(Foyan: Instant Zen; Cleary translation)
Foyan shares with us the [gift of his child-like laughter.]
People [today] want to understand theoretically at once, as soon as anything is said.
How can you learn the Way in this fashion?
Sometimes I see beginners come to interviews helpless to do anything about the fact that I have already seen through them. They are like villagers armed with carrying poles trying to do battle with a general!
Here I am fully equipped; in my hand is the [hundred-pound sword] of a [legendary warrior], while they have nothing but a carrying pole. They strike a blow, and, seeing the man not move, they strike several more times and leave. It’s not that I fear them; it’s because they are no match for me. [Ha, ha!]
I urge you not to be crude minded.
In your conduct, day and night, keep evolving higher; then even if you do not attain enlightenment, you will still be a highly refined individual.
Be sure to be attentive!
[Ha, ha, ha!] You still don’t understand on your own. I tell you this—if you still don’t understand on your own, then how will you understand if you go somewhere else?
At other places, they either put you through changes, or abruptly fixate you.
Here I neither put you through changes nor abruptly fixate you.
This saves energy and is easy to comprehend; so why don’t you understand?
Because of your millions of rationalizations; these make it hard for you to understand.
Those who are now on the journey should believe that there is such a thing as instant enlightenment.
In other places they also should say that there is such a thing as instant enlightenment; if they have no instant enlightenment, how can they be called Zen communities?
In recent days there are those who just sit there as they are.
At first they are alert, but after a while they doze.
Nine out of ten sit there snoozing.
How miserable!
If you do not know how to do the inner work, how can you expect to understand by sitting rigidly?
This is not the way it is.
The original true Zen Masters are [real true friends].
[Ha, ha, ha!]
One can only say this much; if you understand, you can have the experience yourself. Then you will have something to act on. If you get involved in rationalizations, comparisons, and verbalizations, then you do not understand, and you cannot experience it yourself.
When you are going about and doing your chores, do you see that the original Zen Masters are real true friends? Since you don’t see, when asked about it you get flustered.
Where is the problem?
The problem lies in the fact that you are always coming from the midst of conceptual comparisons, and do not personally attain experience.
All of you go sit on benches, close your eyes, and "demolish your thinking" all the way from the Milky Way above to Hades below before you can make a statement or two.
But when you get to a quiet place, you still don’t get the ultimate point. Before your eyes is nothing but things that obstruct people.
Lightly questioned, you cannot reach the aim.
[Ha, ha, ha!]
Submitted May 09, 2020 at 05:18AM by GuruHunter https://ift.tt/2WgVim0
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