Your effort is weak

[deci belle]

If your effort is weak, real wondering will not occur and false imagining will be hard to expel. If you want to achieve early fulfillment, brandish the precious sword given by the mind king and march right ahead: if you meet Buddhas, kill the Buddhas; if you meet Zen masters, kill Zen masters; if you meet your parents, kill your parents; if you meet the masses of living beings, kill the masses of living beings. Totally massacre everything animate and inanimate, all forms and appearances, mountains, rivers, and earth, all times and places, good and bad, right and wrong, plus anything else that appears and disappears, coming and going through the doors of the six senses and the alleys of the seven consciousnesses. Having killed it all completely, when you turn a flip and appear in the realm of cosmic space, you can be called a real hero. When you get to this point, you will not doubt that Buddhas and sentient beings, enlightenment and affliction, samsara and nirvana, heaven and hell, are all illusions.

 

In Zen study, you should not slack off for an instant. Alerting your vital spirit as you breathe out and in, watching your step as you walk forth and back, be as if you were galloping on a single horse into an opposing army of a million troops, armed with a single sword.

 

 

 

…from Man-an's (17th century) Elementary Talk on Zen

 

 

[idiot_stimpy]

I am currently reading the book 'Working Toward Enlightenment' by Master Nan Huai-Chin.

 

What worries me is when he talks about moving past the skandha of form, when the moving mind comes to a stop.

[C T]

I am currently reading the book 'Working Toward Enlightenment' by Master Nan Huai-Chin.

 

What worries me is when he talks about moving past the skandha of form, when the moving mind comes to a stop.

curious... why do you say it worries you, friend?

[deci belle]

I PM'd stimpy…

 

A bit more from Man-an:

 

Concentration of right mindfulness is a state of absorption that is in oneself twenty-four hours a day, but one does not even know it consciously. Even though you work all day, you do not get tired out, and even if you sit alone or stand silently for a long time, you do not get bored. To search out enlightenment with principle and fact unified is called genuine study.

 

If you want to quickly attain mastery of all truths and be independent in all events, there is nothing better than concentration in activity. That is why it is said that students of mysticism working on the Way should sit in the midst of the material world.

 

 

 

ed note: typo tire(d) in 2nd sentence

Edited January 27, 2013 by deci belle

[Jeff]

I am currently reading the book 'Working Toward Enlightenment' by Master Nan Huai-Chin.

 

What worries me is when he talks about moving past the skandha of form, when the moving mind comes to a stop.

That is a very good point...

 

Best, Jeff

[deci belle]

When the moving mind comes to a stop it reverts to the shining mind. It's the same mind. I thought you had already comprehended your ordinary mind as the seat of realization, stimpy. There's no resistance, that's all.

 

It's not a formal meditation state. It's your own mind to begin with in everyday ordinary situations, whether alone or not.

 

What other moving mind is there? It only refers to the human mentality of conflicting emotions. I would fear the moving mind much more than the still, shining mind of Tao, which enables objective knowledge that sees through situations without negating characteristics.

 

The skanda of form is dispensed with in an instant when the light is turned around. Reality doesn't change one iota. One simply no longer follows illusion in terms of form, desire and formless realms that only exist in the moving mind.

 

 

 

The Third Patriarch of Zen said, "if you want to head for the Way of Unity, do not be averse to the objects of the six senses." This does not mean that you should indulge in the objects of the six senses; it means that you should keep right mindfulness continuous, neither grasping nor rejecting the objects of the six senses in the course of everyday life, like a duck going into the water without its feathers getting wet.

 

 

 

 

ed note: add last paragraph (Man-an's quote)

Edited January 28, 2013 by deci belle

[C T]

If you think that there is only mind,

You will not grant existence to the outer world.

And dwelling in the perfect observation of the ultimate,

You will indeed transcend the mind itself.

 

Now, when this mind you thus transcend,

You go beyond the absence of perception.

Yogis who abide within such nonappearance

Behold indeed the Mahayana.

 

Spontaneous are their actions then, and they find peace.

And through their aspirations they see everything as pure.

For them there is the highest wisdom;

Where the self is not observed,

They do not see a blank vacuity.

 

(Lankavatara-sutra)

[idiot_stimpy]

If I have time later I will transcribe the passages from the book. Sorry for the distraction. Thank you for all your input.

[Jeff]

Hi CT,

 

Thank you for the post. I was not familiar with the sutra. It sums up the point very well. One "realizes" that the "inner" and the "outer" are really the same.

 

Best wishes, Jeff

[C T]

Hi CT,

 

Thank you for the post. I was not familiar with the sutra. It sums up the point very well. One "realizes" that the "inner" and the "outer" are really the same.

 

Best wishes, Jeff

Thank you, Jeff.

 

This here is a very detailed link (with commentary) on the Lanka - take your time to digest the contents, for its very profound, very clear. I would recommend it to anyone who has an affinity with the teachings of the Tathagata. I trust that it will lead you further along the way.

 

http://lirs.ru/do/lanka_eng/lanka-nondiacritical.htm

[Jeff]

Thank you, Jeff.

 

This here is a very detailed link (with commentary) on the Lanka - take your time to digest the contents, for its very profound, very clear. I would recommend it to anyone who has an affinity with the teachings of the Tathagata. I trust that it will lead you further along the way.

 

http://lirs.ru/do/lanka_eng/lanka-nondiacritical.htm

 

Thanks for the link, but I had been so impressed with the quote that I had already found it.

 

As you said, it is rare to find such "clear" words, I look forward to reading the full sutra.

 

Best, Jeff

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

My effort is weak and i remain unconcerned.


My effort could also be strong and not concern me however.

[deci belle]

Yes, they are the same. When this is one's reality the subtle function of light is as if reversed and one's stillness and activity is also the same. This is also the same as seeing through objects without denying characteristics.

 

Selflessness is just a matter of purity responding to the time.

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

LOL hey, I'm just contented today, what can I say.
I'm acknowledging my efforts don't amount up to much, but I also know that it is a continual work in progress, so I remain unconcerned with the rate of progression or the volume of progress made.

Tomorrow, maybe I will gripe instead? WHO KNOWS???

[林愛偉]

I am currently reading the book 'Working Toward Enlightenment' by Master Nan Huai-Chin.

 

What worries me is when he talks about moving past the skandha of form, when the moving mind comes to a stop.

 

:-) Check out the 50 Skandha Demon States section of the Shurangama Sutra. Preferably with the commentary by Master Xuan Hua (Hsuan Hua). It delves deep into the steps leading to enlightenment, as well as 50 general demon states that occur to the cultivator along the path. It also goes deep into what happens when breaking through each of the 5 Skandhas.

 

I tried to attached it here for you. Its volume 8 of 8, of the Shurangama Sutra commentary by Master Xuan Hua.But, it didn't work.

 

So here is the link to my website for this, and you got the whole entire 1-8 volumes.

Click on the 8th one for the 50 Skandha Demon States commentary

 

Gui Zhen Great Compassion Dharma Door

Edited February 7, 2013 by 林愛偉

[Mokona]

May I discuss actual experiences during Zazen or is this thread for the discussion of the discussion of Zen? I wanted to get feedback if possible.

[joeblast]

I'm getting a crick in my neck from holding it sideways

 

thankfully it was just some contents and I was able to straighten my head when the buddha appeared

Edited February 7, 2013 by joeblast

[deci belle]

May I discuss actual experiences during Zazen or is this thread for the discussion of the discussion of Zen? I wanted to get feedback if possible.

 

You could, but there might be a better place… or you can PM me if you like❤