Wake-up Sermon, part 1

The essence of the Way is detachment. And the goal of those who practice is freedom from appearances. The sutras say, Detachment is enlightenment because it negates appearances. Buddhahood means awareness. Mortals whose minds are aware reach the Way of Enlightenment and are therefore called Buddhas. The sutras say, “Those who free themselves from all appearances are called Buddhas.” The appearance of appearance as no appearance can’t be seen visually but can only be known by means of wisdom. Whoever hears and believes this teaching embarks on the Great Vehicle and leaves the three realms.

The three realms are greed, anger, and delusion. To leave the three realms means to go from greed, anger, and delusion back to morality, meditation, and wisdom. Greed, anger, and delusion have no nature of their own. They depend on mortals. And anyone capable of reflection is bound to see that the nature of greed, anger, and delusion is the buddha-nature. Beyond greed, anger, and delusion there is no other buddha-nature. The sutras say, “Buddhas as have only become buddhas while living with the three poisons and nourishing themselves on the pure Dharma.” The three poisons are greed, anger, and delusion.

Detachment from form and no form negates any semblance of appearance or non-appearance. Detachment from detachment as no detachment and non, non-attachment, is not something achievable with the Mortal, Mundane-Mind. It can only be discerned through the clear-light of Noble Wisdom. The Wisdom of the Unborn Mind is devoid of the three poisons—greed, anger and delusion. The three-poisons are always demonstrable exclusively through the ken of mortal beings; seeing and condemning and desiring through mortal eyes one is incapable of recollecting that all this is really Mind Itself falling victim to Its own no-self aggrandizement. Yet, Buddha’s do not outright eliminate the three poisons—if they did that would be giving them undue recognition, thereby only firing-them up for more misfortune. Buddhas are Mindful that they are always lurking around, yet even surrounded by them they only nurture their Bodhi-being through the pure light of the Buddhadharma.

Whoever realizes that the six senses aren’t real, that the five aggregates are fictions, that no such things can be located anywhere in the body, understands the language of Buddhas. The sutras say, “The cave of five aggregates is the hall of Zen. The opening of the inner eye is the door of the Great Vehicle.” What could be clearer?

To give up yourself without regret is the greatest charity. To transcend motion and stillness is the highest meditation. Mortals keep moving, and Arhats stay still.” But the highest meditation surpasses both that of mortals and that of Arhats. People who reach such understanding free themselves from all appearances without effort and cure all illnesses without treatment. Such is the power of great Zen.

Seeing beyond the skandhas one learns the mystical and imageless language of the Buddhas. Seeing the hall of Zen within the cave of the five skandhas is no-zen Zen—getting beyond this koan opens the inner-dragon-eye that is the hallmark of the Great Vehicle—Dragonyana Zen. Mind is self-empty of no-mind and thus sees the Real Buddha hiding behind the no-buddha buddha.

Having been enamored with Osho in earlier days I was quick to buy-into his notion of “no-mind”. No-mind was his mantra, yet his no-mind was not akin to Huang Po’s realization that “Mind in itself is not mind, yet neither is it no-mind. To say that Mind is no-mind implies something existent.” Osho’s warped understanding of no-mind led many down the path of perdition and adharma; his way was excessively “Dionysian” and it opened the gate to Mara’s playground as his disciples fell victim to his hypnotic despotism, that in effect, released the skandhas with their full fury as many lost sight forever of their True Self…instead favoring the great no-self Beast of their body-consciousness. The final outcome of Osho’s nefarious tale is indeed most sad as many of his disciples are dying horrible deaths—many of them oddly from brain aneurysms.

If only Osho had realized that to give himself-up (i.e., his own excessive and grandiose image) would have been his greatest charity towards his “sannyasins.”

Bodhidharma marvelously states here that the Power of Great Zen is to transcend all notions of motion and stillness—to not become entrapped between them. The best meditation is Pi’kuan—staying prior to both Movement and Stillness. Staying prior to all appearances AND non-appearances is the best medicine that will cure all illnesses sans any form of treatment from without.

Tags: no-mind, Osho, sannyasin

Bloodstream Sermon, part 6

The concluding verses of Bodhidharma’s Bloodstream Sermon highlight that one comes face to face with two choices: the Law of Karma and Mind-Only…

I only talk about seeing your nature. I don’t talk about creating karma. Regardless of what we do, our karma has no hold on us. Through endless kalpas without beginning, it’s only because people don’t see their nature that they end up in hell. As long as a person creates karma, he keeps passing through birth and death. But once a person realizes his original nature, he stops creating karma. If he doesn’t see his nature, invoking Buddhas won’t release him from his karma, regardless of whether or not he’s a butcher. But once he sees his nature, all doubts vanish. Even a butcher’s karma has no effect on such a person.

Karma—mindless action—is a road traveled wide with perdition. Many end up in a hell of their own making—devoid of the clear-light of Mind. Ruled by their skandhic shackles, most are blinded along the path and are easily absorbed in the quicksand of their own desires—devoid of the clear-light of Reason. The clear-light of Mind is quicksilver—lightning-fast in all ten-directions and cannot be grasped by the carnal-mind because It’s like boundless-space—impervious to any karmic activity. Once one’s Original Unborn Buddha-Nature is self-realized, the Law of Karma is neutralized. Without this noble self-realization all is lost—invoking gods and buddhas in the external-arena is like trying to wash-away blood with mud—totally useless. Mind-only is an internal-affair and is not dependent on the rigid norms of societal status; Its clear—Translucent Light—shines through both sage and butcher alike and thus renders all former karmic-associations null and void.

Mind-only also has nothing to do with sex or abstinence:

I only talk about seeing your nature. I don’t talk about sex simply because you don’t see your nature. Once you see your nature, sex is basically immaterial. It ends along with your delight in it. Even if some habits remain, they can’t harm you, because your nature is essentially pure. Despite dwelling in a material body of four elements, your nature is basically pure. It can’t be corrupted.

In this sense, being sexually-active or remaining celibate has no bearing on one’s Unborn Buddha-nature. It is Unborn and Uncreate and is impervious to all carnal-affairs in the realm of sensate phenomena. It is NOT phenomena. This is a realization that has been lost even within many schools of Zen that have become materially-scared. Phenomena is corruptible whereas one’s Buddha-nature is pure and incorruptible. How one can possibly equate the corruptible with That which IS ALWAYS incorruptible defies the clear-light of Reason.

What Moves can be corrupted; what UNmoves is not corruptible but nevertheless utterly dynamic:

Language and behavior, perception and conception are all functions of the moving mind. All motion is the mind’s motion. Motion is its function. Apart from motion there’s no mind, and apart from the mind there’s no motion. But motion isn’t the mind. And the mind isn’t motion. Motion is basically mindless. And the mind is basically motionless. But motion doesn’t exist without the mind. And the mind doesn’t exist without motion. There’s no mind for motion to exist apart from, and no motion for mind to exist apart from. Motion is the mind’s function, and its function is its motion. Even so, the mind neither moves nor functions, the essence of its functioning is emptiness and emptiness is essentially motionless. Motion is the same as the mind. And the mind is essentially motionless.

All this sounds like a conundrum. This is akin to the Heart sutra wherein it states, “Form is emptiness and emptiness is form”. Motion’s impetus is not apart from Mind—hence the birth of function; but In-Itself, Mind is not function but motionless-emptiness. Thus the True-Essence of Motion’s function is emptiness in Motion but the Essential Mind is non-the-less UnMoving and motionless.

In conclusion of this section, the Bloodstream Sermon is aptly named. The Blood is the Life and Mind-only is the very life-blood of Zen Buddhism. Apart from Mind there is no life—only synthetic images passing by in the dark night of phenomena. True life is the life-blood of the Buddhas (Buddha-nature) themselves and is brought to life through the clear-light of Bodhi.

Tags: Bloodstream Sermon, Bodhidharma, celibacy, Mind-only, sex

Bloodstream Sermon, part 5

If you’re not sure don’t act. Once you act, you wander through birth and death and regret having no refuge. Poverty and hardship are created by false thinking. To understand this mind you have to act without acting. Only then will you see things from a Tathagata’s perspective.

If one isn’t sure about their own Buddha-nature then one shouldn’t act. When action is initiated unawares then the karmic and cyclic cycle of Samsara kicks-in and pays undue allegiance to the Moving Principle. The “Moving” is false and wrecks havoc on the mundane mind; to break-free from the Moving one needs to stay centered in the Unmoving Principle (focused-action without acting)…only then can you see through the very deathless eyes of the Tathagatas.

But when you first embark on the Path, your awareness won’t be focused. But you shouldn’t doubt that all such scenes come from your own mind and nowhere else.

Or if, while you’re dreaming at night, you see the moon and stars in all their clarity, it means the workings of your mind are about to end. But don’t tell others. And if your dreams aren’t clear, as if you were walking in the dark, it’s because your mind is masked by cares. This too is something only you know.

Bodhidharma is talking about one’s naive awareness with a small “a”; it’s only an early-elementary action of trying to train one’s intuitive faculties—the misconstrued outcome should not be perceived as something different and apart from the dreaming-mind itself. If though on some point within mind’s development one encounters a Light that outshines the very Sun itself—this is an indication that a breakthrough is soon on the horizon as one’s True-Self Buddha-nature is about to be revealed. If it does occur Bodhidharma warns…one should not go about arrogantly proclaiming, “Hey, look—I’m Enlightened!” Bodhidharma reinforces in this passage again and again that this is a private-affair—indeed, if it’s shared in these early stages then its effect will be lost. Once this Clear-Light makes Its home within one’s spirit, then the Light of Discernment will be a constant and faithful companion empowering one to unmask and discern the True from the False.

To go from mortal to Buddha, you have to put an end to karma, nurture your awareness, and accept what life brings. If you’re always getting angry, you’ll turn your nature against the Way. There’s no advantage in deceiving yourself. Buddhas move freely through birth and death, appearing and disappearing at will. They can’t be restrained by karma or overcome by devils. Once mortals see their nature, all attachments end. Awareness isn’t hidden. But you can only find it right now. It’s only now. If you really want to find the Way, don’t hold on to anything. Once you put an end to karma and nurture your awareness, any attachments that remain will come to an end. Understanding comes naturally. You don’t have to make any effort. But fanatics don’t understand what the Buddha meant. And the harder they try, the farther they get from the Sage’s meaning. All day long they invoke Buddhas and read sutras. But they remain blind to their own divine nature, and they don’t escape the Wheel.

Enlightenment means to be filled with Buddhaic-Light and hence becoming One with the Immortal spirit of Buddhahood. Yet, Bodhidharma states, this Immortal gift from the Buddhas is not meant to be vaingloriously shown-off with conceit but rather daily nurtured—in this fashion the Awareness of the Tathagatagas themselves will be brought to bear on all that you do. If you always find yourself getting angry, then this is a good indication that you are squandering the gift and are only deceiving yourself. If you are truly One with your Buddha-nature then you will learn to accept whatever life brings—both good and bad…why is that? Because this Immortal Nature is free from the passing shadows of phenomena and is not held-bound by karma or the devilish antics of Mara, the evil one. This Tathatic-Awareness is never hidden, like a little cringing chipmunk, but forever delights in the Unborn and Unmoving Now of Suchness—It revels in this Nirvanic-Element of Truth. Fanatics on the other hand, those who are obsessed exclusively with external-means like the words within scripture, are forever devoid of the Light of their own True-Nature and spin endlessly about like mice entrapped within a caged-wheel.

Tags: Buddha Nature, Element of Truth, Enlightenment

Bloodstream Sermon, Part 4

Buddha is Sanskrit for what you call aware, miraculously aware. Responding, arching your brows blinking your eyes, moving your hands and feet, it’s all your miraculously aware nature. And this nature is the mind. And the mind is the Buddha. And the Buddha is the path. And the path is Zen. But the word Zen is one that remains a puzzle to both mortals and sages. Seeing your nature is Zen. Unless you see your nature, it’s not Zen.

Even if you can explain thousands of sutras and shastras, unless you see your own nature yours is the teaching of a mortal, not a Buddha. The true Way is sublime. It can’t be expressed in language. Of what use are scriptures? But someone who sees his own nature finds the Way, even if he can’t read a word. Someone who sees his nature is a Buddha. And since a Buddha’s body is intrinsically pure and unsullied, and everything he says is an expression of his mind, being basically empty, a buddha can’t be found in words or anywhere in the Twelvefold Canon.

These passages are the very Heart of Zen. As Bodhidharma eloquently states, Buddha is Sanskrit for being miraculously aware. Notice here that he’s not saying “your awareness”; no, this is not constitutive of the skandhic mind—but the very Unborn Buddha Mind! It is this Mind who sees through the eyes of awareness—in this sense it’s the Tathagatas’ alone and “no one” else’s. When this “awareness” is present, it is as if the Buddhas themselves are arching your eyebrows, moving your every limb, making it all miraculously awake and alive and vibrating with Buddha-nature—it is when you and the Dharmakaya are One—One Mind and Spirit. This is the very nature of the path—because it is the very Buddha Nature Itself—Alive Zen, remarkable, ineffable Wordless Zen that speaks to the very Heart of the Tathagatas. Zen is the language of the Buddhas and unless Buddha-nature is seen of Its own accord then it’s not Zen. Can you see the incredible self-realization in all this? Awareness is Buddha-nature Recollecting Itself and It is devoid of words—that’s why the illiterate Sixth Patriarch, Hui Neng, is arguably the most influential Zen Master ever—because he so freely and un-obstructively became the vehicle through which the Buddha-nature found self-expression.

The Way is basically perfect. It doesn’t require perfecting. The Way has no form or sound. It’s subtle and hard to perceive. It’s like when you drink water: you know how hot or cold it is, but you can’t tell others. Of that which only a Tathagata knows men and gods remain unaware. The awareness of mortals falls short. As long as they’re attached to appearances, they’re unaware that their minds are empty.

They’re not the Way. The Way is wordless. Words are illusions. They’re no different from things that appear in your dreams at night, be they palaces or carriages, forested parks or lakeside ‘lions. Don’t conceive any delight for such things. They’re all cradles of rebirth. Keep this in mind when you approach death. Don’t cling to appearances, and you’ll break through all barriers. A moment’s hesitation and you’ll be under the spell of devils. Your real body is pure and impervious. But because of delusions you’re unaware of it. And because of this you suffer karma in vain. Wherever you find delight, you find bondage. But once you awaken to your original body and mind, you’re no longer bound by attachments.

Being instilled with the Zen Mind one transcends the sphere of dissatisfied gods and mortals—that incorrigible sensate realm that is hopelessly addicted to the bottomless belly of appearances; never being filled-up they are unaware that their Mind is originally empty of all this garbage. Mind-Only is no mere doctrine but a real Turn-About wherein the discovery is made of That which is the sole image-maker; if one remains attached to the images then one is indelibly UNaware and then even the scriptures themselves are useless tools in the hands of the feeble-minded. Truth is what is revealed “between” the lines of scripture—if one remains focused exclusively on those lines themselves then one is forever blinded to the Truth that is Beyond Words. Doctrine means being attached to dead-words and is far from the Zen Way that is vibrant and Pulsating with bodhipower; Bodhidharma advises to consider words as nothing more than those phantasmal images procured from sleep—within that dreaming dungeon-mind that is the very cradle of rebirth. He says to even keep this in mind when death itself approaches—because death is the final phenomenal barrier that needs to be broken in order to embrace one’s true Buddha-nature. The body-consciousness is the shell wherein the bodhi-spirit is entrapped; unless one breaks-free from the shell one is never “Awakened” to the true self-realization of the Buddhakaya that is like boundless space. The following video from the Dragon-Mind of Zen series depicts what it’s like to be free from the Mind of Darkness and seeing freely with the Mind of Zen.

Tags: Bodhidharma, Buddha Nature, The Way, Zen Mind

4. Bloodstream Sermon, Part 3

And this mind, through endless kalpas without beginning, has never varied. It has never lived or died, appeared or disappeared, increased or decreased. Its not pure or impure, good or evil, past or future. It’s not true or false. It’s not male or female. It doesn’t appear as a monk or a layman, an elder or a novice, a sage or a fool, a Buddha or a mortal. It strives for no realization and suffers no karma. It has no strength or form. It’s like space. You can’t possess it and you can’t lose it. Its movements can’t be blocked by mountains, rivers, or rock walls. Its unstoppable powers penetrate the Mountain of Five Skandhas and cross the River of Samsara.” No karma can restrain this real body. But this mind is subtle and hard to see. It’s not the same as the sensual mind. Everyone wants to see this mind, and those who move their hands and feet by its light are as many as the grains of sand along the Ganges, but when you ask them, they can’t explain it. They’re like puppets. It’s theirs to use… It’s also called the Unstoppable Tathagata, the Incomprehensible, the Sacred Self, the Immortal, the Great Sage. Its names vary but not its essence. Buddhas vary too, but none leaves his own mind. The mind’s capacity is limitless, and its manifestations are inexhaustible.

Bodhidharma breaks-down the workings of the Unborn Buddha Mind that are most subtle indeed—blink and you’ll miss it, yet its very dynamic stature initiates those blinking eyelids into movement. In Itself It does not move, thus is not phenomenal in essence; but it also cannot be defined within the parameters of the noumenal either—It cannot be pinned-down, scrutinized or studied as if under a microscope, but Its inexorable bodhipower penetrates the mass of the skandhas and It transverses the raging waters of Samsara as if stepping-over a puddle of water. The worldling is oblivious and dangles-about like a puppet by Its effervescent touch—if they only knew that this awesome bodhipower is theirs for the asking. As Bodhidharma states, It is the very “Sacred Self”—if one could only discern the true import of this there would no longer be any confusion over the nature of Self.

Even if a Buddha or bodhisattva should suddenly appear before you, there’s no need for reverence. This mind of ours is empty and contains no such form. Those who hold onto appearances are devils. They fall from the Path. Why worship illusions born of the mind? Those who worship don’t know, and those who know don’t worship. By worshipping you come under the spell of devils. I point this out because I’m afraid you’re unaware of it. The basic nature of a Buddha has no such form. Keep this in mind, even if something unusual should appear. Don’t embrace it, and don’t fear it, and don’t doubt that your Mind is basically pure. Where could there be room for any such form? Also, at the appearance of spirits, demons, or divine conceive neither respect nor fear. Your mind is basically empty. All appearances are illusions. Don’t hold on to appearances. If you envision a Buddha, a Dharma, or a bodhisattva and conceive respect for them, you relegate yourself to the realm of mortals. If you seek direct understanding, don’t hold on to any appearance whatsoever, and you’ll succeed. I have no other advice. The sutras say, “All appearances are illusions.” They have no fixed existence, o constant form. They’re impermanent. Don’t cling to appearances and you’ll be of one mind with the Buddha. The sutras say, “That which is free of all form is the Buddha.”

Devils and demons possess the power of manifestation. They can create the appearance of bodhisattvas in all sorts of guises. But they’re false. None of them are Buddhas. The Buddha is your own mind. Don’t misdirect your worship.

Bodhidharma offers great insightful advice in this passage. Don’t trust any appearance, i.e., DON’T TRUST ANY IMAGE. Mind is devoid of all phenomenal manifestations—It is totally empty of all of them. Many on the devotional path fall victim to this illusion—worshipping Idols (read IMAGES) and in doing so they are held spellbound by the imagery. Bodhidharma goes on to state that even if something “unusual” should appear—don’t pay any attention to it. This really hits home for me. The other evening while in that in-between state of consciousness and sleep, I turned over on my right side and there before me stood the figure of an elderly woman—it began to freak me out, but then I shook-free from its grasp; as Bodhidharma advises, this kind of stuff is not to be feared nor respected—it is a phantasmagorical mind image… no more, no less. This kind of a thing has nothing to do with the pure stature of the Unborn Mind—one’s true identity. Don’t even pay any attention should an image of a Buddha or Bodhisattva appear before you. The best rule of thumb? Remember that the true is imageless and the false always betrays itself as an image of some form. The Unborn Buddha Mind is neti, neti—neither this nor that.

Tags: Bodhidharma, imageless, images, neti, phantasm

3. Bloodstream Sermon, part 2

If you don’t find a teacher soon, you’ll live this life in vain. It’s true, you have the buddha-nature. But without the help of a teacher you’ll never know it. Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher’s help. If, though, by the conjunction of conditions, someone understands what the Buddha meant, that person doesn’t need a teacher. Such a person has a natural awareness superior to anything taught. But unless you’re so blessed, study hard, and by means of instruction you’ll understand.

Without an authentic teacher of the Buddhadharma, one goes through this existence in vain hopes of ever discovering their true Buddha-nature. This passage reinforces the realization that only one-in-a-million stand a chance of awakening to this Noble self-realization without this teachers help. Only one who is meritoriously blessed enough with innate-bodhi-gnosis—like a shining beloved mani-pearl—is able to proceed without the aid of a teaching-vehicle; yet, this is a very rare occurrence and therefore one’s diligent openness to authentic teachers of the Buddhadharma needs to be reinforced through hard study and disciplined dhyana.

People who don’t understand and think they can do so without study are no different from those deluded souls who can’t tell white from black.” Falsely proclaiming the Buddha-Dharma, such persons in fact blaspheme the Buddha and subvert the Dharma. They preach as if they were bringing rain. But theirs is the preaching of devils not of Buddhas. Their teacher is the King of Devils and their disciples are the Devil’s minions. Deluded people who follow such instruction unwittingly sink deeper in the Sea of Birth and Death. Unless they see their nature, how can people call themselves Buddhas? They’re liars who deceive others into entering the realm of devils. Unless they see their nature, their preaching of the Twelvefold Canon is nothing but the preaching of devils. Their allegiance is to Mara, not to the Buddha. Unable to distinguish white from black, how can they escape birth and death?

If this essential discipline is not adhered to, if one foolishly thinks they can navigate the turbulent samsaric seas alone without proper Buddha-gnosis and guidance, then they are deluded and slanderous and subvert the Buddhadharma…even leading others down the garden path of adharma. Unbeknownst to their deluded nature, they are disciples of Mara, the evil one; anyone who follow these ignominious disciples of darkness will sink ever-deeper into the mire of endless dukkha, never escaping from the endless diurnal spin of samsara.

Whoever sees his nature is a Buddha; whoever doesn’t is a mortal. But if you can find your buddha-nature apart from your mortal nature, where is it? Our mortal nature is our Buddha nature. Beyond this nature there’s no Buddha. The Buddha is our nature. There’s no Buddha besides this nature. And there’s no nature besides the Buddha.
But suppose I don’t see my nature, can’t I still attain enlightenment by invoking Buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings, observing precepts, Practicing devotions, or doing good works?
No, you can’t.
Why not?
If you attain anything at all, it’s conditional, it’s karmic. It results in retribution. It turns the Wheel. And as long as you’re subject to birth and death, you’ll never attain enlightenment. To attain enlightenment you have to see your nature. Unless you see your nature, all this talk about cause and effect is nonsense. Buddhas don’t practice nonsense. A Buddha free of karma free of cause and effect. To say he attains anything at all is to slander a Buddha. What could he possibly attain? Even focusing on a mind, a power, an understanding, or a view is impossible for a Buddha. A Buddha isn’t one sided. The nature of his mind is basically empty, neither pure nor impure. He’s free of practice and realization. He’s free of cause and effect.

The act of attaining anything on the mortal plane of karmadhatu is merely spinning the skandhic-karma wheel. A Buddha is devoid of any karmic defilement and is not akin to dependent origination; a Buddha is in no way linked to any causal apparatus.

A Buddha doesn’t observe precepts. A Buddha doesn’t do good or evil. A Buddha isn’t energetic or lazy. A Buddha is someone who does nothing, someone who can’t even focus his mind on a Buddha. A Buddha isn’t a Buddha. Don’t think about Buddhas. If you don’t see what I’m talking about, you’ll ever know your own mind. People who don’t see their nature and imagine they can practice thoughtlessness all the time are lairs and fools. They fall into endless space. They’re like drunks. They can’t tell good from evil. If you intend to cultivate such a practice, you have to see your nature before you can put an end to rational thought. To attain enlightenment without seeing your nature is impossible. Still others commit all sorts of evil deeds, claiming karma doesn’t exist. They erroneously maintain that since everything is empty committing evil isn’t wrong. Such persons fall into a hell of endless darkness with no hope of release. Those who are wise hold no such conception.

This passage can be misleading to those who mindlessly assert that they are above and beyond the Buddhadharma, like present-day neo-advaitists. As this passage states, anyone who mindlessly entertain notions of thoughtlessness are liars and fools and open the door to nihilism. Instead of realizing their Buddha-nature, they fall victim to their own erroneous zones and run headstrong into the fools-gold of their own clouded no-self—Bodhidharma pulls no punches here…they are in danger of condemning themselves (and others) into the darkest cavity of hell—thus becoming, in turn, hell-dwellers.

Tags: Buddhadharma, hell-dwellers, neo-advaitists, Teacher

2. Bloodstream Sermon, part one

Everything that appears in the three realms comes from the mind. Hence Buddhas of the past and future teach mind to mind without bothering about definitions. But if they don’t define it, what do they mean by mind? You ask. That’s your mind. I answer. That’s my mind. If I had no mind how could I answer? If you had no mind, how could you ask? That which asks is your mind. Through endless kalpas” without beginning, whatever you do, wherever you are, that’s your real mind, that’s your real buddha. This mind is the buddha” says the same thing. Beyond this mind you’ll never find another Buddha. To search for enlightenment or nirvana beyond this mind is impossible. The reality of your own self-nature the absence of cause and effect, is what’s meant by mind. Your mind is nirvana. You might think you can find a Buddha or enlightenment somewhere beyond the mind’, but such a place doesn’t exist.

Space has a name but no form. It’s not something you can pick up or put down. And you certainly can’t grab if. Beyond mind you’ll never see a Buddha. The Buddha is a product of the mind. Why look for a Buddha beyond this mind? Buddhas of the past and future only talk about this mind. The mind is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the mind. Beyond the mind there’s no Buddha and beyond the Buddha there’s no mind. If you think there is a Buddha beyond the mind’, where is he? There’s no Buddha beyond the mind, so why envision one? You can’t know your real mind as long as you deceive yourself. As long as you’re enthralled by a lifeless form, you’re not free. If you don’t believe me, deceiving yourself won’t help. It’s not the Buddha’s fault. People, though, are deluded. They’re unaware that their own mind is the Buddha. Otherwise they wouldn’t look for a Buddha outside the mind.

Bodhidharma (as well as Huang Po) says that if you try to seek outside Mind for Mind you will not find it; there are no set-parameters—the one asking this in the first place is the skandhic-mind. The Mind of the Buddha is always prior to anything you can ask or imagine. If you think there is a Buddha outside the Unborn Buddha Mind, you do so in vain. It’s like trying to grab space…it can’t be done. People become deluded because they search for this buddha-thing outside the Unborn Buddha Mind.

Buddhas don’t save Buddhas. If you use your mind to look for a Buddha, you won’t see the Buddha. As long as you look for a Buddha somewhere else, you’ll never see that your own mind is the Buddha. Don’t use a Buddha to worship a Buddha. And don’t use the mind to invoke a Buddha.” Buddhas don’t recite sutras.” Buddhas don’t keep precepts.” And Buddhas don’t break precepts. Buddhas don’t keep or break anything. Buddhas don’t do good or evil.

This is an excellent example showing that phenomena can never, never be equaled with Buddha-nature. Buddhas do not save some nominally-conceived notion of a buddha; if you incessantly use your skandhic-infested mind to conceive of a buddha you will never find the Buddha. Don’t use a marble-chiseled buddha to worship a Buddha; using the skandhic-mind to invoke a Buddha is like trying to sculpt in smoke. You will never find a Buddha reading a sutra, or trying to overcome both good and evil.

To find a Buddha, you have to see your nature.” Whoever sees his nature is a Buddha. If you don’t see your nature, invoking Buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings, and keeping precepts are all useless. Invoking Buddhas results in good karma, reciting sutras results in a good memory; keeping precepts results in a good rebirth, and making offerings results in future blessings-but no buddha. If you don’t understand by yourself, you’ll have to find a teacher to get to the bottom of life and death. But unless he sees his nature, such a person isn’t a teacher. Even if he can recite the Twelvefold Canon he can’t escape the Wheel of Birth and Death. He suffers in the three realms without hope of release. Long ago, the monk Good Star was able to recite the entire Canon. But he didn’t escape the Wheel, because he didn’t see his nature. If this was the case with Good Star, then people nowadays who recite a few sutras or shastras and think it’s the Dharma are fools. Unless you see your mind, reciting so much prose is useless.

There’s no advantage in deceiving yourself. Even if you have mountains of jewels and as many servants as there are grains of sand along the Ganges, you see them when your eyes are open. But what about when your eyes are shut? You should realize then that everything you see is like a dream or illusion.

Whoever turns-about from sensate phenomena will invoke Unborn Light that shines on your true-nature—this is called climbing into the Dharma-womb; when the bodhi-seed is activated through bodhicitta—this is when the potential for Buddhahood arises. If one does not discover the dormant gotra (bodhichild with mystical familial ties with the Tathagatas), merely memorizing scripture or invoking mantras and engaging in soteriological practices will be a totally useless endeavor. Even if you find an erudite teacher, if he or she has not discovered the hidden bodhichild then their teaching is done in vain. Self-deception consists in taking the false fata morganas to be real; once one drinks those mystical waters from within the Dharma-womb one will never be subject to the diurnal wheel of samsaric life and death ever-again

Tags: bodhichild, Bodhidharma, Buddha Nature, gotra

The following is the first in a series studying “The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma”–as translated by Red Pine.

1. Outline of Practice

MANY roads lead to the Path, but basically there are only two: reason and practice. To enter by reason means to realize the essence through instruction and to believe that all living things share the same true nature, which isn’t apparent because it’s shrouded by sensation and delusion. Those who turn from delusion back to reality, who meditate on walls,’ the absence of self and other, the oneness of mortal and sage, and who remain unmoved even by scriptures are in complete and unspoken agreement with reason. Without moving, without effort, they enter, we say, by reason.

For Bodhidharma there is an essential truth: Mind Only. There are many roads that lead to this pathless path, yet there are two that lead to its recognition: reason (self-realization of Noble Wisdom) and four unfolding patterns of heightened bodhipower (practice). Through the self-realization of Noble Wisdom one discerns that all apparent phenomena are nothing but Mind obstructing itself—a dream, a fata morgana, a sensate realm of delusion that is devoid of the Unmoving Principle (Mind resting in its True Unborn Essential Stature); Bodhidharma is insistent upon this self-realization…nothing, not even the written word in scripture can distract one from resting in this deathless principle. One needs to learn to see like a wall sees—Unmoving and undisturbed—NOT as a mind “perceiving” the wall. The alternative is to be forever encaged in the Moving Principle (phenomena).

To enter by practice refers to four all-inclusive practices: Suffering injustice, adapting to conditions, seeking nothing, and practicing the Dharma. First, suffering injustice. When those who search for the Path encounter adversity, they should think to themselves, “In Countless ages gone by, I’ve turned from the essential to the trivial and wandered through all manner of existence, often angry without cause and guilty of numberless transgressions.
Now, though I do no wrong, I’m punished by my past. Neither gods nor men can foresee when an evil deed will bear its fruit. I accept it with an open heart and without complaint of injustice. The sutras say “when you meet with adversity don’t be upset because it makes sense.” With such understanding you’re in harmony with reason. And by suffering injustice you enter the Path.

One begins to Recollect their former error of exclusively focusing on the Moving Principle which opens the door to the mind-maze of endless transgressions with its accompanying poisons like anger and guilt. Even if one is “Originally Unstained” from these defilements, by embracing the Moving one spins the diurnal wheel of karmic consequences. Once in a karmic-cycle, there is no escape; Bodhidharma says that you will surely meet with adversary because it makes sense within the karmic-spin. Recognizing this through the lens of self-realization empowers one to stay in harmony within the deathless center (Dharmadhatu) of the karmic-spin; hence, just by accepting what is passing enables one to remain faithful to the Path.

Second, adapting to conditions. As mortals, we’re ruled by conditions, not by ourselves. All the suffering and joy we experience depend on conditions. If we should be blessed by some great reward, such as fame or fortune, it’s the fruit of a seed planted by us in the past. When conditions change, it ends. Why delight In Its existence? But while success and failure depend on conditions, the mind neither waxes nor wanes. Those who remain unmoved by the wind of joy silently follow the Path.

It’s all a matter of adapting to the conditioned realm of samsara; realize that both moments of bliss and misfortune are passing fancies and just stay rooted in the Unmoving Principle—neither being moved by those fleeting moments of both joy and sorrow.

Third, seeking nothing. People of this world are deluded. They’re always longing for something-always, in a word, seeking. But the wise wake up. They choose reason over custom. They fix their minds on the sublime and let their bodies change with the seasons. All phenomena are empty. They contain nothing worth desiring. Calamity forever alternates with Prosperity! To dwell in the three realms is to dwell in a burning house. To have a body is to suffer. Does anyone with a body know peace? Those who understand this detach themselves from all that exists and stop Imagining or seeking anything. The sutras say, “To seek is to suffer. To seek nothing is bliss.” When you seek nothing, you’re on the Path.

The greatest of all self-entrapment is the rabid desire to “seek”—whatever the object. When one incessantly seeks one is turning-away from the Unmoving Principle; it’s like being on a fast-moving carnival ride and trying to observe the rapidly moving phenomenon that is passing by—instead of closing one’s phenomenal eyes and staying centered within the Imageless Eye of the Unmoving Core. All of those passing images are Self-empty; one is just lost in the “no-self” of the body consciousness. No one will ever experience peace in the no-self. The solution is to STOP SEEKING; indeed, when you “seek” you are doing so through the no-self of the body consciousness. When you make a FULL STOP to the seeking, the no-self is rendered null and void and one is back home again on the Unmoving and pathless-path of the Unborn Mind.

Fourth, practicing the Dharma.’ The Dharma is the truth that all natures are pure. By this truth, all appearances are empty. Defilement and attachment, subject and object don’t exist. The sutras say, “The Dharma includes no being because it’s free from the impurity of being, and the Dharma includes no self because it’s free from the impurity of self.” Those wise enough to believe and understand these truths are bound to practice according to the Dharma. And since that which is real includes nothing worth begrudging, they give their body, life, and property in charity, without regret, without the vanity of giver, gift, or recipient, and without bias or attachment. And to eliminate impurity they teach others, but without becoming attached to form. Thus, through their own practice they’re able to help others and glorify the Way of Enlightenment. And as with charity, they also practice the other virtues. But while practicing the six virtues to eliminate delusion, they practice nothing at all. This is what’s meant by practicing the Dharma.

Wonderful stuff here—all dharmatas are Self-empty—hence subject AND object don’t really exist. What really matters is being faithful to the Buddhadharma—anything outside this wordless teaching is just useless chaff blowing in the wind. All attachments that are aligned with the Moving need to be dropped in order to see with Deathless Eyes the true “Dharmata”—the inner essence that is realized inwardly by one’s inmost self.

Tags: Dharmata, Red Pine, Unmoving Principle, Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma

Looks like an interesting upcoming read. I have the first edition of Ferguson’s “Zen’s Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings”; he’s an excellent scholar and historian with a healthy sense of spirituality to boot.

Tracking Bodhidharma: A Journey to the Heart of Chinese Culture

“The life of Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, has, with the passing of time, been magnified to the scale of myth, turning history into the stuff of legend. Known as the First Patriarch, Bodhidharma brought Zen from South India into China in 500 CE, changing the country forever. In Tracking Bodhidharma, Andrew Ferguson recreates the path of Bodhidharma, traveling through China to the places where the First Patriarch lived and taught. This sacred trail takes Ferguson deep into ancient China, and allows him to explore the origins of Chan [Zen] Buddhism, the cultural aftermath that Bodhidharma left in his wake, and the stories of a man who shaped a civilization.

Tracking Bodhidharma offers a previously unheard perspective on the life of Zen’s most important religious leader, while simultaneously showing how that history is relevant to the rapidly developing super-power that is present-day China. By placing Zen Buddhism within the country’s political landscape, Ferguson presents the religion as a counterpoint to other Buddhist sects, a catalyst for some of the most revolutionary moments in China’s history, and as the ancient spiritual core of a country that is every day becoming more an emblem of the modern era.”

http://www.amazon.com/Tracking-Bodhidharma-Journey-Chinese-Culture/dp/1582438250/ref=lp_B001KIIJA4_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334407042&sr=1-1

Tags: Andrew Ferguson, Bodhidharma