BODHIDHARMA ON THE TWOFOLD ENTRANCE TO THE TAO

This is Part I of Section IV. entitled From the Chinese Masters from the Manual of Zen Buddhism written by the great and brilliant Zen Master D. T. Suzuki. In Part I of this section, he briefly outlines the teachings of Bodhidharma that define the only Way(s) to enter the Path to Enlightenment. The many Paths no matter the system or belief can All be converged into only two and, ultimately, into only One Path or Way. This post explains in greater detail this information found in my earlier post: The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma. You should probably read it first if you are not familiar with Bodhidharma. There is so much Wisdom just in this Manual of Zen Buddhism but this is just one of many translations and other great works by the Zen Master and brilliant scholar, D.T. Suzuki. Enjoy!


Namaste'

BODHIDHARMA ON THE TWOFOLD ENTRANCE TO THE TAO[1]

There are many ways to enter the Path, but briefly Speaking they are of two sorts only. The one is "Entrance by Reason" and the other "Entrance by Conduct".[2] By "Entrance by Reason" we mean the realization of the spirit of Buddhism by the aid of the scriptural teaching. We then come to have a deep faith in the True Nature which is the same in all sentient beings. The reason why it does not manifest itself is due to the overwrapping of external objects and false thoughts. When a man, abandoning the false and embracing the true, in singleness of thought practises the Pi-kuan ["Wall-gazing"] he finds that there is neither self nor other, that the masses and the worthies are of one essence, and he firmly holds on to this belief and never moves away therefrom. He will not then be a slave to words, for he is in silent communion with the Reason itself, free from conceptual discrimination; he is serene and not-acting. This is called "Entrance by Reason".

By "Entrance by Conduct" is meant the four acts in which all other acts are included. What are the four? 1. To know how to requite hatred; 2. To be obedient to karma; 3. Not to crave anything; and 4. To be in accord with the Dharma.

1. What is meant by "How to requite hatred"? He who disciplines himself in the Path should think thus when he has to struggle with adverse conditions: "During the innumerable past ages I have wandered through a multiplicity of existences, all the while giving myself to unimportant details of life at the expense of essentials, and thus creating infinite occasions for hate, ill-will, and wrongdoing. While no violations have been committed in this life, the fruits of evil deeds in the past are to be gathered now. Neither gods nor men can foretell what is coming upon me. I will submit myself willingly and patiently to all the ills that befall me, and I will never bemoan or complain. The Sutra teaches me not to worry over ills that may happen to me. Why? Because when things are surveyed by a higher intelligence, the foundation of causation is reached." When this thought is awakened in a man, he will be in accord with the Reason because he makes the best use of hatred and turns it into the service in his advance towards the Path. This is called the "way to requite hatred".

2. By "being obedient to karma" is meant this: There is no self (atman) in whatever beings are produced by the interplay of karmaic conditions; the pleasure and pain I suffer are also the results of my previous action. If I am rewarded with fortune, honour, etc., this is the outcome of my past deeds which by reason of causation affect my present life. When the force of karma is exhausted, the result I am enjoying now will disappear; what is then the use of being joyful over it? Gain or loss, let me accept the karma as it brings to me the one or the other; the Mind itself knows neither increase nor decrease. The wind of pleasure [and pain] will not stir me, for I am silently in harmony with the Path. Therefore this is called "being obedient to karma".

3. By "not craving (ch'iu) anything" is meant this: Men of the world, in eternal confusion, are attached everywhere to one thing or another, which is called craving. The wise however understand the truth and are not like the ignorant. Their minds abide serenely in the uncreated while the body moves about in accordance with the laws of causation. All things are empty and there is nothing desirable to seek after. Where there is the merit of brightness there surely lurks the demerit of darkness. This triple world where we stay altogether too long is like a house on fire; all that has a body suffers, and nobody really knows what peace is. Because the wise are thoroughly acquainted with this truth, they are never attached to things that change; their thoughts are quieted, they never crave anything. Says the Sutra: "Wherever there is a craving, there is pain; cease from craving and you are blessed." Thus we know that not to crave anything is indeed the way to the Truth. Therefore, it is taught not "to crave anything".

4. By "being in accord with the Dharma" is meant that the Reason which we call the Dharma in its essence is pure, and that this Reason is the principle of emptiness (sunyata) in all that is manifested; it is above defilements and attachments, and there is no "self", no "other" in it. Says the Sutra: "In the Dharma there are no sentient beings, because it is free from the stain of being; in the Dharma there is no 'self' because it is free from the stain of selfhood." When the wise understand this truth and believe in it, their lives will be "in accordance with the Dharma".

As there is in the essence of the Dharma no desire to possess, the wise are ever ready to practise charity with their body, life, and property, and they never begrudge, they never know what an ill grace means. As they have a perfect understanding of the threefold nature of emptiness, they are above partiality and attachment. Only because of their will to cleanse all beings of their stains, they come among them as of them, but they are not attached to form. This is the self-benefiting phase of their lives. They, however, know also how to benefit others, and again how to glorify the truth of enlightenment. As with the virtue of charity, so with the other five virtues [of the Prajnaparamita]. The wise practise the six virtues of perfection to get rid of confused thoughts, and yet there is no specific consciousness on their part that they are engaged in any meritorious deeds. This is called "being in accord with the Dharma".[1]

[1] From The Transmission of the Lamp, XXX.

[2] "Entrance by Reason" may also be rendered "Entrance by Higher Intuition", and "Entrance by Conduct", "Entrance by Practical Living".]

Methods of Practice in the Chan Hall By Master Hsu Yun (Part 2 of 2)

In Part two of this wonderful teaching, Master Hsu Yun describes very clearly how to properly practice Chan. He uses clever ancient stories to help you understand the proper State of Being necessary for proper Practice. Some of you may be confused by his terminology associated with not being properly prepared to Practice. He calls this "regulating the body and mind". I have added a link to information that explains the necessity for being prepared. It is written by a well-known psychotherapist who describes MBCT - Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. 

Again, many thanks to the nice folks at Western Chan Fellowship for granting me permission to share this great teaching. Enjoy!

Namaste'

Methods of Practice in the Chan Hall

By Master Hsu Yun.

This is part two of a translation of a text by the great Chan master of the early part of the 20^th century, Hsu Yun (1839-1 959). It is reprinted by permission of the Institute of Chung Hwa Buddhist Culture, New York, from Chan Newsletter 87, August 1991. The first part of this talk appeared in New Chan Forum No.4. Spring 1992.

1. Introduction:

Many people come to ask me for guidance. This makes me feel ashamed. Everyone works so hard - splitting firewood, hoeing the fields, carrying soil, moving bricks - and yet from morning to night not putting down the thought of practising the Path. Such determination for the Path is touching. I, Hsu-Yun, repent my inadequacy on the Path and my lack of virtue. I am unable to instruct you and can use only a few sayings from the ancients in response to your questions. There are four prerequisites concerning methods of practice:

1. Deep faith in the law of cause and consequence
2. Strict observance of precepts
3. Immovable faith
4. Choosing a Dharma door method of practice

 

2. The Essentials of Chan Practice:

Our everyday activities are executed within the Path itself Is there anywhere that is not a place for practising the Path? A Chan Hall should not even be necessary. Furthermore, Chan practice is not just sitting meditation. The Chan Hall and Chan sitting meditation are for sentient beings with deep karmic obstructions and shallow wisdom.


When one sits in meditation, one must first know how to regulate the body and mind. If they are not well regulated, then a small harm will turn into an illness and a great harm will lead to demonic entanglements. This would be most pitiable. Walking and sitting meditation in the Chan Hall are for the regulation of body and mind. There are other ways to regulate the body and mind, but I will talk about these two fundamental methods.


When you sit in the lotus position, you should sit naturally straight. Do not push the waist forward purposely. Doing so will raise your inner heat, which later on could result in having sand in the comer of your eyes, bad breath, uneasy breathing, loss of appetite, and in the worst case, vomiting blood. If dullness or sleepiness occur, open your eyes wide, straighten your back and gently move your buttocks from side to side. Dullness will naturally vanish. If you practice with an anxious attitude, you will have a sense of annoyance. At that time you should put everything down, including your efforts to practice. Rest for a few minutes. Gradually, after you recuperate, continue to practice. If you don't do this, as time goes on you will develop a hot-tempered character, or, in the worst case, you could go insane or fall into demonic entanglements.
There are many experiences you will encounter when sitting Chan, too many to speak of. However, if you do not attach to them, they will not interfere with you. This is why the proverb says: "See the extraordinary yet do not think of it as being extraordinary, and the extraordinary will retreat." If you encounter or perceive an unpleasant experience, take no notice of it and have no fear. If you experience something pleasant, take no notice of it and don't give rise to fondness. The "Surangama Sutra" says: "If one does not think he has attained a supramundane experience, then this is good. On the other hand, if one thinks he has attained something supramundane, then he will attract demons."

 

3. How to Start the Practice: Distinction between Host and Guest

How should one begin to practice? In the Surangama assembly, Kaundinya the Honoured One mentioned the two words "guest" and "dust". This is where beginners should begin their practice. He said, "A traveller who stops at an inn may stay overnight or get something to eat. When he is finished or rested, he packs and continues his journey, for he does not have time to stay longer. If he were the host, he would have no place to go. Thus I reason: he who does not stay is called a guest because not staying is the essence of being a guest. He who stays is called a host. Again, on a clear day, when the sun rises and the sunlight enters a dark room through an opening, one can see dust in empty space. The dust is moving but the space is still. That which is clear and still is called space; that which is moving is called dust because moving is the essence of being dust." Guest and dust refer to illusory thoughts, whereas host and space refer to self-nature. That the permanent host does not follow the guest in his comings and goings illustrates that permanent self-nature does not follow illusory thoughts in their fleeting rise and fall. Therefore it was said, "If one is unaffected by all things, then there will be no obstructions even when one is constantly surrounded by things." The moving dust does not block the clear, still empty space; illusory thoughts which rise and fall by themselves do not hinder the self-nature of Suchness. Thus it was said, "If my mind does not arise, all things are blameless." In such a state of mind, even the guest does not drift with illusory thoughts. If he understands space and dust, illusory thoughts will no longer be hindrances. It is said that when one recognizes an enemy, there will be no more enemy in your mind. if one can investigate and understand all this before starting to practice, it is unlikely that one will make serious mistakes.

 

4. Hua-t'ou and Doubt:

The ancient patriarchs pointed directly at Mind. When one sees self-nature, one attains Buddhahood. This was the case when Bodhidharma helped his disciple to calm his mind and when the Sixth Patriarch spoke only about seeing self-nature. All that was necessary was the direct understanding and acceptance of Mind and nothing else. There was no such thing as investigating hua-t'ou. More recent patriarchs, however, saw that practitioners could not throw themselves into practice with total dedication and could not instantaneously see their self-nature. Instead, these people played games and imitated words of wisdom, showing off other people's treasure and patriarchs were compelled to set up schools and devise specific ways to help practitioners, hence the method of investigating hua-t'ou.


There are many hua-t'ous, such as "All dharmas return to one, where does this one return to?" "What was my original face before I was born?" and so on. The most common one, however, is "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?".
What is meant by hua-t'ou? Hua means the spoken word; t'ou means the head or beginning, so hua-t'ou means that which is before the spoken word. For example, reciting Amitabha Buddha is a hua, and hua-t'ou is that which precedes one's reciting the Buddha's name. The hua-t'ou is that moment before the thought arises. Once the thought arises, it is already the tail of the hua. The moment before that thought has arisen is called non-arising. When one's mind is not distracted, is not dull, is not attached to quiescence, or has not fallen into a state of nothingness, it is called non-perishing. Singlemindedly and uninterruptedly, turning inward and illuminating the state of non-arising and non-perishing is called investigating the hua-t'ou or taking care of the hua-t'ou.


To investigate the hua-t'ou, one must first generate doubt. Doubt is like a walking cane for the method of investigating hua-t'ou. What is meant by doubt? For example, one may ask, "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" Everyone knows that it is he himself who is reciting the name, but is he using his mouth or mind? If it is his mouth, then after the person dies and the mouth still exists, how come the dead person is unable to recite Buddha's name? If it is the mind, then what is the mind like? It cannot be known. Thus there is something one does not understand, and this gives rise to a slight doubt regarding the question of "who".


This doubt should never be coarse. The finer it is the better one should singlemindedly watch and keep this doubt, and keep it going like a fine stream of water. Do not get distracted by any other thought. When the doubt is there, do not disturb it. When the doubt is no longer there, gently give rise to it again. Beginners will find that it is more effective to use this method when stationary rather than when moving; but you should not have a discriminating attitude. Regardless of whether your practice is effective or not or whether you are stationary or moving, just singlemindedly use the method and practice.


In the hua-t'ou, "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" The emphasis should be on the word "who". The other words serve to provide a general idea, just like in asking, "Who is dressing?", "Who is eating?", "Who is moving their bowels?'', ''Who is urinating?'', ''Who is ignorantly fighting for an ego?'', ''Who is being aware?". Regardless of whether one is walking, standing, sitting or reclining, the word "who" is direct and immediate. Not having to rely on repetitive thinking, conjecture, or attention, it is easy to give rise to a sense of doubt.
Hence, hua-t'ou's involving the word "who" are wonderful methods for practising Chan. But the idea is not to repeat, "Who is reciting Buddha's name?" like one might repeat the Buddha's name itself; nor is it right to use reasoning to come up with an answer to the question, thinking that this is what is meant by having doubt. There are people who uninterruptedly repeat the phrase, "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" They would accumulate more merit and virtue if they repeatedly recited Amitabha Buddha's name instead. There are others who let their minds wander, thinking that is the meaning of having doubt, and they end up more involved in illusory thoughts. This is like trying to ascend but descending instead. Be aware of this.


The doubt that is generated by a beginning practitioner tends to be coarse, intermittent and irregular. This does not truly qualify as a state of doubt. It can only be called thoughts. Gradually, after the wild thoughts settle and one has more control, the process can be called "ts'an" (ts'an means to investigate or look into). As one's cultivation gets smoother, the doubt naturally arises without one's actively inducing it to. At this point one is not aware of where one is sitting. One is not aware of the existence of a body or mind or environment. Only the doubt is there. This is a true state of doubt.


Realistically speaking, the initial stage cannot be considered cultivation. One is merely engaging in illusory thoughts. Only when true doubt arises by itself can it be called true cultivation. This moment is a crucial juncture, and it is easy for the practitioner to deviate from the right path:

1. At this moment it is clear and pure and there is an unlimited sense of lightness and peace. However, if one fails to fully maintain one's awareness and illumination (awareness is wisdom, not delusion; illumination is samadhi, not disorder), one will fall into a light state of mental dullness. If there is an open-eyed person around, he will be able to tell right away that the practitioner is in this mental state and hit him with the incense stick, dispersing all clouds and fog. Many people become enlightened this way. 
2. At this moment it is clear and pure, empty and vacuous. If it isn't, then the doubt is lost. Then it is "no content", meaning one is not making an effort to practice any more. This is what is meant by "the cliff with dry wood" or "the rock soaking in cold water". In this situation the practitioner has to "bring up". "Bring up" means to develop awareness and illumination. It is different from earlier times when the doubt was coarse. Now it has to be fine - one thought, uninterrupted and extremely subtle. With utter clarity, it is illuminating and quiescent, unmoving yet fully aware. Like the smoke from a fire that is about to go out, it is a narrow stream without interruption. When one's practice reaches this point, it is necessary to have a diamond eye in the sense that one should not try to "bring up" any more. To "bring up" at this point would be like putting a head on top of one's head.

Once a monk, asked Chan master Chao-chou, "What should one do when not one thing comes?" Chao-chou replied, "Put it down". The monk, asked, "If not one thing comes, what does one put down?" Chao-chou replied, "If it cannot be put down, take it up". This dialogue refers precisely to this kind of situation. The true flavour of this state cannot be described. Like someone drinking water, only he knows how cool or warm it is. If a person reaches this state, he will naturally understand. If he is not at this state, no explanation will be adequate. To a sword master you should offer a sword; do not bother showing your poetry to someone who is not a poet.

 

5. Taking Care of Hua-t'ou and Turning Inward to Hear One's Self-Nature:

Someone might ask, "How is Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara's method of turning inward to hear self-nature considered investigating Chan?". I have previously explained that taking care of hua-t'ou is being, moment after moment, with only one thought, singlemindedly shining the light inward on "that which is not born and not destroyed". Inward illumination is reflection. Self-nature is that which is not born and not destroyed. When "hearing" and "illuminating" follow sound and form in the worldly stream, hearing does not go beyond sound and seeing does not go beyond form. However, when one turns inward and contemplates self-nature against the worldly steam, and does not pursue sound and form, then he becomes pure and transparent. At that time, "hearing" and "illuminating" are not two different things.


Thus we should know that taking care of the hua-t'ou and turning inward to hear self-nature does not mean using our eyes to see and our ears to hear. If we use our ears to hear or our eyes to see, then we are chasing sound and form. As a result we will be affected by them. This is called submission to the worldly stream. If one practices with one thought only, singlemindedly abiding in that which is not born and not destroyed, not chasing after sound and form, with no wandering thoughts, then one is going against the stream. This is also called taking care of the hua-t'ou or turning inward to hear one's self-nature. This is not to say you should close your eyes tightly or cover your ears. Just do not generate a mind of seeking after sound and form.

 

6. Determined to Leave Samsara and Generating a Persevering Mind:

In Chan training the most important thing is to have an earnestness to leave birth and death and to generate a persevering mind. If there is no earnestness to leave birth and death, then one cannot generate the "great doubt" and practice will not be effective. if there is no perseverance in one's mind, the result will be laziness, like a man who practices for one day and rests for ten. The practice will be incomplete and fragmented. Just develop a persevering mind and when great doubt arises, vexations will come to an end by themselves. When the time comes, the melon will naturally depart from the vine.


I will tell you a story. During the Ch'ing dynasty in the year of K'eng Tse (1900) when the eight world powers sent their armies to Peking, the Emperor Kuang-hsu fled westward from Peking to Shen Hsi province. Everyday he walked tens of miles. For several days he had no food to eat. On the road, a peasant offered him sweet potato stems. After he had eaten them, he asked the peasant what they were because they tasted so good. Think about the Emperor's usual awe-inspiring demeanour and his arrogance! How long do you think he could continue to maintain his imperial attitude after so long a journey on foot? Do you think he had ever gone hungry? Do you think he ever had to eat sweet potato stems? At that time he gave up all of his airs. After all, he had walked quite a distance and had eaten stems to keep from starving. Why was he able to put down everything at that time? Because the allied armies wanted his life and his only thought was to save himself But when peace prevailed and he returned to Peking, once again he became proud and arrogant. He didn't have to run any more. He no longer had to eat any food that might displease him. Why was he unable to put down everything at that time? Because the allied armies no longer wanted his life. If the Emperor always had an attitude of running for his life and if he could turn such an attitude toward the path of practice, there would be nothing he could not accomplish. It's a pity he did not have a persevering mind. When favourable circumstances returned, so did his former habits.


Fellow practitioners! Time is passing, never to return. It is constantly looking for our lives. It is more frightening than the allied armies. Time will never compromise or make peace with us. Let us generate a mind of perseverance immediately in order to escape from birth and death! Master Kao-fung (1238-1295) once said, "Concerning the practice, one should act like a stone dropping into the deepest part of the pool - ten thousand feet deep - continuously and persistently dropping without interruption toward the bottom. If one can practice like this without stopping, continuously for seven days, and still be unable to cut off one's wandering, illusory thoughts and vexations, I, Kao-fung, will have my tongue pulled out for cows to plough on forever". He continued by saying, "When one practices Chan, one should set out a certain time for success, like a man who has fallen into a pit a thousand feet deep. All his tens of thousands of thoughts are reduced to one - escape from the pit. If one can really practice from morning to dusk and from night to day without a second thought, and if he does not attain complete enlightenment within three, five or seven days, I shall be committing a great lie for which I shall have my tongue pulled out for cows to plough on forever". This old master had great compassion.

© Western Chan Fellowship, UK, 1993. May not be quoted for commercial purposes. Anyone wishing to quote for non-commercial purposes may seek permission from the WCF Secretary.

Essentials of Chan Practice by Master Hsu-yun (Part 1 of 2)

I was fortunate to come across the wonderful Wisdom-filled web presence of the Western Chan Fellowship headquartered in the U.K. Some of you may not know what Chan is so, for those who do not, it is the Chinese name for Zen. In fact, Zen descended from Chan. Chan originated in the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province around 500 A.D. when the Indian monk Bodhidharma introduced Mahayana Buddhism to the monks there. His teachings were translated from a Taoist perspective so those familiar with the Tao Te Ching will see the similarity. I am not familiar with Master Hsu-yun but his teachings are very clear and supported with beautiful stories from ancient Chan Masters. 

Many thanks to Simon Child at Western Chan Fellowship for granting me permission to share this insightful work with you.

Enjoy!

Namaste'

Essentials of Chan Practice

by Master Hsu-yun

The Prerequisites and Understanding Necessary to Begin Chan Practice

 

1. The Objective of Chan Practice

 

The objective of Chan practice is to illuminate the mind by eradicating its impurities and seeing into one's true self-nature. The mind's impurities are wrong thoughts and attachments. Self nature is the wisdom and virtue of the Tathagata. The wisdom and virtue of Buddhas and sentient beings are not different from one another. To experience this wisdom and virtue, leave behind duality, discrimination, wrong thinking and attachment. This is Buddhahood. If one cannot do this, then one remains an ordinary sentient being.


The prerequisite for Chan practice is to eradicate wrong thinking. Sakyamuni Buddha taught much on this subject. His simplest and most direct teaching is the word "stop" from the expression "stopping is Bodhi." From the time when Bodhidharma transmitted Chan teachings to today, the winds of Chan have blown far and wide, shaking and illuminating the world. Among the many things that Bodhidharma and the Sixth Patriarch taught to those who came to study with them, none is more valuable than the saying, "Put down all entangling conditions, let not one thought arise."


This expression is truly the prerequisite of Chan. If you cannot fulfil this requirement, then not only will you fail to attain the ultimate goal of Chan practice, but you will not even be able to enter the door of Chan. How can you talk of practicing Chan if you are entangled by worldly phenomena with thought after thought arising and passing away?

 

2. Put Down All Entangling Conditions

"Put down all entangling conditions, let not one thought arise" is a prerequisite for the practice of Chan. Now that we know this, how do we accomplish it? The best practitioner, one of superior abilities, can stop all thoughts forever, arrive directly at the condition of non-arising, and instantly experience Bodhi. Such a person is not entangled by anything.The next best kind of practitioner uses principle to cut off phenomena and realises that self-nature is originally pure. Vexation and Bodhi, Samsara and Nirvana - all are false names which have nothing to do with one's self-nature. All things are dreams and illusions, like bubbles or reflections.


Within self-nature, my body, made up of the four great elements, as well as the mountains, rivers and great earth itself are like bubbles in the sea, arising and disappearing, yet never obstructing the original surface. Do not be captivated by the arising, abiding, changing and passing away of illusory phenomena, which give rise to pleasure and aversion, grasping and rejecting. Give up your whole body, as if you were dead, and the six sense organs, the six sense objects and six sense conciousnesses will naturally disperse. Greed, hatred, ignorance and love will be destroyed. All the sensations of pain, suffering and pleasure which attend the body - hunger, cold, satiation, warmth, glory, insult, birth and death, calamity, prosperity, good and bad luck, praise, blame, gain and loss, safety and danger - will no longer be your concern. Only this can be considered true renunciation - when you put everything down forever. This is what is meant by renouncing all phenomena.


When all phenomena are renounced, wrong thoughts disappear, discrimination does not arise, and attachment is left behind. When thoughts no longer arise, the brightness of self-nature manifests itself completely. At this time you will have fulfilled the necessary conditions for Chan practice. Then, further hard work and sincere practice will enable you to illuminate the mind and see into your true nature.

 

3. Everyone Can Instantly Become a Buddha

Many Chan practitioners ask questions about the Dharma. The Dharma that is spoken is not the true Dharma. As soon as you try to explain things, the true meaning is lost. When you realize that "one mind" is the Buddha, from that point on there is nothing more to do. Everything is already complete. All talk about practice or attainment is demonic deception.


Bodhidharma's "Direct pointing at the mind, seeing into one's nature and attaining Buddhahood" clearly states that all sentient beings are Buddhas. Once pure self-nature is recognized, one can harmonize with the environment yet remain undefiled. The mind will remain unified throughout the day, whether walking, standing, sitting or lying down. This is to already be a Buddha. At this point there is no need to put forth effort and be diligent. Any action is superfluous. No need to bother with the slightest thought or word. Therefore, to become a Buddha is the easiest, most unobstructed task. Do it by yourself. Do not seek outside yourself for it.


The vow to deliver all sentient beings, made by all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and patriarchs, is not a boast nor is it a baseless, empty vow. The Dharma is exactly that. It has been elucidated again and again by the Buddha and the patriarchs. They have exhorted us with the truth. They do not deceive us.

 

4. Investigating Chan and Contemplating Mind

Our sect focuses on investigating Chan. The purpose of practising Chan is to "Illuminate the mind and see into one's true nature." This investigation is also called "Clearly realizing one's self-mind and completely perceiving one's original nature."


Since the time when Buddha held up a flower and Bodhidharma came from the East, the methods for entry into this Dharma door have continually evolved. Most Chan practitioners, before the T'ang and Sung dynasties, became enlightened after hearing a word or half a sentence of the Dharma. The transmission from master to disciple was the sealing of Mind with Mind. There was no fixed Dharma. Everyday questions and answers untied the bonds. It was nothing more than prescribing the right medicine for the right illness.


After the Sung dynasty, however, people did not have such good karmic roots as their predecessors. They could not carry out what had been said. For example, practitioners were taught to "Put down everything" and "Not think about good or evil," but they could not do it. They could not put down everything, and if they weren't thinking about good, they were thinking about evil. Under these circumstances, the patriarchs had no choice but to use poison to fight poison, so they taught the method of investigating gongans (ie. Koans) and hua-t'ous.¹


When one begins looking into a hua-t'ou, one must grasp it tightly, never letting go. It is like a mouse trying to chew its way out of a coffin. It concentrates on one point. The mouse doesn't try different places and it doesn't stop until it gets through. Thus, in terms of hua-t'ou, the objective is to use one thought to eradicate innumerable other thoughts. This method is a last resort, just as if someone had been pierced by a poison arrow, drastic measures must be taken to cure the patient.


The ancients used gongans, but later on practitioners started using hua-t'ou. Some hua-t'ous are: "Who is dragging this corpse around?" "Before you were born what was your original face?" and "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?"
In fact, all hua-t'ous are the same. There is nothing uncommon, strange or special about them. If you wanted to, you could say: "Who is reciting the sutras?" "Who is reciting the mantras?" "Who is prostrating to the Buddha?" "Who is eating?" "Who is wearing these clothes?" "Who is walking?" "Who is sleeping?" They are all the same. The answer to the question "who" is derived from one's Mind. Mind is the origin of all words. Thoughts come out of Mind; Mind is the origin of all thoughts. Innumerable Dharmas generate from the Mind; Mind is the origin of all Dharmas. In fact, hua-t'ou is a thought. Before a thought arises, that is Mind. Before a thought arises there is the origin of words. Hence, looking into a hua-t'ou is contemplating Mind. There was Mind before your parents gave birth to you, so looking into your original face before you were born is contemplating Mind.


Self-nature is Mind. When one turns inward to hear one's self-nature, one is turning inward to contemplate Mind. In the phrase, "Perfectly illuminating pure awareness," pure awareness is Mind and illumination is contemplation. Mind is Buddha. When one recites Buddha's name one contemplates Buddha. Contemplating Buddha is contemplating Mind.


Investigating hua-t'ou or "looking into who is reciting Buddha's name " is contemplating Mind. Hence contemplating Mind is contemplating pure awareness. It is also illuminating the Buddha-nature within oneself. Mind is nature, pure awareness, Buddha. Mind has no form, no characters, no directions; it cannot be found in any particular place. It cannot be grasped. Originally, Mind is purity, universally embracing all Dharma realms. No in or out, no coming or going. Originally, Mind is pure Dharmakaya.


When investigating hua-t'ou, the practitioner should first close down all six sense organs and seek where thoughts arise. Practitioners should concentrate on the hua-t'ou until they see the pure original mind which is apart from thoughts. If one does this without interruption, the mind becomes fine, quiet, tranquil, silently illuminating. At that moment the five skandas are empty, body and mind are extinguished, nothing remains. From that point, walking, standing, siting and lying down are all done motionlessly. In time the practice will deepen, and eventually practitioners will see their self-nature and become Buddhas and suffering will cease.


A past patriarch named Kao-feng (1238-1295) once said: "You must contemplate hua-t'ou like a falling roof tile sinking endlessly down into a pond ten thousand feet deep. If in seven days you are not enlightened, I will give you permission to chop off my head." These are the words of an experienced person. He did not speak lightly. His words are true.


Although many modern day practitioners use hua-t'ou, few get enlightened. This is because compared to practitioners of the past, practitioners today have inferior karmic roots and less merit. Also, practitioners today are not clear about the purpose and path of hua-t'ou. Some practitioners search from east to west and from north to south until they die, but still do not penetrate even one hua-t'ou. They never understand or correctly approach the hua-t'ou. They only grasp the form and the words. They use their intellect and attach only to the tail of the words.


Hua-t'ou is One Mind. This mind is not inside, outside or in the middle. On the other hand, it is inside, outside and in the middle. It is like the stillness of empty space prevailing everywhere.


Hua-t'ou should not be picked up. Neither should it be pressed down. If you pick it up, your mind will waver and become unstable. If you press it down you will become drowsy. These approaches are contrary to the nature of the original mind and are not in accordance with the Middle Path.


Practitioners are distressed by wandering thoughts. They think it is difficult to tame them. Don't be afraid of wandering thoughts. Do not waste your energy trying to repress them. All you have to do is recognize them. Do not attach to any wandering thoughts, do not follow them, and do not try to get rid of them. As long as you don't string thoughts together, wandering thoughts will depart by themselves.

1 A classic hua-t'ou is a brief pithy sentence or question which is the main point or "punchline" of a koan story. (JHC)

© Western Chan Fellowship, UK, 2000. May not be quoted for commercial purposes. Anyone wishing to quote for non-commercial purposes may seek permission from the WCF Secretary.

The Song of the Jeweled Mirror Samadhi

The Song of the Jeweled Mirror Samadhi

Tozan Ryokai

 - Ch'an Master Tung-shan Liang-chieh

The teaching of suchness, is given directly,

Through all buddha ancestors,

Now that it's yours, keep it well.

A serving of snow in a silver bowl,

Or herons concealed in the glare of the moon

Apart, they seem similar, together, they're different.

Meaning cannot rest in words,

It adapts itself to that which arises.

Tremble and you're lost in a trap,

Miss and there's always regrets.

Neither reject nor cling to words,

Both are wrong; like a ball of fire,

Useful but dangerous. Merely expressed

In fine language, the mirror will tarnish.

At midnight truly it's most bright

By daylight it cannot still be seen.

It is the principle that regulates all,

Relieving every suffering.

Though it doesn't act it is not without words.

In the most precious mirror

Form meets reflection:

You are not It, but It is all you.

Just as a baby, five senses complete,

Neither going or coming, nor arising or staying,

Babbles and coos: speech without meaning,

No understanding, unclearly expressed.

Six lines make the double li trigram,

Where principle and appearances interact.

Lines stacked in three pairs

Yet transform in five ways.

Like the five flavors of the hyssop plant

Or the five branches of the diamond scepter,

Reality harmonizes subtly just as

Melody and rhythm, together make music.

Penetrate the root and you fathom the branches,

Grasping connections, one then finds the road.

To be wrong is auspicious,

There's no contradiction.

Naturally pure and profoundly subtle,

It touches neither delusion nor awakening,

At each time and condition it quietly shines.

So fine it penetrates no space at all,

So large its bounds can never be measured.

But if you're off by a hair's breadth

All harmony's lost in discord.

Now there are sudden and gradual schools

With principles, approaches so standards arise.

Penetrating the principle, mastering the approach,

The genuine constant continues outflowing.

A tethered horse, a mouse frozen in fear,

Outwardly still but inwardly whirling:

Compassionate sages freed them with teaching.

In upside down ways folks take black for white.

When inverted thinking falls away

They realize mind without even trying.

If you want to follow the ancient path

Then consider the ancients: the buddha,

Completing the path, still sat for ten eons.

Like a tiger leaving a trace of the prey,

Like a horse missing the left hind shoe,

For those whose ability is under the mark

A jeweled footrest and brocaded robe.

For others who still can manifest wonder

There's a house cat and cow.

Yi the archer shot nine of ten suns

From the sky, saving parched crops,

Another bowman hit targets at hundreds of paces:

These skills are small to compare with that in which

Two arrow points meet head on in mid air.

The wooden man breaks into song,

A stone maiden leaps up to dance,

They can't be known by mere thought

Or feelings, so how can they be analyzed?

The minister still serves his lord

The child obeys his parent.

Not obeying is unfilial,

Not serving is a useless waste.

Practicing inwardly, functioning in secret,

Playing the fool, seemingly stupid,

If you can only persist in this way,

You will see the lord within the lord.

Translation by:

Toshu John Neatrour;

Sheng-yen;

Kaz Tanahashi 

There is a Treasure in Our Own House

This is a simple story of old that can show us the true intrinsic value of even the simplest things in life. Obviously, we should never take the "wealthy" lives we enjoy here in America for granted because we can all lose everything in the blink of the eye. This financial crisis has done that to millions of people, and families, and continues to this day to destroy the financial and personal lives of many more daily. We must slow down, observe and realize how very fortunate we are, and take the time to mindfully be thankful for each and every "treasure" we have at the moment we use it. There is so much more, though, to be thankful for in our lives. I will follow this wonderful story with some final thoughts. Enjoy!



There is a Treasure in Our Own House


By Trevor Leggett
Posted on 17 June 2011 by Buddhism Now 





There is a treasure in our own house which we often don’t see. We can say, ‘Well, how can there be?’






One of the Indian stories tells how the merchants in some of the towns (when India was the richest country in the world) were very strict about business ethics. One man cut some cor­ners. Well, they used to expel such people from the city and stone them ― not kill them ― but stone them and drive them away. So they took everything this man had, tied him to a stake outside the city, held back his wife and child, and threw stones.




There was a little boy there, the son of one of the big merchants. Not often you get the chance to throw a stone at a grown-up! He picks up a sharp stone, and he throws it. It catches the man on the face and just misses his eye. The blood pours down.




Well, then they release his wife and child, and all the people go away. The two of them rush to him and set him free. Now ― he’s got nothing; he’s penniless; he’s disgraced ― in the sunset, the dying sun. He will have to go to the next city. Perhaps he has some faint hope of an uncle somewhere, but it is total destruction.




As he hangs his head and looks down, he sees a gleam; the ray of the dying sun makes a gleam on one of the stones. He bends down and picks it up ― it is a great jewel. The rich merchant had a ring with a big jewel in it; in the excitement he must have knocked it somehow against a brick or something like that, and it fell down. The little boy, not looking, just grabbed the sharp stone and threw it.




There is a Japanese poem:

The stones which were thrown at me —
When I picked it up,
One of them was a jewel.

This comes again and again. There is some­thing hidden even in the terrible experiences we have, which ― if we have spiritual sight and discrimination ― we can find.




I will read from a translation of a book which I did translate all except this little bit. It is in A First Zen Reader and is by Sessan:


There is an old saying in the Zen school: ‘When you come to pick them up, the very stones are gold.’ When the eye of the heart is opened and we see rightly, the shattered tiles that have been dropped on the road are shining with the gleam of gold. In our everyday life, to recognize the true worth of every little thing, every tiny fragment of what we are using every day, to respect it — that gives life real meaning. In the daily life of Zen, everything is to be made pure and exact and elegantly simple. In our conduct — going, staying, sitting, and lying down, as we say — we are never to think of anything as triv­ial, but to find a great meaning in it. In using one’s personal things, we must not use them casually or forgetfully or wrongly or mistakenly ― they must be used rightly. These days they talk about consumables which, of course, is all right, but it is not good to use for profit the consumables, to acquire economic advantage for oneself. Higher than use for profit, is the loving use of the things in the right way; it means to love the things we use. But even so, to love things because they are pleasant and because they suit me, still does not yet get away from self-satisfaction. There has to be proper living use. Then, for the first time, there is life in the handling of the things, and that is a very fine thing. But it is not yet outside the sphere of practical wisdom. We have to go further and come to — good use of things. Now, for the first time, we come to follow the nature of the thing itself when we use it, and we come to live virtuously. Again one step: we must come to pure use; we must purify the things when we use them. Now it is that their religious meaning appears. Nowadays it is fashionable to use phrases like ‘cleaning up society’, but it is when we try to make things pure, uncontaminated, infinitely clear and noble as we use them, that the seeds of religious life are sprouting. Again a step: we must come to spiritual use; to spiritualize the things as we use them. Now it is not just a thing, not just a material sub­stance, but it is of spiritual nature, spiritual essence, and it becomes radiant. ‘When we pick them up, the very stones are gold.’ The thing is a blessing, is precious — instinctively we find a ges­ture of reverence in ourselves.


Extract from:
Fingers and Moons
Zen Stories,


By Trevor Leggett


The story above begins with the material things in our "realities" and gradually moves toward to the spiritual essence of every thing in our Reality. It shows how every thing in our "tealities"is actually a spiritual teasure that reasonates with our Spiritual Essense within. I will take it one more step. This spiritual treasure reasonates within us because it IS Within Us. I speak of the Pure Love, the Empathic Compassion, the Ultimate Bliss, and the Absolute Oneness which is our True Nature. Search for IT but it is no where to be found. Think about it's location and it moves further away. Chase and chase and chase it until the end of time but you will Never find it. Exhausted and frustrated, you give up. Behold! You Feel IT! Now, let go of everything - thoughts, desires, the illusion of control, the Ego. Welcome to the Present! Welcome to the Treasure Within - your True Nature! Welcome back to Paradise! Welcome back to the Infinite Oneness of Home!!

Namaste'

Letting Go Part II: Enter the Dragon

At the end of Part I: "IT", my state of Being had returned to "normal" and I was facing my attacker. The total Peace of mind I had just experienced ended and all of my training was flooding my mind as I sized up my opponent. By god, he had hit my car, tried to flee, attacked me from behind, so now he was going to pay dearly. My adrenaline was rushing as I switched quickly from left lead to right lead back and forth visualizing my arsenal in search of the proper first-strike to begin destroying this fool. He was just THERE in front of me, bleeding like a stuck pig, left hand covering his face as blood poured from everywhere, right hand limp at his side, and a frightened look in his eyes. I had barely hit the guy! Everything I knew was designed to maim and kill but I wanted to teach him a lesson. The only thing less than that short little punch was a finger-flick to his eyes to temporarily blind him. I was really ANGRY and wanted to put some hurt on this guy!! I kept hitting a wall. Nothing! I had nothing smaller left and no reason to continue. The more I looked at him, this feeling of emptiness began to fill my gut, my Center, until it engulfed me. What to do??

The next thing I knew, a well-dressed man got between us, looking me in the eyes, his hands on my shoulders, as he worked to calm me down. He had seen everything, knew I had been attacked, but also knew the fight was over. He was concerned that the cops would be by any minute and knew that I would rather not spend Christmas Eve in jail. I quickly came to my senses and calmed down. Ironically, I actually said Merry Christmas to my bloody attacker as I left. 

Now, I was confused and scared too. Scared of this Power I now possessed. I went to see my Sensei as soon as possible. I was so confused. I never wanted to fight again. I was afraid I would kill someone next time. I had felt that man's pain too and it hurt. What was going on? I was training and instructing 4 hours every week night after work so as soon possible I ask to speak with my Sensei in private. He ran a very disciplined and traditional school. He was a little shorter than me but hard as nails and powerful. Highly skilled, faster than sound, so it seemed, and had come straight off of the fighting circuit to start this school. He sat down behind his desk as I sat across from him. I explained everything, except about "IT" because whatever "THAT" was, was just too much to deal with then. I told him how I was attacked, the damage I had done with basically nothing, and about my fears. His response surprised me. He had this bewildered look on his face as he leaned back in his chair in deep contemplation. He was kind of shaking his head as he leaned up to speak. He said, "Tom, I can't believe you already learned the Lesson of the Dragon. It takes most people many years, if not a lifetime, before they get it. Most Westerners stay the Tiger and believe the martial arts are all about fighting and hurting people. Those few who move on to learn the Lesson of the Dragon gain Compassion, the true essence of the martial arts. This is exactly what you have done." 

The true Warrior is Always the Dragon and will only fight to save someone's life and limb, including his, but does only what is absolutely necessary to neutralize the situation. The Tiger, on the other hand, has no Compassion and, therefore, no limits. They never realize that you learn martial arts so that you never need to fight. I was very blessed to have gained the Compassion of the Dragon and, hopefully, would never need to use my skills on the street again. I later realized that I had become so Centered, so Calm, and so confident that no one could anger me. This extreme confidence created an aura around me that seemed to repel conflicts. I had learned to win my battles without ever striking a blow. The sign of a true Warrior!


Now I will explain "IT" and then it's connection with The Lesson of the Dragon. The latter was far easier to understand than the experience of a state of Being somewhat outside of time and space - the state of Being One with "IT". When the archery student finally hit the bulls eye, he was really not responsible for this feat. His Zen Master made this very clear. He told him that "IT" hit the intended target. Whether the student understood this experience or not is unclear. However, when the student became so frustrated at missing every time, he finally gave up and Quit Trying. He then became relaxed, clear-minded, and Just Did It! I will always remember when Nike came up with their advertizing slogan, "Just Do It". I about fell out of my chair the first time I heard it. It was brilliant! So simple, so true, yet, as profound a statement as possible. This Ego we developed eons ago has been becoming a bigger nuisance ever since it appeared. This "I", "me", "self", et al thinks it is somehow in control of everything but it is actually the "opposing player" in this "game" called life. The Ego has created a separate "reality" in which this Ego is who we are and this "reality" is The Reality.. This is the greatest con-job of all time! But wait, our Ego created time too! Wow, we never had a chance! But, then again, we do not have to let it keep messing up Paradise.*


The true Reality is still here and we get quick glimpses of this Reality fairly often. Sadly, only a relative few of us ever notice it's significance. We have all experienced very brief moments of this perfection. Say, after hitting a pool shot, batting a ball, throwing horseshoes, shooting a basketball, or letting an arrow fly effortlessly towards it's target. We Know it is not going to miss whatever the Intended goal is. This Knowing is instantaneous - before thought, before emotion, even before Ego. We "feel" it in our gut, our Center, or Tan Tien. Since the Ego was not involved, this action was untainted and, therefore, must be Perfect. You see, Reality is Perfect. "We" never left Paradise! All of the problems, all of the pain and suffering, All Evil, is of the Ego's creation by misperceiving Reality and reacting to this illusion. Bypass the Ego and everything is Absolute Perfection! And more...


In this natural State of Being without the infinite amount of problems and Evils created by the Ego, All is Love. When I experienced and actually observed my actions within this Perfect state before Ego, every move was exactly right and exactly the least amount of force necessary to stop the attack. There was nothing I could have done to him that was less destructive so my action was also the most Compassionate possible. "IT' changed my life to one of Compassion and I never needed to use my skills on the street again. I quickly learned the Compassion of the Dragon and many years later I came to understand what "IT" is. "IT" is our True Nature and Being "IT" is our purpose here. We must rediscover Reality to escape this "illusion" filled with unconscionable pain, suffering, and Evil so we will All Be One with the Peace, Love, and Joy of our True Nature.


Namaste'


* None of us ever left the Paradise described in the Christian mythological story of the Garden of Eden. The "Tree of Knowledge" represented the emerging Ego and the "eating of the fruit" represented the initial separation from the Perfection of One, our True Nature, into this "illusion" of Duality created by this new Ego.

Letting Go Part I: "IT"

This is a subject that goes to the very core of our Being. It is also very problematic to talk about because it can not be described. It must be experienced. We all have and do experience fleeting happenings of "IT" throughout our lifetimes but rarely notice it. Just a "weird" moment or something and life goes on. However, to the adepts, "IT" is Everything. And Everything "IT" is indeed! 

Many of you have heard the story of the Zen Master teaching a student the Art of archery. The student tries to steady the bow, align the arrow, and hit as close to the bulls eye as possible but with each effort, he does not even get close. Each time the Master calmly watches as the student slowly gets frustrated with himself. Finally, the student reaching a point of just not caring, quickly and mindlessly draws the bow and lets the arrow fly. Bulls eye! The Master bows. The student bows back. The Master looks at him and says, "I did not bow to you for you did not do anything. I was bowing to "IT". "IT" did it."

I had the very rare occasion of experiencing "IT" and observing "IT" work through me. It took many years for me to understand what I had witnessed. This life-changing Event occurred back in the early to mid 1970's when I had progressed from student to teacher of Kenpo/Kempo - Kung fu. I was filled with knowledge but had never needed to draw upon it in "real life". When that occasion finally occurred, my life changed forever. 

It was a Christmas Eve, a beautiful sunny afternoon, as I was going to my car after paying my electric bill in the largest bank in Amarillo, Texas. I saw my girlfriend waiting patiently for me in my new VW Super Beetle as I was passing by the car parallel parked in front it. The driver backed right into my car so I calmly walked to his closed window and tapped on it. All I wanted was for us to take a look and check for any damage. The man was with his family, looking over his shoulder, and trying to pull out into the busy one way traffic. He did not respond so I knocked on his window again. No response. I hit it harder and said. "hey!". Everyone in the car was looking at me now except him. I hit harder. Nothing! I almost broke it when I punched it. Nothing!! Okay, he hit my car, is trying to flee, so I will handle this another way. I turned, walked briskly toward my car, abruptly stopped after passing his back door, spun left, right snap-kicked his left rear quarter panel into the frame, and turned towards my car. This is when reality became Reality!

I felt a presence approaching from behind, swung my left leg counter-clockwise to face this presence, and entered a different state of Being. "IT" literally took control of my body. I was now just the "Observer". My mind was so still. My body was very relaxed and fluid. My Awareness expanded beyond description as I experienced time slow to a crawl. I was moving with calm perfection as my left leg stepped back and my right foot slid ever so softly backward in a controlled withdrawal. My right hand open, arm slightly bent at the elbow and chest-high, my left hand open but a little lower - a modified fighting horse stance. Both hands flowing like sheets in a gentle breeze. I could see the individual freckles on the knuckles of his fists as they slowly, so slowly passed by as he attacked throwing punches in the typical "windmill style". The next instant my body sprung slightly forward as my right arm locked out in a 3 or 4 inch vertical punch striking him right under his nose. Time returned to normal speed as my perspective changed from Observer to actor. Now, I was ready to fight! The "fight", however, was over before I could use any of the vast arsenal contained within. His face was destroyed, pouring blood, his body limp, and no one left to fight. But what about "IT"?

The answer to that question took me many years to truly grasp. I will try to explain this in Part II: Enter the Dragon.


Namaste'