Nothing to wish for

Letters of Dahui pgs. 152-153

[The twenty-first patriarch of Chan] Vasubandhu always only ever ate one meal a day and never lay down. Twenty-four hours a day he did obeisance to the buddhas. Pure and free of cravings, he was a refuge for the many. The twentieth patriarch Jayata, thinking of saving [Vasubandhu], asked [Vasubandhu’s] followers: “This Vasubandhu practices austerities [dhutaṅga] and is able to carry out brahmacarya [i.e., a life of holy renunciation]. [But with this sort of practice of purity] how can one expect to attain the Way of the buddhas?” Vasubandhu’s followers said: “Our master’s zeal is such—how could he not attain it?” Jayata said: “Your master is distant from the Way. Carrying out painful practices over countless aeons—all of it is the root of falsity.” The disciples could not overcome their anger—the facial color of all of them changed, and in stern voices they said to Jayata: “Honored one! How much virtuous conduct have you accumulated that you disparage our master?” Jayata said: “I don’t seek the Way, but neither am I of an upside-down viewpoint. I do not do obeisance to the buddhas, but neither do I slight them. I do not do prolonged sitting, but neither am I lazy. I don’t eat one meal a day, but I don’t eat multiple times. I haven’t experienced having enough, but neither am I avaricious. When the mind has nothing that it wishes for, that is called the Way.” Vasubandhu, upon hearing this, produced the wisdom free of the outflows [i.e., attained release from samsara].

And so it is said that [Vasubandhu] “first by means of samādhi [medi- tative concentration] shook a firm tree” [i.e., with his initial cultivation of austerities], and “afterwards by means of wisdom uprooted it” [i.e., with his later exposure to Jayata’s dharma talk and consequent awakening].

Arges: A solid example of how a good thing is not as good as nothing. Or in this case, wishing for a good thing (and doing cultivation work to achieve it) is not as good as wishing for nothing.

There are some capable of uprooting a firm tree all at once, right from the start. Others give it a few shakes to loosen it. It’s still better than just leaving the tree alone and hoping it’ll fall over on its own one day.

If shaking the tree for you is to meditate from time to time, or every day nonstop, go for it. If it’s stopping thoughts, trying to rid of yourself of ego, worshipping Buddha and chanting; no one is going to stop you. Whatever you feel like you need.

It’s only when some practice or cultivation becomes a lifestyle, that it becomes a problem for you. When you stagnate for years and never stop, that’s when it’s time to take a look at what you’re doing and ask yourself if it’s working.

That said; if you could be absolutely complete right now, nothing missing, what practice or cultivation wouldn’t you give up for that?

Submitted September 16, 2021 at 08:34AM by OrdinaryArges https://ift.tt/3keh3ih