[ Instant Zen, Waking up in the present. Translated by Thomas Cleary ]
Just this
Consider the case of Grand Maestro Ma: seeing a monk going downstairs, the Maestro called to him, “ O Worthy!” When the monk turned his head, the Maestro said, “ From birth to death, it’s just this person; why turn your head and revolve your brains?” That monk understood the essential message at these words.
What is the logic of this? “ From birth to death, it’s just this person.” Tell me, what person is it? As soon as you arouse the intention to see “ this person,” then you do not see this person.
“This person” is hard to see. Very, very hard. People today simply say, “ This is ‘this person’— who else is there? There couldn’t be any other.” Ninety-nine out of a hundred understand in this way; what grasp have they? If you interpret in this way, how can you understand the njatter of “ from birth to death,” and how can you immediately see it as “just this person” ?
If you do not see “ this person,” you have no idea how your mo|tal^being will end up.
What about this lecturing and listening right now— is there actually lecturing and listening, or is there no lecturing and listening? If you say you are standing there while I am sitting here, I am lecturing and you are listening, any villager can say such things— how can you call yourselves If you say there is no lecturing and no listening, still he^jp^p^ |iitaaaat 9(?)“from birth to death, it’s just this person.
Therefore, when you get to this point, you need to find a realized individual to discern precisely.
Before I had understood, I was totally helpless, so I asked of my teacher. As soon as I’d ask a question, my teacher would just say, “ I don’t understand. I don’t know. I’m not as good as you.” I also asked if Zen is ultimately easy to learn or hard to learn. He just told me, “ You’re alright; why are you asking about difficulty and ease? Learning Zen is called a gold and dung phenomenon. Before you understand it, it’s like gold; when understood, it’s like dung.” I didn’t accept this at the time, but now that I’ve thought it over, although the words are coarse the message in them is not shallow.
These are examples of how perfectly realized people never utter a single word or half a phrase without purpose. Whenever they try to help others, they never give random instructions, and they do not approve people arbitrarily. Nowadays there are teachers all over who sometimes speak correctly and sometimes speak without a grasp. Why? Because they have not yet attained perfect realization. Sometimes they approve people and say they are right, but then sometimes they say they are not right; how is it possible to clarify “ from birth to death, it’s just this person” in such a manner?
When you look closely, you see that people of the present are none other than people of yore, and the functions of the present are none other than the functions of the past; even going through a thousand changes and myriad transformations, here it is just necessary for you to recognize it first hand before you can attain it.
The reason people today cannot attain it is just because they do not know how to distinguish it with certitude. How is it that they carjnot distinguish it with certainty? They just make up interpretations of ancient sayings, boring into them subjectively. If you just do this, you will never understand. Why? I tell you, if you “ turn your head and revolve your brains,” you’re already 5 8 wrong. The most economical way here is to save energy, not asking about this and that but clearly apprehending it in the most direct manner.
You people first came forth with rationalizations, using ancient sayings to wrap and bind yourself. It’s like scattering a handful of dirt on a clean surface.
I have told you that you should not come here now as you were before. You must attain an understanding before this is possible. Some say, “ I was just so before, and I am just so now.” Right away you run into emotional consciousness.
How can I blame you? The ancients were so compassionate as to tell you, “Walking is Buddha walking, sitting is Buddha sitting, all things are Buddha teaching, all sounds are Buddha’s voice.” You have misunderstood, supposing that all sounds are actually the voice of Buddha and all forms are really forms of Buddha. Since it is not admissible to understand in this way, then what would be right?
I tell you, the instant you touch upon signals, you’re already alienated; when you want to manifest it by means of the light of knowledge, you’ve already obscured it. Now, don’t hold onto my talk; each of you do your own work independently. You may contemplate the stories of ancients, you may sit quietly, or you may watch attentively everywhere; all of these are ways of doing the work. Everywhere is the place for you to attain realization, but concentrate on one point for days and months on end, and you will surely break through.
When Guling returned from his journey, his mentor asked him/-Yfljj left me to go traveling; what did you attain?” Guling said, “ I saw ^izhang and attained peace and bliss.” Then he "quoted a verse by Baizhang: v
The spiritual light, shining independently, transcends the senses and the essence is revealed, realtimt(?)not confined to written words. The nature o f mind has no stain; it is basically complete o f itself Just detach from false mental objects and be enlightened to being-as-is.
On hearing these words, the old mentor realized enlightenment.
Also, master Xuefeng, on seeing a breeze stirring taro leaves, pointed them out to a student. The student said, “ I am quite frightened.” Xuefeng clucked his tongue and said, “ It’s an event in your own house; why are you afraid?” That student then had an awakening too.
Since the whole time is an event in your own house, why don’t you understand? Because you wander off everywhere, you are not at home all the time. But now that you’re facing a teacher, don’t let yourself forget. This is called acting according to reason, knowing the ultimate within oneself.
From birth to old age, it’s just this person; why turn your head and revolve your brains? Each of you look into this on your own.
Winddrakes Thus'coming: So what is it? ( searched for gold) It is nothing! ( discards dung) both are obfuscations. The line about " in your house' surely bolsters the spirit and the sentiment of ' do your own work' is appropriate to this forum.
So Foyan (?) is concerned with Directly seeing. Why do we not directly see? Well he basically says do not cling on to rationalizations and do your work. What is the work? Contemplation, quiet, attentive watching. Cool.
Why is zen hard? "(we) make up interpretation, boring into them subjectively" like when the checker at Walmart asks me how my day is and I say 'mu' like I am some mystic smart ass? Probably. What about when I am sitting at my desk swashbuckling with the patterns of my mind? What swashbuckles? Wher is mind... then just watch, woah I am even sitting! Triple points! Where is gain? Who receives.... dammit Foyan.
I like how in all of zen no teacher ever says I have it and you do not! What a breath of fresh air.
Question: If you where to see your true nature this very day would you talk about it?
Submitted February 09, 2019 at 10:48PM by windDrakeHex http://bit.ly/2MZ72D7
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