Sunday, 26 May 2019

The Real Shobogenzo: Bodhidharma gets a word in

Dahui's Real Original, the First Shobogenzo:

232- Great Master Bodhidharma’s Teaching on Peace of Mind says, When people are deluded, they follow things; when people are liberated, things follow them.  If you’re liberated, then consciousness absorbs form; if you’re deluded, form absorbs consciousness.

As long as there is conscious discrimination making comparative assessments of the immediate experience of your own mind, it is all dreams.  If the conscious mind is silent, without any stirring thought, this is called true awareness. What is the immediate experience of your own mind?  When you see all things existing, their existence is not existence of itself, but your own mind conceives of them as existing.  When you see all things as nonexistent, their nonexistence is not nonexistence of itself; your own mind conceives of them as nonexistent. This is how is it with everything—in every case it is your own mind construing them as existing or not existing. Also, even if people have done all sorts of things wrong, once they see the spiritual ruler in themselves they will attain liberation.

Those who attain liberation through actual events are robust in strength.  Those who see the teaching in the context of actual events never lose mindfulness wherever they are.  Those whose understanding comes from writings are weak.  Those to whom the teaching and actual events are identical are deep.

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ewk note: I came across this via google:

Not having resolved his problem, Hui-K'o was still deep in confusion. He entreated his teacher, "I have not yet found peace of mind. Please grant me peace of mind." Bodhidharma replied, "Bring me your mind and I will show you peace." Eka, "I cannot grasp it." Bodhidharma then said," Then I have shown you peace of mind."

As an aside, people come in here from various churches and imagined religious experiences and pretend that Zen study is all about quoting words... even though Zen Masters say again and again that Those whose understanding comes from writings are weak. And what do these people offer as a defense of their churches and religious "experience"?

Words. "I saw". "I know". "My messiah is legit". These sorts of people depend on claims, mere words.



Submitted May 27, 2019 at 04:23AM by ewk http://bit.ly/2WqBddE

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