Translation by Cleary. Excerpt.
People who practice the Way should not seek externally. The essence of mind has no defilement; it is originally complete and perfect of itself. Just detach from illusory objects and it is enlightened to suchness as-is.
Question: If Buddha-nature is presently in our bodies, it is not apart from ordinary people. Then why do we not perceive Buddha-nature now?
Answer: It is in your body, but you do not perceive it yourself. At all times you know when you are hungry, you know when you are thirsty, you know when you are cold, you know when you are hot; sometimes you get angry, sometimes you are joyful -- ultimately, what is it that does all this?
Now then, the material body is a compound of four elements: earth, water, fire, and air. Their substance is insentient; how can they perceive or cognize? That which can perceive and cognize has to be your Buddha-nature.
This is why Linji said, "The four gross elements cannot expound the Dharma or listen to the Dharma. Only the solitary light clearly before you, that which has no form, can expound the Dharma or listen to the Dharma."
What he called that which has no form is the stamp of the truth of all Buddhas, and it is your original mind. So the Buddha-nature is presently in your body; what need is there to seek outside?
...
There are many ways of access to the principle. I will point out one entryway, by which you can return to the source. Do you hear the cawing of the crows and the chattering of the jays?
[Student's response:] I hear them.
Now turn around and listen to your hearing essence; are there still so many sounds in it?
[Student's response:] When I get here, all sounds and all discriminations are ungraspable.
Marvelous, marvelous! This is the Sound Seer's gateway into the principle. Now let me ask you further: you say that when you get here all sounds and all discriminations are totally ungraspable. Since they cannot be grasped, does that not mean there is empty space at such a time?
[Student's response:] Originally not empty, it is clearly not obscure.
What is the substance that is not empty?
[Student's response:] It has no form; there is no way to express it in words.
This is the life of the Buddhas and Zen masters; do not doubt anymore. Since it has no form, could it have size? Since it has no size, could it have bounds? Because it has no bounds, it has no far or near. With no far or near, there is no going or coming. Because there is no going or coming, there is no birth or death. Having no birth or death, it has no past or present. With no past or present, there is no delusion or enlightenment. There being no delusion or enlightenment, there is no ordinary or holy. Since there is nothing ordinary or holy, there is no pollution or purity. Because there is no pollution or purity, there is no judgment of right or wrong. With no judgment of right and wrong, all terms and statements are ungraspable. Once there are no subjective states and false ideas, then all sorts of appearances and all sorts of labels are ungraspable. Is this not original empty silence, original nothingness?
Submitted August 19, 2017 at 02:18AM by ferruix http://ift.tt/2vLsSDs
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