“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?
“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?
Let him say
whatever he wants against me.
Let whoever come and say whatever.
Or let them worship me, bringing
their souls here like
flowers.
I’m not part of any of that.
Wherever and whenever
the mind is found attached to anything,
make haste to detach yourself from it. When you tarry
for any length of time it will turn again into
your old home town.
I had
dokusan with Suzuki Roshi
during sesshin. I felt lost and far from home
at that point in my life, and I asked him
if big mind was lost in the
dark, too.
He said,
“No, not lost in the dark,
working in the dark!” and he moved
his arms about, demonstrating. He said it was like
the many-armed statue of Avaloki-teshvara,
and he made the statue come to life
for a moment.
To Shine One Corner of the World
If you’ve
melted your desires in
the river of time, choose to be a
recluse, or choose a family,
the village job.
If you know
that pure Lord within
you, you’ll be That,
wherever.