Tuesday, 14 January 2020

Question and Answer

“Q: What is the way, and how must it be followed?

A: What sort of thing do you suppose the way to be, that you should wish to follow it?

Q: What instructions have the masters everywhere given for dhyana-practice and the study of the dharma?

A: Words used to attract the dull of wit are not to be relied upon.

Q: If those teachings are meant for the dull-witted, I have yet to hear what dharma has been taught to those of really high capacity.

A: If they are really men of high capacity, where would they find people to follow? If they seek from within themselves, they will find nothing tangible; how much less can they find a dharma worthy of their attention elsewhere! Do not look to what is called the dharma by preachers, for what sort of dharma could that be?

Q: If that is so, should we not seek for anything at all?

A: By conceding this, you would save yourself a lot of mental effort.

Q: But in this way everything would be eliminated. There cannot be nothing.

A: Who called it nothing? Who was this fellow? And you wanted to seek for something.

Q: Since there is no need to seek, why do you also say that not everything is eliminated?

A: Not to seek is to rest tranquil. Who told you to eliminate anything? Look at the void in front of your eyes. How can you produce it or eliminate it?

Q: If I could reach this dharma, would it be like the void?

A: Morning and night I have explained to you that the void is both one and manifold. I said this as a temporary expedient, but you are building up concepts from it.

Q: Do you mean that we should not form concepts as humans normally do?

A: I have not prevented you; but concepts are related to the senses; and, when feeling takes place, wisdom is shut out.”

  • On the Transmission of Mind, Huangbo

Arges: I fall into error countless times, searching and finding.

I take thoughts and feelings for mind itself, and so see something within, and countless forms without.

Will this donkey ever just eat and sleep?



Submitted January 15, 2020 at 11:11AM by ArgesAwoken https://ift.tt/36QiZnX

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