Excerpt from the sayings and doings of Pai-Chang.

In reading scriptures and studying the doctrines, you should turn all words right around and apply them to yourself. But all verbal teachings only point to the inherent nature of the present mirror awareness - as long as this is not affected by any existent or nonexistent objects at all, it is your guide; it can shine through all various existent and nonexistent realms. This is adamantine wisdom, where you have your share of freedom and independence. If you cannot understand in this way, then even if you could recite the whole canon and all its branches of knowledge, it would only make you conceited, and conversely shows contempt for Buddha - it is not true practice.

Just detach from all sound and form, and do not dwell in detachment, and do not dwell in intellectual understanding - this is practice. As for reading scriptures and studying the doctrines, according to worldly convention it is a good thing, but if assessed from the standpoint of one who is aware of the inner truth, this (reading and study) chokes people up. Even people of the tenth stage cannot escape completely, and flow into the river of birth and death.

Excerpt from the sayings and doings of Pai-Chang. Translated by Thomas Cleary.

T. O. M's bit.

Pai - Chang mentions "mirror awareness"

Here is an old fellow with something to say about mirrors.

There's never been a single thing;

Then where's defiling dust to cling?

If you can reach the heart of this,

Why talk of transcendental bliss?

[This famous poem of Hui Neng is intended to refute the view that Mind is a mirror to be cleansed of defiling dust of phenomena, passion and other illusions, for this view leads to dualism, besides implying a certain degree of objectivity in the nature of mind. The dust and the mirror are one intangible unity.]

T. O. M's other bit.

"The dust and the mirror are one intangible unity.."

Fuckin A.

This is getting down to the brass tacks of zen study, in my opinion, the studying of one's own mind.

Is the mind separate from phenomena?

Are phenomena and mind one unit?

Submitted April 30, 2021 at 12:33PM by transmission_of_mind https://ift.tt/3xLDCQa