths of evil and reach the ultimate shore of Bodhi. That has been clearly stated, only those with wisdom as vast and deep as the ocean, and a mind as pure and clean of worldly defilements can truly have the path to lead sentient beings to the ultimate shore of Bodhi. Therefore, the first thing that Bhiksu Dharma Zang prayed for was to have boundless wisdom like the Buddha. Only profound wisdom can help practitioners completely eradicate worldly afflictions, transcend the nine dharma realms, reach straight to the ultimate other shore, forever eliminate ignorance, greed, and anger, from which they will never again return to delusion, confusion, and wrong behavior; Only then can we truly save sentient beings. To summarize this idea, Bhikkhu Dharma Zang used a verse to recite:

“Wisdom is as vast and deep as the ocean,

Inner mind is pure, free from worldly defilements,

Transcending the boundless paths of evil realms,

Quickly reaching the ultimate shore of Bodhi.

Ignorance, greed, and anger are eternally gone,

With the power of Right Concentration, Sins and Delusions are eliminated.

Like countless Buddhas of the past,

Becoming great teachers of all living beings,

Saving all sentient beings in the world,

Birth, aging, sickness, and death are all suffering.

Always practicing charity, keeping precepts, patience,

Diligence, concentration, and wisdom of the six Paramitas,

Sentient beings not yet saved can be saved,

Those who have been saved will become Buddhas.

Like making offerings to countless Saint,

It is better to firmly seek the Right Enlightenment.

I vow that when I reside in Samadhi,

I will always emit rays of light to illuminate all living beings,

I will deeply respond to the pure place,

I will be majestic and sublime like no other.

In the cycle of reincarnation in the six paths of all living beings,

I will quickly be born in my realm to receive peace and happiness,

I will always use my compassionate heart to save sentient beings

To save all living beings from boundless suffering.

My conduct is determined and steadfast,

Only the Buddha's wisdom can witness,

Even if my body is cut off from all suffering,

My vow will never retreat.”

First, Dharma Treasure chose wisdom, that is, chose the belief and understanding of the Buddha's teachings to begin the practice of the Bodhisattva path. Next, he chose the Buddha Recitation Samadhi and the Three Studies of Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom as his practice to eradicate all worldly afflictions. Finally, he sought to attain the ultimate Bodhi fruit, to achieve Self-Enlightenment. This is truly a profound meaning that encompasses all of the Faith, Understanding, Practice, and Attestation of the Buddha vehicle. Why? Because as soon as the practitioner achieves the wisdom as vast and deep as the ocean, then of course the inner mind must be pure, without evil, without error, free from defilements, free from all defilements, and perfect the Buddha vehicle. Only a Bodhisattva practitioner like the Bhiksu Dharma Zang can be qualified to lead living beings to the ultimate shore of Bodhi.

The sutra compares the afflictions of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt, and jealousy to the dust and dirt that cover the True Nature, causing the body and mind of living beings to be tired and confused, so it is called “worldly afflictions.” The Heart Sutra teaches: “When one practices the Prajna Paramita deeply, one sees that the five aggregates are all empty, and one will overcome all suffering and hardship.” Thus, the wisdom that Bhiksu Dharma Zang sought was the Prajna wisdom that penetrates the True Suchness, sees through the True nature of the universe and human life, and thus can live in illusion and leave illusion, no longer being contaminated by all kinds of worldly defilements and suffering and hardship.

What is Prajna wisdom?

Because the True nature of all dharmas share the same nature, and form is the head of the five aggregates, the Heart Sutra begins with the phrase “form is not different from emptiness” to thoroughly explain the true nature of form first, as a typical example for other dharmas. The Heart Sutra says “form is not different from emptiness” because although form has a visible form, it is an illusory form, not the True Nature. The Bodhisattva used the wisdom of Prajna to deeply contemplate and saw that: The essence of form is “unattainable” (completely unobtainable), that is, although it exists, that existence is just like emptiness. Not only is the essence of form “completely unobtainable,” but even the essence of emptiness is “completely unobtainable.”

Speaking of this, the Buddha was afraid that people would misunderstand the emptiness of the world as the form of emptiness, so he immediately continued: “Emptiness is no different from form.” This sentence implies the meaning: If form is completely unobtainable, then emptiness also has no reality to be obtained. That is because emptiness, like form, is a worldly dharma. Although emptiness has no form, is empty, and void, it still has the form of emptiness. Indeed, if the emptiness of emptiness has no form, how can it contain all things? Therefore, we must know that the emptiness of the form aggregate is not the emptiness of emptiness, and the emptiness of emptiness is also like the form aggregate, completely separate from the emptiness of the form of emptiness, that is, it is not an empty emptiness, void like emptiness.

Speaking of this, the Buddha clearly knows that the minds of living beings are still attached to form, so they still do not understand this meaning; therefore, he adds: “form is emptiness, emptiness is form” (form is emptiness, emptiness is form). This sentence contains the meaning: Because form is inherently silent, both manifest and perish together; in other words, form and emptiness “are both” and “are separate from” form and emptiness, so “form is emptiness” cannot be, and “emptiness is form” cannot be either. If the practitioner sees this, it means he has the wisdom of Prajna to deeply contemplate the true nature of all dharmas and will personally realize the true nature.

In short, the nature of form is: “Form is no different from emptiness,” “emptiness is no different from form,” “form is emptiness,” and “emptiness is form,” all of which have no reality to be obtained. Since the aggregate of form is like this, the remaining four aggregates of “feeling, perception, mental formation, and consciousness” can also be known in the same way. There is no need to explain further, so the Heart Sutra only says: “feeling, perception, mental formation, and consciousness are also like this.”

Since the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formation, and consciousness) are like this, all worldly and supramundane dharmas are also like this, so the Heart Sutra continues: “These dharmas have no form, are neither born nor destroyed, are neither defiled nor pure, neither increase nor decrease.” Since the True Nature of all dharmas is inherently unborn, how can there be extinction? Since the True Nature of all dharmas is inherently unstained, how can there be purity? Since the True Nature of all dharmas is inherently unstained, how can there be decrease, etc. Finally, since the true nature of all dharmas is inherently like this, there is no need to rely on the sages and ordinary people, Buddhas and sentient beings, worldly and otherworldly to speak anymore!

The Heart Sutra says: “Therefore, in space there is no form, no feeling, conception, volition, or consciousness. There is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharma; no realm of sight, and even no realm of consciousness.” Meaning: In the True Nature of dharmas, there are no five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formation, consciousness), no six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind), no six sense objects (form, sound, smell, taste, touch, dharma), and no six consciousnesses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind), so how can there really be the Six Realms of Dharma in the True Nature?

The Heart Sutra says: “There is no ignorance, nor the end of ignorance, nor even old age and death, nor the end of old age and death.” Meaning: In the True Nature of dharmas, there is originally no ignorance until there is no old age and death, so there is also no end of ignorance until there is no end of old age and death; it also means that in the True Nature of dharmas, there is originally no practice of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination of the Pratyekabuddha vehicle, so how can there really be the Pratyekabuddha realm.

The Heart Sutra says: “There is no suffering, origin, cessation, or path.” Meaning: In the True Nature of dharmas, there is no practice of the Four Noble Truths of “suffering, origin, cessation, and path” of the Sravaka vehicle, so how can there really be a Sravaka dharma realm?

The Heart Sutra says: “No wisdom.” Wisdom is the final level in the Six Paramitas, which is the practice of Bodhisattvas. The phrase “no wisdom” here means: In the True Nature, there is no practice of the Wisdom of the Bodhisattva vehicle, so how can there really be a Bodhisattva dharma realm?

The Heart Sutra says: “Also no attainment,” which means there is also no attainment. The word “attainment” here means the realization of Bodhi Nirvana. The phrase “diệc vô độ” means: In the True Nature, there is no Dharma to practice to attain Bodhi Nirvana, so how can there really be a Buddha Dharma Realm?

In short, the True Nature of True Emptiness does not have the Five Aggregates, the Six Entrances, the Twelve Ayatanas, the Eighteen Realms, nor does it have dharmas such as the Four Noble Truths, the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, Wisdom, and Attainment; that is, there are no Six Ordinary Dharma Realms of the world, nor the Dharma Realm of Sravakas, the Dharma Realm of Pratyekabuddhas, the Dharma Realm of Bodhisattvas, and the Dharma Realm of Buddhas. All dharmas of saints and ordinary people, Buddhas and sentient beings do not exist, so how can there be any emptiness of the world that is not emptiness?

The Heart Sutra concludes: “Because there is nothing to attain, Bodhisattvas rely on the Prajna Paramita, their minds are unhindered, unobstructed, without fear, far removed from deluded dreams, and ultimately Nirvana.” Meaning: Because the Bodhisattva contemplates and penetrates the wisdom of Prajna, thoroughly and deeply understands that: both ordinary feelings and holy views are empty, therefore, he perfects Bodhi, returning to the mind of “nothing to obtain,” that is, there is nothing to obtain. Because the mind of the Bodhisattva abides in “nothing to obtain,” that mind has no obstacles or terrors, is far from all delusions and dreams, and reaches the ultimate Nirvana.

Furthermore, because in the emptiness of dharmas, there are no dharmas of saints or ordinary people, Buddhas or living beings, all dharmas of saints or ordinary people, Buddhas or living beings are empty, quiet, and extinguished. Because the nature of emptiness is like this, from ordinary people to saints, all can cultivate causes and attain results, completely and completely. If it were not empty, cultivating causes and attaining results would be of no use at all. Because the Bodhisattva, by practicing the profound wisdom of Prajna, no longer sees the forms of all kinds of sentiments and false distinctions, so the Heart Sutra calls it “emptiness.” The word “no” does not mean no cultivation, no attainment. If we misunderstand and say that people should not cultivate, no attainment is “no”, then we will destroy the Buddha’s Dharma and will certainly fall into Avici Hell. Therefore, we must listen carefully and think carefully about the Buddha’s teachings so as not to make mistakes!

The essence of the True Nature is always bright and radiant, without any darkness. Mistakes are called “wisdom.” Among all kinds of wisdom, Prajna wisdom is the best, the supreme wisdom, there is no wisdom equal to it, nothing can surpass it. Therefore, achieving wisdom is the ultimate achievement of cultivating the path to liberation. Practitioners must only use wisdom to cross the ocean of Buddha Dharma. Understanding the five paramitas (giving, keeping precepts, patience, diligence) is only the practice to subdue afflictions, but it has not truly ended afflictions, so it is still not possible to escape birth and death. A practitioner must have the wisdom to penetrate the origin of the True Suchness in order to be permanently liberated. In order to transcend the boundless paths of evil, quickly reach the ultimate shore of Bodhi, and escape the cycle of birth and death, Bhiksu Dharma Zang must first seek wisdom. This clearly states the meaning: Only profound and pure wisdom has the ability to completely end worldly defilements, thanks to which practitioners can transcend the boundless paths of hungry ghosts, hell, and animals, and no longer fall into the three evil paths. Why do practitioners of the path to liberation have to seek wisdom? Because only wisdom has the ability to illuminate the inner mind, making the mind pure, eliminating all worldly defilements, and at that moment the evil paths are immediately closed, quickly attaining the ultimate enlightenment. Therefore, Bhikkhu Dharma Zang said in one breath: “Wisdom is as vast and deep as the ocean. The inner mind is pure and free from worldly defilements. Transcending the boundless paths of evil. Quickly reaching the ultimate shore of Bodhi.”

Bodhi means enlightenment, which also means wisdom. Bhikkhu Dharma Zang began to practice the Bodhisattva path from a place of abiding deeply in true wisdom, and it also ended at this ultimate, perfect wisdom. “The ultimate shore of Bodhi” is precisely the ultimate, perfect enlightenment, which is clearly understanding the origin of the defiled mind to the ultimate level. Thoroughly understanding one’s own defiled mind to the ultimate level is the Original Enlightenment, also known as the Ultimate Enlightenment. Thus, “the ultimate shore of Bodhi” is precisely the ultimate, most complete enlightenment of a Bodhisattva who has perfected great conduct, that is, becoming a Buddha. Therefore, the sutra says: “Ignorance, greed, and anger are eternally empty. With the power of Right Concentration, sins are eliminated,” which means that living beings should use the power of Buddha Recitation Samadhi to eliminate the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion and their own faults.

Ignorance means ignorance. The mind that is obscured by delusion is because it lacks clear wisdom, so it is called ignorance. Ignorance, greed, and anger are the three poisons that cause living beings to forever fall into the cycle of birth and death and suffering. Therefore, practitioners must have wisdom, and must also use the power of Buddha Recitation Samadhi to permanently eliminate the three poisons (greed, anger, and delusion), the three defilements (views, worldly desires, and ignorance), and many other faults in order to reach the other shore.

Samadhi is a Sanskrit word, translated as Right Concentration or Equal Maintenance. Practitioners who keep their mind focused on one scene so that it does not sink or drift, or become scattered, are called Equal Maintenance. The person who recites the Buddha's name has the power of Equal Holding or Right Concentration because he has equal wisdom. Therefore, among the samadhis, only the Buddha's Name Samadhi is the most noble. The Buddha's Name Samadhi is likened to the king of kings, the most precious treasure among all treasures, so the Great Collection Sutra calls the Buddha's Name Samadhi the Treasure King Samadhi. So, the power of Right Concentration that Bhikshu Dharma Zang vowed to attain is the Buddha's Name Samadhi. That has been clearly stated, Amitabha Buddha also became a Buddha thanks to the power of the Buddha's Name Samadhi. That has also been clearly stated, all great virtues come from the power of the Buddha's Name Samadhi. Therefore, the sutra says: "Ignorance, greed, and anger are eternally empty. With the power of Right Concentration, sins are eliminated and defilements are ended."

Living beings living in the sea of birth and death are like being in a house of fire that is blazing, unable to find peace. Now, Bhikshu Dharma Zang vows to save all living beings in the nine realms from the burning house. Speaking at a higher level, even the Bodhisattvas of the pre-ground who have not yet severed all ignorance are still in the world, so they also need to rely on the Buddha to be liberated, let alone us ordinary people. Bhikshu Dharma Zang clearly knows that only by cultivating and achieving the wisdom of Prajna, that is, becoming a Buddha, can one have the full ability and various means to help all living beings gain the power of fearlessness, lead living beings to leave suffering and gain happiness, from delusion to enlightenment, escape the sea of birth and death, and enter the Buddha's knowledge. Therefore, Bhikshu Dharma Zang vows: "Like countless Buddhas of the past, I will be the great teacher of all living beings, and save all sentient beings in the world from birth, aging, sickness, death, and all suffering." He vows to be like all Buddhas of the past, to be the teacher of all sentient beings in the nine dharma realms so that he can save all sentient beings. To achieve this, Bhikshu Dharma Zang vows to constantly practice the six great principles of a Bodhisattva; These are: giving, keeping precepts, patience, diligence, meditation and wisdom to save all sentient beings in the six realms of samsara, guiding them to escape from life and death. After sentient beings have escaped from life and death, he vows to continue to help them achieve complete Buddhahood, so he uses a verse to recite: "Sentient beings who have not yet been saved can be saved. Those who have been saved can become Buddhas." This clearly shows the boundless great compassion of Bhikshu Dharma Zang, vowing to save and carry all sentient beings to the other shore. Bhikshu Dharma Zang's vow to become a Buddha is to save sentient beings, because only by becoming a Buddha can he take the Pure Land as the ultimate means to accomplish the work of saving sentient beings.

The Tathagatas take great compassion as their substance, so they give rise to great compassion for sentient beings, from great compassion they give rise to Bodhi-mind, from Bodhi-mind they attain Equal and Right Enlightenment. The Buddhas use the water of great compassion to benefit living beings, helping them quickly attain the fruits of the Buddhas' wisdom. All living beings are like the dry roots of a tree in the desert. If its roots can absorb water, its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits will all become lush. Water is a metaphor for the Buddha Dharma or the Buddha's wisdom, and lush flowers and fruits are a metaphor for the Buddhas. Here, Dharma-Treasury is the same. Because he has aroused the mind of great compassion, he widely practices the Six Paramitas to save all living beings, and the Six Paramitas are the main cause for attaining Nirvana. Therefore, Dharma-Treasury's vow to always practice the Six Paramitas is: "I vow to learn limitless Dharma doors, I vow to attain the unsurpassed Buddha Way." Furthermore, giving overcomes stinginess and greed. Keeping precepts overcomes breaking precepts. Patience overcomes anger. Diligence overcomes laziness. Meditation overcomes distraction. Wisdom overcomes ignorance. Thus, always practicing the Six Paramitas is: "I vow to end endless afflictions." Furthermore, self-enlightenment and enlightenment of others is to use one's own enlightenment to enlighten all sentient beings, to use one's own conduct to guide sentient beings, to dedicate one's own merits to sentient beings; that is the "vow to save limitless sentient beings." So, the four verses: "Always practice giving, keeping precepts, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom, the six Paramitas, to save sentient beings who have not yet been saved, and to make those who have been saved become Buddhas" are the Four Great Great Vows of the Tathagatas.

The Sutra of the Longevity Chapter of Universal Worthy's Conduct and Vows states: "If Bodhisattvas use the water of great compassion to benefit sentient beings, they can attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Therefore, Bodhi belongs to sentient beings." The Dharma is likened to nectar appearing in the desert, causing dry trees in the desert to suddenly become fresh, blossom, and bear fruit. Therefore, the Bhiksu Dharma Zang, before the World-Mastery King Buddha and the great assembly of gods and humans, praised the Dharma offering as the most excellent. There are seven Dharma offerings: One is the offering by practicing in accordance with the Buddha's teachings, Two is the offering by benefiting living beings, Three is the offering by embracing living beings, Four is the offering by enduring suffering on behalf of living beings, Five is the offering by diligently cultivating good roots, Six is the offering by not abandoning Bodhisattva karma, Seven is the offering by not abandoning Bodhicitta. If one were to compare the merit of making offerings of countless material things with the merit of making offerings of Dharma like this, they would be incomparable. Why? Because practicing in accordance with the Buddha's teachings will give birth to Buddhas; therefore, all Tathagatas respect the Dharma offering. If a Bodhisattva practices the Dharma offerings as mentioned above, he will accomplish the offering to the Tathagata and will also accomplish the fruit of wisdom for himself and living beings. Therefore, Bhikkhu Dharma Zang said: “For example, making offerings to countless saints is not as good as firmly seeking enlightenment.” The sutras also compare the merit of offering Dharma to the number of dust particles in the entire globe, while the merit of offering material is not as good as a small dust particle. How can a small dust particle be compared to all the dust particles in the globe! In short, the verse “not as good as firmly seeking enlightenment” clearly shows that Bhikkhu Dharma Zang’s merit of offering Dharma far exceeds the merit of offering countless saints with material objects.

Bhikkhu Dharma Zang’s vow: “When residing in samadhi, always emit rays of light to illuminate living beings” has brought up the wonderful virtue of concentration and wisdom being held equally, still and shining simultaneously, with essence and function being non-dual. Why? Because emitting light is cultivating virtue, its essence is the virtue of “still yet always shining, shining yet always still.” The Pure Land is Constant Tranquil Light, and the body is Infinite Light Tathagata. Therefore, although Amitabha Buddha resides in great stillness and samadhi, he always emits light that illuminates all Buddha lands in the ten directions. Therefore, he perceives the vast and pure Pure Land of Buddha. The Pure Land, Amitabha Buddha, and the Bodhisattvas in that land are three kinds of adornments that converge into one dharma phrase, and that one dharma phrase is the pure phrase, and the pure phrase is the True Wisdom of Non-action Dharma Body. Non-action Dharma Body is the body, and from that body emerges the majestic supporting and main retribution of the Pure Land, so the sutra says: “Perceiving a place that is pure, vast, majestic, sublime, and unparalleled.” Furthermore, the sublime and transcendent place of Pure Land Buddhism is the quick attainment of Buddhahood. Ordinary people who are reborn there immediately attain non-retrogression; only with non-retrogression can they quickly attain Buddhahood. Because only when sentient beings escape from the cycle of birth and death can they truly be at peace and quickly attain Enlightenment, Bhikshu Dharma Zang made a universal vow: “Through the cycle of birth and death, all sentient beings may quickly be born in my land and receive peace and happiness.”

The Sutra of Praise for the Pure Land teaches: “For sentient beings, I preach the profound and wonderful Dharma so that they may receive supreme benefits and joy.” The sutra also says: “There is no suffering at all in body and mind, only immeasurable pure joy and happiness. Therefore, it is called the Land of Ultimate Bliss.” The things just presented above are the true meanings of the two vows of Bhikshu Dharma Zang: “to bestow true benefits” and “to always use compassion to save sentient beings, to end the limitless suffering of sentient beings.” These two vows demonstrate Dharma Zang’s great vow of compassion, to always use compassion to bestow joy and compassion to eliminate suffering for all sentient beings until the end of future lives. He vowed to always take responsibility, save, shoulder, and save all sentient beings before attaining Enlightenment.

“Always” is a vertical calculation that encompasses all past, present, and future times. “Boundless” is a horizontal calculation that encompasses all ten directions of space. Bhikshu Dharma Zang, in all times and places, with great compassion and great mercy, saved all sentient beings until he had saved them all, then he stopped. But time is endless, space is endless, sentient beings are endless, so Bhikshu Dharma Zang’s mind of great compassion, great vows, and great conduct are also endless. This truth was stated in his vow: “My conduct is steadfast and steadfast, Only the Buddha’s wisdom can witness it, Even if my body is freed from all suffering, My vow will never retreat.”

After Bhikshu Dharma Zang made his vow, he immediately asked the Tathagata World-Self-Mastery King to witness it. He told the Buddha: My vows are inherently strong and decisive, only the World-Honored One, the one who has perfected the three enlightenments, has brilliant five eyes, and unobstructed wisdom, can truly attest to them for me. Furthermore, when Dharma-Treasury made his vows, they were already in the very profound realm of a Bodhisattva of the highest level, so others could not understand them, only the Buddha's holy wisdom could realize them. This point proves that the wonderful virtues of the Great Bodhisattva Dharma-Treasury are difficult to imagine, except that only the Buddha's wisdom can understand them. Bhiksu Dharma-Treasury also vowed that even if he were to fall into hell, his vows would not be regressed, clearly showing: If there is only a vow, then that vow is false. If there is only practice, then that practice is also in vain. Therefore, vows and practice must support each other for cultivation to be successful.