(DaHui's Treasury of the Eye of True Teaching: Vol. 1; T. Cleary)
300
Zen Master Chang called on the Sixth Patriarch (HuiNeng).
The patriarch asked:
“Where do you come from? What are you seeking?”
Chang said:
“I recently went to Mt. BaiFeng, paid respects to master DaTong, and was taught the doctrine of seeing essential nature and realizing buddhahood; I have not yet resolved my doubts, and hope you will be so kind as to take me in.”
The patriarch said:
“What did he say? Try to quote it to me, and I will testify for you.”
Chang said:
“I had been there for three months and still had gotten no instruction. In my eagerness for the teaching I went to the abbot’s room alone, paid respects, and pleading, asked, ‘What is the fundamental essence of my original mind?’
He said, ‘Do you see space?’
I answered, ‘Yes.’
He said, ‘Do you see that space has any appearance?’
I said, ‘Space is formless—what appearance does it have?’
He said, ‘Your fundamental essential nature is like space; look back into your own essential nature—nothing can be seen at all. This is called right seeing. There is nothing knowable at all—this is called true knowledge. There is no blue or yellow, long or short—you only see the complete illumination of the essence of awareness, clear and pure at its fundamental source. This is called seeing essential nature and realizing buddhahood. It is also called the world of bliss. It is also called the knowledge and vision of the Realized.’
Though I heard this explanation, I am not yet sure; I implore you to instruct me so that I won’t be stuck.”
The patriarch said:
“That teacher’s explanation still maintains perception and knowledge; that’s why it makes you uncertain. I will now teach you a verse:
Not seeing a single thing but maintaining a view of nothingness
Is like floating clouds blocking the face of the sun.
Not knowing a single thing yet keeping to recognition of emptiness
Is like flashing lightning occurring in the vast sky.
This knowledge and perception produce mistaken recognition at a glance—when have you ever understood expedient means?
You should instantly acknowledge your error; your own spiritual light is always manifest. Always heed the verse, and your mind will be open.”
Then he uttered another verse saying:
Producing intellectual interpretation with no basis;
Seeking enlightenment fixated on descriptions;
If you keep a single subjective thought of enlightenment,
How can you transcend past confusion?
The inherent source of awareness is basic;
If you follow perception, you flow madly along;
If you don’t enter the room of the founding teacher,
You absent-mindedly head in both directions.
It's all here in one case:
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“Where do you come from? What are you seeking?” -- This is the "fang and claw of Zen"
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Chang gives an honest response
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“What did he say? Try to quote it to me, and I will testify for you.” -- "Can't quote Zen Masters? Can't talk about Zen."
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Chang is able to engage in "a bit of conversation"
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Chang's goal is laser focused solely on clarifying his confusion
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Zen surpasses explanations from teachers; Zen is outside of taught explanations.
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"Not seeing a single thing but maintaining a view of nothingness / Is like floating clouds blocking the face of the sun." -- Claiming to see something you don't see, is just more delusion.
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"Not knowing a single thing yet keeping to recognition of emptiness / Is like flashing lightning occurring in the vast sky." -- Recognizing your delusion, is a tacit recognition of clarity.
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"You should instantly acknowledge your error; your own spiritual light is always manifest. Always heed the verse, and your mind will be open.” -- Admit when you are wrong; you have to know how to lose in order to win at this game.
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"Producing intellectual interpretation with no basis / Seeking enlightenment fixated on descriptions / If you keep a single subjective thought of enlightenment / How can you transcend past confusion?" -- Seeking enlightenment outside of yourself is doomed to fail because it's just more delusion.
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"The inherent source of awareness is basic / If you follow perception, you flow madly along" -- Trying to see what you can't see is crazy talk.
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"If you don’t enter the room of the founding teacher / You absent-mindedly head in both directions" -- If you don't push yourself to understand Zen, then you will always be divided ... So if you still don't understand ... why not study Zen while you're here?
Does the formatting suck? I welcome your feedback! ^_^
Submitted March 17, 2021 at 09:36PM by The_Faceless_Face https://ift.tt/3cEtaQM
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