Huangbo and Foyan: Thus for those who attain the path, there is nothing that is not it.

The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible, and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered his real nature, how can there be anywhere or anything separate from it? Thus, the six forms of life arising from the four kinds of birth, together with the great world-systems of the universe with their rivers and mountains, are all of one pure substance with our own nature.

Therefore is it said: 'The perception of a phenomenon is the perception of the Universal Nature, since phenomena and Mind are one and the same.' It is only because you cling to outward forms that you come to 'see', 'hear', 'feel' and 'know' things as individual entities. True perception is beyond your powers so long as you indulge in these.

Huangbo Xiyun [died 850?]: On the Transmission of Mind, translated by John Blofeld, 1958

__________________________________________________________________________

If you know that falsehood is fundamentally the path, then there is no falsehood in it. Therefore those who master the path have no attainment. Just do not seek elsewhere, and realize there is no confusion or falsehood; this is called seeing the path. The path is inherently always out in the open. Thus for those who attain the path, there is nothing that is not it.

Foyan Qingyuan [1067-1120]: Instant Zen: Waking Up in the Present, translated by Thomas Cleary, 1994

__________________________________________________________________________

Wandering Ronin commentary: While there can obviously be an intellectual understanding of the Zen teachings, which is frowned upon by the masters, the essence of Zen practice is simply to put a stop to conceptual thinking. Focusing on and trying to understand the words of the teachings is not what the teachings are pointing to, but paradoxically, the books and the ink on the pages are in fact what Zen is pointing to. Everything is 'it', because the mind is what actualizes all things at once. The object cannot exist without the subject, and vice versa.

As far as I can tell at this point, Zen practice lies in the direction of not holding on to thoughts, not holding on to body or mind, and not holding on to outer forms; it is an unbalanced balance of all possible things. If no distinctions of any kind are allowed or any binding concepts formed in the mind, then the ineffable source-substance is revealed. And then again, if the source-substance is revealed, it too must not be held on to, as it is simply more in the way of conceptual thinking.

Submitted July 30, 2019 at 09:29PM by WanderingRoninXIII https://ift.tt/2Msozpk