Author: Zen Fools

A. Seen from the perspective of the realm of form, all things are different from each other, and nothing is the same as anything else. However, when we see things as they really are, that is, from the perspective of the realm of emptiness, everything is the same and nothing is different from anything else.

The end of an ice pick symbolises the realm of form and the handle of it the realm of emptiness. This means that we are so addicted to seeing things merely from the perspective of the realm of form that we fail to see them from the perspective of the realm of emptiness. The purpose of Buddhism is to enable people to see things in both ways; the perspective of the realm of form and the perspective of emptiness.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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When the Buddha was alive, seven wise sisters happened to pass a cemetery. One of them, pointing to a dead body, asked the others, “The corpse is here. Where is the man?” One of them said, “What? Why? Why?” All of them attained enlightenment upon hearing these words. Then, surprised to see them get enlightened, a heavenly God, spraying flowers, said, “Oh, my glorious sisters, what do you need? I will be willing to provide you with whatever you need forever.” The sisters answered, “We have everything we need. But if you want to help us, we hope to have three more things; one is a tree without a root, another is a patch of land without light and shade, and the third is a valley that doesn’t make any echo even if we shout.” The heavenly God said, “I have everything needed, but I don’t have the three things you mentioned.” The sisters responded, “If you don’t have these things, how can you save people from their suffering?” The heavenly God went to the Buddha and asked him about the meaning of these things. The Buddha answered, “Even my students who have practised a lot don’t know the meaning of these things. Only Bodhisattvas can know the meaning of them.”

Student: “How did they attain enlightenment when they heard a sister say, ‘What? Why? Why?’?”

Master: “She didn’t say any words and they didn’t hear any words.”

Commentary:

Seeing and hearing are the source of all calamities.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Followers of the Way, do not seek for anything in written words. It will tire your heart. Inhaling icy air is of no profit. These are not as good as going beyond the expediential Bodhisattvas of the Three Vehicles through realising that karma is empty in a single thought. Venerable Ones, do not delay and spend your days idly. In former days when I could not yet see clearly, all the world seemed dark to me. I could not get beyond light and shade. I ran around in a flurry, asking about the Way. Later I gained strength, and now I am here, preaching deliverance to you, followers of the Way. I advise you not to think of your food and clothes. Life in the world passes quickly, and meeting an enlightened teacher is as difficult as meeting the flower of Udumbara that only blooms once in 3000 years.

Commentary:

Pursuing enlightenment by following the literal meaning of Buddhist literature will consume your time and energy fruitlessly. Inhaling icy air, that is, listening to Dharma talks clinging to each word, is of no profit as well. These efforts are not as good as realising that all the Buddhist teachings of the Three Vehicles are no more than the expediential Bodhisattvas which are the functions of the true-Self.

Life is too short to be spent doing worldly things. Once one has become a monastic, one should apply oneself to pursuing enlightenment without being distracted with concerns about food and clothes. Meeting Buddhism and an enlightened teacher is as rare a lifetime opportunity as meeting the flower of Udumbara which is an imaginary flower symbolising the Buddha. When we meet a good teacher, we should make the most of the good opportunity by devoting ourselves to practice.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

#zen #meditation #zenmeditation #enlightened #enlightenment #zenfools #photography

A. In fact, the Buddha cannot be explained as existent or non-existent, because it is the state perfectly free of discrimination and words that come from it. Being existent and being non-existent are also words resulting from discrimination. The Buddha is the state that transcends being existent and being non-existent. In this state there cannot even be anyone who can ask or answer a question. So, the historical Buddha said on his death bed, “Not a word have I said,” for fear that his disciples would cling to his words. This is why ancient masters would say, “Some people say that the Buddha doesn’t exist, but the whole universe is full of it without any rift. Although the Buddha is said to exist, thousands of saints have difficulty finding it.”

Student: “What is the Buddha?”

Master: “You are already wrong. If I answer your question, I will also be wrong.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Dayi asked his teacher Sengcan, the Third Ancestor, “What is the mind of the ancient Buddhas?” Sengcan said, “What kind of mind do you have now?” Dayi said, “I have no mind.” Sengcan said, “Since you have no mind, why would you think Buddhas have mind?” Dayi immediately ceased to have doubt.

Student: “I still don’t understand. What is the mind of the ancient Buddhas?”

Master: “It is identical to yours.”

Student: “Then, what is the identical mind like?”

Master: “Ask me again.”

Student: “What is the identical mind like?”

Master: “I am not deaf.”

Commentary:

Don’t mistake the envelop for the contents of the letter.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Followers of the Way, even if you know how to explain and interpret a hundred volumes of Sutras and Treatises, better it is to be peaceful and a master who has nothing further to seek. If you know how to interpret and explain, you hold others in contempt and create hellish Karma with the competitive mind of the Asuras and the ignorance of man’s ego like the monk Sonsong who completed the study of the Twelve Divisions of the Teachings, yet fell living into hell. The earth no longer could hold him. Far better to have nothing further to seek, and to put oneself at ease. When hungry, I eat my food. When sleepy, I shut my eyes. Fools laugh at me; the wise understand.

Commentary:

Having intellectual knowledge of Buddhism and enlightenment, no matter how vast it may be, is not as good as being a peaceful man who has nothing further to seek by realising that everything is empty. You should know that enlightenment cannot be attained by accumulating knowledge but rather by doing away with it because what can be increased or decreased is an illusion. Despising people with less knowledge than yours and feeling competitive towards those who have more knowledge than you do is to create hellish karma. Once you have realised that you are the true-Self itself you are looking for and that whatever you do and speak is the function of the true-Self, eating a meal when hungry and sleeping when sleepy is much better than pursuing enlightenment through intellectual understanding.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

#zen #meditation #zenmeditation #enlightened #enlightenment #zenfools #photography

A. There is a beautiful conversation about the Way that enlightened layman Pang had with his wife and his daughter. He said, “The Way is as difficult as spreading 1800 litres of sesame seeds out on a tree.” His wife responded, “The Way is as easy as climbing out of bed and stepping on the floor.” Then, his daughter said, “The Way is neither difficult nor easy. All kinds of grasses are the meaning of the Way.” In essence the Way, like all other things, is neutral; neither easy nor difficult. It is not the Way itself but our perspective that determines whether it is difficult or easy. This means that difficulty and ease are not real but imaginary, illusionary conceptions created by our discrimination.

Student: “Then, is his daughter right and are he and his wife wrong?”

Master: “Right and wrong are also illusions.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

#zen #meditation #zenmeditation #enlightened #enlightenment #zenfools #photography

Dayi asked his teacher Sengcan, the Third Ancestor, “What is the mind of the ancient Buddhas?” Sengcan said, “What kind of mind do you have now?” Dayi said, “I have no mind.” Sengcan said, “Since you have no mind, why would you think Buddhas have mind?” Dayi immediately ceased to have doubt.

Student: “I still don’t understand. What is the mind of the ancient Buddhas?”

Master: “It is identical to yours.”

Student: “Then, what is the identical mind like?”

Master: “That’s it. Nothing else.”

Commentary:

Don’t wander around looking for yourself with a picture of you in your hand.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

#zen #meditation #zenmeditation #enlightened #enlightenment #zenfools #photography

Followers of the Way, there are certain bald fellows who try to attain the Dharma for getting out of the world by applying their efforts to this. They are doing wrong. To seek the Buddha is to lose the Buddha. To seek the Way is to lose the Way. To seek the patriarchs is to lose the patriarchs. Venerable ones, do not be deceived. I do not care whether you are well versed in the Sutras and Treatises. I do not care whether you are imperial ministers. I do not care if your eloquence is like a mountain torrent. I do not care whether you are sagacious and wise. I only care whether you have true and genuine insight.

Commentary:

‘Try to attain the Dharma for getting out of the world by applying their efforts to this’ means trying to attain enlightenment by directing their efforts to words such as the Three Vehicles and the Five Natures, as well as the Complete and Sudden Teachings mentioned previously. Trying to attain enlightenment by clinging to words is running counter to it since it can be attained only beyond intellectual understanding. ‘To seek the Buddha is to lose the Buddha. To seek the Way is to lose the Way. To seek the patriarchs is to lose the patriarchs’ means that seeking them is chasing after illusions of the Buddha, the Way and the patriarchs and being deluded by the words such as the Buddha, the Way and the patriarchs. This is why ancient masters would say that we should treat the Sutras and masters’ words as enemies. In other words, no matter how well read you are in the Sutras and Treatises, no matter how high and powerful your position is, no matter how fluently you speak, and no matter how clever and wise you are, they are nothing before the true and genuine insight, enlightenment because they are merely illusions.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

#zen #meditation #zenmeditation #enlightened #enlightenment #zenfools #photography

A. ‘The Buddha is illusionary’ implies that there is no other Buddha than that which reaches your eyes and ears. If you, imagining that there is a Buddha who is almighty, holy, glorious and splendid somewhere else out of your reach, seek to see or meet him, you are being deluded by the illusion of the Buddha, that is, you are chasing after the illusion of the Buddha.

In fact, there is nothing but the Buddha. We cannot stop seeing and hearing him even for a moment. Only when we are deluded by the names and forms of that which we see and hear are they referred to as illusions. In essence they are all part of the Buddha. When we see them as they really are, we can recognise them as the Buddha. So, calling the Buddha an illusion is belittling him. This is why illusions are to speak ill of him.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

#zen #meditation #zenmeditation #enlightened #enlightenment #zenfools #photography