Okay, here is the translation of the provided text about the Four Virtues (常乐我净 - Cháng Lè Wǒ Jìng) into English:

“Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity” (常乐我净 - Cháng Lè Wǒ Jìng): The Perfected State of the Tathāgata’s Four Virtues and Guidance for Practice

"Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" (常乐我净 - Cháng Lè Wǒ Jìng), as a core concept within Mahayana Buddhist doctrine, describes the four fundamental virtues of the Buddha's (Tathāgata's) ultimate Nirvana state and the inherent Buddha-nature within sentient beings. These four virtues are: Permanence (常 - Cháng: abiding and unchanging), Bliss (乐 - Lè: supreme peace and happiness), Self (我 - Wǒ: True Self, sovereign and free), and Purity (净 - Jìng: pure and undefiled). Originating from core Mahayana scriptures such as the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, they are collectively known as the "Four Virtues of Nirvana" (涅槃四德) or the "Four Virtues of the Tathāgata's Dharmakāya" (如来法身四德). Together, they reveal the perfect reality of the Buddha's Dharmakāya state, representing the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice and the innate potential inherent within all sentient beings.

This analysis aims to provide a comprehensive, in-depth, and systematic exposition from multiple perspectives: origin, definitions, internal relationships, contrast with the four inversions (四颠倒), relationship with Buddha-nature/Emptiness/Middle Way, classification and stratification, connection with other doctrines, and practical cultivation. The analysis will integrate content from classics such as the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, the Buddhabhāṣita-anuttarāśraya-sūtra (佛说无上依经), the Vajrasamādhi Sūtra (金刚三昧经), the Mahāvaipulya-asaṃjñā-sūtra (大方等无想经), the Mahāyāna-mūlajāta-hṛdayabhūmi-dhyāna-sūtra (大乘本生心地观经), and the Mahāyāna Yoga Vajra Nature Sea Mañjuśrī Thousand-Arm Thousand-Bowl Great Teaching King Sūtra (大乘瑜伽金刚性海曼殊室利千臂千钵大教王经), combined with the overall teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, to present readers with a logically clear and richly meaningful picture of "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity."

I. Introduction: Origin, Core Status, and Overall Significance of Chang Le Wo Jing

The introduction of the four virtues of "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" holds landmark significance in the history of Buddhist thought, receiving its most systematic and authoritative exposition particularly in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. As the Buddha was about to demonstrate Parinirvāṇa, he revealed this as a "secret teaching" (秘密教法) aimed at dispelling potential biased understandings (like annihilationism or nihilism) among Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha practitioners, as well as ordinary beings, regarding "impermanence, suffering, no-self, impurity." It also aimed to counteract the ordinary beings' inverted views (颠倒见) that perceive the mundane world as permanent, blissful, possessing a self, and pure. Thus, it reveals the true, positive, and perfect virtues of the state of Nirvana.

1. Primary Source and Core Status:

   • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra: This is the foremost scripture expounding "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity." It repeatedly emphasizes that Nirvana is permanent, blissful, possesses a true self, and is pure; the Tathāgata's Dharmakāya is eternally abiding and indestructible, and Buddha-nature pervades all sentient beings. For example, Volume 2 clearly states: "No-self (无我) is called saṃsāra (生死); Self (我) is called the Tathāgata. Impermanence (无常) pertains to Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas; Permanence (常) is the Tathāgata's Dharmakāya. Suffering (苦) pertains to all non-Buddhist paths; Bliss (乐) is precisely Nirvana. Impurity (不净) pertains to conditioned phenomena (有为法); Purity (净) is the authentic Dharma possessed by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This is called non-inverted." This directly correlates the four virtues with the highest categories like Tathāgata, Dharmakāya, Nirvana, and authentic Dharma, stressing that the Buddha's ultimate liberation is not merely "extinction" (灭度) but the fundamental essence of the eternally abiding Dharmadhātu.
   • Buddhabhāṣita-anuttarāśraya-sūtra: Explicitly calls these four virtues the "Four Pāramitās of the Tathāgata's Dharmakāya" (如来法身四德波罗蜜): "Permanence Pāramitā (常住波罗蜜), Bliss Pāramitā (安乐波罗蜜), True Self Pāramitā (真我波罗蜜), and Purity Pāramitā (清净波罗蜜)," highlighting their nature as ultimate virtues for reaching the other shore.
   • Other Sutras: For instance, the Vajrasamādhi Sūtra states: "This Dharma is true emptiness, permanent, blissful, [possessing] self, pure. Transcending the two selves, it is Mahāparinirvāṇa." The Mahāyāna-mūlajāta-hṛdayabhūmi-dhyāna-sūtra describes Bodhisattvas seeing the Buddha's light and "all making great vows, vowing to realize the Tathāgata's Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity." The Mahāvaipulya-asaṃjñā-sūtra also discusses attaining Samādhi and then being able to perceive the Tathāgata's Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity. The Mahāyāna Yoga Vajra Nature Sea... Sūtra also mentions Chang Le Wo Jing as the virtues of the Buddha's Dharmakāya. These texts collectively establish the core status of "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" in describing the state of Buddhahood and the essence of Buddha-nature.

2. Overall Significance:

   • Revealing the True Reality of Nirvana: The four virtues are the true nature of Nirvana, depicting the perfect state after complete liberation, transcending all worldly limitations of samsaric existence, intertwined suffering and pleasure, illusory falsehood, and defiled impurity.
   • Affirming the Innate Buddha-nature: Mahayana Buddhism holds that all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature, and this Buddha-nature is Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity. This provides the possibility and intrinsic basis for all beings to ultimately attain Buddhahood.
   • Indicating the Goal of Practice: Chang Le Wo Jing is the ultimate aspiration for practitioners, especially those on the Bodhisattva path. Through practice, they eradicate afflictions, reveal their Buddha-nature, and finally realize the state of Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity, which is non-dual with the Buddha.
   • Dispelling Biased Views and False Attachments: It refutes both the ordinary beings' clinging to the mundane world as permanent, blissful, having a self, and pure (the "four inversions"), and corrects the potential downfall of some practitioners into annihilationist emptiness or pessimism by clinging solely to "impermanence, suffering, no-self, impurity." It embodies the ultimate perfection that transcends dualistic oppositions (like existence/non-existence, arising/ceasing).
   • Emphasizing the Buddha's Eternal Abiding: A core aspect is revealing the Buddha's "eternal abiding and indestructibility" (常住不灭). The Buddha does not vanish upon entering Nirvana but eternally abides in the Dharmadhātu, benefiting sentient beings.

II. Definitions and Profound Connotations of the Four Virtues: Detailed Explanation

The four virtues of "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" are not isolated but describe four inseparable aspects of the same ultimate reality (Nirvana, Dharmakāya, Buddha-nature). Below is a detailed explanation of their definitions, theories, states, and practical implications:

1. Permanence (常 - Cháng / Permanence / Eternity / 常住波罗蜜 - Chángzhù Pāramitā)

• Definition: Refers to the eternal, immutable, unarisen, and unceasing nature of the Tathāgata's Dharmakāya, Nirvana, and Buddha-nature. It transcends time (not past, present, or future), space (no coming or going), and all conditioned phenomena's cycle of arising, ceasing, flux, and causal fabrication.
• Theoretical Level: The virtue of Permanence originates from the primordial nature of the Dharmadhātu and Buddha-nature. This "Permanence" is not the ordinary being's clinging to "eternalism" (常见) (e.g., believing in a permanent self or world) but is the true abiding nature revealed based on ultimate emptiness (śūnyatā, lack of self-nature). It is the inherent state of the Dharmadhātu, independent of any conditions, unarisen and unceasing like space.
• State Level: In the state of Buddhahood, "Permanence" means the Dharmakāya eternally abides in the world, not disappearing upon entering Parinirvāṇa. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra emphasizes that the "Tathāgata does not enter Nirvana" but eternally dwells in the Dharmadhātu to benefit beings. Bodhisattvas, through practice, can partially realize the Dharmakāya and gradually perceive this Permanence, like a first-bhūmi Bodhisattva seeing a small portion of Permanence, culminating in the perfect realization at Buddhahood.
• Practical Level: Practitioners, by contemplating the "impermanence" of all worldly phenomena, dismantle attachment to arising and ceasing. Especially through cultivating profound meditations like the Vajrasamādhi, they can gradually attune to the unarisen and unceasing Dharma-nature and realize the virtue of Permanence. The Buddha taught beings to "contemplate the wisdom of the twelve links of dependent origination" (十二因缘智) to recognize the inherent permanence of the Dharma-nature, thereby distancing themselves from thoughts of arising and ceasing in daily practice.
• Core Point: Emphasizes the eternal, firm, uncaused by conditions, and unconditioned nature of the highest state in Buddhism. It is the transcendence and ultimate answer to the observation that all worldly things are "impermanent."
• Scriptural Basis:
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 2: "Permanence is the Tathāgata's Dharmakāya." "The Tathāgata is permanent, an immutable reality, unlike the worldly, ordinary, ignorant people."
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 14: "Buddha-nature is unarisen, unceasing, neither going nor coming, not past, not future, not present... Therefore, it is called Permanent. Good Son! Buddha-nature is the Tathāgata, the Tathāgata is the Dharma, the Dharma is Permanence." "Space is unconditioned, hence permanent; Buddha-nature is unconditioned, hence permanent."
  • Buddhabhāṣita-anuttarāśraya-sūtra: "The Tathāgata's Dharmakāya is supreme and permanent; one should cultivate this."
  • Mahāvaipulya-asaṃjñā-sūtra, Vol. 6: Describes achieving Samādhi and seeing the Tathāgata's Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity, using analogies like grain producing fruit, trees bearing fruit, oil forming, treasures emerging from the earth, and snakes shedding skin to illustrate the "Permanence" revealed from within impermanence.

2. Bliss (乐 - Lè / Bliss / 安乐波罗蜜 - Ānlè Pāramitā)

• Definition: Refers to the absolute, unconditional, eternal peace and happiness in the state of Nirvana, the state after the complete cessation of all suffering of saṃsāra (suffering of suffering, suffering of change, all-pervasive suffering of conditioning). This bliss transcends worldly relative happiness, which depends on sensory stimulation, is fleeting, prone to change, and fraught with hidden dangers.
• Theoretical Level: The virtue of Bliss is the inevitable result of severing all afflictions (惑 - kleśas) and karmic forces (集 - karma), thereby extinguishing all resultant suffering (苦 - duḥkha). This Bliss is closely linked to "Permanence"; the eternally abiding Dharmakāya is naturally free from the suffering of change and is inherently blissful. It is the tranquil bliss based on wisdom and liberation.
• State Level: The state of Buddhahood is characterized by "unconditioned bliss" (无作之乐) and "supreme, wondrous, tranquil bliss" (上妙寂灭之乐) (Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 25). It is not triggered by external conditions but is the inherent, perfect joy of self-nature. Bodhisattvas, progressing through the stages of practice, experience increasing levels of Dharma joy and meditative bliss (法喜禅悦) as afflictions diminish and wisdom grows, culminating in the ultimate, perfect bliss of Nirvana at Buddhahood.
• Practical Level: Cultivating the Four Immeasurables (loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity), especially compassion for all beings, eradicates the roots of affliction like greed, hatred, and delusion. Practicing meditation stills mental scattering. Contemplating the "Truth of Suffering" (苦谛) leads to a deep understanding of the nature of saṃsāra, fostering the aspiration for the bliss of Nirvana, ultimately realizing this uncontaminated (无漏 - anāsrava, free from afflictions) great bliss. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra teaches that abandoning the "perception of suffering" (苦想) and cultivating the "perception of bliss" (乐想) (cognition of the true bliss of Nirvana) is key to realizing Bliss.
• Core Point: Emphasizes the tranquility, stability, and freedom from suffering of Nirvana. It is the transcendence and liberation from the reality that the world is filled with "suffering."
• Scriptural Basis:
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 2: "Bliss is precisely Nirvana." "Bliss is Nirvana, replete with the various true virtues of Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity."
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 5: "Extinguishing all suffering and attaining all bliss... True liberation is precisely the Tathāgata."
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 25: "Although Nirvana is blissful, it is not experiential pleasure (受乐); rather, it is the supreme, wondrous, tranquil bliss. All Buddhas, Tathāgatas, possess two kinds of bliss: one is the bliss of tranquility (寂灭乐), the other is the bliss of awareness (觉知乐)."
  • Buddhabhāṣita-anuttarāśraya-sūtra: "The Tathāgata's Dharmakāya is the supreme, wondrous bliss; one should cultivate this."
  • Mahāvaipulya-asaṃjñā-sūtra: Points out that after a Bodhisattva realizes Permanence and Bliss, they are free from the suffering of greed, hatred, and delusion, entering the wondrous bliss of Nirvana.

3. Self (我 - Wǒ / Self / True Self / 真我波罗蜜 - Zhēnwǒ Pāramitā)

• Definition: This is the most crucial virtue to understand carefully. This "Self" (我 - Wǒ) is absolutely not the illusory, small self (ego) that ordinary beings cling to, formed from the aggregation of the five skandhas (leading to attachment to a personal self, 人我执, and attachment to phenomena, 法我执). Nor is it the substantial, unchanging soul (ātman, 神我) posited by non-Buddhist paths (eternalism, 常见). It refers to the virtue of the Tathāgata's Dharmakāya being sovereign (自在), real (真实), possessing authentic subjectivity (主体性), and encompassing all phenomena (统摄万法). It is the eternal, free, and unimpeded "True Self" or "Great Self" (大我) of the Nirvana state.
• Theoretical Level: This "True Self" is posited based on the permanence of Buddha-nature (常 - Permanence) and possesses the characteristic of being indestructible and eternally unchanging. It emphasizes the reality and non-illusory nature of Buddha-nature and the ultimate sovereignty (八大自在 - eight great freedoms/sovereignties) of Nirvana. Teaching this "True Self" serves to refute the potential annihilationist view of "no-self" (无我) that Śrāvaka practitioners might fall into, thereby revealing the true reality of Nirvana, while also transcending the eternalistic views ("常见") and self-clinging (我执) of non-Buddhist paths.
• State Level: The Buddha's virtue of "Self" manifests as great sovereignty (大自在), being unimpeded in relation to all phenomena and possessing the ability to master all dharmas. Bodhisattvas, through practice, eliminate attachment to a personal self and phenomena. After realizing the principle of "no-self" (无我), they do not fall into nihilism but instead reveal the vaster, more real "True Self" of the Dharmakāya.
• Practical Level: Practitioners must first use Prajñā (wisdom) to contemplate "no-self" (无我) to break attachment to the illusory self constituted by the five skandhas. However, Mahayana emphasizes that after dismantling the false self, one must, through profound insight of the Middle Way, realize the eternally abiding true mind, the essence of Buddha-nature – the "True Self" – avoiding the extremes of affirming a self (like ordinary beings and non-Buddhists) or negating it into nothingness (annihilationism).
• Core Point: Emphasizes the reality and non-illusory nature of Buddha-nature, the freedom and unimpededness (great sovereignty) of Nirvana, and the subjectivity of the Tathāgata. It deepens and perfects the teaching of "no-self" for ordinary beings, using "True Self" to counter annihilationist and nihilistic interpretations of "no-self." Fundamentally, it does not contradict the "no-self" taught in Prajñāpāramitā sutras, as the objects being refuted and established are different.
• Scriptural Basis:
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 2: "No-self is called saṃsāra; Self is called the Tathāgata."
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 5: "Only clinging and attachment are severed, not the view of Self (我见). The view of Self is called Buddha-nature. Buddha-nature is true liberation. True liberation is the Tathāgata." (Here, "view of Self" refers to perceiving the True Self of Buddha-nature, not ordinary ego-clinging).
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 14: "All formations are without self (诸行无我)... 'Self' means indestructible, unable to be broken, beaten, or grown... The Tathāgata truly possesses such a Self." (Contrasting the ordinary being's lack of self with the Tathāgata's True Self).
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 27: "Is not Buddha-nature the Self? For this reason, I do not teach the view of annihilation... This Buddha-nature is truly not the [conventional] self; for the sake of sentient beings, it is spoken of as 'Self'." "Buddha-nature is without self [in the conventional sense], [yet] the Tathāgata speaks of 'Self' because it is permanent. The Tathāgata is the Self, yet speaks of 'no-self' due to attaining sovereignty." This clearly explains that the use of "Self" is expedient, meant to refute annihilationism (nihilism), and is based on the concepts of "Permanence" and "Sovereignty."
  • Buddhabhāṣita-anuttarāśraya-sūtra: "The Tathāgata's Dharmakāya is the supreme True Self; one should cultivate this." "It is far removed from all non-Buddhist erroneous attachments, transcending the delusion of the view of self; it is far removed from the erroneous adherence to principles of the Two Vehicles, transcending the delusion of no-self." This indicates the True Self transcends both the non-Buddhist "view of self" and the Two Vehicles' potential misinterpretation of "no-self."
  • Mahāvaipulya-asaṃjñā-sūtra: Points out that after a Bodhisattva perceives the True Self, they sever all self-clinging and realize the sovereignty of the Dharmakāya.

4. Purity (净 - Jìng / Purity / 清净波罗蜜 - Qīngjìng Pāramitā)

• Definition: Refers to the absolute purity of the state of Nirvana and the essence of Buddha-nature, being utterly free from all afflictive defilements (烦恼垢染) and adventitious impurities (客尘杂质). This purity is not merely behavioral or environmental cleanliness but the intrinsic, immaculate purity of the mind's fundamental nature.
• Theoretical Level: The virtue of Purity is the inherent state of the Dharmakāya. Buddha-nature is intrinsically pure (自性清净). Although it may seem obscured by afflictions in the state of ordinary beings, its essence is never truly polluted, like pure gold within ore, its nature unchanged. This purity is not external cleansing but inner purity of wisdom, undefiled due to its basis in emptiness.
• State Level: The state of Buddhahood is one of complete "uncontaminated purity" (无漏清净), having eradicated all afflictions and their latent tendencies (习气). Body and mind, internally and externally, are perfectly pure. In the process of practice, Bodhisattvas maintain purity through precepts and pure thoughts, gradually purifying afflictions, moving from contaminated purity (有漏净) towards uncontaminated purity (无漏净), finally perfecting the virtue of Purity at Buddhahood.
• Practical Level: Strictly upholding precepts (Prātimokṣa, Bodhisattva vows, etc.) guards the three doors (body, speech, mind), avoiding unwholesome actions. Cultivating meditation and purity-focused contemplations (like contemplating impurity, 不净观, to counter desire) counteracts inner defilements. Using Prajñā wisdom to illuminate the true nature of phenomena, understanding that afflictions are fundamentally empty, allows one to return to the intrinsic purity of self-nature. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra teaches that abandoning the worldly, illusory "perception of purity" (净想) and cultivating the cognition of Nirvana's true "Purity" (净) is key to realizing Purity.
• Core Point: Emphasizes the undefiled, immaculate, intrinsically unblemished nature of Nirvana. It is the transcendence of the world's pervasive "impurity" (physical and mental defilement, afflictive stains).
• Scriptural Basis:
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 2: "Purity is the authentic Dharma possessed by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas."
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 5: "'Not empty' refers to the truly wholesome form, Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity, immovable, immutable... hence called 'not empty'."
  • Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 30: "Free from the stains of affliction, thus called Purity."
  • Buddhabhāṣita-anuttarāśraya-sūtra: "The Tathāgata's Dharmakāya is supremely pure; one should cultivate this." "Intrinsic purity is its general characteristic; stainless purity is its specific characteristic."
  • Mahāvaipulya-asaṃjñā-sūtra: Emphasizes that after a Bodhisattva realizes Purity, they sever all defilements and enter the purity of Nirvana.

III. Internal Relationships and Overall Structure of the Four Virtues: Non-dual Integration

Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity are not four separate, independent attributes but are interdependent, mutually embodying essence and function (体用), and perfectly integrated (圆融一体), collectively forming the complete picture of Nirvana, Dharmakāya, and Buddha-nature.

1. Interdependent Relationships:

   • Permanence as the Foundation: Eternal abiding (Permanence) is the fundamental basis and support upon which the other three virtues are established. Without Permanence, the eternality of Bliss, Self, and Purity would be inconceivable.
   • Bliss Relies on Permanence and Purity: True Bliss must be grounded in eternality (Permanence) and depend on freedom from afflictions (Purity). Bliss is the dynamic joy arising from the static foundation of Permanence and Purity.
   • Unity of Self with Permanence, Bliss, Purity: The nature of the "True Self" (Self) is permanent, blissful, and pure. Conversely, the perfected state of Permanence, Bliss, and Purity is the manifestation of the "True Self." Within Buddha-nature, the four virtues are non-dual, different facets of the same reality.
   • Purifying and Safeguarding Role of Purity: Purity is both the process of eliminating defilements and the safeguard ensuring the manifestation of Permanence, Bliss, and Self. By purifying adventitious afflictions, the inherent virtues of Permanence, Bliss, and Self can be fully revealed. Purity can be seen as the cause, while Permanence, Bliss, and Self are the manifestation of the result.

2. Overall Structure: Transcending Duality, Accordance with the Middle Way:

   • Not Simple Opposition: Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity do not simply stand in binary opposition to "impermanence, suffering, no-self, impurity." Rather, they represent their transcendence and perfection. Buddhism first teaches the impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self of the world to break attachments, and then reveals the Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity of Nirvana to manifest the ultimate principle. These address different levels, reflecting a deepening from dualistic opposition to the unity of the Middle Way.
   • Mutually Reinforcing Cycle and Balance: The four virtues can be seen as a self-reinforcing loop: Permanence provides stability (quiescence), Self provides subjectivity (quiescence/activity), Bliss provides motivation (activity), and Purity provides immaculacy (quiescence/activity). They achieve a perfect balance between stillness and movement, collectively embodying the perfection of Nirvana.
   • Core Unity: The fundamental essence (本体) of the four virtues is Buddha-nature or the Dharmakāya. They have no sequential order or hierarchy, like different facets of a diamond, collectively portraying the perfection of Nirvana, the majesty of the Dharmakāya, and the inherent nature of Buddha-nature.

IV. Chang Le Wo Jing versus the Four Inversions: Refuting Attachments and Revealing the Positive

The teaching of "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" serves significantly to correct the four fundamental, inherent misconceptions held by ordinary beings trapped in saṃsāra, known as the "four inversions" (四颠倒 - sì diāndǎo).

1. The Four Inversions of Ordinary Beings: These refer to erroneous views regarding the five skandhas (body and mind) and the surrounding world:

   • Clinging to impermanent phenomena as "permanent" (常见倒 - inversion of permanence).
   • Clinging to the aggregation of sufferings as "bliss" (乐见倒 - inversion of bliss).
   • Clinging to what lacks substantial self-entity as "self" (我见倒 - inversion of self).
   • Clinging to the defiled and impure as "pure" (净见倒 - inversion of purity).
   • These inverted views are the root cause of beings' transmigration in saṃsāra and experience of suffering. The Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra (e.g., scrolls 452, 517) further differentiates them into inversions of perception (想倒), mind (心倒), and view (见倒).

2. Antidote and Transcendence:

   • Step One: Refuting Attachments (Foundational Teaching): The Buddha first taught the observation of worldly phenomena as "impermanent, suffering, no-self, and impure." This served as a skillful means for beginners to forcefully dismantle the four inverted attachments of ordinary beings. This is a crucial part of Śrāvaka teachings and foundational Mahayana teachings (like the Prajñāpāramitā sutras).
   • Step Two: Revealing the Positive (Definitive Teaching): However, merely dwelling on negation could lead to misunderstanding Buddhism as pessimistic, world-weary, or nihilistic. Therefore, the definitive Mahayana teachings (了义教), especially the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, further reveal the true virtues of the Nirvana state – "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity." This does not negate the previous contemplations (like impermanence) but reveals that after refuting the inversions concerning worldly phenomena, one should recognize the true nature of supramundane Nirvana. This represents a transcendence and perfection of the Śrāvaka viewpoints.
   • Clear Levels: The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra states: "The mundane world also has [what it calls] permanence, bliss, self, purity; the supramundane also has permanence, bliss, self, purity. Worldly phenomena have the words but lack the meaning (名不副实 - the name doesn't match reality); the supramundane has both the words and the meaning (名实相符 - name and reality correspond)... If one wishes to be free from the four inversions, one should know this (supramundane) Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity." (Vol. 2). The Buddhabhāṣita-anuttarāśraya-sūtra explicitly points out that applying the observation of "impermanence, suffering, no-self, impurity" (used for the skandhas) to the Tathāgata's Dharmakāya becomes a new inversion. Hence, "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" must be taught to counteract this potential inversion.

V. Chang Le Wo Jing in Relation to Buddha-nature, Emptiness, and the Middle Way: Connections in Profound Doctrine

The four virtues of Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity are intimately connected with core Mahayana concepts—Buddha-nature, Emptiness (Śūnyatā), and the Middle Way (Madhyamaka)—demonstrating the depth and integration of the doctrine.

1. Relationship with Buddha-nature (佛性 - Fóxìng):

   • Buddha-nature is Chang Le Wo Jing: Scriptures repeatedly emphasize that Buddha-nature is Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra states: "Buddha-nature is the seed of the Middle Way of Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi for all Buddhas... Therefore, Buddha-nature is Permanent, Blissful, Self, and Pure." (Vol. 27). "The view of Self is called Buddha-nature." (Vol. 5).
   • All Beings Possess Buddha-nature: A cornerstone of Mahayana is that "all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature" (一切众生皆有佛性). This implies that every being, regardless of their current state (even grave offenders or icchantikas), inherently possesses the potential for Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity, identical to the Buddha's, merely obscured by afflictions and ignorance, like the sun hidden by clouds or butter latent in milk.
   • Seeing the Nature is Seeing the Four Virtues: The process of practice is, through precepts, concentration, and wisdom (戒定慧), to extinguish afflictions, remove obscurations, and thereby "clarify the mind and see the nature" (明心见性). Seeing the Buddha-nature is directly realizing the inherently present Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity. Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Vol. 27 says: "Because it is covered by ignorance (无明), sentient beings cannot see (Buddha-nature)... By seeing it, sentient beings attain Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity."

2. Relationship with Emptiness (空性 - Kōngxìng / Śūnyatā):

   • Not Annihilationist Emptiness: Prajñāpāramitā sutras extensively teach that "all phenomena are empty" (一切法空) to dismantle attachments. However, "emptiness" does not mean mere nothingness. The introduction of "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" precisely serves to prevent interpreting "emptiness" as nihilism (断灭空). The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra describes Nirvana as both "not empty" (不空 - possessing true virtues) and "great emptiness" (大空 - i.e., Prajñāpāramitā, empty of all samsaric defilements). Nirvana is "empty of the non-empty" (不空空 - empty of ordinary delusions and attachments, but its essence is not empty) or "empty yet not empty" (空不空 - its nature is empty/quiescent, but its wondrous functions are not empty). The four virtues embody the true nature grounded in the wisdom of emptiness.
   • Positive Manifestation of Emptiness: Precisely because all phenomena lack inherent self-nature (自性空), they are not bound by impermanence, suffering, bondage, or defilement. This very emptiness makes possible the manifestation of the virtues transcending these limitations: Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity. These virtues are the positive manifestation and perfect functioning of the wisdom of emptiness.

3. Relationship with the Middle Way (中道 - Zhōngdào / Madhyamaka):

   • Transcending Extremes: The teaching of "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" perfectly embodies the Middle Way. It negates both the view of substantial existence (eternalism, self-view) held by non-Buddhists and ordinary beings, and the view of annihilation (断见, nihilism) found in biased interpretations of emptiness.
   • Correct View of Reality: As stated in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, only seeing the emptiness and no-self of saṃsāra without seeing the non-emptiness and True Self of Nirvana is not the Middle Way; the reverse is also true. The true Middle Way simultaneously realizes both the lack of self-nature due to dependent origination and emptiness (impermanence, suffering, emptiness, no-self) and the true virtues of the inherent Dharma-nature (Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity). "The Middle Way is called Buddha-nature" (Vol. 27).

VI. Classification and Stratification: Systematizing Paths of Understanding

To facilitate understanding and practice, the four virtues of Chang Le Wo Jing can be classified and stratified from different angles:

1. Classification: Based on Different Levels

• Theoretical Level (Cognitive Level): Focuses on understanding the philosophical connotations of the four virtues and the inherent nature of the Dharmadhātu. Permanence is the eternality of the Dharmadhātu; Bliss is the quiescent nature of Nirvana; Self is the sovereign nature of Buddha-nature; Purity is the undefiled nature of the Dharmakāya. Theoretically, the four virtues are the necessary manifestation of Emptiness.
• Practical Level (Cultivation Level): Focuses on how to realize the four virtues through specific practices. Cultivating Permanence requires contemplating impermanence and entering deep meditation; cultivating Bliss requires practicing compassion and severing afflictions; cultivating Self requires practicing Prajñā and dismantling self-clinging; cultivating Purity requires upholding precepts and practicing purity contemplations. Practically, the four virtues are gradually realized through the Mahayana path stages like the Six Pāramitās.
• State Level (Realization Level): Focuses on the degree to which the four virtues are realized at different stages of practice. From being latent in ordinary beings, to partial realization on the Bodhisattva bhūmis (first to tenth), culminating in perfect realization at Buddhahood. For example, a first-bhūmi Bodhisattva experiences Dharma joy, perceives a fraction of Permanence and Purity, whereas a Buddha perfectly and completely realizes Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity.

2. Stratification: Based on Depth of Understanding and Realization

• Shallow Level (Introductory Level): Understanding the basic literal meanings of the four virtues and their contrast with worldly inverted views. Suitable for beginners, establishing basic faith and cognition through hearing teachings like the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra.
• Middle Level (In-depth Level): Exploring the profound relationship between the four virtues and Emptiness, the Middle Way, and Buddha-nature, understanding their true meaning beyond the attachments of ordinary beings, non-Buddhists, or the Two Vehicles. Requires deep contemplation and Middle Way insight.
• Deep Level (Ultimate Level): Direct experiential realization that the four virtues are the Dharmakāya itself, integrated and non-dual (一体无二), beyond conceptual thought and language. Requires the combination of profound meditation (like Vajrasamādhi) and Prajñā wisdom, completely severing ignorance, to attune to this state.

VII. Connection with Other Buddhist Doctrines: Integration into the Overall Framework

The four virtues of Chang Le Wo Jing are not isolated concepts but are tightly interwoven with core Mahayana doctrines, collectively forming a complete theoretical system:

• Relation to Nirvana (涅槃): The four virtues are the essential attributes and synonyms of Nirvana. Nirvana is not just the cessation of suffering but the perfect manifestation of Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity.
• Relation to Emptiness (空性 - Śūnyatā): The four virtues are the positive expression of the wisdom of Emptiness, a concrete manifestation of "true emptiness, wondrous existence" (真空妙有). Emptiness clears away attachments, removing obstacles to the manifestation of Chang Le Wo Jing.
• Relation to Buddha-nature (佛性): The four virtues are the inherent qualities of Buddha-nature. That all beings possess Buddha-nature means all beings potentially possess Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity, providing the intrinsic basis for attaining Buddhahood.
• Relation to Dharmakāya (法身): The four virtues are the qualities of the Buddha's Dharmakāya. The Dharmakāya is eternally abiding, pervasive, pure, and sovereign; its specific virtues are Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity.
• Relation to the Bodhisattva Path (菩萨道): Chang Le Wo Jing is the ultimate goal of Bodhisattva practice. By cultivating the Six Pāramitās, the Four Means of Gathering Disciples (四摄法), and traversing the Ten Bhūmis, Bodhisattvas progressively eliminate the afflictive hindrances (烦恼障) and cognitive hindrances (所知障), realizing Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity incrementally, finally achieving perfect Buddhahood.
• Contrast and Integration with Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha Vehicles: The Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha paths emphasize contemplating "impermanence, suffering, no-self, impurity" to achieve liberation from saṃsāra, which is a necessary foundation. Mahayana builds upon this foundation by further revealing the "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" of Nirvana. This does not negate the former but integrates it as a stepping stone towards ultimate perfection, demonstrating the superiority and completeness of the Mahayana teachings.

VIII. Practice: How to Realize Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity

Chang Le Wo Jing is not merely a theoretical description but a state attainable through dedicated practice. Mahayana scriptures and treatises illuminate the path towards this goal:

1. Wisdom from Hearing, Contemplating, and Cultivating (闻思修):

   • Rely on Good Teachers, Listen to Authentic Dharma: Hear definitive Mahayana teachings, especially from teachers and texts (like the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra) that expound the permanence of Buddha-nature and the four virtues of Nirvana, establishing correct knowledge and views.
   • Contemplate Correctly: Repeatedly reflect on the meaning of Chang Le Wo Jing, dispel doubts, especially by practicing the three gates of liberation (emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness/effortlessness) (三解脱门 / 三三昧), and cultivating Middle Way insight.
   • Practice According to the Dharma: Integrate what is learned through hearing and contemplation into actual practice, engaging in the Six Pāramitās (generosity, ethics, patience, effort, meditation, wisdom), the Noble Eightfold Path, the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment, etc.

2. Maintain Pure Precepts (持戒清净): Ethical discipline (Śīla) is the foundation for concentration and wisdom. Strict adherence to precepts protects body, speech, and mind, avoids harmful actions, brings inner peace, facilitates meditation, is the direct path to realizing the virtue of "Purity," and safeguards the manifestation of the other three virtues.

3. Meditation and Wisdom (Samādhi and Prajñā) Practiced Together (定慧等持):

   • Cultivate Concentration (奢摩他 - Śamatha): Still the mind's restless wandering, develop focus and tranquility, especially by practicing profound meditations conducive to realizing Chang Le Wo Jing, such as the Vajrasamādhi.
   • Cultivate Insight (毗婆舍那 - Vipaśyanā): Use Prajñā wisdom to contemplate the true nature of phenomena, discerning impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self, dismantling the two attachments (to self and phenomena), ultimately perceiving the essence of Buddha-nature.
   • Unify Concentration and Insight (止观双运): Practice Śamatha and Vipaśyanā together, allowing them to mutually enhance each other, which is necessary to sever delusions and realize the truth, attuning to the ultimate reality of the Dharmadhātu.

4. Cultivate Faith and Generate Bodhicitta (培养信心与发菩提心):

   • Develop Firm Faith: Generate unwavering confidence in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), Mahayana scriptures, one's own Buddha-nature, and the reality of Chang Le Wo Jing. This is crucial motivation for starting and sustaining diligent practice.
   • Generate Bodhicitta: Mahayana emphasizes that realizing Chang Le Wo Jing is not solely for personal liberation but requires generating great compassion (大悲心) and striving for supreme enlightenment (无上菩提) to liberate all sentient beings. Through altruistic actions, one accumulates merit and wisdom, which swiftly dismantles self-clinging and perfects Buddhahood. Practicing the Four Immeasurables (loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity) is a key practice for cultivating the virtue of Bliss.

5. Eliminate Hindrances and Afflictions (破除障惑): Systematically identify and eradicate various obstructions (障) and afflictions (惑) that impede seeing the nature. These include the four inversions and conceptual/emotional afflictions (见思惑) of ordinary beings, as well as the subtler dust-like afflictions (尘沙惑) and ignorance-afflictions (无明惑) encountered on the Bodhisattva path (especially the hindrances mentioned in the Buddhabhāṣita-anuttarāśraya-sūtra: icchantika hindrance, non-Buddhist hindrance, Śrāvaka hindrance, Pratyekabuddha hindrance, and the deeper levels of fundamental ignorance (无明住地) and their effects).

IX. Conclusion: The Perfect Destination and Eternal Inspiration

The Tathāgata's Four Virtues of "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" represent Mahayana Buddhism's magnificent depiction of life's ultimate reality, crystallizing the Buddha's wisdom and compassion. They not only reveal the perfection and majesty of the state of Nirvana, providing practitioners with a clear and sublime goal, but also, through the doctrine of Buddha-nature, offer infinite hope to all sentient beings – the potential inherent within everyone to achieve this state of eternity, bliss, freedom, and purity.

These four virtues are interdependent and perfectly integrated, collectively constituting the splendor of the Dharmakāya and the tranquility of Nirvana. They are the ultimate transcendence of the worldly realities of impermanence, suffering, no-self, and impurity. They actively embody the Middle Way view of reality, refuting both eternalism and annihilationism, and affirming the eternal value of life and the possibility of ultimate peace and happiness.

Understanding Chang Le Wo Jing involves not just theoretical cognition but, more importantly, taking it as the guiding beacon and objective of practice. Through the Mahayana path encompassing hearing, contemplation, cultivation, ethics, meditation, wisdom, faith, and Bodhicitta, sentient beings can gradually purify afflictions, unveil their inherent Buddha-nature of Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity, and ultimately perfect Buddhahood, attaining liberation and freedom equal to that of all Buddhas.

Therefore, "Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity" is not merely praise for the state of Buddhahood but also boundless encouragement and ultimate care for all sentient beings. It illuminates a bright path from the shore of affliction (saṃsāra) to the other shore of Bodhi and Nirvana, inspiring us through diligent practice to eradicate all hindrances and realize that ultimately perfect state of liberation.