Why continue turning your heads and revolving your brains?

Consider the case of Grand Maestro Ma: seeing a monk going downstairs, the Maestro called to him, "O Worthy!" When the monk turned his head, the Maestro said, "From birth to death, it's just this person; why turn your head and revolve your brains?" That monk understood the essential message at these words.

What is the logic of this? "From birth to death, it's just this person." Tell me, what person is it? As soon as you arouse the intention to see "this person," then you do not see this person.

"This person" is hard to see. Very, very hard. People today simply say, "This is 'this person'—who else is there? There couldn't be any other." Ninety-nine out of a hundred understand in this way; what grasp have they? If you interpret in this way, how can you understand the matter of "from birth to death," and how can you immediately see it as "just this person"?

If you do not see "this person," you have no idea how your mortal being will end up.

What about this lecturing and listening right now—is there actually lecturing and listening, or is there no lecturing and listening? If you say you are standing there while I am sitting here, I am lecturing and you are listening, any villager can say such things—how can you call yourselves Zennists? If you say there is no lecturing and no listening, still he made the statement "from birth to death, it's just this person."

Once again I wake to the petty arguments of r/Zen. One thread advocates for meditation, two others are a jumbled mess of Huangbo ideation, one thread is a deep dive of Dogen’s religion, and another bemoans trolls....

When will you fellows understand the simplest of truths?

From birth to death it’s just this person.

Stop the senseless ruminations of a deluded mind and simply see this person.

If you go from birth to death and never see this person, you will have no idea how your mortal body ends up.

The choice is yours. Senselessly tumble through the abyss seeking things outside of yourself, Or take your steps forward cognizant and clear eyed, unstirred by the myriad phenomena.

A mind like 30 tons of iron! Realize it! There is only just this person which you already are. Really what more are you looking for?

Submitted April 16, 2021 at 09:44PM by Owlsdoom https://ift.tt/3tCsVgp