Download - Chan Buddhism
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Chan(Chinese Zen)
Shih, Jian-Liao
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(A) Introduction
e all face different problems in life, and
everyone wishes to resolve them. However, it is
not an easy task, and new obstacles often arise during
the process because problems are emotionally based
and emotions blur the Mind. Emotions occur because
one is neither able to tame the Mind nor recognize and
manifest the nature of the Mind. It is when one sees the
clarity of ones Self-Nature that lifes challenges are
overcome and problems are resolved. It is not difficult to
be good and to perform charitable works, which are
considered virtues in all major religions. The capacity to
perform good deeds is due to good thoughts that create
good karma. The Buddha teaches that everyone creates
and lives with his/her personal karma. The doctrine of
karma is subtle and exceedingly intricate. Reduced to its
most elementary meaning, karma represents the sumtotal of ones deeds and its manifestation in thought,
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speech and action. It may be understood as the
manifestation of a cause-and-effect relationship, or themanifestation of causation.
It is not easy to be consistently good because the
Mind often dictates otherwise. The inability to tame the
Mind, then, becomes the source of suffering. In Chan
Buddhism, it is said: To attain Buddhahood is to master
the Mind. To master the Mind is the way to become a
Buddha. To tame the Mind is to get rid of all habitual
ways, to relinquish all attachments and to be aware of
Self-Nature. The Buddha was aware of the absolute
nature of Mind. It is for this reason that one can speak to
the perfection of his deeds for they are a manifestation of
pure Mind. Therefore, the Buddhas Mind can be said to
be absolutely free. He is in complete control in the
formation of and in the letting go of thought. Sinceordinary people do not understand or recognize the
nature of Mind, they are not able to make their Mind
work for them the way they would like it to. When they
need to remember something from the past, they cannot
make the Mind recall what it has already forgotten. Yetthe Mind persists in remembering what it wishes to forget.
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When emotional ups and downs such as anger are
experienced, the mandate to retract this negativeemotion fails because the Mind is covered with
attachments. When the Mind is not mastered, the result
is suffering.
The basic purpose of meditation is to help one to
recognize the nature of the Mind, to master the Mind and
to become cognizant of the clarity of the Mind. A Mind
that is not mastered is a Mind full of worries. Worries are
created by an untamed Mindthinking of what should
not be thought of, or, vice-versa, not thinking of what
should be thought of. Consequently, life cannot be lived
to the fullest unless the Mind is tamed and mastered.
Anger, for example, is a manifestation of an untamed
Mind.
One can be incited to feel anger only by choice.Laughter follows the same model. It comes from within.
When in a bad mood, even the jokes of a favorite
comedian cannot make one laugh unless the Mind is
free of worries and attachments. This proves that the
cultivation of the Mind is an individual undertaking.Outer phenomena are not responsible for the creation of
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thought. Indeed, it is the Mind that creates all
phenomena. All states of being are created by the Mind.For example, when someone tells a joke, the Mind
detaches itself from worries. This detachment creates a
state of well-being. It is not the joke that creates this
state. It only plays a supporting role. The joke merely
changes the focus of the Mind and causes unpleasant
thoughts to recede. If the Mind were not capable of
refocusing the thought process, the joke could not create
a change of mood. Simply put, a state of well-being can
only be induced by choice and this choice is made by the
Mind
Conceptual constructions are part and parcel of
each personality. Not to be the master of ones thoughts
is to be victimized by them. As previously mentioned,
anger is a manifestation of the untamed Mind.Unrestrained anger simply reveals an unskilled Mind that
has not yet attained mastery over itself. Therefore, to
obtain the wisdom of life and to find the path to
enlightenment, one must first become the master of
ones own Mind.
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The Mind of an ordinary person is obscured by its
attachment to dualities such as good versus evil, rightversus wrong. The Mind of a sage or of a person, who
has attained full enlightenment, and is no longer subject
to death and rebirth, is constantly in a state of emptiness
and awareness. In Reality, emptiness and awareness
are but two characteristics of pure Mind. No thought of
such an individual is ever separated from Mind. Pure
Mind is not a void. On the contrary, it is very creative and
adaptable. Like a glass cup, its purpose of containing
and transporting water cannot be served without its
being emptied first. If one has attachments, one cannot
see Reality because the Mind is not pure. Every thought
or being originates from Mind. Within this clarity lies
great perfection and self-liberation. Within this great
perfection resides clarity.Therefore, to attain full enlightenment and to master the
Mind requires taming the Mind. For example, unchecked
anger and greed that arise in the Mind modify human
conduct. Therefore, when anger and greed overwhelm a
Mind not skilled in mastery over itself, the Mind isenslaved to these emotions under the pressure of
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conceptual thought. An ordinary person is trapped in the
cycle of death and rebirth due to an untamed Mind. Anordinary person is one who has not achieved mastery of
the Mind.
(B) Habits
Emotions and habits are individually cultivated. With
the practice of meditation comes the awareness that all
thoughts are created by the Mind and receive direction
from within. In a word, a thought can never be imposed
from without. A thought that has not arisen from the
Mind can never appear in the Mind.
Involuntary thought or, otherwise stated, habitual
behavior impedes mastery of the Mind. Hence the saying:
What is habitually done becomes natural. Our habits
become second nature and second nature becomes
reflex. They are so familiar that they fill the space of the
Mind. This explains why, at birth, emotions such as
anger and greed need not be taught. These habitual
emotions manifest without being summoned, which
means that they have been cultivated gradually and
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perform automatically. In day-to-day activities, each
individual needs to ask himself/herself the followingquestions: What keeps me going? What makes me
function? How does my life relate to my environment?
Habits drive human behavior and behavior is conditioned
by habitual thought. For example, take an individual who
is fond of hamburgers. Initially, the concept of
hamburger is foreign to him/her. However, once the
taste for hamburgers has been acquired through
repetition, it becomes an entrenched habit. Each time
one goes to a fast-food restaurant, hamburgers become
the order of the day. This is the way restrictive habits are
created and form patterns of behavior.
When one is accustomed to taking a certain path, it
is very difficult to be persuaded to change course. And
herein resides the crux of the problem. When habits arenot in sync with the state of our surroundings, vexations
arise in the Mind and emotions become turbulent. The
source of suffering is rooted in the inability to detach
from habits.
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(C) Mind
All sentient beings possess Mind. The idea that
each person possesses what it takes to become a sage
or to attain Buddhahood is pervasive in the Eastern
culture. In Western culture, such a concept is virtually
non-existent. It is a fact that each individual possesses
Mind and that with diligence and determination, karmic
afflictions can be overcome. This opens up the path to
enlightenment. Therefore, in letting go of attachments,
the Mind is purified and enlightenment is achieved.Meditation is intended to lead us to such a path.
Each individual is like a farmer who owns a plot of
land. The Mind can be cultivated the way a farmer
cultivates his land. Thoughts are like the seeds that the
farmer plants in the soil. A good thought is like a goodseed sown in the Mind. By the same token, a bad
thought is like a bad seed sown in the Mind. Inevitably,
these seeds will grow and bear flowers and fruit and
each individual must take responsibility for the harvest.
One harvests what one has cultivated. In other words,
one lives according to the habits that have been
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cultivated. According to the law of causality, every seed
cultivated (the cause) produces fruit (the effect). Thisexplains why each life is different from another.
Habits are the obstacles to enlightenment.
Humankind suffers from the consequences of habitually
induced action. All sentient beings possess Mind.
However, in order to be anchored in Mind, all habits must
be relinquished because habits impede awareness of
thought. In other words, one remains attached to
material things. One falls into duality and Mind remains
hidden. Buddhahood is achieved through liberation from
attachments to personal judgments, conceptual
constructions, and habits. In letting go of them, the Mind
can reveal its Self-Nature.
What is pure Mind? The Master says: I am
speaking to you, and you are listening to me. Thecapability to listen without discriminating, without the
intervention of interpretation or judgment, is a capability
of pure Mind.
If the Mind is judgmental and discriminating, then it
can no longer be called pure Mind. It is the Mind of theordinary person because it is controlled by attachments.
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Take for example the phenomenon of hearing. Some
can hear sound and some cannot. The deaf are awarethat they do not hear sound. This knowing is an
immutable characteristic of Mind. The ability to be aware
of the absence of sound in the deaf is no different from
the ability to be aware of the presence of sound in
normal people. This ability is inherent in all human
beings. Adults as well as children have it. This Mind is
formless, non-discriminative and it has neither beginning
nor end. It can neither be created nor annihilated. All
possess the same Mind, yet, due to distortion, the
oneness of Reality fragments into duality. Therefore,
different things are heard. This means that even though
the same words are heard, the discriminating Mind
interprets the words differently. Therefore, each one
forms different notions and concepts based upon thesevery same words because of conditioning to a certain
way of thinking. What is manifested by pure Mind (Truth)
is compared to what has been altered by personal
judgment or interpretation (subjective reality).
Ten people listening to a lecture can arrive at tendifferent interpretations. Twenty people listening to a
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lecture can arrive at twenty different interpretations. This
occurs because, like the farmer who has sown differentseeds that have produced different flowers and fruit,
each individual cultivates different habits that contribute
to personal karma. One harvests what one has
cultivated. It is that simple and fair. Therefore, when
adversities are encountered, others are not to blame. By
the same token, when good things happen, the Mind
must maintain a state of equilibrium. It is important to
remember that the plot of land assigned to each
individual is equally capable of growing flowers and fruit.
Like the farmer whose hard work results in a good
harvest, one reaps the good fruit of life when life is lived
in pure Mind. Meditation helps to calm the Mind and
brings one to the awareness of pure Mind.
(D) Enlightenment
Individuals who are firmly attached to habits are
less likely to see pure Mind. Although Mind is universally
inherent, attachments obscure vision and obstruct the
understanding of Reality. Habits twist Reality when they
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are filtered through personal impressions. Subjectivity,
then, explains why one lecture can be interpreted andunderstood in so many different ways. Though a
message may have only one intrinsic meaning, it may be
fractured into many interpretations according to
individual conditioning. In other words, subjective
thinking. Consequently, this creates a gap in
understanding between pure thought (which comes from
an unattached Mind) and the stream of thoughts that
reflects personal judgments and ideas. This is a state of
illusion.
It is not understood that the subjective mind (ego)
defines individual experience. It is also not understood
that it is the source of all suffering. Surroundings are
defined by habits and thought processes. This capability
is inherent in all. Since human beings use this capabilityto cultivate their habits and perceptions, they accept only
the definitions and interpretations of their surroundings.
This, of course, leads to myriad subjective realities.
Therefore, in Chan, it is said that the attainment of
enlightenment is equivalent to liberation from ones own judgments and habits.
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These judgments and conceptual constructions
are formed by attachments. The very judgments andhabits that hinder liberation from suffering belong to the
domain of the ego which veils pure Mind. Chan does
not teach that there is only one method to attain
enlightenment. To believe that there is only one method
to reach this supreme goal is a delusion. How can a
person become enlightened if he/she is still attached to a
delusion? What one needs is to attain enlightenment,
which is an inherent characteristic of the human psyche.
However, because most individuals are not capable of
accomplishing sudden enlightenment, they rely upon the
gradual modification of habits and conceptual
constructions to achieve this supreme state of the
human psyche. The unenlightened Mind is accustomed
to grasping and forming impressions and it needs thepresence of Buddha and Bodhisattva statues in the
Chan Hall to stabilize and maintain a solemn state of
Mind. Hence, this Dharma lecture should help to cultivate
and heighten the understanding of right thinking. An
unenlightened Mind remains in a constant state of fluxbecause it consistently attaches itself to external
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phenomena. An ordinary persons mind produces good
thoughts under good circumstances, bad thoughts underbad circumstances. It constantly forms impressions and
attaches definitions to them.
The formation and perception of thoughts in the
Mind are simultaneous. This capability is inherent.
However, an ordinary persons ability to think is triggered
by external stimuli. For example, the capability of
laughing or crying is inherent. One can only cry or laugh
for ones self. When this capability is provoked by
something external, the Mind first assesses the
circumstances. Then it reacts to the situation according
to its assessment. Consequently, the Mind wanders as
circumstances change. When the capabilities of the Mind
are influenced by ones surroundings, one loses control
of the Mind.At this point, it is important to repeat that all
thoughts and emotions originate from within. The ability
to control thoughts and emotions are inherent in each
individual. Therefore, the Mind must be stilled so as not
to be swayed by circumstances. In order to retractnegative emotions, all attachments to circumstances
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must be relinquished. If one inhibits the thought of anger,
for example, one will not suffer from the unpleasantnessof anger, or any harmful action that can be induced by
this anger. Anger is not intrinsic to the human psyche. It
is, rather, a cultivated habit for if anger were inherent,
one would not be able to disengage from it and would
remain permanently angry.
In Chan it is said: To become enlightened is to
see pure Mind. Because habits are cultivated and
accumulated over numerous lifetimes, it is not easy to
achieve sudden enlightenment. Purification of the Mind
is facilitated by means of meditation, prostrations before
the statue of Buddha, repentance, chanting of sutras and
mantras, and making vows. This helps one to get rid of
attachments and allows pure Mind to manifest itself. The
Mind is like a mirror, which has the natural and inherentcapacity to reflect whatever is set before it. These
reflections in no way affect or alter the nature of the
mirror. To see with the nature of the Mind is to be free of
illusions and to realize the Truth of life.
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(E) The Breath Counting Method
At the outset of meditation, the breath-counting
technique is strongly advised. This method helps to calm
and to still the Mind. Since life depends on breathing, it is
a simple and constant reminder to be aware of the
Minds activities.
Posture during meditation varies. For example,
the full lotus position requires crossing the legs and
resting both feet on top of the thighs. If too strenuous,
one can attempt the half lotus position that consists inresting one foot on top of the thigh. If this is still too
difficult, simply crossing the legs will suffice. The
shoulders should be relaxed and the hands should form
the Diamond Mudra.
The body should also be relaxed, but not stiff andthe back should be straight. To keep the eyes closed in
the beginning stages of meditation helps one to stay
focused. After practicing for a period of time, the eyes
will open slightly by themselves. To prevent falling
asleep during meditation, one needs merely to open the
eyes, moves the body a little or raise the chin to allow
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the blood in the two arteries beneath it to flow more
freely. To avoid distraction caused by thoughts, the chincan be lowered slightly to reduce the blood flow of the
arteries.
During meditation, light is best located behind the
meditator and it should be somewhat dim so as to
prevent distraction, yet not too dim as this may cause
sleepiness. It is important that the knees be covered with
a blanket during meditation in order to prevent cold air
from entering the joints for this can be a source of health
problems. For the same reason, it is important that the
back of the neck be covered. These instructions apply
even during summertime.
Once the body is adjusted, the meditator can
prepare for the counting of the breath. Adjusting the
breathing prior to meditation helps to calm the Mind.First, it is necessary to adjust the breath by inhaling
through the nose and then exhaling through the mouth.
The next step requires breathing in and out as slowly as
possible. Air should be taken in all the way down to the
lower abdomen and let out slowly through the mouth.This procedure should be repeated three times. Finally,
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the meditator begins to inhale through the nose and to
count from one to ten (or whatever number is possible,but not to exceed ten) on the exhalation of the breath. At
the same time, the tongue remains behind the front teeth,
slightly touching the roof of the mouth. There should be
a one-second interval between each number. Counting
should be paced. Counting too rapidly does not serve to
calm an overly active Mind. The goal is to count clearly
and to stay focused.
Relying upon habits to activate the Minds
capabilities is a common phenomenon. What is
habitually done becomes natural and this is why the
Mind thinks without awareness. Even though it cannot be
detected, this lack of awareness is due to the autonomy
of the unconscious at work in the psyche. Conceptual
thoughts that derive from ego obscure vision andobstruct understanding. When standing in front of a ten-
foot long banquet table, one immediately spots the
dishes one likes and ignores the others. The dishes that
are ignored resemble the unconscious. They exist even
though unnoticed. The dishes that one likes are likehabits. They immediately attract ones attention even
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before an overall picture of all that is on the table is
formed. Therefore, the impressions of externalsurroundings are formed by habits, everything heard,
seen, experienced and thought are impressions shaped
by deeply rooted conditioning. It is through meditation
that one becomes aware of thoughts that were hitherto
unnoticed. While meditating in the Chan Hall, one does
not look outward, talk, listen or pay attention to external
distractions. The purpose is to keep an inward focus in
order to be aware of the emergence of each thought.
This training leads to the mastery of the Mind. How can
this goal be reached? During the counting of the breath,
it is necessary that each number appear clearly. When
the numbers appear clearly, one is in control of the Mind.
If such simple numbers as 1, 2, 3, 4 cannot be made to
appear in the Mind, how can control of a hectic daily lifebe achieved? How can control of emotions and actions
be achieved? How can anger be dispelled when it
appears? To meditate is to train oneself to be the master
of ones thoughts, to tame ones own Mind and to
terminate suffering.
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In short, in order to be self-liberated and free of
vexation and reincarnation (Samsara), one must achievemastery of ones Mind. Mastering the Mind means
mastering ones thoughts. The breath counting technique
helps one to observe and to control the emergence of
each thought and to be mindful of the numbers. The
mind is formless and it is beyond time and conditioning.
Awareness is clear and free of judgments and
attachments. It is pure and clear. This awareness is free
from reincarnation (Samsara) and, therefore, it can be
described as Nirvana or the state of liberation.
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he path to Enlightenment consists of faith,understanding, practice, and realization. Like all
undertakings in life, one must first have faith and believe
in what one is about to do in order to succeed.
Understanding and practice go hand in hand. They
enhance each other and eventually lead to the
realization of Reality Enlightenment. Failure to make
progress in the study and practice of Buddhism means
that one needs to work harder on deepening faith and
understanding, and to practice more diligently.
Enlightenment is the fruit. Right thought is the seed.
Faith, understanding and practice are like air, soil, water,
and light, which provide the optimal conditions for the
seeds to grow and blossom.
The practice of meditation cultivates faith andunderstanding. The benefits of meditation encompass
the maintenance and enhancement of good health,
clarity of mind, and concentration. By allocating some
time to meditation every morning and evening, the Mind
becomes more focused and aware. In addition, thepractice of meditation cultivates faith and understanding.
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Listening only to Dharma lectures is not sufficient.
Though it helps to enhance understanding andknowledge of the Dharma, it remains conceptual and
prevents further advancement until its precepts are
applied. Therefore, it is important to make meditation a
part of ones daily ritual. Disciplined practice is necessary
to make steady progress.
The training of the Mind is essential for success in
the study of Buddhism. When diligent practice of a
method does not yield the right results, self-examination
is in order. The practitioner must question himself/herself.
Do I have an accurate understanding of the method? Am
I practicing the method correctly? Am I practicing
diligently enough? Reflection upon these questions may
result in an adjustment of the practice, for even a slight
deviation can result in a detour from the right course.Faith is the basis for progress. Without faith nothing
can be accomplished. Without faith, there is no
realization. Realization originates from faith, and faith
cannot exist alone permanently without realization. The
relationship between faith and realization are like causeand effect. Buddha was a fully enlightened person. In
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the beginning, he was an ordinary human being.
Through faith, understanding, practice, and realizationhe became a Buddha and manifested pure Mind. An
ordinary person is fully capable of becoming a Buddha
because he/she possesses the same Nature. By
eradicating delusions and attachments, by getting rid of
greed, ignorance, ill will, pride, and doubt, one comes to
the realization of the Truth that leads to Enlightenment
and to Buddhahood. Buddhahood is a goal to be
attained. Similarly, in Confucianism, ordinary people
become sages through the practice of morality and virtue.
Buddhism teaches that Buddhahood can be attained
through the mastery of the Mind and the eradication of
mental afflictions and delusions. Through the practice of
the Dharma one achieves enlightenment and realizes
Reality. To become a Buddha requires practice andcommitment. When one frees oneself of ill will and
delusions, spirituality is elevated to a higher level which
then allows good karma and a different Dharma real to
manifest. As each thought is purified and every delusion
eradicated, one advances steadily toward Buddhahood.
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Sitting meditation is followed by walking
meditation for Zen teaches that one is engaged inmeditation during each moment of ones life, whether in
a state of concentration or in activity. Every step taken
should be focused on right thought. In sitting meditation,
every breath should be focused on maintaining the purity
of thought. It is said that: The recitation of Amitabhas
name awakens the master within each individual. This
does not mean the Buddhahood is attained through
recitations or chanting the Buddhas name. Reverence
for the Buddha, the Enlightened One, is a reminder that
each one has a Buddha Nature that requires cultivation.
Ultimately, Buddha is the pure Mind that resides in each
individual. The true master is the Mind that allows one to
listen, for example, to a lecture. Mind is the master of
existence. Without Mind, nothing can exist.The Mind enables one to think and to rationalize. It
enables one to see, to know and to be aware. Belief in
the effect of the recitation of sutras will produce the right
effect. When one encounters adverse situations, does
one ever recite ones own name or think of ones parents?No. In adverse situations, one turns to ones belief
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system. Faith in the Buddha and reverence for Him will
help to overcome adversity. It is the reverence generatedby the Mind that helps one to rise above difficult
situations. Reciting the name of Amitabha or counting
the breath is a wake-up call that leads to the mastery of
the Mind and the manifestation of ones pure Mind.
Being able to count one, two, three, four, etc. without
being distracted by other thoughts is a reflection of a
purified Mind. When one can make the Mind manifest
upon command, then one has become the master of
his/her Mind.
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hile meditating in the Chan Hall, it is
concentration that enables one to purify the Mind.
It is very important that the mind be pointed in the right
direction in order to yield the right results. A Mind
focused on good thoughts yields good results. A Mind
focused on improper thoughts yields improper results.
While meditating in the Chan Hall, one should
strive to eliminate all good and bad thoughts, all
discrimination and judgment, and to focus on the breath
counting method. One must count each number clearly
and consciously. It may seem like a simple assignment,
but it is easier said than done as the Mind is accustomed
to galloping like a wild horse. Therefore, difficulty incalming the Mind during meditation is not unusual.
However, one should not be intimidated by wandering
thoughts as this can actually hinder progress. It is
common for unwanted thoughts to enter the Mind during
meditation. What is important, however, is theconfidence and belief that these wandering thoughts can
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be conquered through concentration. Consistent
application of a correct method will result in fewer andfewer wandering thoughts during the meditation practice.
On the other hand, failure to concentration on the
numbers will cause one to deviate from the right path
and experience obstacle after obstacle. Ordinary people
are constantly discriminating between good and bad,
right and wrong. Their attachment to discrimination and
duality prevent them from manifesting pure Mind (the
Middle Way)
In meditation, the back should be straight. One
should be careful not to exert too much force for it could
result in aggravating the fire element in the body. On the
other hand, if the back is too relaxed, one becomes
susceptible to sleepiness and to the loss of
concentration. The prelude to dozing off is alwaysslouching. When the support of the body relaxes, the
Mind is blurred. Therefore, one must not expect ease
and comfort when first starting to meditate. At the outset,
most people experience soreness, numbness, or
distension; however, it is necessary to keep in mind that
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as one progresses, these discomforts will recede and
one will reap the fruit of hard work and perseverance.The Mind of the ordinary person has been wandering
for a long time, and that is why the beginning of the
spiritual practice of meditation resembles swimming
upstream. When one sits down to meditate, the Mind
often refuses to bend to the will of the practitioner. One
realizes how loosely thoughts have been observed and
controlled. When this is recognized, one does not feel
intimidated by the emergence of wandering thoughts. If
intimidated, the Mind panics and becomes distracted and
it takes much effort and determination to overcome these
distractions. The entire procedure can be likened to
swimming against the current. It will eventually lead to
the Source. This Source is ones pure Mind.
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abits are formed over extended periods of time
and, consequently, their transformation requires
much time and effort. Bodhisattva Samantabhadra
(known as Bodhisattva Pu Sien in Chinese) says: If our
habits or karmic afflictions have form and our thoughts
can be projected, even the boundless space of the
universe can not accommodate them. This explains
why, at the outset of meditation, one is inundated by
wandering thoughts.
During meditation, it is important that we not be
intimidated or distracted by wandering thoughts. Nor
should they be repelled for repelling them is paramount
to repelling oneself. They should be ignored and the
focus should be brought back to the counting of the
numbers. With the counting of the numbers, wandering
thoughts vanish. For example, if the right hand is holding
a glass of water (wandering thought) and one wants topick up a napkin (right thought) only if one picks up the
napkin will the glass be put down automatically. This
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means that if the mind concentrates on counting
numbers, it is not able to have wandering thoughts.Repelling wandering thoughts is like bouncing a ball
the harder one tries, the greater the force with which it
bounces back. The appropriate way of dealing with
wandering thoughts is to ignore them and go back to the
method one is practicing. Whatever appears must
disappear at the same time, for impermanence is an
eternal Truth. Does anything exist forever? No. One
reacts to wandering thoughts, cultivates them and
stimulates their growth, whereas if ignored, they
disappear. Therefore, one should not be intimidated by
ones thoughts, nor should one expect to achieve
Samadhi right away. Patience and diligence are
essential in achieving the goals of meditation.
One should not covet comfort or joy while meditatingfor such desires could distract and hinder the process. It
is advisable to take off objects such as watches, glasses,
and jewelry, and not lean against the wall because this
could block the circulation of the blood and chi . In fact,
leaning against a wall for an extremely long period oftime can cause health problems.
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These different facets of the process are important
and are crucial to achieving the goals of meditation. Likeall things in life, one must first have a method before
tackling a project successfully. Learning meditation and
developing spiritual growth require direction and method.
One learns to manage and tame the Mind through the
counting of the breath. Generally, individuals are not
accustomed to observing their thoughts closely and
clearly. Therefore, the ability to master ones Mind
requires method. Practice makes perfect. Persistent
cultivation of awareness leads to mastery of Mind.
Everyone knows that wandering and delusional thoughts
should be eradicated. Everyone knows what should or
should not be done. However, not everyone is capable of
doing what he/she is supposed to do because of a lack
of awareness. Diligent and persistent practice in the rightdirection guarantees good results. One must have faith
and confidence in oneself. Faith is the origin of the
realization of Truth. It fosters the good seeds, which will
bear good fruit.
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rdinary people believe in themselves because
of their ego-attachments. They may not believe
in the Buddha, or they may not believe in any religion.
Instead, they believe in themselves and live according to
their own scripts. People of different persuasions
commonly adhere to religious doctrines intellectually
rather than through experience. This leads to reliance on
personal conceptual constructions rather than on
doctrines created by sages.
People are created and molded by various belief
systems. Thoughts, which are based on belief, dictate
behavior, speech, perceptions and judgments. To
ameliorate the quality of existence, one must choose the
right belief system. Most people believe in erroneous
systems of thought rather than in the Buddhas teachings.
This hinders the realization of pure Mind and blurs the
path to Buddhahood. As ideas and conceptions change,
humanity follows suit. In order to see ones pure Mind,one must begin with the genuine belief that it is inherent
in every sentient being. The daily practice of meditation
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helps one to stay focused. A ship never reaches shore if
its course keeps changing.Without right views and right beliefs, it is difficult for
one to grow spiritually and to make progress. It is for this
reason that the Buddha tells us: Faith is the origin of the
realization of Truth. Without faith, without confidence in
the inherent potential to attain enlightenment, nothing
can be accomplished. Some may say: Let me first
understand Buddhism and then I will learn the Buddhas
teachings. After all, how can I learn what I do not
understand? This may sound reasonable at first, yet
when considered more carefully, one comes to another
conclusion. For example, if one were to attend graduate
school, would one first try to understand all the materials
before entering the program? Certainly not. One needs
to attend the classes precisely because one does notknow the material. It is important to understand the right
order of things so as not to mistake a result for a cause
or, a ripened fruit for a seed. This means that one learns
first and then understanding ensues. Practice deepens
understanding. The education of an ordinary personbegins at the elementary level and gradually progresses
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to high school and beyond. This process involves much
instruction, for example, repeated correction and practice.Knowledge is accumulated slowly. It requires time,
diligence, and a genuine desire to learn. To truly
understand Buddhism is to understand that one is no
different from the Buddha. True understanding does not
come via the intellect. It entails more than having the
right views. It has to be practiced and realized. True
understanding allows one to see his/her pure Mind and
to be in a state of Mind that is no different from that of
the Buddha. Knowledge remains conceptual until it has
been tried and practiced. Only then does one have a
thorough understanding of the knowledge.
In the study of Buddhism, one must always ask:
Do I have a true understanding of the Buddhas
teachings? Without having faith and belief that eachone of us has a Self-Nature, it is not possible to
understand Buddhism and apply it to every aspect of life.
The actual application and practice of Buddhism in daily
life is essential for a life of peace and joy. This will lead
to the realization of ones pure Mind.
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Life is impermanent. The past, the present, and the
future are merely a reflection of the ever-changing natureof life. There is a story that succinctly depicts the
transience of all things. In 220 B.C., there was a man
called Yang Tze. Yang Tze was a person of small
stature, but his quick wit and wisdom were much revered
and admired by the emperor of that time. One day Yang
Tze accompanied the emperor on an outing to survey
the country. While looking out from the edge of a cliff, the
emperor was overwhelmed with negative emotion and
tears started to trickle down his face. He said to his
entourage: I am the emperor and conqueror of all the
mountains and rivers in this kingdom, yet, I cannot
possess them forever. Upon hearing this, the officers in
the entourage also began to sob. Yang Tze roared with
laughter. He said to the emperor: If a person were ableto live forever, it would have never been your turn to be
the emperor!
We must understand that history is a product of
impermanence. Impermanence is a fact, a manifestation
of Truth. What is Truth? Truth has remained constantthroughout time. It cannot be turned into an idea.
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Philosophy, on the other hand, is a way of reasoning, an
embellishment of someones idea. Because it is created,it is impermanent and cannot stand up to the test of time.
If one considers Buddhism a religion and indulges in
idle praying, one should examine its doctrines (i.e. the
Dharma) more closely, because once the Truth of the
Dharma is fully understood, peace and joy will become a
way of life, and Buddhism a way of life rather than a
religion. As the capacity and capabilities of the Mind are
expanded through meditation, the understanding of the
Dharma will deepen immeasurably. It is much
emphasized in Buddhism that to attain enlightenment,
one must first have faith. Faith leads to understanding,
followed by actual practice and application of the
Dharma. If obstacles impede the practice and ones life
is still filled with worries and concerns, it indicates thatones understanding of the Dharma is not yet complete.
Right view leads to right understanding; right
understanding results in right action. The Buddha tells us
that compassion is the basis for pure Mind and pure
Mind is the basis for Buddhahood. As one learns to tamethe Mind through meditation, the quality of existence
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improves and life is fully lived. A calm, peaceful Mind
yields many merits, among them good health, innerpeace, awareness, better personal relationships, and
most important of all, compassion and wisdom.
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he main purpose of meditation is to calm the Mind.
Therefore, in the process of meditating, regardless
of what is heard or seen, one should keep calm and
remain focused, that is, unperturbed regardless of the
situation. Reciting the Buddhas Name, chanting Sutras,
prostrating before the Buddhas Statue, and meditating
help break negative habitual behavior and attachments.
The Master tells the following story: There was a
practitioner who worked very diligently. One day he cameto the monastery and told me that when he regularly
watched a certain Buddhist television program he felt that
the Master was directing his instruction specifically to him.
This pleased him and gradually he became attached to
the program and later became aware that he was nolonger able to eat or sleep. This became a source of
deep disquiet. I told him that it was he who turned on the
television, that it was he who thought that the Master
focused his instruction on him. The more he thought
about it, the more plausible the idea became. The moral
of the story is this: To be obsessively attached to a
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thought until one can no longer control ones mind is
paramount to being controlled by circumstances.Whatever the habits, attachments or shortcomings, only
when one practices according to the Buddha Dharma,
can benefit be derived from it.
The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism are the truths of
suffering, the origins of suffering, the cessation of
suffering and the path to the cessation of suffering.
Buddhism is rooted in the realization of ultimate Reality
and the ending of suffering. Difficulties, frustrations,
worries and hardships are all different aspects of the
sufferings that are encountered in life. Suffering arises
when the Mind is not at ease. For example, when the
Mind is filled with ignorance, wandering thoughts and
attachments this creates bad karma and makes one feel
ill at ease.Each individual (ordinary people as well as sages)
has a Mind. Examples of karma created by ordinary
people are hindrances, worries, pain and suffering. On
the other hand, examples of karma created by sages are
liberation, good deeds, helping others, increasing oneswisdom and cultivation. Both ordinary people and sages
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have Mind. However, the difference lies in the standpoint
of each group. Sages create good karma that leads toliberation and ordinary people create karma that binds
them to the wheel of death and rebirth. Consequently,
the Mind of ordinary people needs to be purified and
uplifted.
Suffering in life includes birth, aging, illness, death,
separation from loved ones, association with unpleasant
persons, the frustration of ones desires, and the
suffering caused by the five aggregates. All these various
forms of suffering are experienced when facing the
different situations that have caused them. In other
words, one creates ones own karma and suffers from
this karma.
Sages are born to parents with whom they have
previously bonded in a positive manner. Therefore, birthfor them does not entail suffering. Unlike sages who are
born by their own choice, ordinary people are reborn
because of their attachments. They suffer as they push
through the birth canal of the mother. They suffer
because of the trauma of separation from her body andthey suffer from environmental changes.
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The second cause of suffering is aging. People are
afraid of growing old and resort to all sorts of measuressuch as cosmetic surgery to remain young and attractive.
There is nothing wrong with cosmetic surgery per se, but
one should keep in mind that everything decays. Fear of
old age is also connected with impending death. If the
Mind is purified, the aging processes should not be a
source of worry. Life is endless. Cause and effect are
connected to past, present and future lives and aging is
an ineluctable and necessary fact of human existence.
What is of paramount importance is the understanding
that one has performed good deeds and has
accumulated merits. Only when there is a deficiency of
merits should old age be faced with trepidation.
Cause and effect is one of the tenets of Buddhism.
The diligent practice of Buddhism should disperse thefear of old age because life is a combination of all
conditions. Otherwise stated, it is the manifestation of
continuously changing, interrelated conditions. In
Chinese, the term Yuan is used to render this idea of the
affinity between the moment to moment transformation ofcausal conditions. Old age, then, can be skillfully
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explained as an accumulation of moments that lead to
old age. Yuan is not just a Buddhist term. No one canescape Yuan , including Buddhists and non-Buddhists.
Since impermanence constitutes natural law, all
phenomena are constantly changing. To follow Yuan is to
go along with change, to accept change, to adapt to
change and to work within the framework of change. And
to the extent that one is not able to do so, suffering arises.
Understanding Yuan puts one at ease. The search
for eternal youth is underpinned by the nostalgia for
permanence. To age, grow old and die is an admission
of the impermanence of the world. Attaching to and
insisting on the fulfillment of ones desires also causes
suffering. Buddha Dharma teaches Non-Self. Why
Non-Self? Because there is no Self. Everything is
impermanent. Only Non-Self can allow one to fit into anyspace at any time and under any condition. When the
Mind remains calm, regardless of what one sees or hears,
Non-Self is achieved. In other words, when one
generates a thought to deal with a situation, one must
stand still on emptiness and awareness. In this way, allattachments are dismissed and that is the meaning of
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Non-Self. In the state of Non-Self, one is able to listen
while keeping the Mind clear and, at the same time, isable to let go of any form of discrimination. Judgment
that derives from conceptual thought cannot stand still on
pure Mind.
Why are sages not afraid of getting old? Getting old
is a natural process of life. The aging process should be
a matter of concern only when it is met without wisdom,
virtue, or good health. To be sure, good health should be
cultivated. However, ones primary concern should be a
healthy Mind. Some elderly people are liked and
respected by their peers and others are disliked because
they did not cultivate good relationships with others in the
past. This is the natural law of cause and effect.
If everyone understood the law of causality, this
world would be safe and stable. If each individualaccepted the consequences of actions that arise from the
will, wrongdoing would be substantially reduced. In
society, this is called responsibility. In Buddhism, it is
called cause and effect. If the maxim one reaps what
one sows were taken seriously, how carefully would theseeds be sown! Whatever one wants to reap, one should
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sow accordingly. In sum, if everyone were aware that
cause and effect is a form of responsibility and thatresponsibility is a form of cause and effect, society would
be safe and stable.
Not to be able to control ones Mind or to have evil
thoughts creates illness. This is a form of bad karma.
Karma is produced by the Mind, and illness is produced
by bad karma. Wrong thought and wrong view lead to
illness. In other words, it is the Mind that causes illness.
In daily life, right thought and right view should be
guideposts. The suffering of illness derives from the
uneasiness of the Mind and bad karma is the product of
an impure Mind.
In order to eliminate the suffering of birth, aging and
sickness, one has to begin with the purification of the
Mind and then strive to cultivate merits and wisdom. Thisis the practical way to solve problems. By understanding
the impermanence of life and of the world, one will not
attach to birth, age or illness. Acceptance depends on
assiduous practice and moving through the stages of
non-dwelling, non-self, and achieving equality,compassion and avoiding conflict. Present cause is
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future effect, and past cause is present effect. This is a
simple theorysimple, but in order to benefit from it, oneneeds to put it into practice.
The worst suffering is the fear of death, and
Buddhas theory of death alleviates the fear and suffering
caused by what is perceived by modern man to be a final
stage of human existence. Buddhism teaches a special
theory about death. When a person is about to die the
elements of the body separate and consciousness leaves
the body. It is similar to the painful removal of a turtles
shell. At the moment of death, one feels great pain if one
is attached, fearful, and not centered in the deep state of
concentration that permits one to take leave of the body.
Birth and death occur constantly in daily life but it is
largely neglected. For example, the constant changes in
the body are subtle births and deaths and even thoughtsinvolve birth and death in each moment. A previous
thought is not a present thought; a present thought is not
a future thought. The material world follows the same
rule. The physical body is subject to death and no one is
exempt. If Buddhism is practiced diligently and goodthoughts are cultivated in daily life, one need not worry
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about retribution in the future because the future is
merely an extension of the present. Future rewards arerooted in work accomplished in the present.
Learning to let go is the Minds most positive effort.
The Mind becomes flexible and adapted to reality when
one lets go of birth, aging, illness and death. When loved
ones depart, one feels pain because of attachment to
them. Another form of suffering is not obtaining what one
desires. Theres an old saying: All wanting is suffering;
one will be strong without craving. When desire cannot
be satisfied, one suffers. The Buddha tells us that
everything is impermanent. Therefore, any attempt to
change impermanence into permanence is not only
impossible, it also incurs suffering.
In addition, suffering arises when in proximity with
inimical people and avoiding them is not possible. Whenin daily life one cultivates kindness and compassion,
good karma is created. To meditate, to calm the Mind
and to contemplate Buddhist teaching in daily life that
is the right path.
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rom the Chan perspective, all phenomena are
produced by the Mind. Otherwise stated, it is the
Mind that has the ability to know and to be aware of its
surroundings. The external world is but a creation of the
Mind and there is no world other than the Mind. Nor is
there anything beyond the Mind. However, because of
self-attachment, one thinks there is an external world,
and one chases after worldly pursuits.
The Mind creates thoughts and each thought
produces consequences. Therefore, one must own up tothe consequences of ones own thoughts. The Mind must
remain calm and easy in the face of circumstances that
create duality, positive or negative. The phenomena
created by the mind are conditional, impermanent and
ever changing. Therefore, it is impossible to transformimpermanence into permanence. This is responsible for
the suffering experienced in birth, aging, illness, death,
separation from loved ones, association with those we
dislike, the burning of the five aggregates, and the
inability to fulfill desires. Suffering arises when the Mind
does not dwell on purification. Buddhist practice
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gradually changes ones habitual behavior and adjusts
ones thinking and conceptions. To cut off the root is tocut off attachment to the outside world and to dualistic
conceptions. Mind can generate different thoughts that,
in turn, cause different phenomena. This does not mean
that one denies the phenomena of life, as thoughts
generate functions, and functions are necessary in the
world. Thoughts should be flexible. However, it is only
when we do not differentiate or attach to the outside
world that the Mind can settle down. Only then can one
lead a truly happy life.
Wrong views and wrong conceptions are the causes
of suffering. The purpose of our practice is to break with
attachments because attachments lead to wrong view
and wrong conceptions. The second Noble Truth, the
root of suffering focuses on this point.The first dual conception of the mind is the view of
the body . One mistakes the body for a real identity that is
unique and disregards the fact that the body is constantly
changing. If one lives by this idea, one will be very much
attached to the body and suffering will inevitably follow.
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The second is the view of the edge . Some liken
death to a light being extinguished and others think theworld eternal and unchangeable. Humans will still be
humans in the next life, and dogs will still be dogs. Every
sentient being has Mind and Mind is formless. Despite
this truth, every effort must be made at each moment to
ameliorate the situations of life. Wherever the Mind is,
there also will one find existence. When the forms
created by the Mind change, the Mind will change
simultaneously.
The third is evil view . Some think that there is only
one life, and that there is no life after death. So life is
lived as if there were no tomorrow. Life, for these
individuals is to be enjoyed without attention to
responsibility. However, the truth is that past cause is
todays effect. Todays cause is tomorrows effect.Todays existence is the result of yesterdays actions.
The future is being created in every present moment.
What comes from each individual will return to him/her.
The fourth is the view of wrong conception . The
human ego maintains the truth of its views and rejectsthose not consonant with them. A world built on the
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notion of body and mind is one of birth and death
because it does not correspond to Reality.The fifth is the view of wrong precepts . In India,
many religious followers make this mistake. For instance,
there are those who follow a practice of hand- raising for
a prolonged period of time. They believe that this will
secure for them entrance into heaven after death.
Similarly, there are those who immolate their bodies or
soak their bodies in iced water because they believe that
these practices also lead to heaven. Anyone who follows
these beliefs and subscribes to these precepts will not
attain enlightenment. They are not related to liberation
and, in fact, have nothing to do with enlightenment
Everyone has thoughts. Good thoughts generate
positive results and evil thoughts generate negative
results. If one wants to change oneself, one needs onlyto change ones thoughts and purify ones Mind. There
are those who want to change their lives without
changing their thoughts. To change ones life, one must
change the course of ones thoughts from negative to
positive. Afflictions are the consequences of oneserroneous thoughts. If one attaches to, gives up, or
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rejects these consequences, the oneness of the Mind is
broken, and duality between ego (consciousness of anindividual I) and matter (phenomena) is created. One
should cultivate the ability to abide in pure Mind. This
does not mean living in the moment of material
attachments. This means living in the real present
moment as it is manifested by the Mind. In addition, this
state of being is attained by a sustained practice of
meditation that leads to the purification of the Mind. Only
then will one understand the meaning of no past, no
present and no future. Everything comes from the Mind.
One ought to gradually transform ones bad habits and
remain detached when dealing with people or engaged in
action. Only in this way will one benefit from the practice.
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he Truth of the Four Noble Truths equals true
Reality, and the Four Noble Truths equal the four
true Realities: suffering, the cause of suffering, the
cessation of suffering and the way to the cessation of
suffering. These are fundamental Buddhist theories.
Cycles of birth and death are problems that Buddhists
seek to solve. According to Buddhism, there is suffering
because there are cycles of birth and death. All
phenomena are produced by the Mind. Even though wecannot find the Mind, it is the root of everything. It is a
primordial ability.
Each person is like a mirror that can produce, reflect
and understand all existence. Like the mirror, there is no
person in it and it is empty inside. Even though there isno one in the mirror, it produces all kinds of phenomena.
Therefore, there is no difference between the emptiness
of a mirror and the appearance in a mirror. This is the
original state of the Mind. It is the real appearance and
the ultimate truth of the universe.
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The outer environment stimulates the ability to think.
Once the thought arises, the environment changes. It islike the sun shining on ones body. If one does not move
his/her body, the shadow of the body will remain still. If
one tries to catch the shadow, the shadow will move. If
one wants to touch the shadow of the head, it will move
because the shadow is governed by the movement of the
body. Thoughts change and if Mind chases after these
changes, they will float and never be able to find a
resting-place. To hold on to a changing world that is not
in accordance with ones changing mind causes
discontent. The aim of the practice is to let go of
attachments. When this occurs, Reality manifests. The
Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering is a state of
Nirvana. If the Mind with the ability to listen can dwell in
the present moment when listening to the MastersDharma talk, it will reach the state of Nirvana. One
cannot hear what has already passed, and one cannot
hear what is coming in the future. There is only this
present moment. The Buddha Dharma teaches us to live
in the present moment and to break out of the cycle ofreincarnation (Samsara). When one leaves the state of
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duality and reaches oneness, the Mind can be at ease.
Then one masters the Mind. Only by understanding thisline of reasoning can the practice have direction.
Reincarnation and suffering occur because one
chases after the outside. Thus, all kinds of improper
ideas and incorrect concepts will accumulate and
become bad habits. When one eliminates these
erroneous ideas and concepts and lets go of attachments,
one escapes the wheel of death and rebirth. Only then
does one reach the state of Nirvana. This is the
cessation of suffering. This is the result of the cultivation
of the Mind.
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here are many methods in the practice of Buddhism.
For example, the four foundations of mindfulness:
the thirty-seven ways of cultivation in the Southern
tradition of Buddhism; the recitation of the Buddhas
name; Pure Land practice; the practice of concentration
and insight meditation; the practice of Chan in Mahayana
Buddhism. Reciting the Sutras and chanting Mantras are
also Buddhist practices. All these methods can help us to
break attachments and manifest pure Mind. When pure
Mind appears, Nirvana is attained. They are skills that
curtail suffering and cut off the accumulation of bad
habits. All these methods teach us and help us learn to
let go of our attachments.
The Way to the Cessation of Suffering is theEightfold Path. They include Right View, Right Thought,
Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort,
Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. They are all
linked together and each helps the cultivation of the other.
Right view and the correct concept are needed inorder to practice properly. Without them, the Way cannot
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be reached. Buddhist practice aims to remove habits
that cause self-attachment through the practice of theBuddha Dharma. After habits are removed, karmic
obstacles will be resolved and wisdom will emerge. Only
then will one be free from life and death.
Right View is the belief that all sentient beings have
the Buddha Nature. In Chan, it is called Self-Nature or
pure Mind. It teaches that all sentient beings have the
potential to become Buddhas. If one discards even one
aspect of an attachment, that space will be filled with
wisdom and brightness. To cultivate the Mind and to
gradually build up right view is the most important step in
Buddhist practice.
To have right Thought is to know that everything is a
combination of all sorts of conditions. All the conditions
come from Mind and are manifested by Mind. Nothing isbeyond Mind. The thought of a specific cause produces
specific karma. It must be understood that Buddha
Dharma is intended to cultivate the body and the spirit,
both of them, in turn, created by Mind. Only by thinking in
this way, is it possible to improve oneself and let go of
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attachments because attachments separate Mind into
body and spirit.Right Speech means speaking proper language
not to lie, not to be verbose, not to criticize, and not to
speak harshly. Words should be friendly and benevolent,
and language should be beneficial to all beings. All
speech should emanate from pure Mind.
Right Action means conducting oneself morally, that
is, to be responsible not only for ones self but also for
others. If everyone knew the law of cause and effect,
body and spirit would be tranquil and peaceful, families
would live in harmony, society would be stable, and there
would be no wars in the world.
Right Livelihood means choosing an ethical and
proper profession. Living in accordance with the ethics of
ones profession benefits the individual as well as all ofsociety.
Right Effort means true and proper diligence.
Diligence will not be proper if it does not follow correct
concept and view. For instance, practice should be
neither too rigid nor too lax. If too lax, the mind will be lax.If too rigid, the mind will be easily exhausted and not be
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able to function. One has to concentrate and strive for
right view and perfection before one can move forward.Right Mindfulness means to be aware, mindful and
attentive with regard to the activities of the body,
sensations, feelings, the activity of thought and
conceptions. In other words, Right Mindfulness is the
Bodhi Mind (pure Mind). Always dwell in the Bodhi Mind
(pure Mind) so as not to be carried away by
circumstances. The Bodhi Mind should be the place
where body and spirit repose.
Right Concentration means strict concentration.
When the Mind abides in right mindfulness at all times,
one ultimately attains liberation, freedom from the world,
the ideas of ordinary people and incorrect views. Thus,
when thought dwells in the Bodhi Mind (pure Mind), Right
Concentration is achieved.The Eightfold Way is a method of cultivation. It is
the Way that leads to Nirvana. What is more, in order to
truly benefit from it, mere knowledge is not sufficient. To
attain the benefits, it must be practiced.
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eparation from loved ones and the inability to obtainwhat one wants are the most common causes of
suffering in the modern world. This type of suffering is the
result of material and emotional desires. In agricultural
societies, people sought to satisfy their basic needs.
Nowadays, the quality of life hinges on the accumulationof material goods and instant gratification. Happiness is
built on a whirlwind of continuously changing stimuli,
which suck people into an eddy of greed, anger and
stupidity. Life is completely dominated by the five basic
desires of money, adultery, fame, food, and sleeping.
What people do not see is that real happiness
comes from a sense of stability and contentment in all
situations. There is a Chinese maxim that says: When
we feel joyful, we will feel comfortable in a little cabin.
When we feel peaceful, we will feel that even the roots of
vegetables are delicious. A sincere analysis would
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reveal that most desires come from the need to satisfy
greed instead of need.The old Chinese wisdom that satisfaction and
fulfillment keep people happy is very practical advice in
todays world. While it may be thought that traditional
wisdom is entirely didactic, it defines, in fact, the meaning
of life in ancient times. In modern society, people discard
the beneficial traditional values without replacing them
with new forms of guidance.
they lose touch with their original pure Self-Nature.
Lack of guidance is the main reason why most
people lack stability in their lives. Without correct
guidance, people are beset with worries and are less
concerned with moral and ethical values. When society
acknowledges talent instead of ethics, people focus more
on money and power, society becomes more chaotic,and, as a result, more suffering occurs.
The practice of Chan in ones daily life can remedy
this situation and significantly reduce ones sorrow and
worry. One of the most important concepts in practicing
Chan is to keep a fulfilling and joyous attitude towards life.The way to happiness, for example, is to follow the
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principle of cause and effect. Besides this, it is essential
to establish good relationships with everything andeveryone.
The law of causation (cause and effect) in Buddhism
is a theory that teaches the acceptance of responsibility
for ones actions. When one is able to follow this principle,
reality is accepted even when it is burdensome. In
contrast, one lacks a sense of responsibility when the
focus is on material needs.
Mirrors help one to understand the state of the Mind.
A mirror reflects whatever is in front of it without judging
or discriminating. It presents Reality without questioning.
Through the practice of Chan, the Mind becomes like a
mirror. Reality is faced without discrimination, attachment,
or prejudgment. This leads to freedom from the suffering
caused by the gap between reality and false expectations.
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(A) Mundane Dharma
hat is Buddha Dharma? Buddha represents
wisdom or awareness, whereas Dharma is the
manifestation of awareness. When the Mind functions,
one thought is followed by another thought, and one
function is followed by another function. If there is no
awareness when the mind functions, this function will not
be anchored in Source. Where there is a lack of
awareness, Dharma will undergo four phases: formation,
existence, decay and annihilation. Without awareness,
Dharma is reduced to mundane dharma that forms and
decays. Otherwise stated, when the Mind cannot locate
W
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its Source, it does not remain still and hence it wanders
about.When one does not live in the present moment,
one lives in mundane dharma and is in the grip of
reincarnation. When one lives, however, in the
awareness of the present moment of existence, one is
liberated from the wheel of death and rebirth. Just as
mundane dharma is divided into four phases, the
functions of Mind can also be divided into four phases:
formation, existence, variation and cessation. Though the
function of Mind is divided into four phases, from the
point of view of ultimate Reality, formation, existence and
variation occur simultaneously. When there is variation,
the function of Mind changes and cessation occurs. Even
so, the function of the Mind is described as undergoing
four phases in order to conform to the perception ofordinary beings that time has a past, a present and a
future. This is a skillful way of explaining to all living
beings how the Mind functions.
The first phase, formation, occurs when one thinks
of something, such as home. When this thought isformed, it passes away simultaneously. This is what
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occurs in ultimate Reality. Since ordinary people do not
experience this level of Reality, they are told that athought first rises and that this thought undergoes
change. These thoughts change gradually and hence
there is variation. Variation occurs at the moment of
inception. Eventually, thought returns to the meditation
hall where one is meditating, and the thought that arose
a moment ago ceases. To study the four phases of the
mind is a skillful way of explaining the overall functioning
of the Mind. Skillful means are not necessarily the
ultimate Reality, but derive from ultimate Reality,
depending on whether or not the thought arises from
awareness.
(B) Self-Nature: Pure Mind
One needs to understand that the Buddha is the
Awakened One. However, the very concept of this
inherent, spiritual ability of the human psyche is not part
of the consciousness of secularized, modern man. And
yet, when one is anchored in pure Mind, one will not
stray from the path. Buddha serves as an example and,
from Him, the individual learns how to be an awakened
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person. When this fact is not understood, one lives in
ignorance.Since sentient beings have different karma,
Buddha taught the 84,000 ways. Simply speaking,
sentient beings have different thoughts. To be able to
respond to sentient beings, he resorted to different
methods. Sentient beings have different thoughts and
hence, different methods must be provided to raise all
these thoughts to a higher level, to transform them and
finally to break attachments.
It is necessary to know that everyone possesses
Mind. As each Mind functions differently, different
thoughts arise and different results follow. The fact that
Buddha taught 84,000 ways also shows that the Mind
has the ability to produce many methods, just as it is able
to give rise to many thoughts, regardless of their origins.All the peoples of the world possess a Mind that
functions in the same way.
To achieve a pure Mind of great capacity, it is
necessary to cultivate it. The capacity of Mind is
measured by ones practice. The ancients say: Withoutan ocean-like capacity of Mind, how can one gain the
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saintly embryo ? If the Mind is not like the ocean that
can accept all the currents that flow from differentdirections, it will not be possible to gain the saintly
embryo . The Saintly embryo refers to pure Mind. It is
pure Mind that perceives and possesses awareness and
emptiness. The Chan Master says: Once enlightenment
is achieved, one resembles a newborn baby. However,
this first stage of enlightenment is not the final stage and
must be cultivated until full enlightenment is achieved.
This means that one needs to take care of the baby
(sudden enlightenment) until it reaches adulthood (full
enlightenment). Saintly embryo also refers to the saintly
seed, which is a metaphor of pure Mind. To allow the
Mind to manifest, one needs to develop its immense and
inherent capacity for containment. The purpose of
cultivation is to manifest this capacity of pure Mind. TheTien-Tai School says: When one succeeds in cultivating
virtue, the virtue of pure Mind will manifest itself. When
one succeeds in cultivating pure Mind, the Mind
undergoes transformation and develops to a higher level.
As Mind learns to function on this level, pure Mindmanifests. To manifest this pure Mind, one needs first to
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eradicate habitual behavior. When attachments, dust and
obstacles are gone, all the functions of pure Mindmanifest. One cultivates the Mind in order to manifest
Self-Nature, the purity and the awareness of the Mind.
Cultivation is not an external search, rather an
eradication of the hindrances of the Mind. If one is
attached to greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, doubt,
wrong view, or wrong opinion, the process will not
progress. Attachments inhibit the freedom of the Mind.
For example, an invitation to practice at the Center might
cause discomfort or a feeling of a lack of freedom. This
might give rise to affliction in the Mind, and the Mind, in
turn, is hampered by this affliction. When the Mind is
beset with affliction, the Mind is neither free nor liberated.
In other words, the Mind is restricted.
If cultivation of the Mind is not continually refined,the individual makes no progress. Similarly, when one is
not able to practice diligently, it means that there is an
impediment, which is karmic in nature. This is caused by
attachments. Progress can come to a standstill for a long
period of time. In contrast, cultivators from ancient timeswere able to make progress, to achieve enlightenment
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and to attain sainthood because they eradicated
hindrances. From a positive point of view, this is called abreakthrough. An overload of hindrances will weaken the
individual and progress will be slow.
When the right view is not properly understood, one
strays from the Way and the return to it is difficult. If the
content of one talk is different from another, for example,
the direction of these different talks will also be different.
We need to realize that different ways of understanding
lead to a substantial deviation in the result.
The cultivation of the Mind needs to be kept ever
present in awareness and needs to be practiced in daily
life. Otherwise, progress will come to a halt. If the Mind
lacks awareness, the character of the Mind (awareness,
emptiness and Nirvana) will not manifest. In other words,
if thought does not return to its Source, it becomes aphenomenon of rise and fall, i.e., it belongs to the realm
of mundane dharma. There is only dharma but no
Buddha . Dharma is hidden and the Buddha is lost.
Hence the ancients said: When we are lost, we are in
the realm of ordinary beings. This is because ordinarybeings think that previous thought is different from the
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present thought, and present thought is different from the
next thought. All thoughts are different. Such attachmentto every thought occurs in the realm of ordinary beings.
When, on the other hand, a thought dealing with
phenomena is conceived and relinquished
simultaneously, it returns to its Source. Because
emptiness is a characteristic of pure Mind, thoughts
generated from Mind appear and disappear
simultaneously because no thought can stand on
emptiness.
(C) Realm of the Buddha
How does something manifest in the realm of the
Buddha? A previous thought is different from a present
thought. The form, function, direction and result ofthoughts are all different. However, both the previous
thought and the next thought come from the Mind. When
the Source is found, one can return to it because
different thoughts will cause different phenomena. From
the point of view of the Mind, thoughts are not separatedfrom the Mind, and this is why they can continually return
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to the Source. Hence the maxim: All Dharma arises from
the Mind. All functions derive from this Mind.Not to think and act in this way is to be in the
realm of ordinary beings and one falls into the realm of
the many. Hence the Chan Masters say: One is many,
many is one. One is many because all Dharma arises
from the Mind. The innumerable worlds are all
manifestations of the one Mind. On the other hand, all
Dharma is manifested in the Mind, hence many are one .
Ordinary people fall into the many. For them, the past is
not the present, the present is not the future, and they
are lost in the variety of existence. There is no unity and
there is no point of reference, which is the Source. They
are lost in phenomena. Phenomena become a rising and
a falling of Dharma, that is, it appears and passes away.
Only Dharma exists, the Buddha is still hidden. Indeed,Buddha is lost.
At this point, it is essential to know that Buddha is
the Awakened One. It is essential that each thought that
arises in the Mind be clear. If the thought is not clear,
awareness does not manifest.
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(D) Intrinsic Virtue of the Mind
The Buddhist term intrinsic virtue is used to
describe the ability of the Mind to function. Intrinsic
refers to Self-Nature, whereas virtue refers to the fact
that this Mind has a benevolent function.Ordinary beings fall into duality and talk about
good or bad, wholesome or unwholesome. For this
reason, one speaks of virtue instead of non-virtue in
order to conform to the dualistic thinking of ordinary
beings. To avoid the use of negative words, Self-Natureis referred to as having a virtuous function. The purpose
is to develop and to uplift the Mind.
The word intrinsic is used to refer to Self-Nature,
and the word virtue to its function. Intrinsic virtue refers to
the functions and the special qualities possessed by
ones Self-Nature. The intrinsic virtue owned by the Mind
refers to the capabilities of the Mind, its direction, its
functions and its substance. The Master says: I am
talking and you are listening and the Mind that has the
ability to listen is the Self-Nature that everyone
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possesses. It has the intrinsic virtue or quality of
equality, purity, emptiness, Nirvana and Bodhi.
(E) Five Qualities of the Mind
(1) Equality
The quality of the equality of the Mind is another
important topic of discussion. The Master says: I am
talking and you are listening. You can listen to every
single word of my lecture. When you open your eyes, you
can see the world, both good and bad, tall and shortpeople. This means that the mind can manifest all kinds
of Dharma without discrimination. This is equality. The
eyes do not choose to look only at beauty and refuse the
ugly. Hence this Mind has the intrinsic ability to manifest
everything. But the manifestation of wholeness isdistorted by ordinary beings with love and hatred, like
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and dislike. Hence, reality is fragmented and the
manifestation of the Mind becomes double-edged.Ordinary beings use the sword of discrimination and
wandering thoughts to divide Reality into segments.
Consequently, they fall into the realm of ordinary beings,
of relativity, of right and wrong, of I and Thou.
Our mind has the quality of equality. The eyes can
perceive all kinds of things, just as the Mind can manifest
all kinds of phenomena. But within this variety of
phenomena, one distinguishes between likes and dislikes.
Even though parts of the manifestations are acceptable
and others not, it is necessary to cognize that they
constitute a complete whole. The manifestations of the
Mind are equal, much like a mirror that can reflect good
and bad persons, or anything that appears in front of it.
When one is in front of a mirror, the mirror will reflect thatindividual in entirety, the attractive and the unattractive.
It will reflect every part of the body, revealing that for the
Mind, all is equal. This is not theory. This is fact. This is
the intrinsic nature of the Mind. Intrinsic does not refer to
what one is in any given moment. Intrinsic refers to theSource, the Ultimate, the most Original and the most
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pure. This quality of equality is reflected in the Chan
saying: The original face of the unborn.
(2) Nirvana
The Mind has the nature of Nirvana. Again, this is
not theory. If Buddha Dharma were only a theory, it
would not have endured over time. Buddha Dharma is
Reality. It is every individual. Buddha is the awareness
of our Mind. Dharma is the manifestation of the Mind.
Even if one is not aware of Buddha Dharma, one is still
living in it. Even if one does not use the term Buddha
Dharma, one is still unable to separate from it because itis Reality, with no exception.
Mind has the quality of Nirvana, which is non-
arising and non-falling. Non-arising means that
wandering thoughts do not arise. Non-falling means that
Self-Nature does not fall away. The Master says: I amtalking and you are listening. When you hear sound, the
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sound does not come from the outside or the inside. It is
thus (as such, as it is) . Hence, in the sutra we haveThus have I heard. Sound exists simultaneously with
awareness. At the moment that the sound is heard, it is
gone. It returns to its Self-Nature and to its Source.
Therefore, it comes from nowhe