The Sixth Patriarch
heard someone recite the Diamond
Sutra phrase “arouse the mind without
placing it anywhere,” and
he awakened.
The Sixth Patriarch
heard someone recite the Diamond
Sutra phrase “arouse the mind without
placing it anywhere,” and
he awakened.
The perfect Way’s like boundless space
Nothing lacking, nothing extra
It is because of choice
That its absolute truth is lost.
Don’t pursue externals;
Don’t dally in the interior void.
When the spirit remains serene
In the unity of things
Dualism vanishes by itself;
When that unity is not clear
There is loss in both directions.
When water is pure
and sparkling clear, you can see
straight to the bottom. When your mind
holds no concerns, no circumstance can turn you,
and once your mind doesn’t stray, a kalpa
has no changes. From such awareness
nothing hides.
Let go of hundreds
of years and relax completely.
Open your hands and walk, innocently.
Thousands of words, myriad interpretations,
are only to free you from
obstructions.
“Put down
all entangling conditions,
let not one thought arise” is a prerequisite
for the practice of Ch’an. Now that we
know this, how do we
accomplish it?