Huangbo Xiyun: In fact, the Way is not something which can be studied. Study leads to the retention of concepts and so the Way is entirely misunderstood.

Regarding this Zen Doctrine of ours, since it was first transmitted, it has never taught that men should seek for learning or form concepts. 'Studying the Way' is just a figure of speech. It is a method of arousing people's interest in the early stages of their development. In fact, the Way is not something which can be studied. Study leads to the retention of concepts and so the Way is entirely misunderstood.

Moreover, the Way is not something specially existing; it is called the Mahāyāna Mind—Mind which is not to be found inside, outside or in the middle. Truly it is not located anywhere. The first step is to refrain from knowledge-based concepts. This implies that if you were to follow the empirical method to the utmost limit, on reaching that limit you would still be unable to locate Mind.

Huangbo Xiyun, On the Transmission of Mind, translated by John Blofeld, 1958

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Wandering Ronin commentary: How difficult is it to come to this particular quote from Huangbo and to finally realize that decades of study and practice were all in vain? There is nothing here for anyone once they reach this point; no grand structures or accolades, no knowledge, no Dharma itself even. Perhaps that's the great potential difficulty in following Zen: in all of the planning and action involving study, practice and the accumulation of knowledge, it's so easy to miss what the masters were saying all along. Like thieves breaking into an empty house...

Submitted July 31, 2019 at 11:38PM by WanderingRoninXIII https://ift.tt/2Ou6s4Q