Three gradual steps to Sudden Enlightenment

Preface:
If you are speaking to a deaf worldling, you should just teach him to leave home, maintain discipline, practice meditation and develop wisdom.

If one is speaking to an ascetic, the ascetic has already given his assent three times and his discipline is complete. This is the power of discipline, concentration, and wisdom.To still speak in this way to him is called speaking at the wrong time, because the speech is not appropriate to the situation; it is also called suggestive talk. To an ascetic one must explain the defilement in pure things - you should tell him to detach from all things, existence, non-existent, or whatever, to detach from all cultivation and experience, and even to detach from detachment. While in the course of asceticism, one strips away influences of habit. If an ascetic cannot get rid of the diseases of greed and aversion, he too is called a deaf worldling; still he must be taught to practice meditation and cultivate wisdom.

Three stages:
As for monks of the two vehicles, they have put an end to the disease of greed and aversion, removing them completely; they dwell in the absence of greed and consider that correct. This is the formless realm, this is obstructing Buddha's light, this is shedding Buddha's blood. You must teach them also to practice meditation and develop wisdom.

1.If one no longer loves or grasps, and yet abides in not loving or grasping and considers it correct, this is the elementary good; this is abiding in the subdued mind.

2.Once you do not grasp any more, and yet do not dwell in nonattachment either, this is the intermediate good.

Because of barriers of knowledge, barriers of station, and barriers of activity (practice), seeing one's own enlightened nature is like seeing color at night.

3.Once you no longer dwell in nonattachment, and do not even make an understanding of not dwelling either, this is the final good; this is the full-word teaching.

If one can pass through these three phases, one will not be constrained by the three stages. This is called an enlightened one beyond confinement - no thing can capture or bind him. He is one of the Buddhas succeeding to the Burning Lamp. This is the supreme vehicle, the highest knowledge - this is standing on the way of enlightenment. This person is Buddha, and has the enlightened nature; he is a guide, able to employ the unobstructed wind. This is unimpeded illumination.

Baizhang Huaihai
Baizhang's students included Huangbo and Linji

https://terebess.hu/zen/baizhang-extensive-record.pdf

Comment:next post Baizhang monastic regulations and how to make ceremony of Buddha Nirvana Day for public

edit:lost somewhere point two; added.

Submitted October 04, 2019 at 10:26PM by OnePoint11 https://ift.tt/31OfMme