Caution— contains personal anecdote

After reading Song of Enlightenment by Yung-chia Hsuan-chuch (Ch'an Buddhist monk, 665 - 713AD) I had asked a fellow about emptiness and what it means when Zen Masters talk about emptiness. It comes up in the Song of Enlightenment a few times: “…The empty delusory body…” “mental and physical reactions come and go Like clouds in the empty sky…” “…After we awaken the whole universe is empty.” “All things are transient and completely empty…” “Transience, emptiness, and enlightenment…” “…our sight, hearing, smell, taste, sensation, awareness; And all of these are empty, yet not empty.” “…Does not stagnate in emptiness.” “But this no-form is neither empty nor not empty…” “When awakened we find karmic hindrances fundamentally empty.”

This conversation phased into one about doing and saying. Two days ago, I said I was going to do a certain thing and he had questioned me about it (as I had not yet done the thing). He told me I lied— I said I was going to do something and I didn’t do it. I asked why he was putting a time cap on me doing this thing and I told him I was unaware it apparently needed to be done within a certain time frame decided on by him. How could he be confident it was a lie while also putting a time cap on it and not allowing a chance for anything but the “lie?” …yeah so I didn’t do what I said I was going to…whatever we decide to call it…reality is always apparent.

All of this hullabaloo about this and that…and I still wasn’t doing.

What about jumping into the fire?

Master Huanglong Xin said to an assembly, Xuefeng said that the Buddhas of all times turn the wheel of universal teaching in the flames of fire. Yunmen said that the flames of fire expound the teaching while the Buddhas of all times stand there listening. Xuefeng and Yunmen try to outshine each other; but when the fuel is exhausted and the fire goes out, where do the Buddhas listen? Don't sit clinging to the depths of the white clouds; don't burn people to death with cold ashes.

What do Zen Masters say about saying, doing, and silence?

If you try and avoid delusions— burnt. If you try and grasp at reality— burnt. If you stay silent— burnt.

What is it that doesn’t get burnt by the fire?

Submitted June 16, 2022 at 04:20AM by madannada https://ift.tt/NGCjA2P