"Teacher of the Law Chih-te'" asked, "Zen Master, you teach living beings to seek only sudden enlightenment. Why not follow the gradual cultivation of Hinayana? One can never ascend a nine-story tower without going up the steps gradually."
Answer: "I am afraid the tower you talk about ascending is not a nine-story tower but a square tomb consisting of a pile of earth. If it is really a nine-story tower, it would mean the principle of sudden enlightenment. If one directs one's thought to sudden enlightenment as if one ascends a nine-story tower with the necessity of going through the steps gradually, one is not aiming right but sets up the principle of gradual enlightenment instead. Sudden enlightenment means satisfying both principle (Ii) and wisdom.
The principle of sudden enlightenment means to understand without going through gradual steps, for understanding is natural. Sudden enlightenment means that one's own mind is empty and void from the very beginning. It means that the mind has no attachment. It means to enlighten one's mind while leaving dharmas as they are and to be absolutely empty in the mind. It means to understand all dharmas. It means not to be attached to Emptiness when one hears about it and at the same time not to be attached to the absence of Emptiness. It means not to be attached to the self when one hears about it and at the same time not to be attached to the absence of the self.
It means entering Nirvana without renouncing life and death. Therefore the scripture says, '[Living beings] have spontaneous wisdom and wisdom without teacher. He who issues from principle approaches the Way rapidly, whereas he who cultivates externally approaches slowly."
He levels the mountain, all nine-stories assailed without a single step. Why dig a deep well searching relentlessly for a drop of water, while standing in the middle of a raging river? ⚠️ WARNING: You may drown in the process.
Submitted March 08, 2023 at 04:28AM by InfinityOracle https://ift.tt/1YkeixW
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