Difference between revisions of "Dharma talk: Listen to Yourself: Think Everything Over: Ch'an Dharma talks"
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+ | {{Centre|<big><big>Dharma Talk:<br/> | ||
+ | Listen to Yourself: Think Everything Over<br/> | ||
+ | Volume Two:<br/> | ||
+ | CH’AN DHARMA TALKS </big></big><br/>}} <br/><br/> | ||
+ | </noinclude> | ||
+ | At the one-week [[Ch’an]] [[Meditation]] Session, which followed the Recitation Session, participants arose at two-thirty in the morning to begin [[meditation]] and [[meditated]] without interruption until twelve midnight each day, with the exception of a one-half hour break for a meal at eleven a.m. Many participants remained sitting in the [[Ch’an]] Hall during the two and one-half hour rest period in the middle of the night. During this session the [[Venerable]] [[Master]] gave the following instructional talks. | ||
− | Opening of Session: | + | '''Opening of Session: December 22, 1972 |
− | + | {{Wiki|Hardships}} and difficulties refine you. [[Astronauts]] are now being trained to rocket into [[space]], while we are in {{Wiki|training}} to refine the [[Vajra]] [[Samadhi]] so that we may enter into the great [[enlightenment]]. The [[Shurangama Sutra]] says, “The [[void]] arises in the great [[enlightenment]] like a bubble [[arising]] on the sea.” Therefore, [[enlightenment]] is vast and [[boundless]]. | |
− | + | During a [[dhyana]] session [[time]] is [[precious]]. Be especially attentive and do not waste a single second. If you waste your [[time]], what will be the worth of the [[bitterness]] you have already undergone? Those of you who have endured the [[suffering]] without running should work hard, and those who couldn’t take it and ran off can now return if they want to. Everyone should work hard. | |
− | + | Because we are conducting this [[Dhyana]] Session, the [[gods]] and the [[dragons]] and the rest of the eight-fold [[division]] of [[ghosts]] and [[spirits]] have come to {{Wiki|protect}} the field of [[enlightenment]] and help us accomplish the [[karma]] of the Way. So don’t look down on yourselves. Whoever becomes [[enlightened]] will end [[birth]] and [[death]] and {{Wiki|perfect}} his [[karma]] of the Way. | |
− | + | Don’t waste your [[time]] like you did during the [[Buddha]] Recitation Session. Don’t be like one [[disciple]] who had false [[thinking]] about [[stealing]] Ginseng tea. You don’t have to steal it, I will give it to you to get rid of your false [[thinking]]. But once you drink it, you must work hard and seek to become [[enlightened]]. | |
− | + | That [[disciple]] is rather embarrassed that I have mentioned her false [[thinking]], but if she is guilty, everyone should know about it; when everyone [[knows]], she won’t dare have such false [[thoughts]] again. Someone else has been [[thinking]] about the fourteen-week [[meditation]] session several years ago when he [[thought]] about eating cottage cheese, and now he [[thinks]] it would be fine to have some more. I grant you your wish, and will give you all cottage cheese and Ginseng tea, but you must work hard. | |
− | + | Now, to begin the [[Dhyana]] Session, the verse says, | |
+ | <poem> | ||
+ | In [[Gold Mountain Monastery]]’[[s]] [[Prajna]] Hall | ||
+ | We [[gather]] from the [[ten directions]], | ||
+ | Here where the [[Buddhas]] are selected. | ||
+ | Whoever becomes [[enlightened]] will know | ||
+ | The face he had before his mother bore him, | ||
+ | And we’ll grant that he is comfortable, clear and cool. | ||
+ | </poem> | ||
+ | We will sit in [[meditation]] for one hour and then walk for twenty-five minutes. The {{Wiki|movement}} stimulates our circulation and the stillness purifies us of our random [[thoughts]]. We must reach the genuine stillness, then we will be able to give forth genuine [[wisdom]] and {{Wiki|liberate}} ourselves from [[birth]] and [[death]]. This is the very best [[Dharma]] to cultivate, so don’t waste your [[time]]. | ||
− | + | '''Day #1:December 23, 1972 | |
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− | + | If you’ve learned no other talent from your [[master]] than that of “I don’t remember,” you’ve done something wonderful! The Way lies simply in {{Wiki|forgetting}} everything. Now, I have a story for you: | |
− | + | At T’ien T’ung [[Monastery]], one of [[China’s]] largest, housing over five thousand [[monks]], [[dhyana]] [[meditation]] is conducted during the winter months. It is said, “[[Dhyana]] in the winter and study in the summer.” Why practice [[dhyana]] in the winter? The cold weather makes it difficult to [[sleep]] and helps you work hard. You have to turn on your [[own]] personal heater and fight the cold. Once you have turned on your [[own]] internal heater, not only will you not be cold, you’ll perspire. So don’t be afraid of the cold. | |
− | + | At T’ien T’ung [[Monastery]], no one ate after noon. During the [[dhyana]] session, however, what with twenty hours of hard work, not eating after noon, and the cold weather, everyone was hungry and began to toy with the [[idea]] of [[stealing]] [[food]]. The deacon, who had [[spiritual powers]], knew this, and while seated in the hall in [[meditation]], would send out a [[body]] that would go enter the storeroom, steal the {{Wiki|rice}} crust, and set a piece in each of the [[meditation]] [[monks]]’ hands. {{Wiki|Rice}} crust is the crisp layer of {{Wiki|rice}} in the bottom of the pan which is saved and cooked with the next day’s {{Wiki|rice}}. When the [[bell]] rang at the end of the sitting period, the [[monks]] ate their {{Wiki|rice}} crust with surprise and [[delight]] and settled down to work with no further [[thoughts]] of [[stealing]] [[food]]. The amount of {{Wiki|rice}} crust, however, decreased daily until, when it was almost gone, the quartermaster and the cook became concerned and began to {{Wiki|wonder}} who the culprit was. | |
− | + | When they reported the losses to the [[Abbot]] Mi Tsu, who also had [[spiritual powers]], he passed it off. “Forget it,” he said. “Maybe you’ve got mice in the pantry.” When the [[Abbot]] looked into the {{Wiki|matter}} more deeply, he discovered that the deacon had stolen it. | |
− | + | The next day the [[Abbot]] went into the [[dhyana]] hall to [[meditate]] with the assembly, and sure enough, during the early evening sit the deacon went off to steal the {{Wiki|rice}} crust. He didn’t use his [[physical body]], however, he used his [[spirit]]. While his [[spirit]] was in the storeroom, the [[Abbot]] stashed his [[physical body]] underneath the [[meditation]] bench. When the deacon returned, he couldn’t find his [[body]], and began to look everywhere for it. When he finally discovered it, he had great difficulty getting himself out from under the bench. | |
− | + | “What are you doing?” said the [[Abbot]]. “You’re [[stealing]] the {{Wiki|rice}} crust again, eh? That’s a {{Wiki|violation}} of the [[precepts]], You’ll have to leave.” | |
− | + | The deacon replied, “I don’t [[mind]] leaving, but these [[people]] are too hungry to work. I must request that the [[Master]] set up provisional regulations allowing them a little something to eat in the evening.” | |
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− | + | “That’s none of your [[concern]],” said the [[Abbot]]. | |
− | + | “Perhaps not,” said the deacon, “but unless you grant my request, I won’t leave.” | |
− | + | Because of this the [[Abbot]] allowed everyone two [[vegetarian]] dumplings each evening. | |
− | + | The deacon left T’ien T’ung [[Monastery]] and headed for Hangkow. He passed through the bustling city of {{Wiki|Nanking}} where, by means of his [[spiritual powers]], he stopped to watch an {{Wiki|opera}}. Then, using his [[spiritual powers]] once again, he went to Hangkow’s [[Kuei]] [[Yuan]] [[Monastery]] for lunch. The [[Abbot]] of [[Kuei]] [[Yuan]] also had [[spiritual powers]]. “Today,” he said, “a [[bhikshu]] is coming for lunch. We will eat first and then hit the boards.” | |
− | + | When the deacon arrived, he heard the boards being hit to signal lunch and went straight to the dining hall. But when he entered the hall he saw that everyone had already eaten. “Why aren’t you following the {{Wiki|rules}}?” he demanded. “You are supposed to hit the boards first and then eat.” | |
− | + | “And why did you stop off at {{Wiki|Nanking}} to attend the {{Wiki|opera}}?” countered the [[Abbot]]. | |
− | + | Speechless, the deacon left. He went directly to [[Szechwan]] where he sat beneath two cinnamon [[trees]] to [[meditate]]. Later he built a [[monastery]] there called “Twin Cinnamon [[Monastery]]” which is also very well-known. That is the account of the stolen {{Wiki|rice}} crust. We have among us one shameless [[bhikshuni]] who wanted to steal some ginseng. Therefore I have given you all ginseng tea to drink in the morning and in the evening, even though originally ginseng is not taken until [[the fourth]] day of a [[dhyana]] session. I only {{Wiki|hope}} that you will all work hard and seek [[enlightenment]]. If you don’t, you’ll disappoint me, and the tea will have gone to waste. | |
− | + | You should all {{Wiki|sacrifice}} your small selves and {{Wiki|perfect}} your great selves, like the deacon who stole [[food]] for everyone else, not just for himself. This is sacrificing the small [[self]] and perfecting the great. The small [[self]] is the [[physical body]]; the [[Buddha-nature]] is the great [[self]], for it is the total [[substance]] with great [[function]]. [[Living beings]] are a part of the [[Buddha-nature]] and so they must return to the [[root]] and go back to the source, return the parts to the whole in order to realize the great [[function]]. This is to {{Wiki|sacrifice}} the small in order to {{Wiki|perfect}} the great. | |
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− | + | There are twenty [[people]] attending this [[Dhyana]] Session, which is not bad. I {{Wiki|hope}} that you all put forth a great [[effort]], use your [[time]] well, and arrive at your aim; return to the [[root]] and go back to the source. | |
− | + | '''Day #2: December 24, 1972 (afternoon) | |
− | + | The primary aim of a [[dhyana]] session is to unite [[body]] and [[mind]]. The [[body]] must follow the {{Wiki|rules}} when walking, [[standing]], sitting, and reclining. The [[mind]] must not fantasize or engage in [[thoughts]] of [[greed]], [[hatred]], or [[stupidity]]. You must [[single-mindedly]] investigate, “Who is [[mindful]] of the [[Buddha]]?” This [[investigation]] is like drilling a hole through a piece of [[wood]]. Prior to penetrating, there is the daily work of drilling. Our “Who is [[mindful]] of the [[Buddha]]?” is the drilling, and we must drill until we open [[enlightenment]]. Thus we investigate throughout the day, at every [[moment]]. When our [[investigation]] penetrates, everything which has not yet been understood will become clear. | |
− | + | In your [[investigation]] you should be like a {{Wiki|cat}} stalking a [[mouse]]. The [[mouse]] is like one’s [[thoughts]], and the {{Wiki|recitation}} of “Who is reciting the [[Buddha’s]] [[name]]” while relentlessly guarding oneself against false [[thoughts]], is like the {{Wiki|cat}}. | |
− | + | [[Investigation]] is also like a [[dragon]] guarding its {{Wiki|pearl}}. Always attentive to just his most [[precious]] possession, the [[dragon]] never strays from his [[gem]]. Again, [[investigation]] is like a hen brooding over her eggs, [[thinking]] about them day in and day out, until they finally hatch. | |
− | + | In our [[investigation]] of [[dhyana]] we must investigate continually without {{Wiki|fear}} of heat or cold. We should be as [[conscientious]] as that mother hen. We absolutely must get through to “Who is [[mindful]] of the [[Buddha]]?” “Who am I?” and find the “Who,” thereby accomplishing our work. | |
− | + | There are many topics which may be used to investigate [[dhyana]]. “Who was I before my [[parents]] bore me?” is one. “What in the [[world]] is not [[subject]] to production, dwelling, [[decay]], and [[extinction]]?” is another. “Dried excrement,” is another. Don’t [[laugh]] and call this a stinking topic, because it’s already dried out and has no {{Wiki|odor}}! Besides, if you can investigate it you’ll come up with something that has a lot of “{{Wiki|flavor}}” to it! Whichever topic you respond to is the best one for you. | |
− | + | From the [[Ch’ing Dynasty]] on, the topic most frequently used has been “Who is [[mindful]] of the [[Buddha]]?” The [[word]] “Who?” is most important, since no one [[knows]] who is [[mindful]] of the [[Buddha]]. If you know, you are [[enlightened]]. | |
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− | + | “But the one [[mindful]] of the [[Buddha]] is just me!” you may say. “How could I not know who that is?” | |
− | + | When you [[die]] and have been [[Wikipedia:cremation|cremated]] to ashes, where have you gone? To find the “you” of your [[self]] [[nature]], which is [[mindful]] of the [[Buddha]] and which does not [[die]], is the [[spiritual]] exercise of investigating [[dhyana]]. When your [[investigation]] reaches the point that the [[mountains]] are leveled, the seas disappear, and you [[doubt]] that there’s a way at all, then suddenly, there beyond the dark willows and the bright [[flowers]] is another village. Although you felt there was no way, there is yet another [[world]], another realm—the [[realm]] of {{Wiki|light}} [[peace]]. Those who can investigate to the [[Wikipedia:Absolute (philosophy)|ultimate]] point can [[experience]] freedom, {{Wiki|independence}}, and the [[bliss]] of both [[body]] and mind—a [[bliss]] which is incomparable. | |
− | + | In [[cultivation]] one must neither forget the work nor force it, a point which is well-illustrated in the following story: | |
− | + | There was a man from Sung who notice that the sprouts in his fields were growing very slowly. Determined to think of a way to help them grow fast, he went to his field one day and pulled each sprout straight up an inch or two higher than it had been. He then returned home and said to his [[family]], “I’m exhausted! I’ve spent the entire day helping my sprouts grow.” His son, wondering what new [[scientific method]] his father had discovered, went to the fields only to find that all the sprouts had withered and [[died]]. | |
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− | Plum [[trees]] bloom in the [[bitter]] cold and so their fragrance is especially [[sweet]]. | + | [[Cultivation]] of the Way is similar. You should not be like the man of Sung who forced his [[plants]] to grow. The [[element]] of the wonderful enters your [[cultivation]] at the point when you neither [[relax]] your [[cultivation]] nor force it. An {{Wiki|ancient}} has said, “Don’t try to go too fast or you won’t reach your aim. Don’t be satisfied with small gains or you will never accomplish great works.” Don’t be like one of my [[disciples]] who, after two years of [[cultivation]] wanted to know why she hadn’t become a [[Buddha]]. I asked her, “ You lived at home for more than ten years. What advantage did you gain in all that [[time]]?” |
+ | <poem> | ||
+ | If it weren’t for the chill that strikes to the bone, | ||
+ | How could the plum blossom be so fragrant? | ||
+ | </poem> | ||
+ | Plum [[trees]] bloom in the [[bitter]] cold and so their {{Wiki|fragrance}} is especially [[sweet]]. | ||
− | + | In investigating [[dhyana]] you should not {{Wiki|fear}} [[pain]] or cold. Don’t sit during [[meditation]] waiting for the [[bell]] to ring like one of my [[disciples]] did when she first began to [[meditate]]. Her {{Wiki|brain}} was clouded with a smog of [[thoughts]] then, but over the years she has gotten a little better. Her head is a little clearer, which indicates a bit of progress. | |
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− | + | In general, when you first begin to investigate [[dhyana]] you will [[experience]] [[pain]] in your knees, ankles, and back which makes you uncomfortable. When people’s {{Wiki|legs}} {{Wiki|hurt}}, they stretch them out, and when their backs ache, they lean against the wall. But in the [[dhyana]] hall, one is beaten for stretching out his {{Wiki|legs}}! And leaning against the wall is a {{Wiki|violation}} of the {{Wiki|rules}}. When there is [[pain]] you must be {{Wiki|patient}}. Bear the [[pain]], the hunger, and the {{Wiki|fatigue}}. If [[Buddhist]] lay [[disciples]] can be like this, even more should those who have left the home [[life]] be like this! Resolve to break all [[pain]] barriers so that you may gain inner freedom and [[peace]]. [[Investigation]] of [[dhyana]] is basically a {{Wiki|battle}} with the {{Wiki|Demon}} King—birth and [[death]]. Since this is a {{Wiki|battle}} of [[life]] and [[death]], you should even more be able to resist a little [[pain]]. Will it kill you? No! So what is there to {{Wiki|fear}}? One could speak forever about the advantages of investigating [[dhyana]]. I have spoken just a little. | |
− | + | During a [[dhyana]] session [[time]] is extremely valuable. Each second holds the chance to become [[enlightened]]. Don’t waste a minute! How do you know that in that very [[moment]] that you wasted you wouldn’t have become [[enlightened]]? | |
− | + | “Perhaps,” you may say. “But I don’t want to become [[enlightened]]. What use is it?” | |
− | + | Then why did you come here to investigate [[dhyana]]? If you have that [[attitude]] you will leave {{Wiki|Gold}} Mountain empty-handed. Wouldn’t that be a [[shame]]? | |
− | + | When I participated in [[dhyana]] sessions I never left the [[dhyana]] hall except to attend to [[essential]] matters. Do you remember two years ago when five of you went to {{Wiki|Taiwan}} to take the complete [[precepts]]? In [[Hong Kong]] you met [[Bhikshu]] [[Ming]] [[Kuan]] who told you that he and I had sat together for ten consecutive weeks of [[meditation]] during which [[time]] we sat in the hall both day and night. If he hadn’t mentioned that, I wouldn’t have remembered it. Now, in following me, you are perfecting your ability to forget things. Not bad! Keep it up and you can obtain my robe and [[bowl]] and then even be able to forget them! | |
− | + | We have talked enough. We should investigate more. Investigate to the point of no-enlightenment. After all, didn’t someone say earlier that [[enlightenment]] was useless? | |
− | + | '''Day #2 (Evening) | |
− | + | [[Meditation]], like all [[cultivation]], must be practiced daily without interruption. | |
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− | + | “But when will I be [[enlightened]]?” you ask. | |
− | + | It all depends on how hard you work. If you investigate in the morning and in the evening, while walking, [[standing]], sitting, and {{Wiki|lying}} down, your skill will mature and you will certainly become [[enlightened]]. For example, you can’t see the [[trees]] grow, but everyday they become taller. [[Meditation]] is like the wild grass growing in the spring; you can’t see it grow, but daily it becomes more profuse. If you don’t work, you are like a whetstone which {{Wiki|decreases}} imperceptibly day by day. | |
− | + | “But [[people]] aren’t stone!” you say. “What {{Wiki|decreases}}?” | |
− | + | What is lost is your [[inherent]] [[wisdom]]. Don’t think that you will obtain the Way immediately. Of course, everyone wants to become [[enlightened]] quickly, but if you don’t work how can you? When you went to school, you passed through grades from elementary school to high school to the {{Wiki|University}} and then perhaps on to take a [[Master’s]] or a Doctor’s [[degree]]. It’s much less easy to become a [[Buddha]]. | |
− | + | Someone has regrets, “Had I known it would be this difficult, I never would have attended the session.” It’s too late now! Since you’ve already joined, you should finish what you began. I’ll tell you frankly that it won’t be a waste. When you attend one [[dhyana]] session, your [[Bodhi]] sprouts grow just that much taller. attend two sessions and they grow even taller. The day will certainly come when they bear fruit. So have no regrets. Not the slightest [[effort]] goes to waste, and the [[wisdom-life]] of your [[Dharma body]] will grow naturally. Even those who are not attending the session but who have just come to take a look plant [[good roots]]. Strive mightily and have no regrets! | |
− | + | When investigating, “Who is [[mindful]] of the [[Buddha]]?” things may get vague. You investigate diligently, but you can’t figure out “who” it is. If you can continue without stopping, however, you will give rise to a “[[feeling]] of [[doubt]].” With great [[doubt]] there is great [[enlightenment]]; with a small [[doubt]] there is a small [[enlightenment]]; and with no [[doubt]] there is no [[enlightenment]]. | |
− | + | What is meant by “a [[feeling]] of [[doubt]]?” Beginning [[meditators]] may bring forth [[thoughts]] of [[doubt]], but they can only be called “[[thoughts]].” They don’t count as a “[[feeling]]” of [[doubt]]. They may think, “Who is [[mindful]] of the [[Buddha]]?” Then gradually the [[ghosts]] of the mad [[mind]] become collected and {{Wiki|diminish}} until you gain control of the questioning [[thought]] of “Who?” This is called “[[investigation]],” and is the “[[feeling]] of [[doubt]].” When your skill is [[pure]] and ripe, even when you are not doubting, you will [[doubt]] without interruption. You will investigate the [[word]] “Who?” continuously for several hours with great clarity. At that [[time]] you won’t {{Wiki|breathe}}, your pulse will have stopped, your [[thoughts]] will have stopped, and you will have [[attained]] profound and great [[enlightenment]]. Whether walking, [[standing]], sitting, or {{Wiki|lying}} down, you will be in [[samadhi]], without entering or leaving it. Above there will be no [[heaven]] and below no [[earth]]; and in between there will be no [[people]]. Everything will be [[empty]]. Even [[empty]] [[space]] will have been obliterated. So the [[Shurangama Sutra]] says, “The [[void]] arises in the great [[enlightenment]] like a bubble [[arising]] on the sea. When the bubble bursts, [[emptiness]] basically does not [[exist]], much less the [[three realms of existence]].” | |
− | + | When [[empty]] [[space]] has been {{Wiki|annihilated}}, what kind of [[state]] remains? When there is no [[emptiness]], what confused [[thoughts]] can there be? At that [[time]] it is very easy to become [[enlightened]], to return to the [[root]] and go back to the source, to understand your [[mind]] and see your [[nature]]. [[Understanding]] your [[mind]] and [[seeing]] your [[nature]], there are no obstructions anywhere—no worries and no troubles. You are absolutely imperturbable. With [[samadhi]] like that, Mount [[T’ai]] could collapse in front of you and you wouldn’t be startled. A beautiful woman—or a handsome man—could stand in front of you, but you wouldn’t move at all. That is {{Wiki|independence}}, true {{Wiki|independence}}! | |
− | + | Those who wish to become [[enlightened]] must not be lazy; all the [[Patriarchs]] and [[Buddhas]] of the {{Wiki|past}} were heroically vigorous. Then they were able to realize the Way, {{Wiki|perfect}} the three [[enlightenments]], and complete the ten thousand conducts. | |
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+ | In the [[Ch’an]] Hall, the vigorous ones make progress. The [[Ch’an]] Hall is called the [[Prajna]] Hall and so the verse says, | ||
+ | <poem> | ||
+ | In [[Gold Mountain Monastery]])]’[[s]] [[Prajna]] Hall, | ||
+ | We [[gather]] from the [[ten directions]], | ||
+ | Here, where [[Buddhas]] are selected. | ||
+ | Whoever becomes [[enlightened]] will know | ||
+ | The face he had before his mother bore him, | ||
+ | And we’ll grant that he is comfortable, clear, and cool. | ||
+ | </poem> | ||
The [[Prajna]] Hall has been designed as a place for you to refine your [[wisdom]]. You should become smarter the more you study, not stupider. | The [[Prajna]] Hall has been designed as a place for you to refine your [[wisdom]]. You should become smarter the more you study, not stupider. | ||
− | + | “It’s too [[bitter]],” you say. “I really can’t take it.” | |
− | + | If you can endure what you can’t endure and conquer all difficulties, you are an [[extraordinary]] [[person]]. Any [[person]] can do common things. You should strive to be one who stands above the crowd. Then you will be a [[person]] of {{Wiki|honor}} and ability, one capable of great undertakings. | |
− | + | The [[Buddhas]] have [[gathered]] here from the [[ten directions]] in the hall where the [[Buddhas]] are selected. We, too, have assembled from the [[ten directions]] to cultivate and train together. Let’s see who can be the first to become [[enlightened]] and realize [[Buddhahood]]. Whoever can find his original face, the one he had before he was born, will obtain genuine {{Wiki|independence}}, clarity and ease. | |
− | + | I {{Wiki|hope}} that you will be able to find out “who” you were before your mother gave [[birth]] to you. Not that face with the blue [[eyes]], but the one you had before you were born—your original face. Search! We must find out “Who?” | |
− | </ | + | |
+ | '''Day #3: December 25, 1972 (Evening) | ||
+ | |||
+ | Here in the Buddha-selecting Hall, the assembly is undergoing an {{Wiki|examination}}. The [[Buddhas]] and [[Bodhisattvas]] are the certifiers. If you pass the test you become a [[Buddha]] or a [[Bodhisattva]]. If you fail, you have to begin again. The topic is “collecting garbage.” Some [[time]] ago I gave one of my [[disciples]] the nickname “The Garbage Collector.” I gave him this [[name]] because he volunteered to pay the temple’s garbage bills. Now we are collecting the garbage. What garbage? The garbage in our brains—the [[lust]], [[jealousy]], [[afflictions]], [[greed]], [[anger]], and [[stupidity]]. Our [[investigation]] of [[dhyana]] is like using the [[vajra sword]] of [[wisdom]] to cut off our [[emotion]] and [[desires]], [[ignorance]] and [[affliction]]. | ||
+ | |||
+ | When the [[Buddha]] was in the [[world]] he had a [[disciple]] named “Little Roadside” who had no [[memory]] whatsoever. Since he forgot everything, he was unable to cultivate. [[Shakyamuni Buddha]] [[taught]] him to recite “sweep clean,” and by using this method he finally obtained the Way. Investigating [[dhyana]] is like sweeping. The “Who?” of “Who is [[mindful]] of the [[Buddha]]?” sweeps our [[minds]] and clears away all mixed-up [[thoughts]] and false notions. If you can investigate the [[word]] “Who?” the [[heavenly]] {{Wiki|demons}} and outside ways have no way to snare you. You constantly [[grasp]] the [[wisdom]] sword to conquer all deviant [[beings]], and use the white whisk to brush away the {{Wiki|demons}} so they can’t find a place to worm their way in. If you forget the [[word]] “Who?” you have dropped your sword and whisk and the {{Wiki|demons}} may wriggle their way in. This is why it is [[essential]] to maintain single-minded [[concentration]] when [[meditating]]. Those who truly work are unaware of hunger, [[thirst]], cold, or heat. They reach the point where they know nothing at all and yet understand everything. No {{Wiki|matter}} what, you must push it to the extreme, for it is at the extreme that the change will occur. At the [[Wikipedia:Absolute (philosophy)|ultimate]], stillness is {{Wiki|movement}} and {{Wiki|movement}} is stillness. | ||
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+ | Daytime is {{Wiki|movement}} and nighttime is stillness. Arriving at the extremity of stillness, there is {{Wiki|movement}}. When the darkest point of the night is reached, daytime begins. This cyclical pattern occurs over various lengths of [[time]]. For example, there is also the {{Wiki|movement}} and stillness of the yearly cycle. The [[winter solstice]] is the beginning of [[yang]], which is {{Wiki|movement}}, and the summer [[solstice]] is the beginning of [[yin]], which is stillness. In the daily cycle, stillness begins at noon, not at sunset. {{Wiki|Movement}} begins, not at dawn, but at midnight when the first [[yang]] energies begin to rise. At noon, the [[yin]] energies arise. There are twelve divisions of [[time]]: | ||
+ | |||
+ | {| border="1" cellspacing="3" width="426" | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="210" | <p>rat 11-1 a.m. </p> | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="204" | [[horse]] 11 -1 p.m. | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | <p>rise of [[yang]] </p> | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | <p>rise of [[yin]] </p> | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | ox 1-3 | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | sheep 1-3 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[tiger]] 3-5 | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | monkey 3-5 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | hare 5-7 | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[cock]] 5-7 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[dragon]] 7-9 | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | {{Wiki|dog}} 7-9 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | {{Wiki|snake}} 9-11 | ||
+ | | bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | {{Wiki|boar}} 9-11 | ||
+ | |} | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[File:Hexa.jpg|frameless|centre|650px|]] | ||
+ | <noinclude> | ||
{{R}} | {{R}} | ||
− | [http://www.cttbusa.org/listen/ | + | [http://www.cttbusa.org/listen/listen2_21.asp cttbusa.org] |
− | + | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Dharma Talks]] |
[[Category:Chan]] | [[Category:Chan]] | ||
[[Category:Meditation]] | [[Category:Meditation]] | ||
+ | </noinclude> |
Latest revision as of 12:41, 26 December 2023
Dharma Talk:
Listen to Yourself: Think Everything Over
Volume Two:
CH’AN DHARMA TALKS
At the one-week Ch’an Meditation Session, which followed the Recitation Session, participants arose at two-thirty in the morning to begin meditation and meditated without interruption until twelve midnight each day, with the exception of a one-half hour break for a meal at eleven a.m. Many participants remained sitting in the Ch’an Hall during the two and one-half hour rest period in the middle of the night. During this session the Venerable Master gave the following instructional talks.
Opening of Session: December 22, 1972
Hardships and difficulties refine you. Astronauts are now being trained to rocket into space, while we are in training to refine the Vajra Samadhi so that we may enter into the great enlightenment. The Shurangama Sutra says, “The void arises in the great enlightenment like a bubble arising on the sea.” Therefore, enlightenment is vast and boundless.
During a dhyana session time is precious. Be especially attentive and do not waste a single second. If you waste your time, what will be the worth of the bitterness you have already undergone? Those of you who have endured the suffering without running should work hard, and those who couldn’t take it and ran off can now return if they want to. Everyone should work hard.
Because we are conducting this Dhyana Session, the gods and the dragons and the rest of the eight-fold division of ghosts and spirits have come to protect the field of enlightenment and help us accomplish the karma of the Way. So don’t look down on yourselves. Whoever becomes enlightened will end birth and death and perfect his karma of the Way.
Don’t waste your time like you did during the Buddha Recitation Session. Don’t be like one disciple who had false thinking about stealing Ginseng tea. You don’t have to steal it, I will give it to you to get rid of your false thinking. But once you drink it, you must work hard and seek to become enlightened.
That disciple is rather embarrassed that I have mentioned her false thinking, but if she is guilty, everyone should know about it; when everyone knows, she won’t dare have such false thoughts again. Someone else has been thinking about the fourteen-week meditation session several years ago when he thought about eating cottage cheese, and now he thinks it would be fine to have some more. I grant you your wish, and will give you all cottage cheese and Ginseng tea, but you must work hard.
Now, to begin the Dhyana Session, the verse says,
In Gold Mountain Monastery’s Prajna Hall
We gather from the ten directions,
Here where the Buddhas are selected.
Whoever becomes enlightened will know
The face he had before his mother bore him,
And we’ll grant that he is comfortable, clear and cool.
We will sit in meditation for one hour and then walk for twenty-five minutes. The movement stimulates our circulation and the stillness purifies us of our random thoughts. We must reach the genuine stillness, then we will be able to give forth genuine wisdom and liberate ourselves from birth and death. This is the very best Dharma to cultivate, so don’t waste your time.
Day #1:December 23, 1972
If you’ve learned no other talent from your master than that of “I don’t remember,” you’ve done something wonderful! The Way lies simply in forgetting everything. Now, I have a story for you:
At T’ien T’ung Monastery, one of China’s largest, housing over five thousand monks, dhyana meditation is conducted during the winter months. It is said, “Dhyana in the winter and study in the summer.” Why practice dhyana in the winter? The cold weather makes it difficult to sleep and helps you work hard. You have to turn on your own personal heater and fight the cold. Once you have turned on your own internal heater, not only will you not be cold, you’ll perspire. So don’t be afraid of the cold.
At T’ien T’ung Monastery, no one ate after noon. During the dhyana session, however, what with twenty hours of hard work, not eating after noon, and the cold weather, everyone was hungry and began to toy with the idea of stealing food. The deacon, who had spiritual powers, knew this, and while seated in the hall in meditation, would send out a body that would go enter the storeroom, steal the rice crust, and set a piece in each of the meditation monks’ hands. Rice crust is the crisp layer of rice in the bottom of the pan which is saved and cooked with the next day’s rice. When the bell rang at the end of the sitting period, the monks ate their rice crust with surprise and delight and settled down to work with no further thoughts of stealing food. The amount of rice crust, however, decreased daily until, when it was almost gone, the quartermaster and the cook became concerned and began to wonder who the culprit was.
When they reported the losses to the Abbot Mi Tsu, who also had spiritual powers, he passed it off. “Forget it,” he said. “Maybe you’ve got mice in the pantry.” When the Abbot looked into the matter more deeply, he discovered that the deacon had stolen it.
The next day the Abbot went into the dhyana hall to meditate with the assembly, and sure enough, during the early evening sit the deacon went off to steal the rice crust. He didn’t use his physical body, however, he used his spirit. While his spirit was in the storeroom, the Abbot stashed his physical body underneath the meditation bench. When the deacon returned, he couldn’t find his body, and began to look everywhere for it. When he finally discovered it, he had great difficulty getting himself out from under the bench.
“What are you doing?” said the Abbot. “You’re stealing the rice crust again, eh? That’s a violation of the precepts, You’ll have to leave.”
The deacon replied, “I don’t mind leaving, but these people are too hungry to work. I must request that the Master set up provisional regulations allowing them a little something to eat in the evening.”
“That’s none of your concern,” said the Abbot.
“Perhaps not,” said the deacon, “but unless you grant my request, I won’t leave.”
Because of this the Abbot allowed everyone two vegetarian dumplings each evening.
The deacon left T’ien T’ung Monastery and headed for Hangkow. He passed through the bustling city of Nanking where, by means of his spiritual powers, he stopped to watch an opera. Then, using his spiritual powers once again, he went to Hangkow’s Kuei Yuan Monastery for lunch. The Abbot of Kuei Yuan also had spiritual powers. “Today,” he said, “a bhikshu is coming for lunch. We will eat first and then hit the boards.”
When the deacon arrived, he heard the boards being hit to signal lunch and went straight to the dining hall. But when he entered the hall he saw that everyone had already eaten. “Why aren’t you following the rules?” he demanded. “You are supposed to hit the boards first and then eat.”
“And why did you stop off at Nanking to attend the opera?” countered the Abbot.
Speechless, the deacon left. He went directly to Szechwan where he sat beneath two cinnamon trees to meditate. Later he built a monastery there called “Twin Cinnamon Monastery” which is also very well-known. That is the account of the stolen rice crust. We have among us one shameless bhikshuni who wanted to steal some ginseng. Therefore I have given you all ginseng tea to drink in the morning and in the evening, even though originally ginseng is not taken until the fourth day of a dhyana session. I only hope that you will all work hard and seek enlightenment. If you don’t, you’ll disappoint me, and the tea will have gone to waste.
You should all sacrifice your small selves and perfect your great selves, like the deacon who stole food for everyone else, not just for himself. This is sacrificing the small self and perfecting the great. The small self is the physical body; the Buddha-nature is the great self, for it is the total substance with great function. Living beings are a part of the Buddha-nature and so they must return to the root and go back to the source, return the parts to the whole in order to realize the great function. This is to sacrifice the small in order to perfect the great.
There are twenty people attending this Dhyana Session, which is not bad. I hope that you all put forth a great effort, use your time well, and arrive at your aim; return to the root and go back to the source.
Day #2: December 24, 1972 (afternoon)
The primary aim of a dhyana session is to unite body and mind. The body must follow the rules when walking, standing, sitting, and reclining. The mind must not fantasize or engage in thoughts of greed, hatred, or stupidity. You must single-mindedly investigate, “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” This investigation is like drilling a hole through a piece of wood. Prior to penetrating, there is the daily work of drilling. Our “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” is the drilling, and we must drill until we open enlightenment. Thus we investigate throughout the day, at every moment. When our investigation penetrates, everything which has not yet been understood will become clear.
In your investigation you should be like a cat stalking a mouse. The mouse is like one’s thoughts, and the recitation of “Who is reciting the Buddha’s name” while relentlessly guarding oneself against false thoughts, is like the cat.
Investigation is also like a dragon guarding its pearl. Always attentive to just his most precious possession, the dragon never strays from his gem. Again, investigation is like a hen brooding over her eggs, thinking about them day in and day out, until they finally hatch.
In our investigation of dhyana we must investigate continually without fear of heat or cold. We should be as conscientious as that mother hen. We absolutely must get through to “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” “Who am I?” and find the “Who,” thereby accomplishing our work.
There are many topics which may be used to investigate dhyana. “Who was I before my parents bore me?” is one. “What in the world is not subject to production, dwelling, decay, and extinction?” is another. “Dried excrement,” is another. Don’t laugh and call this a stinking topic, because it’s already dried out and has no odor! Besides, if you can investigate it you’ll come up with something that has a lot of “flavor” to it! Whichever topic you respond to is the best one for you.
From the Ch’ing Dynasty on, the topic most frequently used has been “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” The word “Who?” is most important, since no one knows who is mindful of the Buddha. If you know, you are enlightened.
“But the one mindful of the Buddha is just me!” you may say. “How could I not know who that is?”
When you die and have been cremated to ashes, where have you gone? To find the “you” of your self nature, which is mindful of the Buddha and which does not die, is the spiritual exercise of investigating dhyana. When your investigation reaches the point that the mountains are leveled, the seas disappear, and you doubt that there’s a way at all, then suddenly, there beyond the dark willows and the bright flowers is another village. Although you felt there was no way, there is yet another world, another realm—the realm of light peace. Those who can investigate to the ultimate point can experience freedom, independence, and the bliss of both body and mind—a bliss which is incomparable.
In cultivation one must neither forget the work nor force it, a point which is well-illustrated in the following story:
There was a man from Sung who notice that the sprouts in his fields were growing very slowly. Determined to think of a way to help them grow fast, he went to his field one day and pulled each sprout straight up an inch or two higher than it had been. He then returned home and said to his family, “I’m exhausted! I’ve spent the entire day helping my sprouts grow.” His son, wondering what new scientific method his father had discovered, went to the fields only to find that all the sprouts had withered and died.
Cultivation of the Way is similar. You should not be like the man of Sung who forced his plants to grow. The element of the wonderful enters your cultivation at the point when you neither relax your cultivation nor force it. An ancient has said, “Don’t try to go too fast or you won’t reach your aim. Don’t be satisfied with small gains or you will never accomplish great works.” Don’t be like one of my disciples who, after two years of cultivation wanted to know why she hadn’t become a Buddha. I asked her, “ You lived at home for more than ten years. What advantage did you gain in all that time?”
If it weren’t for the chill that strikes to the bone,
How could the plum blossom be so fragrant?
Plum trees bloom in the bitter cold and so their fragrance is especially sweet.
In investigating dhyana you should not fear pain or cold. Don’t sit during meditation waiting for the bell to ring like one of my disciples did when she first began to meditate. Her brain was clouded with a smog of thoughts then, but over the years she has gotten a little better. Her head is a little clearer, which indicates a bit of progress.
In general, when you first begin to investigate dhyana you will experience pain in your knees, ankles, and back which makes you uncomfortable. When people’s legs hurt, they stretch them out, and when their backs ache, they lean against the wall. But in the dhyana hall, one is beaten for stretching out his legs! And leaning against the wall is a violation of the rules. When there is pain you must be patient. Bear the pain, the hunger, and the fatigue. If Buddhist lay disciples can be like this, even more should those who have left the home life be like this! Resolve to break all pain barriers so that you may gain inner freedom and peace. Investigation of dhyana is basically a battle with the Demon King—birth and death. Since this is a battle of life and death, you should even more be able to resist a little pain. Will it kill you? No! So what is there to fear? One could speak forever about the advantages of investigating dhyana. I have spoken just a little.
During a dhyana session time is extremely valuable. Each second holds the chance to become enlightened. Don’t waste a minute! How do you know that in that very moment that you wasted you wouldn’t have become enlightened?
“Perhaps,” you may say. “But I don’t want to become enlightened. What use is it?”
Then why did you come here to investigate dhyana? If you have that attitude you will leave Gold Mountain empty-handed. Wouldn’t that be a shame?
When I participated in dhyana sessions I never left the dhyana hall except to attend to essential matters. Do you remember two years ago when five of you went to Taiwan to take the complete precepts? In Hong Kong you met Bhikshu Ming Kuan who told you that he and I had sat together for ten consecutive weeks of meditation during which time we sat in the hall both day and night. If he hadn’t mentioned that, I wouldn’t have remembered it. Now, in following me, you are perfecting your ability to forget things. Not bad! Keep it up and you can obtain my robe and bowl and then even be able to forget them!
We have talked enough. We should investigate more. Investigate to the point of no-enlightenment. After all, didn’t someone say earlier that enlightenment was useless?
Day #2 (Evening)
Meditation, like all cultivation, must be practiced daily without interruption.
“But when will I be enlightened?” you ask.
It all depends on how hard you work. If you investigate in the morning and in the evening, while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, your skill will mature and you will certainly become enlightened. For example, you can’t see the trees grow, but everyday they become taller. Meditation is like the wild grass growing in the spring; you can’t see it grow, but daily it becomes more profuse. If you don’t work, you are like a whetstone which decreases imperceptibly day by day.
“But people aren’t stone!” you say. “What decreases?”
What is lost is your inherent wisdom. Don’t think that you will obtain the Way immediately. Of course, everyone wants to become enlightened quickly, but if you don’t work how can you? When you went to school, you passed through grades from elementary school to high school to the University and then perhaps on to take a Master’s or a Doctor’s degree. It’s much less easy to become a Buddha.
Someone has regrets, “Had I known it would be this difficult, I never would have attended the session.” It’s too late now! Since you’ve already joined, you should finish what you began. I’ll tell you frankly that it won’t be a waste. When you attend one dhyana session, your Bodhi sprouts grow just that much taller. attend two sessions and they grow even taller. The day will certainly come when they bear fruit. So have no regrets. Not the slightest effort goes to waste, and the wisdom-life of your Dharma body will grow naturally. Even those who are not attending the session but who have just come to take a look plant good roots. Strive mightily and have no regrets!
When investigating, “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” things may get vague. You investigate diligently, but you can’t figure out “who” it is. If you can continue without stopping, however, you will give rise to a “feeling of doubt.” With great doubt there is great enlightenment; with a small doubt there is a small enlightenment; and with no doubt there is no enlightenment.
What is meant by “a feeling of doubt?” Beginning meditators may bring forth thoughts of doubt, but they can only be called “thoughts.” They don’t count as a “feeling” of doubt. They may think, “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” Then gradually the ghosts of the mad mind become collected and diminish until you gain control of the questioning thought of “Who?” This is called “investigation,” and is the “feeling of doubt.” When your skill is pure and ripe, even when you are not doubting, you will doubt without interruption. You will investigate the word “Who?” continuously for several hours with great clarity. At that time you won’t breathe, your pulse will have stopped, your thoughts will have stopped, and you will have attained profound and great enlightenment. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, you will be in samadhi, without entering or leaving it. Above there will be no heaven and below no earth; and in between there will be no people. Everything will be empty. Even empty space will have been obliterated. So the Shurangama Sutra says, “The void arises in the great enlightenment like a bubble arising on the sea. When the bubble bursts, emptiness basically does not exist, much less the three realms of existence.”
When empty space has been annihilated, what kind of state remains? When there is no emptiness, what confused thoughts can there be? At that time it is very easy to become enlightened, to return to the root and go back to the source, to understand your mind and see your nature. Understanding your mind and seeing your nature, there are no obstructions anywhere—no worries and no troubles. You are absolutely imperturbable. With samadhi like that, Mount T’ai could collapse in front of you and you wouldn’t be startled. A beautiful woman—or a handsome man—could stand in front of you, but you wouldn’t move at all. That is independence, true independence!
Those who wish to become enlightened must not be lazy; all the Patriarchs and Buddhas of the past were heroically vigorous. Then they were able to realize the Way, perfect the three enlightenments, and complete the ten thousand conducts.
In the Ch’an Hall, the vigorous ones make progress. The Ch’an Hall is called the Prajna Hall and so the verse says,
In Gold Mountain Monastery)]’s Prajna Hall,
We gather from the ten directions,
Here, where Buddhas are selected.
Whoever becomes enlightened will know
The face he had before his mother bore him,
And we’ll grant that he is comfortable, clear, and cool.
The Prajna Hall has been designed as a place for you to refine your wisdom. You should become smarter the more you study, not stupider.
“It’s too bitter,” you say. “I really can’t take it.”
If you can endure what you can’t endure and conquer all difficulties, you are an extraordinary person. Any person can do common things. You should strive to be one who stands above the crowd. Then you will be a person of honor and ability, one capable of great undertakings.
The Buddhas have gathered here from the ten directions in the hall where the Buddhas are selected. We, too, have assembled from the ten directions to cultivate and train together. Let’s see who can be the first to become enlightened and realize Buddhahood. Whoever can find his original face, the one he had before he was born, will obtain genuine independence, clarity and ease.
I hope that you will be able to find out “who” you were before your mother gave birth to you. Not that face with the blue eyes, but the one you had before you were born—your original face. Search! We must find out “Who?”
Day #3: December 25, 1972 (Evening)
Here in the Buddha-selecting Hall, the assembly is undergoing an examination. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are the certifiers. If you pass the test you become a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. If you fail, you have to begin again. The topic is “collecting garbage.” Some time ago I gave one of my disciples the nickname “The Garbage Collector.” I gave him this name because he volunteered to pay the temple’s garbage bills. Now we are collecting the garbage. What garbage? The garbage in our brains—the lust, jealousy, afflictions, greed, anger, and stupidity. Our investigation of dhyana is like using the vajra sword of wisdom to cut off our emotion and desires, ignorance and affliction.
When the Buddha was in the world he had a disciple named “Little Roadside” who had no memory whatsoever. Since he forgot everything, he was unable to cultivate. Shakyamuni Buddha taught him to recite “sweep clean,” and by using this method he finally obtained the Way. Investigating dhyana is like sweeping. The “Who?” of “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” sweeps our minds and clears away all mixed-up thoughts and false notions. If you can investigate the word “Who?” the heavenly demons and outside ways have no way to snare you. You constantly grasp the wisdom sword to conquer all deviant beings, and use the white whisk to brush away the demons so they can’t find a place to worm their way in. If you forget the word “Who?” you have dropped your sword and whisk and the demons may wriggle their way in. This is why it is essential to maintain single-minded concentration when meditating. Those who truly work are unaware of hunger, thirst, cold, or heat. They reach the point where they know nothing at all and yet understand everything. No matter what, you must push it to the extreme, for it is at the extreme that the change will occur. At the ultimate, stillness is movement and movement is stillness.
Daytime is movement and nighttime is stillness. Arriving at the extremity of stillness, there is movement. When the darkest point of the night is reached, daytime begins. This cyclical pattern occurs over various lengths of time. For example, there is also the movement and stillness of the yearly cycle. The winter solstice is the beginning of yang, which is movement, and the summer solstice is the beginning of yin, which is stillness. In the daily cycle, stillness begins at noon, not at sunset. Movement begins, not at dawn, but at midnight when the first yang energies begin to rise. At noon, the yin energies arise. There are twelve divisions of time:
rat 11-1 a.m. |
horse 11 -1 p.m. |
rise of yang |
rise of yin |
ox 1-3 | sheep 1-3 |
tiger 3-5 | monkey 3-5 |
hare 5-7 | cock 5-7 |
dragon 7-9 | dog 7-9 |
snake 9-11 | boar 9-11 |