Rinzai 33
Nor do you need to look for worthiness; it will arise by itself.
Followers of the Way, the old masters had ways of saving men. Do not let yourselves be deluded by anyone; this is all I teach.
If you want to make use of genuine insight, then use it right now without delay or doubt.
Commentary:
‘Worthiness’ here means genuine insight, or the true-Self. ‘Saving men’ means to save people from the world of illusions which is compared to a burning house, that is, to get them to attain enlightenment. Old masters’ ways of saving men were to stop people from being deluded by anyone, or any illusions since the worthiness arises by itself only if we are not deluded by illusions. So, Rinzai said that all he taught was to tell his students not to be deluded by anyone. By saying to his students ‘If you want to make use of genuine insight, then use it right now without delay or doubt’, Rinzai, revealing the true-Self, suggested that his students themselves were none other than the true-Self they were looking for.
Student: “What is an illusion?”
Master: “All words are illusions.”
Student: “How can we explain genuine insight, the true-Self if all words are removed?”
Master: “The true-Self explains itself when all words are removed.”
©Boo Ahm
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