Who is barking?

Here’s the translation of the four metaphors of Who is barking:

1. **Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do not bark**: Buddhas and Bodhisattvas represent **complete awakening and ultimate wisdom**. They have transcended the cycle of birth and death, reaching a state of non-dual mind, free from any delusions or attachments. The phrase "do not bark" signifies their peaceful, undisturbed nature, with no need to respond to illusions or the superficial aspects of the external world.

2. **The two vehicles bark at the form**: Practitioners of the two vehicles (Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas) have achieved a certain level of liberation, but their awakening is still confined to an understanding of the phenomenal world. "Barking at the form" implies that they see a partial truth (the "form") but still cling to certain aspects of it, reacting to limited truths rather than the whole.

3. **Humans and heavenly beings bark at the shadow**: Beings in the human and heavenly realms are generally virtuous, but they remain deluded by the **shadows of the phenomenal world**. "A hundred dogs barking at shadows" suggests that they chase after illusions (the "shadows"), pursuing morality and good deeds, yet still failing to perceive the true essence of things, being led astray by appearances.

4. **The beings in the three evil paths are in a frenzy of barking**: The beings in the three evil paths (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals) are fully immersed in **ignorance and suffering**, incapable of perceiving any truth. "A frenzy of barking" describes their extreme confusion, pain, and delusion, as they are entirely controlled by karmic forces and desires, constantly reacting in a chaotic and irrational manner.

This analogy uses "barking" to symbolize different reactions to illusions, showing the progression from delusion to awakening. While Buddhas and Bodhisattvas transcend illusions entirely, beings in the two vehicles, human and heavenly realms, and three evil paths are trapped at various levels of attachment to illusions, with those in the evil paths being the most deeply entangled.