The Buddha said to me: There is dust in your heart. I wiped hard.

Buddha said: You are wrong, dust cannot be wiped off. So I peeled off my heart. The Buddha said again: You are wrong again. Dust is not dust at first. How can there be dust?

I can’t understand, what does it mean?

I think this is derived from the two gathas Shenxiu and Huineng.

Shenxiu said: "The body is a Bodhi tree, and the mind is like a mirror. I must brush it diligently at all times to prevent it from causing dust."

Huineng said: "There is no Bodhi tree, and neither is the mirror." The platform is originally nothing, so how can it cause dust?

Indeed, it is indeed difficult to understand these two gathas, and it is not easy to understand them correctly.

Enlightenment is impenetrable...

The body is like a bodhi tree, and the mind is like a mirror stand, which must be wiped diligently at all times to avoid dust.

The body of all living beings is like a tree of enlightened wisdom.

The mind of all living beings is like a bright mirror.

It must be dusted constantly. Wipe it and try to prevent it from being polluted by dirt and obscuring its bright nature.

Bodhi has no tree, and the mirror is not a stand. There is nothing in the first place, so where can it cause dust?

Bodhi does not have a tree.

The bright mirror is not a stand.

It was originally nothingness, so what kind of dust would be tainted there?

Now we can only understand it literally, and it’s hard to understand!

The heart is essentially dust-free, and dust is the heart. If there is no intention and no dust, people will die.

I once thought about a question:

When people think something is delicious, in fact the sense of smell accounts for a greater proportion than the sense of taste.

So like dogs Creatures with a keen sense of smell are far happier than us in eating.

Is this idea correct? If it is wrong, where is the mistake?

In fact, the dust is outside, but the heart is inside. If you always brush it away, the heart will be pure and dust-free;

If the dust is inside, the heart is outside, always peel it off. There is no dust and no heart;

There is dust in the heart, and the dust is the heart. Why should we fear the dust in the heart?

As Huineng said: The heart of a benevolent person is moved.

As Taoists say: Tao can be Tao, but it is not Tao. Their principles are the same.

Buddhism emphasizes that all things are in the heart and pursues cultivating the world;

Taoism emphasizes being carefree and pursues escaping from the world.

Buddhism wants to transcend this world, while Taoism seeks to practice this world. When looking at its principles, it is a kind of practice.

It is a kind of transcendence, but it is not a deliberate pursuit. ,

The main idea is the heart.

For people in the world, there is no fixed law, and then you know the law;

The world's affairs are still unfinished, so why not leave them unresolved.

Bodhi has no tree, and the mirror is not a stand; there is nothing in the first place, so where can it cause dust?

It talks about the beauty of one's own nature, but

can it really reach the highest level? Realm may not be as Master Huineng himself said:

When you are familiar with it, you are already familiar with it, but it still lacks sieving/

............ ........................

However, just because "there is nothing in the first place, where can the dust be caused"? If you have not reached the attainment of passing on the mantle of Zen, don't forget the situation we listed above, because the situation of "originally nothing" is just like the state of snow, moon and plum blossoms. Although it is cold and beautiful, it is ultimately lonely and cold, without anything. Vitality exists.

When the Sixth Patriarch attained great enlightenment, he was in his room at midnight. The Fifth Patriarch’s Dharma Question asked him for the first time that he had doubts about “the mind should be born without dwelling”, which enabled him to further understand the nature of the mind. The essence of the original essence, so he said: "When is the self-nature, it is inherently quiet; when is the self-nature, it is not born or destroyed; when is the self-nature, is it self-sufficient; when is the self-nature, is it inherently unshakable; when is the self-nature, it is inherently unshakable; Self-nature can generate all things." This represents the realm of "sudden enlightenment" and "enlightenment" in Zen Buddhism.

But don’t forget that he later took refuge in the hunter team and practiced for fifteen years after enlightenment. From this, you can understand the simultaneous development of suddenness and gradualness in the Lankavatara Sutra. , Zen Buddhism is a combination of suddenness and gradualness, just like what is said in the Shurangama Sutra: "Principles must be suddenly enlightened, and through enlightenment and elimination, things must be gradually cultivated, and the order of reasons is exhausted." It refers to the principle of equal emphasis on suddenness and gradualness.

Now let’s talk about Zen. If you grasp the phrase “originally there is nothing”, then you can do anything. It would be strange if you don’t fall into the knowledge of crazy Zen! It should be noted that Zen Buddhism has a level of rigorous practice and does not fall into empty talk or arrogance. Only then will it be similar to true Zen.

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< p>1． Regarding the Enlightenment of the Sixth Patriarch

Two verses about the enlightenment of mind and nature and the divine beauty: from the generations passed down, several different versions of the "Sixth Patriarch's Altar Sutra", and the descriptions in various Zen classics, Regarding the story of the Sixth Patriarch's initial enlightenment, there is generally not much discrepancy. Chinese Zen Buddhism has been teaching people to recite the "Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutra" since the time of the fifth patriarch Hongren. This can lead to a change in the teaching method of Master Bodhidharma who initiated people with the "Large Sutra". This can only be said to be a change in the teaching method. , there is no difference in the purpose of Zen; the "Diamond Sutra" takes the clear mind and seeing nature as the main purpose, and explains the true meaning of Prajna (wisdom) nature and emptiness everywhere. The method of practice and verification is focused on the three words "good and protective thoughts" , using "the past mind cannot be obtained, the future mind cannot be obtained, and the present mind cannot be obtained" to explain the empty reality of nature, and understand that "the mind should have no dwelling place" as an indicator. < /p>

(1) First of all, we must quietly observe our inner psychological consciousness, and then simply summarize it into two parts for processing: one part is the thoughts and concepts arising from feelings, such as pain, Pleasure, warmth, hunger and cold, etc., all belong to the scope of sensation, which triggers perceptual associations, fantasies and other activities. Part of it is the conscious thoughts arising from perception, such as inexplicable emotions, boredom, distress, discriminating thinking about various things inside and outside people and myself, etc., of course, including the thinking of knowledge and knowledge, and the ability to observe oneself. Psychological function.

(2) Secondly, when you are able to understand the activities of your own psychological functions, whether it is sensory or perceptual, in short, they are all called a thought, and you can do it to make your mind move between thoughts. Each concept can be observed clearly by oneself, and there is no unknowing or incomprehensible situation. Then, it can be processed into three paragraphs of observation: Whatever the previous thought (thinking consciousness) has passed, it will It’s called the past mind, which is the previous thought. When the last thought (thinking consciousness) comes, it is called the present mind, which is the current thought. What hasn’t come yet is, of course, the future mind, which is the afterthought, but it hasn’t come yet, so don’t worry about it. However, don’t forget that when you feel that the latter concept has not yet come, this is the current thought, and you only feel that it is now, and it has immediately become the past.

(3) Once again, after observing introspectively for a long time, you can clearly see the past mind, present mind, and future mind, so you practice, and the past mind of the current thought has passed. , before the future thought of afterthought has arisen, the current state of mind will slightly and gradually become blank.

But this blank space is not the state before coma, syncope, or death. This is clear and clear. It is a clear period of emptiness, which is what the Zen masters in the Song and Ming Dynasties called Zhao Zhao Ling. Spirit time.

If you can really reach this situation, you will feel that all your conscious thoughts, whether they are sensory or perceptual, are like a floating light and shadow, like geese flying across the sky, and wind blowing on the water. When you fly through the snow and there is no trace left, you realize that all you have thought and done in your life is just a blur of light and dust, which cannot be grasped at all and has no roots to rely on. Then you will realize that "the past is inaccessible. The future is unavailable, and the present heart is unavailable."

(4) Thirdly, if you understand the inaccessibility of the past, present, and future phases of your mind, take the following formula for example, reflect on it yourself, and translate it into a smile.

………Future…Present…Past…

——————————————Since beginningless time

...Future...Present...Past...

1-1——1-1=0

Thus, I recognize all the clouds in this heart Therefore, if we go one step further and observe that the pressure exerted on physical sensations and the behavioral activities caused by thoughts to the body are like bubbles and empty flowers, although without self-observation, they may appear to be empty. They are all my activities in a straight line. In fact, the so-called activities of me are just like electric current, sparks, and flowing water. They are all formed into a line due to the causes and conditions of countless continuous thoughts. After all, there is no real meaning in it. Things exist, so you will naturally realize that mountains are not mountains, water is not water, body is not body, and mind is not mind. All of these are just dreamlike ups and downs in the world, so you will naturally understand "There should be no dwelling but the mind is born" is actually the wonderful meaning of "there is no dwelling but the mind is born".

(5) As follows, after you have understood the state of psychological consciousness, you must always move in silence and maintain this period of clear spiritual awareness, just like the clear sky. If there is no shadow, it will be enough for you to enjoy. Only then will you truly understand the true meaning of life and find your true destination. But don’t think that this is the clear mind and nature of Zen Buddhism! Don’t even think that this is what Zen Buddhism calls enlightenment! Because at this time, you have the effect of Zhaozhao Lingling and Lingling Juejue, and you still don’t know its coming, going, and origin! At this time, it is precisely what Master Hanshan of the Ming Dynasty said: "It is easy to descend in the thorn forest, but difficult to turn around under the moonlight curtain"!

Everything mentioned above uses relatively modern methods to explain the state of people's psychological activities. It also explains how the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism responded to "should" when he heard others reciting the "Diamond Sutra". Some of the information that you have understood through "the mind is born without abode", which allows you to understand the verse written by the Sixth Patriarch's senior brother Shenxiu, "The body is like a bodhi tree, and the mind is like a mirror, brushing it diligently at all times, so as not to cause dust." Then, you can know from this the Sixth Patriarch's state of mind: "Bodhi has no tree, and the mirror is not a stand. There is nothing in the first place, so how can it attract dust?" If we compare the two, we can naturally understand that the Fifth Patriarch Hongren wanted to call the Sixth Patriarch into his room at midnight and pay his mantle. However, just because "there is nothing in the first place, how can it cause dust", it still has not been passed down. To acquire the mantle of Zen, don't forget the situations we listed above, because the situation of "originally nothing" is just like the state of snow, moon and plum blossoms. Although it is cold and beautiful, it is ultimately lonely and cold, without any vitality. When the Sixth Patriarch attained great enlightenment, he was in the third watch room. The Fifth Patriarch's Dharma Question first heard the question of "the mind should be born without dwelling", which enabled him to go one step further and understand the essence of the nature of the mind, so he He said: "When is the self-nature, it is inherently quiet; When is the self-nature, it is not born or destroyed; When is the self-nature, is it inherently self-sufficient; When is the self-nature, is it inherently unshakable; When is the self-nature, is it capable of giving birth to all things. "This is the state of "sudden enlightenment" and "enlightenment" that represents the Zen language of enlightenment. But don’t forget that he later took refuge in the hunter group and practiced for fifteen years after enlightenment. From this, you can understand that in the Lankavatara Sutra, both suddenness and gradualness are emphasized, while in Zen Buddhism, suddenness and gradualness are both combined. , just like what is said in the Shurangama Sutra: "Principles must be enlightened suddenly, enlightened and eliminated at the same time, things must be gradually cultivated, and the order of causes and consequences is exhausted." It refers to the principle of paying equal attention to suddenness and gradualness. Now let’s talk about Zen. If you grasp the phrase “originally there is nothing”, then you can do anything. It would be strange if you don’t fall into the knowledge of crazy Zen! It should be noted that Zen Buddhism has a level of rigorous practice and does not fall into empty talk or arrogance. Only then will it be similar to true Zen.