Huangbo:
As to performing the six paramitas 1 and vast numbers of similar practices, or gaining merits as countless as the sands of the Ganges, since you are fundamentally complete in every respect, you should not try to supplement that perfection by such meaningless practices.
You are inherently a Buddha. Thus there is no need for self improvements, faith-based forumlas for cleansing, goodness, or purity.
Buddhist religions in the West are based on the Christian "ur a sinner" model, with "monkey mind" and the usual suspects of greed, anger, hate... and of course delusion... all conspiring to make you a person in need of saving.
But Huangbo doesn't see it that way.
We speak of their mercy and compassion as vast just because it is beyond causality (and therefore infinite). By mercy is really meant not conceiving of a Buddha to be Enlightened, while compassion really means not conceiving of sentient beings to be delivered.
Huangbo sees you as you are, and doesn't have a problem with it.
Western Buddhists, particularly Japanese Buddhists, see you as fundamentally lacking.
That's another example of why we say Zen is not Buddhism.
Submitted March 17, 2021 at 07:16AM by ewk https://ift.tt/2OH0lef
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