Practice makes perfect Zen

Zen Master Huineng (the sixth patriarch of Zen) provided a stanza to Bhikshu Fa-hai when he had asked the meaning of "what mind is, Buddha is".

Huineng's stanza was:

Prajna is "What mind is,"

Samadhi is "What Buddha is."

In practicing prajna and samadhi, let each keep pace with the other;

Then our thoughts will be pure.

This teaching can be understood

Only through the habit of practice.

Samadhi functions, but inherently it does not become.

The orthodox teaching is to practice prajna as well as Samadhi.

Upon hearing this Fa-hai became enlightened and praised the patriarch in the following stanza:

"What mind is, Buddha is" is true indeed!

But I humiliate myself by not understanding it.

Now I know the principle cause of prajna and samadhi,

Both of which I shall practice to set me free from all forms.

Submitted February 10, 2019 at 09:09AM by Dillon123 http://bit.ly/2SqA98J