Open your mouth, utter a single syllable, type a single word and you merely are spreading the illusion of your own perception of what you believe, at any given moment, to be the equal or part of an absolute reality.
There are no fixed ways, no methods whatsoever to perceive absolute reality except instantaneously allowing the mind to switch from its state of a composed and born consciousness to its natural state of Mind Only. This “switch” is in itself an illusion of an act seemingly taking place of moving “something dreaming”, towards “something awake” granting this transition the concept of “awakening” and the “awakened” a concept known as a “Buddha” denoting the fully awakened Mind.
Asked by Emperor Wu of Liang – “What is the first, or the cardinal principle of the holy teachings of the Buddha?”, to which Bodhidharma answered; “Emptiness, no holiness! ” [1]
Confused, the mind dwelling in the illusion of “Emperor Wu” asked, “Who then is standing before me?” to which Bodhidharma answered; No knowing! [2]
There is only Mind, and here is where the illusion begins for any “sentient” mind refusing to accept this very simple yet to it seemingly insurmountable problem to overcome. When and once this self-chosen illusory blockade is overcome the “sentient” mind calls it enlightenment, or awakening. But what exactly awakes to what? Perfection cannot awake to itself or it would be imperfection [3]
From which point of arisen temporality is irrelevant. It is the very belief in Mind, being something it is not, that fills countless sutras and books by “Masters” of said path trying to point out that which cannot be seen except by itself.
Even in reading these words and forming thoughts, emotions or any other form of ideations linked to countless positions of the Mind, you are further fueling your delusion that there is some form of wisdom or direction to be found in the written word or even a simple speech about the dharma by a sage.
Your true Mind, your true nature, just is. That is the eternal problem of self-delusion your consciousness cannot solve and refuse to accept because it senses the source of its own annihilation.
Because you are still reading this message, hoping to find some clarity that might remove an ageless veil from your own eyes – a question could be fairly stated to such a “structured mind”:
How does the true “I” in you switch its perspective in the sudden sound of one hand clapping, or by passing through the impenetrable gate of Yuan-wu without a single step, change your present delusion from being a prisoner of ever-changing conditions, to one of perfect enlightenment, through the complete liberation and noble wisdom of the fully emancipated self, that essentially never had a beginning, nor an end in what is an absolute reality?
In the mindset steeped in samsara, the clock of birth and death is always ticking…
Tozen
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[1] Mind is beyond the illusory presence of the Spatio-temporal, at all times perfectly empty of any phenomenon, position, division or otherwise attributed to that which is perceived and attached to, by an arisen (becomed) consciousness. Consequently any mind rooted in any position whatsoever, be it anything from a position of a body in meditation, the scent of a flower, the sudden sound of a crow, a weak or strong emotion, a thought, a Demon, a Deva, Brahma or even a Buddha, is instantly becomed (rooted) in the samsaric plane corresponding to said rooting.
[2] Contrary to John McRee´s translation of the response as ; “I don´t know,”, the correct response was “No knowing!” as in meaning; There is No Knowing of IT through the Emperors present consciousness in the desired exchange of views , hence the compassionate act of Bodhidharma turning around and walking out (the great turn-about/shift of the mind) from the Great Hall (samsara) of conditioned views, desires, uncertainty, and power.
The exact wording in Traditional Chinese is 不知道 (bù zhīdào) meaning “No knowing” but also “Wonder”.
[3]. Mind Only is not an imperfection or any other condition. Mind, as such, in YOU, is the instantaneous creator of anything assumingly viewed as perfection, or imperfection. Still, this act and presentation is nothing but acts of sheer illusory interdependent origination, perfectly empty of Mind itself.