Small excerpt from The Wan Ling Record. Section 44. Huang po's first of four injunctions.

FIRST, LEARN HOW TO BE ENTIRELY UNRECEPTIVE TO SENSATIONS ARISING FROM EXTERNAL FORMS, THEREBY PURGING YOUR BODIES OF RECEPTIVITY TO EXTERNALS.

T. O. M's. Rambling thoughts..

First, it strikes me as these injunctions are intended to produce a result in the monk.. A halting of receptivity to externals.

Why would huang po recommend this goal?

I do remember reading somewhere also, that a student should be finely attuned to the external world, but not to the point where he is pushed around and thrown about like a ball in a river.

Simultaneously in tune, but with enough arms length space, so as not to be overwhelmed by life..

Maybe this first injunction is aimed at this one monk in particular, who is overly receptive to externals..

I think that it is good advice for most..

Edit.. The thought has just occurred to me, that by being unreceptive, it probably clears up the mind to be more receptive.. Sounds crazy I know, but when we are constantly thinking or concentrating on something or other, we kind of blind all our other intuitive and unconcious sensitivities..

I get the feeling that huang po, isn't of the conviction that we are all Buddhas anyway, and do not need any improvement..

He has a definite course of action for the monk to follow, and thus, improve his lot..

Maybe It is only an improvement from a certain point of view, and taken from another perspective, there is no improvement at all..

I find this paradox highly interesting..

Hmmmmm..

Submitted April 23, 2021 at 01:01AM by transmission_of_mind https://ift.tt/3tL3nxk