Searching for words,
hunting for phrases, when will it end?
Esteeming knowledge and gathering information
only maddens the spirit. Just entrust yourself
to your own nature, empty and illuminating.
Beyond this, I have nothing
to teach.
Posts Tagged → happiness
opening doors and shutters
When the doors are open, the air passes through. When the shutters are open, the light shines in. If the doors are closed, there is no circulation between the inside and outside. If the shutters are closed, the energy of the light is kept outside.
What I realize as I observe this is the tao of great use of great potential.
People in the world today who practice taoism go into the twisted byways of sidetracks, some closing their eyes and gazing into emptiness, some staying inactive in isolated and quiet places, some deliberately sitting and thinking of the spirit.
They think they have the tao, but they have not realized that the tao is the tao of creative evolution of yin and yang of heaven and earth. This tao, this Way, fans out everywhere in the universe, but this does not multiply it; it is concentrated in one energy, but this does not make it less.
All beings in the universe, animate and inanimate, the myriads of different beings, all live and develop on the basis of this. Everything and everyone has it. It is just that while people are in the midst of the tao they are not conscious of the tao, as while fish are in water they are not conscious of the water.
If you want to practice this Way, you must do it in the creative evolution of yin and yang of heaven and earth, realize its experience in the midst of all things and all events, and practice and hold it in the presence of all people.
This is work that is alive, effervescent, free, liberated, gloriously enlightened, true, and great. Do you think it can be attained by people who shut the door and sit quietly with blank minds?
If you want to attain the Way by shutting the door and sitting quietly with a blank mind, that is like shutting the doors and shutters and hoping to see the sun. What “way” does that accomplish? It must be the way of dark rooms, I guess.
Understanding Reality says, “Practice, mixing in with the ordinary people and integrating hyour illumination. When it is time to be round, be round; when it is time to be square, be square. As you appear and disappear, now reversing, now going along, no one can fathom you, since you make people unable to know what you are doing.”
It also says, “You should know that the great recluses live in the cities and towns; why stay still and alone deep in the mountains?”
Only when you mix with the ordinary people, integrating illumination, living in the cities and towns, are you activating great use of great potential. This is the real function of practicing ahd holding the Great Way.
happiness without sorrow
Just let your
mind be free; don’t
do contemplative exercises,
and don’t think of sorrow or worry.
Clear and unobstructed, free as you will,
not contriving virtues, not perpetrating evils,
walking, standing still, sitting, lying down, whatever
meets the eye, in any circumstance, is all the subtle
function of Buddha. It is called Buddahood
because of happiness without
sorrow.
treasury of the eye of true teaching
patience in the heart of chaos
A sage is subtle,
intuitive, penetrating, profound.
His depths are mysterious and
unfathomable.
The best one can do is
describe his appearance: the sage
is alert as a person crossing a winter stream; as
circumspect as a person with neighbors on all four sides;
as respectful as a thoughtful guest; as yielding as
melting ice; as simple as uncarved wood;
as open as a valley; as chaotic
as a muddy torrent.
Why “chaotic
as a muddy torrent”?
Because clarity is learned by
being patient in the
heart of chaos.
Tolerating
disarray, remaining at rest,
gradually one learns to allow muddy water to
settle and proper responses to reveal themselves.
Those who aspire to tao don’t long for fulfillment.
They selflessly allow tao to use and deplete
them; they calmly allow tao to renew
and complete them.
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who can say that tao is far from us?
I have discarded
the world of fame and profit.
How elegant is the morning sun shining
on the rafters and eaves. How cool are the terrace
and pond after the rain. I burn incense to break the deep
silence, and drink the spring water and relax in joy. I penetrate
into the wonders of Tao, and chant ancient sutras. When my
mind is at ease, my spirit is gay. When understanding
is gained, there is nothing left to comprehend.
Who can say that the realm of Tao is far
from us? How tranquil it is; as at
the beginning of Heaven
and Earth.