Hsin Shin Ming: “31. If you doubt based on limited views like a fox’s, the more you hurry, the slower you go.”
‘Doubt based on limited views like a fox’s’ means to try to attain enlightenment by figuring out what it is through knowledge. Enlightenment is the capability to see things as they are. Put simply, we are not enlightened because we can’t see things as they are. To see things as they are means to see things without any imaginary lines which are labels, words. It is because our views are clouded by words which are just imaginary lines that we can’t see things as they are. So, enlightenment can be described as escaping from the net of imaginary lines.
Trying to work out what enlightenment is through knowledge is trying to attain enlightenment by making use of words that are only imaginary lines. The more knowledge we want for better understanding, the more words we need. This is contrary to our intention to see things without any imaginary lines. So, if we try to attain enlightenment through knowledge, the more we hurry, the slower we go.
Student: “Why can’t I attain enlightenment even though I have heard a lot about it?”
Master: “Because you have not heard what can’t be spoken.”
Student: “How can I hear what can’t be spoken?”
Master: “It is hidden in what is spoken.”
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