Zen master -Obaku
Huang Po, china d. 850.
Studying the Way is just a figure of speech.
In fact, the Tao is not something that can be studied.
Study leads to the use of concepts,
And when we cling to concepts
The entire way is misunderstood.
The Way is not something that exists separately from you,
And it is not located anywhere else.
The first step to following the way
Is to refrain from knowledge based concept,
If you were to follow the empirical method to the utmost limit,
On reaching that limit you would still be unable
To locate your Mind.
Once the fish is caught,
We pay no more attention to the trap.
When body and mind achieve spontaneity
The way is reached and mind is understood.
Penetrate deep into the original source of all things
And find an end to all anxiety.
Though others may speak of the way of the Buddhas
As something to be reached by deep Sutra study ,
and by various difficult practices,
You better have nothing to do with such ideas.
The perception that subject and object are one
Will lead to a deep understanding beyond words,
This is the truth of zen
Will dualism belong to the sphere of demon.
Your true nature never leaves you
Even in the moment of delusion
It is not gained at the moment of enlightenment
And it is neither delusion nor right understanding.
It fills the void everywhere and it is the substance of the one.
It depends on nothing
It is attached to nothing
It is all pervading
Spotless beauty
It is the self existent and uncreated absolute
It is a jewel beyond price.
~————————————————-~
“People are scared to empty their minds
fearing that they will be engulfed by the void.
What they don’t realize is that
their own mind is the void.”
– Huang-po
“And the Wisdom Beyond Discriminatory Thought has a singular expression, which is constantly manifesting before our very eyes here and now: It is total and absolute enlightenment.”
– Dogen
Reality is Dharma 