The things of the world
and the buddhadharma are fused
into one whole. Everywhere in everything
you have a way out — you do not fall
into objects and states or get
turned around by
anything.
At a bustling
crossroads in the marketplace,
amid the endless waves of life — this
is exactly the right place
to exert effort.
You must keep this
mind balanced and equanimous,
without deluded ideas of self and others,
without arbitrary loves and hates, without grasping
or rejecting, without notions of gain and loss.
Go on gradually nurturing this for
a long time, perhaps twenty
or thirty years.
Whether you encounter
favorable or adverse conditions,
do not retreat or regress — then when you
come to the juncture between life and death,
you will naturally be set free and be not afraid.
As the saying goes, “Truth requires sudden
awakening, but the phenomenal
level calls for gradual
cultivation.”
Haven’t you
read the ancient worthy’s saying?
“The white clouds are clear and still, and the rivers
flow into the blue sea. The myriad things are
originally peaceful, but people
make trouble for
themselves.”
After all,
this statement is completely
accurate and true. If you know what it means
as soon as you hear it mentioned, you can use it to pass
through birth and death to freedom and no longer be obstructed
by the psycho-physical nexus. You will be like a bird getting
out of a cage — independent and free. With a single
stroke you put a stop to all other actions and
talk, and you no longer fall into
secondary views.
I often see
those who are trying
to study Buddhism just use
their worldly intelligence to sift
among the verbal teachings of the buddhas
and ancestral teachers, trying to pick out especially
wondrous sayings to use as conversation pieces to display
their ability and understanding. This is not the correct view
of the matter. You must abandon your world view and sit
quietly with mind silent. Forget entangling causes
and investigate with your whole being. When
you are thoroughly clear, then whatever
you bring forth from your own
inexhaustible treasure of
priceless jewels is sure
to be genuine and
real.
So first
you must awaken
to the Fundamental and
clearly see the essence where
mind equals buddha. Detach from
all false entanglements and become free
and clean. After that respectfully practice all
forms of good, and arouse great compassion to bring
benefits to all sentient beings. In all that you do, be even and
balanced and attuned to the inherent equality of all things —
be selfless and have no attachments. When wondrous
wisdom manifests itself and you penetrate through
to the basic essence, all your deeds will
be wonder-working. Thus it is said,
“Just manage to accept the
truth — you won’t be
deceived.”
Make
enlightenment your
standard, and don’t feel bad
if it is slow in coming.
Take care!
Yongjia said,
“Without leaving where you are,
there is constant clarity.” No words come closer
to the truth than these. If you start seeking, then we
know that you are unable to see. Just cut off any duality
between “wherever you are” and “constant clarity”,
and make yourself peaceful and serene. Avoid
concocting intellectual understanding
and seeking. As soon as you seek,
it is like grasping at
shadows.