buddhism
Joshu
The poet’s life is the same. Every drop of rain in the face.
Once a visiting official asked Master Joshu, “Is the master able to enter into the hell realms?”
The master said, “I entered the hell realms long ago.”
The official asked, “Why did you, a great Zen master, enter into hell?”
The master said, “If I didn’t enter into hell, who would teach you?”Joshu [Zhaozhou Congshen, or 趙州從諗], 778-897 China
When you are aware of Buddha, you are Buddha
When you are aware of Buddha, you are Buddha.
When you are aware of deluded thoughts, you remain an unenlightened person.
–Dayi Daoxin (大毉道信 ) China 580-651
A true observation: how it is and feels, how it works
“What does prajna mean? Prajna means ‘wisdom.’ At all times to keep your thoughts free of ignorance and always to practice wisdom, this is what we mean by the practice of prajna. One thought of ignorance, and prajna stops. One thought of wisdom, and prajna reappears. A person whose mind is full of ignorance says ‘I’m practicing prajna.’ But prajna has no form. It’s the nature of wisdom.”
–The Platform Sutra, trans. Red Pine
‘The True Dharma Eye’
“Morality without enlightenment is not yet morality. Enlightenment and morality are nondual in the Way. One does not exist without the other . The truth is not beyond good and evil as is commonly believed. It is, rather , a way of living one’s life with a definite moral commitment that is practiced, realized, and verified within the realm of good and evil itself, yet remains undefiled by them.”
House Burning Down
“When my house burned down, I gained an unobstructed view of the moonlit sky.”
-Mizuta Masahide (1657–1723)
Linji’s How-To for Buddhists & Zen practitioners
“Followers of the Way, the Dharma of the Buddhas calls for no special undertakings. Just act ordinary, without trying to do anything particular. Move your bowels, piss, get dressed, eat your rice, and if you get tired, then lie down. Fools may laugh at me, but wise men will know what I mean.”
– Linji Yixuan, 9th c. China
A Buddha is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad
A Buddha is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad. Such is his power that karma can’t hold him. No matter what kind of karma, a Buddha transforms it. Heaven and hell are nothing to him. But the awareness of a mortal is dim compared to that of a Buddha, who penetrates everything, inside and out. – Bodhidharma
The way to study true Zen is not verbal
“I feel sorry that I cannot help you very much. But the way to study true Zen is not verbal. Just open yourself and give up everything. Whatever happens, whether you think it is good or bad, study closely and see what you find out. This is the fundamental attitude. Sometimes you will do things without much reason, like a child who draws pictures whether they are good or bad. If that is difficult for you, you are not actually ready to practice zazen.”
— Shunryu Suzuki, Not Always So
Sengkan and transformative illumination
It’s really this simple: like unzipping a zipper.
When Daoxin (the 4th Patriarch) was 14 he traveled to see Sengkan, so named since his transformative encounter with Master Hui’ke.
Daoxin pleaded “I beg the master to have mercy. Please instruct me on how to achieve release.”
The master said “Is there someone who constrains you?”
Daoxin said “There is no such person.”
The master said “Why then seek release when you are constrained by no one?”
Layman Pang
“Only hope to make empty that which exists.
Be careful not to make real that which does not exist.”-Shōbōgenzō, Case 16
A Biscuit In The Sun 