Monthly Archives: December 2012

The Void

3. “Mind is like the void in which there is no confusion or evil, as when the sun wheels through it shining upon the four corners of the world. For, when the sun rises and illuminates the whole earth, the void gains not in brilliance; and, when the sun sets, the void does not darken. The phenomena of light and dark alternate with each other, but the nature of the void remains unchanged. So it is with the Mind of the Buddha and of sentient beings. If you look upon the Buddha as presenting a pure, bright or Enlightened appearance, or upon sentient beings as presenting a foul, dark or mortal-seeming appearance, these conceptions resulting from attachment to form will keep you from supreme knowledge even after the passing of as many aeons as there are sands in the Ganges. There is only the One Mind and not a particle of anything else on which to lay hold, for this Mind is the Buddha. If you students of the Way do not awake to this Mind substance, you will overlay Mind with conceptual thought, you will seek the Buddha outside yourselves, and you will remain attached to forms, pious practices and so on, all of which are harmful and not at all the way to supreme knowledge.” read more

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Mind the Absolute

PART ONE

 THE CHUN  CHOU RECORD OF THE  ZEN MASTER  HUANG PO (TUAN CHI)

A collection of sermons and dialogues recorded by P’ei Hsiu while in the city of Chun Chou read more

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Huang Po: P’ei Hsiu’s Preface

There are other adaptations available of the Zen Teaching of Huang Po (pronounced Huangbo), but John Blofeld’s work still remains the standard-bearer; it would take a mighty effort to raise the bar on this one. This series will utilize Blofeld’s version, complete with footnotes attached. As we learn early on, a local government official at the time, P’ei Hsiu, became an ardent disciple of Huang Po; it is thanks to his records, stemming from the teachings, that we have this great work. His opening preface truly sets the tone for what will be forthcoming: read more

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