To truly study the mind, one must be a person of the following qualities. If not yet so, one should strive to become such a person:
(1) Place far greater interest and value on inner, spiritual matters than on outward, material things.
(2) Prefer seeking satisfaction in one’s own heart rather than comparing with others or being
conscious of others’ eyes.
(3) Be more interested in truth, an eternal value transcending the secular, rather than fleeting
worldly values like wealth, glory, and power, and possess a strong will to pursue truth.
(4) Possess an altruistic attitude, considering the human world and the natural world before one's personal gain.
(5) Always maintain a posture of living morally and conscientiously without shame in daily life.
(6) Be reverent and humble before the universe.
(7) Clearly aware that one's physical body, knowledge, and thoughts are insignificant and not to
be relied upon.
(8) Believe that what is eternal and true lies beyond one's own thoughts.
(9) Understand that spiritual, inner, and personal fulfillment is far more important than material,
physical, and social satisfaction.
(10) Aspire to go beyond the self one currently knows, seeking the infinite.
(11) Do not pursue superior psychic abilities or anything supernatural. Truth transcends our
discrimination and thought, but it is not supernatural or psychic. Therefore, one should not pursue supernatural mysteries or psychic powers. Truth is inherently present in our minds from birth. However, it cannot be known through discrimination.
(12) Always stand reverent before truth, abandoning personal thoughts and views. Truth is infinite
and unknowable, and one's thoughts are illusory and unreliable.
(13) Do not trust the self that thinks it knows; trust instead the truth that cannot be known. Only
then can one escape the finite self and enter the infinite truth.
(14) Do not seek infinite truth outside your mind. Infinite truth is unknowable, but it is inherently
present within your mind.
(15) Always live fairly, justly, and honorably, so as to have nothing to be ashamed of. Live so that
(1) One must transcend discrimination to reach the truth of the essence that cannot be known,
and thereby to be freed from suffering and attain liberation.
(2) Mind study is to go beyond discrimination and to connect with that which cannot be discriminated.
(3) Since it is a place beyond discrimination, there is no way to know the path and no method to
follow.
(4) Because it is a place beyond discrimination, all thoughts and judgments are useless, and one
knows nothing.
(5) One knows nothing and doesn't know what to do, yet one is thirsty to awaken.
(6) One cannot know how to transcend discrimination and awaken. If one knew, that very knowing would be discrimination, and thus one could not transcend discrimination.
(7) As there is nothing one can do on one's own to awaken, one can only rely on the teachings of
someone who has already awakened. Therefore, one must listen carefully to the teachings of an
enlightened spiritual sage.
(8) Even if one listens to those teachings, if one understands and remembers them with thought,
they all become discriminations and delusions.
(9) Simply strive to realize the secret truth of the mind that cannot be known or discriminated.
(10) At first, it may feel overwhelming and frustrating, but if one persists in listening, again and
again, one day, enlightenment will suddenly be experienced.
(1) Do not rely on any knowledge or common sense that you have seen, heard, or experienced
concerning mind study and enlightenment.
(2) Do not regard as true any knowledge gained from Buddhist scriptures, Seon records, or various books on the spiritual world.
(3) Do not affirm everything that you know; instead, let it go.
(4) Consider that all the knowledge you currently possess about mind study and enlightenment
will only be proven true or false after you have actually experienced enlightenment. For now, set
all that knowledge aside.
(5) Keep in mind that consciousness can be known, but the mind cannot. The path of mind study
is only to experience that unknowable mind.
(6) Experience is like tasting an unknown food for the first time; you can never know its taste
before you taste it.
(7) What enlightenment truly is can only be experienced; it can never be known through thought
or imagination.
(8) Do not hold any ideas about how mind study should be done. If you study the mind with such
ideas, you will follow the dictates of thought and thus cannot escape thought.
(9) In a state of complete unknowing, blocked by questions from all sides, listen to what the
enlightened spiritual master points to. The moment you connect with what the master points to,
the experience will occur.
(10) Seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing are all discrimination, so do not seek enlightenment in
seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing. Liberation from discriminating thought is not a feeling, not
a thought, and not anything that can be seen or heard. It is the manifestation of the unknowable
mind beyond thought. The Vimalakirti Sutra states, "One who seeks the Dharma does not seek
seeing, hearing, feeling, or knowing. Why? Because the Dharma cannot be seen, heard, felt, or
known. If one seeks to see, hear, feel, and know, this is seeking seeing, hearing, feeling, and
knowing, and cannot be called seeking the Dharma."
(11) Liberation from discriminating thought cannot be achieved through intentional effort. To strive
with an intention or a goal is in itself a discriminating act, so one can never escape discriminating thought in that way.
(12) The place beyond discriminating thought is what the enlightened spiritual master points to,
and one cannot know what it is or how to do it at all. One can only trust the enlightened masters
and follow their teaching.
(13) The saying, "If you deviate even by a hair's breadth, the difference is as vast as heaven and
earth," means that if there is even a hair's breadth of thought or intention, one can absolutely
never escape discriminating thought. To pursue something with intention is already an act of
discriminating between this and that, taking and abandoning, and thus all is discriminating
thought.
(14) The saying in the Laozi Daodejing, "Always be without desires, and you will see its inscrutable essence; have desires, and you will see its manifest aspects," refers to this. Former Seon masters always said, "If you pursue enlightenment as a goal, you cannot attain enlightenment." Abandon your intentions and desires and follow the master's instruction.
(15) You should have no knowledge about truth, and no thought of "having no knowledge."
(1) A true spiritual master will block your thoughts with teachings you cannot understand, making your thoughts unable to move. A false spiritual master will explain in a way you can understand, making your thoughts more active.
(2) The teachings of a true spiritual master are incomprehensible and unknowable, thus having no taste or fun. The teachings of a false spiritual master explain with plausible reasons and words, making your thoughts enjoy and revel in their activity.
(3) When you hear the teachings of a true spiritual master, it's as if you are blocked by an iron wall or fallen into a pit, making your hands and feet useless. When you hear the teachings of a false spiritual master, there is the joy of your imagination broadening and the scope and depth of your thoughts expanding.
(4) When you hear the teachings of a true spiritual master, your knowledge and views will continuously disappear and drain away, making your mind poorer. When you hear the teachings of a false spiritual master, you will gain much new knowledge and many new views, making your mind richer and wealthier.
(5) The Buddha always said to stop discrimination and lay down thoughts, Laozi said that the practice of attaining the Dao is about reducing and reducing, and Jesus said that only the poor in spirit can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
(6) A true spiritual master demands nothing from you. A true spiritual master does not demand you do anything, nor does he demand you not do anything. A false spiritual master may demand you do something or not do something.
(7) A true spiritual master does not assert that something exists or does not exist. They do not claim that past lives, future lives, reincarnation, the beginning of the world, the end of the world, enlightenment, liberation, Nirvana, Prajna, etc., exist or do not exist, or are this way or that way. They merely use such words as expedients, and do not claim that facts corresponding to these words exist or do not exist. A false spiritual master misunderstands expedient words as facts and asserts them as such. Claims that something exists or does not exist, or is this way or that way, are all merely discrimination, not the true reality of the Middle Way that we must realize. The true reality of the Middle Way is an inconceivable and wondrous wisdom beyond
discrimination.
(8) When you hear the teachings of a true spiritual master, you gradually become free from thought, your mind gradually becomes lighter, and you are liberated from views and fixed ideas. When you hear the teachings of a false spiritual master, fixed ideas or certain views become more strongly established in your mind, leading to greater attachment to those ideas or views.
(9) The Diamond Sutra states that one cannot be an enlightened person if one holds any views or concepts in mind, that the mind should not abide anywhere, and that the Buddha is one who has transcended all thoughts.
(10) When you hear the teachings of a true spiritual master, views and assertions disappear from your mind, and thus disputes and conflicts disappear. When you hear the teachings of a false spiritual master, views and assertions become strongly rooted in your mind, leading to more disputes and conflicts.
(11) The teachings of a true spiritual master are like "a single inch of iron kills a person" – very simple, concise, and direct. The teachings of a false spiritual master are complex, subtle, and involve many procedures or types.
(12) A true spiritual master does not present any method of practice or path to enlightenment; they simply perform "direct pointing to the human mind", pointing directly to the mind beyond discrimination. The teachings of a false spiritual master present stages and methods of practice and teach in advance what should be done and experienced at each stage.
(13) A true spiritual master guides you to a place where there is no path from the very beginning, allowing wisdom beyond discrimination to open. A false spiritual master presents as if there is a path to enlightenment and teaches that one must know and seek out that path.
(14) When speaking, a true spiritual master does not speak in rigid dualities, cutting things sharply. Therefore, when listening to a true spiritual master, there is nothing remembered or left behind. Rather, the listener's existing views collapse and disappear. When speaking, a false spiritual master always speaks in strict dualities such as "It must be this way" or "It must not be this way." Therefore, when listening to a false spiritual master, something is remembered as an assertion. Consequently, when listening to a false spiritual master, another assertion is added to one's existing views.
(15) A true spiritual master does not teach you to hold onto something or to abandon something. This is because holding onto or abandoning is discrimination and delusion. A false spiritual master often teaches you not to forget something and to cherish it well, or that something must be abandoned. Therefore, the teachings of a false spiritual master are easy to follow, but the teachings of a true spiritual master are not easy to follow.
(16) A true spiritual master mercilessly shatters the knowledge and views that a student holds. This is because all knowledge and views are merely discriminating delusions. A false spiritual master boasts of countless pieces of knowledge, plausible views, and ingenious ideas. Therefore, the words of a true spiritual master are not entertaining but allow thoughts to rest, while the words of a false spiritual master are entertaining but make thoughts more complicated.
(17) A true spiritual master always speaks beyond dualistic discrimination. This is because enlightenment is the non-dual Middle Way (不二中道), free from discrimination. Therefore, sentient beings cannot understand or comprehend the words of a true spiritual master, because sentient beings are trapped in discrimination. A false spiritual master always speaks in dualistic terms, because he or she has not transcended the discriminating mind of ordinary beings. Thus, the words of a false master are easily understood by sentient beings, and thus easy to follow.
(1) Expedient Speech : The truth of enlightenment transcends discrimination, so it cannot be thought of or spoken. However, for the sake of practitioners, it can be spoken of as an expedient. Bodhidharma said, "The Dao has no words, but if words are not spoken, the Dao cannot be revealed." Shakyamuni, at his death, said, "Since I first began expounding the Dharma, I have not spoken a single word." In the truth of enlightenment itself, one cannot open one's mouth, but for the sake of practitioners, one cannot help but speak.
(2) Sudden Enlightenment : As stated in the Surangama Sutra, "The principle is suddenly awakened, and with awakening, even the principle disappears. Reality cannot be suddenly removed but gradually vanishes." Enlightenment is always an immediate realization, a sudden enlightenment, without any procedures. However, even if one suddenly awakens, one cannot immediately live by fully actualizing that enlightenment in daily life. This is because there is the issue of becoming accustomed. One awakens suddenly, but it takes much time to become familiar with enlightenment. The Awakening of Faith in Mahayana states that our inherent enlightened nature is now suddenly awakened, and one must newly become accustomed to this awakening. In the Ox-Herding Pictures, it is said that after finding the ox, one must skillfully train it until both the ox and the person disappear, becoming a single circle of oneness. Sudden enlightenment must be followed by gradual familiarization, until awakening becomes fully embodied.
(3) Middle Way : As stated in the Dharma Nature Gatha, "The Buddha sits in the Middle Way, which is the true reality," enlightenment is the achievement of the non-dual Middle Way.
(4) Form is Emptiness : I try to explain the achievement of the non-dual Middle Way using the Heart Sutra.
a) When one illuminates that the Five Aggregates are all emptiness, one is freed from all
suffering. The Five Aggregates are form, which is the material world, and feeling, thought,
volition, and consciousness, which are the mental world. These are all worlds of discrimination,
meaning the world we all know. Emptiness means being empty, referring to that which is beyond
discrimination, where there is nothing to discriminate. Therefore, "the Five Aggregates are all
emptiness" means that what is discriminated is precisely not what is discriminated. This is the
Middle Way. The Diamond Sutra's saying, "If one sees all forms as no-form, then one sees the
Tathagata," is the same meaning.
b) The statement that form is emptiness, and emptiness is form; form does not differ from
emptiness, and emptiness does not differ from form means that form and emptiness are the
non-dual Middle Way. That is, the world of discrimination is precisely the world beyond
discrimination, and the world beyond discrimination is precisely the world of discrimination. In
other words, the world where something exists is the world where nothing exists, and the world
where nothing exists is the world where something exists. It means that form and emptiness,
that is, existence and non-existence, are the non-dual Middle Way.
c) It is said that all phenomena are empty of self-nature, meaning that things discriminated as
forms are all formless and empty, which also speaks of the Middle Way.
d) The statement that nothing exists within empty emptiness means that there is nothing to discriminate. The statement "there is nothing to obtain" also means that there is nothing that can be known or discriminated. Thus, emptiness refers to transcending discrimination and being beyond discrimination. If one understands emptiness as something that can be discriminated, like the empty void of the universe, then emptiness becomes a discriminated object no different from form, which is a mistake. Furthermore, if one understands emptiness as vain and illusory, then enlightenment becomes nihilism or pessimism that views the world as illusory, which is also a mistake. Buddhism is a teaching to realize the true nature of the world, escape illusory afflictions and delusions, and live a truly free life of great liberation, not nihilism or pessimism.
e) It is said that for a bodhisattva dwelling in the wisdom of Prajnaparamita, there is nothing that hinders the mind, no fear, and one is far removed from inverted dreams and illusory thoughts, reaching final Nirvana. This also refers to realizing emptiness and achieving the Middle Way.
f) In the end, the Five Aggregates of form, feeling, thought, volition, and consciousness are the world of discrimination, a world we already know well. Enlightenment is the experience of emptiness, an experience of transcending discrimination. When one suddenly transcends discrimination and experiences emptiness, salvation is achieved.
g) When one experiences emptiness, this world appears in form, but its true nature is empty and nothing exists. Therefore, all suffering experienced in the world of forms is originally non-existent. When one experiences emptiness beyond discrimination, one is naturally freed from all afflictions and suffering. h) This Middle Way, where the world of all forms is empty and nothing exists, is precisely the true reality, the original nature of our mind-world. The experience of transcending discrimination and achieving the non-dual Middle Way can be said to be recovering our inherent original nature. That is why it is called original enlightenment and Tathāgatagarbha.
(1) Aspiration for enlightenment : Resolving to awaken.
(2) Listening to the teachings of an enlightened spiritual master : Seeking out a spiritual master, catching a glimpse of the possibility of enlightenment, trusting that master, and listening to their dharma talks.
(3) Sudden Enlightenment : Suddenly having the experience of transcending discrimination. Feeling like you understand something, but actually knowing nothing. However, there is a sense of relief from transcending discrimination, a lightness of mind, like a dying person revived.
(4) Becoming unfamiliar with the familiar and familiar with the unfamiliar: A time when the familiar world, with all the things you knew, becomes uncomfortable and disliked, thus becoming unfamiliar. And the newly experienced unfamiliar world, where nothing exists, becomes comfortable and good, thus becoming familiar. As the Chinese Seon masters said, this period may take thirty years—it is a long process. During this time, the uncomfortable world of discrimination and the comfortable world beyond discrimination exist separately, as if two worlds are present in the mind.
(5) Attainment of the Non-Dual Middle Way : At a certain moment, the world of discrimination and the world beyond discrimination no longer exist separately. The two worlds of comfort and discomfort disappear, and one lives by discriminating as before, yet a wondrous non-dual Middle Way world where nothing exists is always attained.
(6) Life of Prajnaparamita : When one precisely aligns with the non-dual Middle Way world where discrimination and non-discrimination are one, the wisdom of Prajnaparamita naturally shines forth. Prajnaparamita means the wisdom that accords with the Middle Way by transcending the illusory world of dualistic dharmas.
(7) Bicycle Analogy: Before one can ride a bicycle, it is a world of two states : falling to this side or falling to that side. But once one can ride a bicycle, one aligns with the Middle Way, neither falling to this side nor that side. Now, only the time remains to consistently ride the bicycle to become proficient.
(8) Summary: Setting the intention to awaken → Seeking out enlightened spiritual masters and listening to their teachings → Realizing that the master is pointing to something, but not knowing what he or she is pointing to → Realizing that what one already knew is useless → Gradually falling into an unknowable place, yet the mind becomes stable and comfortable → Scattered thoughts gradually subside → Becoming even more unable to understand enlightenment → Eventually realizing that one cannot awaken through one's own power → Even the hope for enlightenment disappears → Feeling like a soulless person → One day, suddenly, all situations end, the mind feels light, problems seem solved, like a dying person revived, and feeling released from everything → As time passes, gradually realizing one has entered a new world → Feeling as if there is nothing in this new world, yet for the first time, feeling that one is living an eternal life → Liking the nothingness of being free from everything, and finding all that was previously familiar bothersome → Disliking the world where something exists and liking the world where nothing exists → After a considerable period, the disharmony between the world of existence and non-existence gradually becomes unsettling and uncomfortable → One day, suddenly, the world of non-existence disappears → What remains is the world where everything exists as before, but it is revealed that this world where everything exists is precisely the world where nothing exists → Now there is no liking or disliking, and no something to pursue, so there is truly nothing to do → Finally realizing that one has settled in the true place that sees the reality of the Dharma realm → Wisdom without thought naturally manifests → Understanding the words of the Buddhas and patriarchs naturally upon seeing them Wisdom becomes brighter and brighter as time passes.
To truly study the mind, one must be a person of the following qualities. If not yet so, one should strive to become such a person:
(1) Place far greater interest and value on inner, spiritual matters than on outward, material things.
(2) Prefer seeking satisfaction in one’s own heart rather than comparing with others or being
conscious of others’ eyes.
(3) Be more interested in truth, an eternal value transcending the secular, rather than fleeting
worldly values like wealth, glory, and power, and possess a strong will to pursue truth.
(4) Possess an altruistic attitude, considering the human world and the natural world before one's personal gain.
(5) Always maintain a posture of living morally and conscientiously without shame in daily life.
(6) Be reverent and humble before the universe.
(7) Clearly aware that one's physical body, knowledge, and thoughts are insignificant and not to
be relied upon.
(8) Believe that what is eternal and true lies beyond one's own thoughts.
(9) Understand that spiritual, inner, and personal fulfillment is far more important than material,
physical, and social satisfaction.
(10) Aspire to go beyond the self one currently knows, seeking the infinite.
(11) Do not pursue superior psychic abilities or anything supernatural. Truth transcends our
discrimination and thought, but it is not supernatural or psychic. Therefore, one should not pursue supernatural mysteries or psychic powers. Truth is inherently present in our minds from birth. However, it cannot be known through discrimination.
(12) Always stand reverent before truth, abandoning personal thoughts and views. Truth is infinite
and unknowable, and one's thoughts are illusory and unreliable.
(13) Do not trust the self that thinks it knows; trust instead the truth that cannot be known. Only
then can one escape the finite self and enter the infinite truth.
(14) Do not seek infinite truth outside your mind. Infinite truth is unknowable, but it is inherently
present within your mind.
(15) Always live fairly, justly, and honorably, so as to have nothing to be ashamed of. Live so that
there is nothing you want to hide out of shame.
(1) The purpose of religion is to save humanity from fundamental suffering.
(2) Fundamental human suffering is not social suffering that can be overcome economically or
politically, such as poverty, disease, war, dictatorship, or ignorance.
(3) Fundamental human suffering is the individual suffering of each human being, such as
dissatisfaction, anxiety, and lack of freedom caused by 'my' body and mind.
(4) Because 'I' cannot escape 'my' body and mind, this suffering seems insurmountable to 'me'.
(5) All suffering caused by 'my' body and mind is considered a fundamental, inescapable burden
that anyone, regardless of era or region, cannot avoid from birth until death.
(6) However, strictly speaking, the body and mind are not the source of suffering.
(7) The reason the body and mind become suffering is because they are 'my' body and mind.
'Others'' bodies and minds do not cause my suffering.
(8) Ultimately, the most fundamental source of suffering is the consciousness of 'I'.
(9) All people cannot escape the consciousness of 'I', and thus cannot escape suffering.
(10) Being bound by the consciousness of 'I' is a problem of the mind. This is because consciousness is the domain of the mind.
(11) Suffering and peace, misfortune and happiness, etc., are all fundamentally problems of the
mind stemming from the consciousness of 'I'.
(12) Therefore, fundamental human salvation is to escape the consciousness of 'I'.
(13) This consciousness of 'I' is generally called the ego, but in Buddhism, it is called 'ātmansang'.
(14) Secular education aims to create a socially sound, healthy, and good ego in relationships with
others.
(15) However, no matter how sound and good an ego is created, one cannot escape the
fundamental suffering of anxiety, dissatisfaction, and lack of freedom caused by the ego.
(16) To solve the problem of 'I', one must ultimately uncover the truth of 'I'.
(17) Uncovering the truth of 'I' is a matter of mind, not a matter of the body.
(18) Is the 'I' I know now truly the original, authentic 'self'? Or is it merely a consciousness of 'I'
that shaped through life after birth? What is the ‘self’ in its original, innate form at birth? Is the life
of this 'I' truly an unchanging reality?
(19) Asking such questions, without pre-supposing any concepts or views, knowing nothing, and
doubting everything, is precisely a religious question.
(20) Delving into this question is precisely religious activity and mind study.
...
(1) Philosophies and religions throughout East and West, ancient and modern, state that the
world has two aspects: the manifest phenomenal world and the hidden essential world.
(2) The phenomenal world is a world that can be conscious, discriminated, perceived, thought,
remembered, and spoken of within the structure of time (when), space (where), subject (who),
and object (what).
(3) The essential world is a world liberated from all discriminations, having no distinctions of time,
space, subject, or object, and it is a world that cannot be thought of, remembered, or spoken of.
(4) These two worlds are two sides of one world. They are not two separate entities, just like an
empty mirror and the images that appear on it, or a transparent crystal ball and the images that
appear within it.
(5) In Buddhism, the phenomenal world is called the mundane world, and the essential world is
called the transcendent world. The mundane world is a world that can be known through
discrimination, so it is called the world of forms, while the transcendent world cannot be
discriminated or known, so it is called inconceivable. Furthermore, the mundane world is called
the Five Aggregates and the Eighteen Dhātu, and the transcendent world is called Emptiness
(śūnyatā). Also, because the forms of the mundane world undergo change, arising and ceasing,
it is called the Gate of Arising and Ceasing, and because the transcendent world has no arising
and ceasing forms, it is called the Gate of True Thusness.
(6) In the Laozi Daodejing, phenomena and essence are distinguished as the named and the
nameless, and in Christianity, as the created and the Creator.
(7) If one knows only the phenomenal world, the mundane world, and believes that the mundane
world is all there is, one is called a sentient being. When a sentient being transcends
discrimination and experiences the essential world, it is said that they have awakened, attained
liberation, or entered Nirvana.
(8) All experiences we consciously have are matters of the mundane world and of sentient
beings. Whether it's an ordinary experience, a miraculous experience, a natural experience, or a
supernatural experience, any experience where a subject is conscious of an object within time
and space is a matter of the mundane world and of sentient beings. The transcendent world is
when all consciousness and discrimination disappear, and there is nothing, like empty void.
(9) Realizing the essential world and entering it, thus escaping all problems of the phenomenal
world, is the salvation of religion.
(10) Since the phenomenal world and the essential world are an indivisible single world, a person
who has attained salvation lives in the phenomenal world and simultaneously lives in the
essential world, which transcends the phenomenal world. This is the infinite profound mystery.
(11) Therefore, even one who has attained salvation is still born, grows old, becomes ill, and dies;
yet in truth there is no birth, no aging, no sickness, and no death. This is liberation from the
cycle of birth and death, and it is eternal life.
(1) One must transcend discrimination to reach the truth of the essence that cannot be known,
and thereby to be freed from suffering and attain liberation.
(2) Mind study is to go beyond discrimination and to connect with that which cannot be discriminated.
(3) Since it is a place beyond discrimination, there is no way to know the path and no method to
follow.
(4) Because it is a place beyond discrimination, all thoughts and judgments are useless, and one
knows nothing.
(5) One knows nothing and doesn't know what to do, yet one is thirsty to awaken.
(6) One cannot know how to transcend discrimination and awaken. If one knew, that very knowing would be discrimination, and thus one could not transcend discrimination.
(7) As there is nothing one can do on one's own to awaken, one can only rely on the teachings of
someone who has already awakened. Therefore, one must listen carefully to the teachings of an
enlightened spiritual sage.
(8) Even if one listens to those teachings, if one understands and remembers them with thought,
they all become discriminations and delusions.
(9) Simply strive to realize the secret truth of the mind that cannot be known or discriminated.
(10) At first, it may feel overwhelming and frustrating, but if one persists in listening, again and
again, one day, enlightenment will suddenly be experienced.
(1) Do not rely on any knowledge or common sense that you have seen, heard, or experienced
concerning mind study and enlightenment.
(2) Do not regard as true any knowledge gained from Buddhist scriptures, Seon records, or various books on the spiritual world.
(3) Do not affirm everything that you know; instead, let it go.
(4) Consider that all the knowledge you currently possess about mind study and enlightenment
will only be proven true or false after you have actually experienced enlightenment. For now, set
all that knowledge aside.
(5) Keep in mind that consciousness can be known, but the mind cannot. The path of mind study
is only to experience that unknowable mind.
(6) Experience is like tasting an unknown food for the first time; you can never know its taste
before you taste it.
(7) What enlightenment truly is can only be experienced; it can never be known through thought
or imagination.
(8) Do not hold any ideas about how mind study should be done. If you study the mind with such
ideas, you will follow the dictates of thought and thus cannot escape thought.
(9) In a state of complete unknowing, blocked by questions from all sides, listen to what the
enlightened spiritual master points to. The moment you connect with what the master points to,
the experience will occur.
(10) Seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing are all discrimination, so do not seek enlightenment in
seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing. Liberation from discriminating thought is not a feeling, not
a thought, and not anything that can be seen or heard. It is the manifestation of the unknowable
mind beyond thought. The Vimalakirti Sutra states, "One who seeks the Dharma does not seek
seeing, hearing, feeling, or knowing. Why? Because the Dharma cannot be seen, heard, felt, or
known. If one seeks to see, hear, feel, and know, this is seeking seeing, hearing, feeling, and
knowing, and cannot be called seeking the Dharma."
(11) Liberation from discriminating thought cannot be achieved through intentional effort. To strive
with an intention or a goal is in itself a discriminating act, so one can never escape discriminating thought in that way.
(12) The place beyond discriminating thought is what the enlightened spiritual master points to,
and one cannot know what it is or how to do it at all. One can only trust the enlightened masters
and follow their teaching.
(13) The saying, "If you deviate even by a hair's breadth, the difference is as vast as heaven and
earth," means that if there is even a hair's breadth of thought or intention, one can absolutely
never escape discriminating thought. To pursue something with intention is already an act of
discriminating between this and that, taking and abandoning, and thus all is discriminating
thought.
(14) The saying in the Laozi Daodejing, "Always be without desires, and you will see its inscrutable essence; have desires, and you will see its manifest aspects," refers to this. Former Seon masters always said, "If you pursue enlightenment as a goal, you cannot attain enlightenment." Abandon your intentions and desires and follow the master's instruction.
(15) You should have no knowledge about truth, and no thought of "having no knowledge."
(1) A true spiritual master will block your thoughts with teachings you cannot understand, making your thoughts unable to move. A false spiritual master will explain in a way you can understand, making your thoughts more active.
(2) The teachings of a true spiritual master are incomprehensible and unknowable, thus having no taste or fun. The teachings of a false spiritual master explain with plausible reasons and words, making your thoughts enjoy and revel in their activity.
(3) When you hear the teachings of a true spiritual master, it's as if you are blocked by an iron wall or fallen into a pit, making your hands and feet useless. When you hear the teachings of a false spiritual master, there is the joy of your imagination broadening and the scope and depth of your thoughts expanding.
(4) When you hear the teachings of a true spiritual master, your knowledge and views will continuously disappear and drain away, making your mind poorer. When you hear the teachings of a false spiritual master, you will gain much new knowledge and many new views, making your mind richer and wealthier.
(5) The Buddha always said to stop discrimination and lay down thoughts, Laozi said that the practice of attaining the Dao is about reducing and reducing, and Jesus said that only the poor in spirit can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
(6) A true spiritual master demands nothing from you. A true spiritual master does not demand you do anything, nor does he demand you not do anything. A false spiritual master may demand you do something or not do something.
(7) A true spiritual master does not assert that something exists or does not exist. They do not claim that past lives, future lives, reincarnation, the beginning of the world, the end of the world, enlightenment, liberation, Nirvana, Prajna, etc., exist or do not exist, or are this way or that way. They merely use such words as expedients, and do not claim that facts corresponding to these words exist or do not exist. A false spiritual master misunderstands expedient words as facts and asserts them as such. Claims that something exists or does not exist, or is this way or that way, are all merely discrimination, not the true reality of the Middle Way that we must realize. The true reality of the Middle Way is an inconceivable and wondrous wisdom beyond
discrimination.
(8) When you hear the teachings of a true spiritual master, you gradually become free from thought, your mind gradually becomes lighter, and you are liberated from views and fixed ideas. When you hear the teachings of a false spiritual master, fixed ideas or certain views become more strongly established in your mind, leading to greater attachment to those ideas or views.
(9) The Diamond Sutra states that one cannot be an enlightened person if one holds any views or concepts in mind, that the mind should not abide anywhere, and that the Buddha is one who has transcended all thoughts.
(10) When you hear the teachings of a true spiritual master, views and assertions disappear from your mind, and thus disputes and conflicts disappear. When you hear the teachings of a false spiritual master, views and assertions become strongly rooted in your mind, leading to more disputes and conflicts.
(11) The teachings of a true spiritual master are like "a single inch of iron kills a person" – very simple, concise, and direct. The teachings of a false spiritual master are complex, subtle, and involve many procedures or types.
(12) A true spiritual master does not present any method of practice or path to enlightenment; they simply perform "direct pointing to the human mind", pointing directly to the mind beyond discrimination. The teachings of a false spiritual master present stages and methods of practice and teach in advance what should be done and experienced at each stage.
(13) A true spiritual master guides you to a place where there is no path from the very beginning, allowing wisdom beyond discrimination to open. A false spiritual master presents as if there is a path to enlightenment and teaches that one must know and seek out that path.
(14) When speaking, a true spiritual master does not speak in rigid dualities, cutting things sharply. Therefore, when listening to a true spiritual master, there is nothing remembered or left behind. Rather, the listener's existing views collapse and disappear. When speaking, a false spiritual master always speaks in strict dualities such as "It must be this way" or "It must not be this way." Therefore, when listening to a false spiritual master, something is remembered as an assertion. Consequently, when listening to a false spiritual master, another assertion is added to one's existing views.
(15) A true spiritual master does not teach you to hold onto something or to abandon something. This is because holding onto or abandoning is discrimination and delusion. A false spiritual master often teaches you not to forget something and to cherish it well, or that something must be abandoned. Therefore, the teachings of a false spiritual master are easy to follow, but the teachings of a true spiritual master are not easy to follow.
(16) A true spiritual master mercilessly shatters the knowledge and views that a student holds. This is because all knowledge and views are merely discriminating delusions. A false spiritual master boasts of countless pieces of knowledge, plausible views, and ingenious ideas. Therefore, the words of a true spiritual master are not entertaining but allow thoughts to rest, while the words of a false spiritual master are entertaining but make thoughts more complicated.
(17) A true spiritual master always speaks beyond dualistic discrimination. This is because enlightenment is the non-dual Middle Way (不二中道), free from discrimination. Therefore, sentient beings cannot understand or comprehend the words of a true spiritual master, because sentient beings are trapped in discrimination. A false spiritual master always speaks in dualistic terms, because he or she has not transcended the discriminating mind of ordinary beings. Thus, the words of a false master are easily understood by sentient beings, and thus easy to follow.
(1) Expedient Speech : The truth of enlightenment transcends discrimination, so it cannot be thought of or spoken. However, for the sake of practitioners, it can be spoken of as an expedient. Bodhidharma said, "The Dao has no words, but if words are not spoken, the Dao cannot be revealed." Shakyamuni, at his death, said, "Since I first began expounding the Dharma, I have not spoken a single word." In the truth of enlightenment itself, one cannot open one's mouth, but for the sake of practitioners, one cannot help but speak.
(2) Sudden Enlightenment : As stated in the Surangama Sutra, "The principle is suddenly awakened, and with awakening, even the principle disappears. Reality cannot be suddenly removed but gradually vanishes." Enlightenment is always an immediate realization, a sudden enlightenment, without any procedures. However, even if one suddenly awakens, one cannot immediately live by fully actualizing that enlightenment in daily life. This is because there is the issue of becoming accustomed. One awakens suddenly, but it takes much time to become familiar with enlightenment. The Awakening of Faith in Mahayana states that our inherent enlightened nature is now suddenly awakened, and one must newly become accustomed to this awakening. In the Ox-Herding Pictures, it is said that after finding the ox, one must skillfully train it until both the ox and the person disappear, becoming a single circle of oneness. Sudden enlightenment must be followed by gradual familiarization, until awakening becomes fully embodied.
(3) Middle Way : As stated in the Dharma Nature Gatha, "The Buddha sits in the Middle Way, which is the true reality," enlightenment is the achievement of the non-dual Middle Way.
(4) Form is Emptiness : I try to explain the achievement of the non-dual Middle Way using the Heart Sutra.
a) When one illuminates that the Five Aggregates are all emptiness, one is freed from all
suffering. The Five Aggregates are form, which is the material world, and feeling, thought,
volition, and consciousness, which are the mental world. These are all worlds of discrimination,
meaning the world we all know. Emptiness means being empty, referring to that which is beyond
discrimination, where there is nothing to discriminate. Therefore, "the Five Aggregates are all
emptiness" means that what is discriminated is precisely not what is discriminated. This is the
Middle Way. The Diamond Sutra's saying, "If one sees all forms as no-form, then one sees the
Tathagata," is the same meaning.
b) The statement that form is emptiness, and emptiness is form; form does not differ from
emptiness, and emptiness does not differ from form means that form and emptiness are the
non-dual Middle Way. That is, the world of discrimination is precisely the world beyond
discrimination, and the world beyond discrimination is precisely the world of discrimination. In
other words, the world where something exists is the world where nothing exists, and the world
where nothing exists is the world where something exists. It means that form and emptiness,
that is, existence and non-existence, are the non-dual Middle Way.
c) It is said that all phenomena are empty of self-nature, meaning that things discriminated as
forms are all formless and empty, which also speaks of the Middle Way.
d) The statement that nothing exists within empty emptiness means that there is nothing to discriminate. The statement "there is nothing to obtain" also means that there is nothing that can be known or discriminated. Thus, emptiness refers to transcending discrimination and being beyond discrimination. If one understands emptiness as something that can be discriminated, like the empty void of the universe, then emptiness becomes a discriminated object no different from form, which is a mistake. Furthermore, if one understands emptiness as vain and illusory, then enlightenment becomes nihilism or pessimism that views the world as illusory, which is also a mistake. Buddhism is a teaching to realize the true nature of the world, escape illusory afflictions and delusions, and live a truly free life of great liberation, not nihilism or pessimism.
e) It is said that for a bodhisattva dwelling in the wisdom of Prajnaparamita, there is nothing that hinders the mind, no fear, and one is far removed from inverted dreams and illusory thoughts, reaching final Nirvana. This also refers to realizing emptiness and achieving the Middle Way.
f) In the end, the Five Aggregates of form, feeling, thought, volition, and consciousness are the world of discrimination, a world we already know well. Enlightenment is the experience of emptiness, an experience of transcending discrimination. When one suddenly transcends discrimination and experiences emptiness, salvation is achieved.
g) When one experiences emptiness, this world appears in form, but its true nature is empty and nothing exists. Therefore, all suffering experienced in the world of forms is originally non-existent. When one experiences emptiness beyond discrimination, one is naturally freed from all afflictions and suffering.
h) This Middle Way, where the world of all forms is empty and nothing exists, is precisely the true reality, the original nature of our mind-world. The experience of transcending discrimination and achieving the non-dual Middle Way can be said to be recovering our inherent original nature. That is why it is called original enlightenment and Tathāgatagarbha.
(1) Aspiration for enlightenment : Resolving to awaken.
(2) Listening to the teachings of an enlightened spiritual master : Seeking out a spiritual master, catching a glimpse of the possibility of enlightenment, trusting that master, and listening to their dharma talks.
(3) Sudden Enlightenment : Suddenly having the experience of transcending discrimination. Feeling like you understand something, but actually knowing nothing. However, there is a sense of relief from transcending discrimination, a lightness of mind, like a dying person revived.
(4) Becoming unfamiliar with the familiar and familiar with the unfamiliar: A time when the familiar world, with all the things you knew, becomes uncomfortable and disliked, thus becoming unfamiliar. And the newly experienced unfamiliar world, where nothing exists, becomes comfortable and good, thus becoming familiar. As the Chinese Seon masters said, this period may take thirty years—it is a long process. During this time, the uncomfortable world of discrimination and the comfortable world beyond discrimination exist separately, as if two worlds are present in the mind.
(5) Attainment of the Non-Dual Middle Way : At a certain moment, the world of discrimination and the world beyond discrimination no longer exist separately. The two worlds of comfort and discomfort disappear, and one lives by discriminating as before, yet a wondrous non-dual Middle Way world where nothing exists is always attained.
(6) Life of Prajnaparamita : When one precisely aligns with the non-dual Middle Way world where discrimination and non-discrimination are one, the wisdom of Prajnaparamita naturally shines forth. Prajnaparamita means the wisdom that accords with the Middle Way by transcending the illusory world of dualistic dharmas.
(7) Bicycle Analogy: Before one can ride a bicycle, it is a world of two states : falling to this side or falling to that side. But once one can ride a bicycle, one aligns with the Middle Way, neither falling to this side nor that side. Now, only the time remains to consistently ride the bicycle to become proficient.
(8) Summary: Setting the intention to awaken → Seeking out enlightened spiritual masters and listening to their teachings → Realizing that the master is pointing to something, but not knowing what he or she is pointing to → Realizing that what one already knew is useless → Gradually falling into an unknowable place, yet the mind becomes stable and comfortable → Scattered thoughts gradually subside → Becoming even more unable to understand enlightenment → Eventually realizing that one cannot awaken through one's own power → Even the hope for enlightenment disappears → Feeling like a soulless person → One day, suddenly, all situations end, the mind feels light, problems seem solved, like a dying person revived, and feeling released from everything → As time passes, gradually realizing one has entered a new world → Feeling as if there is nothing in this new world, yet for the first time, feeling that one is living an eternal life → Liking the nothingness of being free from everything, and finding all that was previously familiar bothersome → Disliking the world where something exists and liking the world where nothing exists → After a considerable period, the disharmony between the world of existence and non-existence gradually becomes unsettling and uncomfortable → One day, suddenly, the world of non-existence disappears → What remains is the world where everything exists as before, but it is revealed that this world where everything exists is precisely the world where nothing exists → Now there is no liking or disliking, and no something to pursue, so there is truly nothing to do → Finally realizing that one has settled in the true place that sees the reality of the Dharma realm → Wisdom without thought naturally manifests → Understanding the words of the Buddhas and patriarchs naturally upon seeing them Wisdom becomes brighter and brighter as time passes.
What is the mind?
It is this (tapping the table)!
It is neither true nor false.
It neither exists nor does not exist.
It is neither the same nor different.
It is neither right nor wrong.
It is neither good nor bad.
It is neither pure nor impure.
It cannot be increased nor decreased
It cannot be known nor not known.
It cannot be grasped nor released.
There is neither ignorance nor enlightenment.
If you study, you go astray; if you don't study, you also go astray.
It is simply this (tapping the table).