The mind of people of the Way is straight as a harp string, like a long sword against the sky, wherever they are. Worldly wealth and status, extravagances, desires, and influences have no way to get in and act on them. Fame and profit, affirmation and negation, and all forms of life cannot entrap them. When you get to this state, this is when you take the life root of Buddha. Can it be achieved by the firm and strong practice and determination of just one or two lifetimes? It is only after accumulated ages of refinement, complete ripening of seed wisdom, until you’ve gone through diligent labors, that you can stride through the universe, walking alone transcendent.
In ancient times it was said there is not a single virtue that comes of laziness and negligence. It is also said you can only attain accomplishment through long endurance of diligent labor. These are true statements, statements that are not deceptive, not false.
If you actually pass through some day, then a thousand people, even ten thousand people, cannot hold you back, cannot call you back. Another time, another day, if you scold Buddhas and Founders atop a solitary peak, it won’t be too much. How could it be alright to spend your days eating your fill, forming groups, making gangs, talking about yellow, talking about black, without the slightest thought of turning awareness around and reflecting back?
Now of the four major elements of this body, the filthy matter of hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, tendons, bones, marrow, and brains all return to earth; pus, blood, saliva, excrement, and urine all return to water; warmth returns to fire; movement returns to wind: when the four major elements separate, where will this present deceptive body be then? Focus intently here: if you deal with it as earth, water, fire, and wind, Buddha will never appear; if you don’t deal with it as earth, water, fire, and wind, that’s like taking a fish eye for a bright pearl. If you don’t go into either path, that’s no different from trying to satisfy hunger with a picture of a cake. Thirty blows I take myself—it has nothing to do with anyone else.
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Ying-An's got it there with the last sentence. What are you bringing to the feast?
In ancient times it was said there is not a single virtue that comes of laziness and negligence. It is also said you can only attain accomplishment through long endurance of diligent labor.
Reminds me of when Yuanwu said:
If you investigate and inquire diligently for a long time with singleminded concentration, the time of fruition will come—suddenly the bottom drops out of the bucket and you will empty out and awaken to enlightenment. After that, you work wholeheartedly to weed out what's wrong and make sure of what's right, for experiential proof of your realization. Then it will naturally be like a boat going downstream—no need to work at rowing. This is the true meeting of teacher and disciple.
So far I think I've seen about 5 people here I wouldn't call completely lazy.
Submitted April 14, 2021 at 08:06PM by turiya-harem https://ift.tt/3sj777G
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