To those who doubt that they're on the right path, consider these words attributed to Bodhidharma.

The essence of the Way is detachment. And the goal of those who practice is freedom from appearances.

The sutras say, "Detachment is enlightenment because it negates appearances."

Buddhahood means awareness.

Mortals whose minds are aware reach the Way of Enlightenment and are therefore called buddhas.

The sutras say, "Those who free themselves from all appearances are called buddhas."

The appearance of appearance as no appearance can't be seen visually but can only be known by means of wisdom.

Whoever hears and believes this teaching embarks on the Great Vehicle and leaves the three realms.

The three realms are greed, anger, and delusion.

To leave the three realms means to go from greed, anger, and delusion back to morality, meditation, and wisdom.

Greed, anger, and delusion have no nature of their own. They depend on mortals.

And anyone capable of reflection is bound to see that the nature of greed, anger, and delusion is the buddha-nature.

Beyond greed, anger, and delusion there is no other buddha-nature.

The sutras say, "Buddhas have only become buddhas while living with the three poisons and nourishing themselves on the pure Dharma."

The three poisons are greed, anger, and delusion.

The Great Vehicle is the greatest of all vehicles. It's the conveyance of bodhisattvas, who use everything without using anything and who travel all day without traveling. Such is the vehicle of buddhas.

The sutras say, "No vehicle is the vehicle of buddhas."

Whoever realizes that the six senses aren't real, that the five aggregates are fictions, that no such things can be located anywhere in the body, understands the language of buddhas.

The sutras say, "The cave of five aggregates is the hall of zen. The opening of the inner eye is the door of the Great Vehicle."

What could be clearer?

(Source: The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma translated by Red Pine, Wake-up Sermon)

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McNubbitz Bitz: Buddhas are born in the realm of mind, just like you. They are humans, just like you. They did not magically turn off their ability to think and have emotions. Buddhas arise from the realm of thoughts and emotions. You are allowed to be human, but, will you let your thoughts and emotions control you, or will you see their empty nature instead and not allow yourself to be controlled? The essence of the Way is detachment, but it is not detachment from personal experience, feeling things or thinking things. It's detachment from being controlled by those things. Buddhas have ultimate freedom because they do what they want, not what forms tell them to do.

Submitted December 17, 2018 at 01:24AM by McNubbitz https://ift.tt/2Ewr8Dz