What is Reality? Why should we need to know Reality?

　
    "Reality" is an important concept in Mahayana Buddhism. "Reality" means "real" and "not false", and in Chinese, "Reality" also means "as usual". It is not easy to understand the ultimate meaning of "Reality". In Mahayana Buddhism, a lot of space is devoted to discussing this concept. If you can understand the true meaning of "Reality", it can be said that you have understood more than half of the Buddhist teachings. "Reality" has many titles with the same meaning but different names: Emptiness, Buddha nature, Dharmakaya, etc. all refer to "Reality". This is just for the convenience of all living beings to understand Buddhist doctrines, so the Buddha expressed it in different words and expressions.
　
    "Reality" is the nature of all things, but it is independent of all things at the same time. The things we see are going to "arise and disappear": people are born, old, sick, and dead, mountains, rivers, and the earth will gradually destroy and change over time. From a scientific point of view, all matter decays; in addition, the human mind is also constantly changing, and our thoughts, actions, and feelings are arising and passing away all the time. However, the "Reality" that is the nature of all things is immortal. It transcends the definition of all things, has no form, is intangible, and is eternal and unchanging.
　
    In other words, all the things we see are constantly arising and passing away, and in fact, their nature is eternal and unchanging; the "aising and disappearing" we see is actually an "illusion", and is unreal like a dream or a mirage; that is where the name of "Reality" comes from (only the Nature is real). However, we have never doubted that the arising and passing away of everything we see is actually an "illusion"; we have a wrong conception of all things, thinking that the arising and passing away of things is a fact that is absolutely true and does not need to be doubted , but did not observe that all things actually have an eternal and unchanging "Real" nature.
　
    Another way of expressing "Reality" is "Emptiness". "Empty" is beyond words, indescribable, and ineffable. Therefore, in the same way, the actual form of "Reality" cannot be described in words. .
　
    "Reality" also represents "Buddha-nature". Buddha nature is the nature of enlightenment that the Buddha enlightened, which is pure and free from pollution. Therefore, if someone can truly and fully understand the meaning of "Reality", it means that he has seen "Buddha-nature", and he is not far from becoming a Buddha.
　
    As we gradually understand the true meaning of "Reality", we can begin to apply this understanding to our daily life and gradually correct our misconceptions about all things in the past, even if we haven't completely understood the full meaning of "Reality". When we can begin to perceive that the characteristics of "Reality" in all things is “non-arising and non-disappearing”, our attachment to all things will gradually fade away, so we can use a more easy and free way to treat all things in the world and we will no longer be bound by various  attached mentality, which cause annoyances and pains. Then, we will get real relief.
　
    Mahayana Buddhism is not a useless "talk". If there are complicated and incomprehensible theories, it is only the methods developed for the purpose of enabling sentient beings of different capacities to understand Buddhist doctrines according to their expertise. Actually, the real meaning that Buddhist doctrine shows, to sum up, is not complicated; but, in order for different sentient beings to understand the Buddhist Dharma step by step, they have to use various convenient means, so the doctrine becomes huge and complicated. However, no matter what part of the Buddhist Dharma we are practicing, when we begin to gradually understand the Dharma and apply it in our daily life, we will find that the Buddhist Dharma can really make us free from suffering and obtain true happiness.
　

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