When people today studying Zen learn it wrongly, it is because of no more than two sicknesses.
One sickness is speechless, formless motionlessness in the haunt of the mind-body complex, where you say, “Even if the Buddhas and Zen Patriarchs came forth, I would still just be thus.” This is one sickness.
Next is to give recognition to that which speaks, hears, works, acts, walks, stands, sits, and reclines. This is also a sickness. Do you know that activity is the root of suffering, sustained by the power of wind?
If people can get away from these two sicknesses and can engage in total investigation, someday they should wake up. Otherwise, there is no cleaning things up.
There are also two kinds of benefactors who speak bitterly as an expedient for two kinds of students.
Students of one type make up rationales on their own and express things on their own, advancing and withdrawing, raising their fists and joining their palms, thinking this to be the way of Zen. Benefactors, seeing them this way, speak bitterly to them, saying, “You have misunderstood. Why is your attention so fixated when there is really no problem?” This is one kind of benefactor.
Another type of student says, “I do not understand, I do not know. Why? Because I am not tuned in at all.” Therefore benefactors, seeing people thus, tell them, “There is nothing the matter with you; why do you seek to understand and tune in?” This is another kind of benefactor.
If both the former and latter types of students hear benefactors speaking like this, and are able to turn their attention around and study through experience, they will inevitably attain clarification. If they just say they don’t understand, they are creating their own stagnation; even after a thousand years they would just be the same.
Fortunately, you are in its very midst; if you go on saying you do not understand and seek to tune in to it, when will you ever be done?
Do you want to understand? You must not set up limited measurements; you must apprehend it directly before you can get it.
hookdump's commentary:
What's up with the "Next is to give recognition to that which speaks, hears, works, acts, walks, stands, sits, and reclines. This is also a sickness. Do you know that activity is the root of suffering, sustained by the power of wind?" — What the heck?
It might make sense to me if it said "sustained by the power of mind". But... wind?! What does it mean?
I do not understand, I do not know!
Perhaps I am not tuned in at all.
Sneaky Foyan!
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Submitted February 14, 2019 at 02:15AM by hookdump http://bit.ly/2E7StKK
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