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Guizong Holds Up a Fist

Once Guizong was asked by Governor Libo, “I am not asking about the Three Vehicles and the Twelve Divisions of Sutras. But what is the meaning of Bodhidharma’s coming from India?”
Guizong held up his fist and said, “Do you understand?”
Libo said, “No, I don’t.”
Guizong said, “You have studied extensively, yet you don’t know what a fist is!”
Libo said, “Truly, I don’t understand it.”
Guizong said, “If you meet a true person, you are fulfilled in the Way. If you do not meet a true person, you spread worldly truth.”

Student: “Why did Guizong hold up his fist when asked the meaning of Bodhidharma’s coming from India by Libo?”
Master: “He gave a very kind answer to Libo.”
Student: “Guizong told Libo that if Libo met a true person, he would be fulfilled in the Way. Who is the true person?”
Master: “Can you lift your fist?”
Student: “Of course, I can.”
Master: “That’s it.”
Student: “I don’t understand what you mean.”
Master: “That’s it.”
Student: “What do you mean by ‘That’s it’?”
Master: “That’s it.”

Commentary:
If you are not deluded by illusions, every single word from your mouth is the Way and there is no action that is not the Way.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Hsin Shin Ming: “51. Consider the movement in stillness and the stillness in movement, both movement and stillness disappear.”

Here movement stands for illusions, and stillness means Emptiness. ‘Consider the movement in stillness’ means to realise that illusions are in Emptiness and Emptiness is in illusions. ‘Both movement and stillness disappear’ means that both the illusion of ‘illusion’ and the illusion of ‘Emptiness’ disappear. So, this scripture says that if we realise that illusions are not separate from but are one with Emptiness, both the illusion of ‘Emptiness’ and the illusion of ‘illusion’ will disappear.

To cling to Emptiness and to struggle to avoid illusions is to make yet another error of being deluded by the illusions of ‘Emptiness’ and ‘illusion’. When we realise that illusions and Emptiness are not separate from each other but are one, the one is neither an illusion nor Emptiness. Then, there is neither an illusion nor Emptiness. This means that both movement and stillness disappear. In summary, realising that illusions and Emptiness are one means that they disappear; this is enlightenment.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Q. What can be said about what is within all the impermanent changing forms?

A. All the impermanent changing forms are to what is within them as all winds are to air. All the impermanent changing forms are from and based on what is within them, just as all winds are from and based on air. The impermanent changing forms are compared to the storehouse of the jewel. What is within them is called Emptiness, Buddha or Oneness in Buddhism and God or Jesus in Christianity, which is compared to the jewel. The purpose of Zen meditation is to realise what the jewel is and to become able to see all the impermanent changing forms and what is within them simultaneously. To become like this is known in Buddhism as attaining enlightenment and in Christianity as attaining eternal life.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Yaoshan’s “This Buddha, That Buddha.”

Monastic Zun was at the assembly of Yaoshan and was the head altar attendant. While he was bathing Buddha images on Buddha’s birthday, Yaoshan asked him, “Have you bathed this one or have you bathed that one?” Zun said, “Please hand that one to me.”
Yaoshan stopped.

Student: “What is the difference between this Buddha and that Buddha?”
Master: “You see this Buddha and not that Buddha.”
Student: “What did Zun mean when he said, ‘Please hand that one to me’?”
Master: “He meant to show this Buddha.”

Commentary:
This Buddha is the appearance of that Buddha, and that Buddha is that of this Buddha.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Hsin Hsin Ming: “50. Do away with the cause and there is nothing to compare it with.”

‘There is nothing to compare it with’ means that there is no effect to follow the cause. The world of form where we are living is the world of cause and effect. All suffering we have is the result of causation. This scripture tells us to do away with the cause in order to escape from the suffering that is the effect of cause.

How should we remove the cause? How can we, first and foremost, recognise the cause? In fact, it is impossible to distinguish and separate cause from effect, since everything is both the effect of its cause and the cause for another effect at the same time. If we interpret this scripture literally, we should do away with all the things that we see and hear, irrespective of whether they are living things or non-living things.

How can we do that? The secret is to realise that everything is empty. When we see everything as empty, the cause is empty. When the cause is empty, the effect that comes as a result of the cause is also naturally empty. So, the Heart Sutra says that all sentient beings should escape from all suffering by realising that everything is empty.

Therefore, I recommend that people who practise Zen meditation should have a new definition of cause and effect. The cause of everything, good or bad, is making discriminations. So, to do away with the cause is to realise that everything is empty, that is, to stop discriminating.

Student: “What is cause and effect?”
Master: “Your discrimination is the cause and being deluded by it is the effect.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Q. If everything that can be described in words is an illusion, including emptiness, my trying to see things as empty is to add another illusion to the rest of them. Then, am I an illusion trying to understand illusions by making more illusions?

A. Yes, you are also an illusion unless you realise that you are emptiness itself. Everything is emptiness when you are enlightened, just as everything is an illusion when you are not enlightened. Whatever good things you may say or do, they are all just illusions until you get enlightened. When you are not enlightened, even emptiness is an illusion as well.

When you are enlightened, there is only emptiness and nothing else since it is non-Duality. In emptiness there is no one who tries to see things as empty and nothing to see as empty. This is why emptiness is also referred to as non-I. As long as there are things that you try to see as empty, and you yourself who tries to see them as empty, you and all things that you see and hear are illusions.

Student: “What is Emptiness?”
Master: “All illusions.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Changqing’s “Seeing Form, Seeing Mind.”

Changqing asked Baofu, “Seeing form is no other than seeing mind. Do you see the boat?”
Baofu said, “Yes, I do.”
Changqing said, “Putting the boat aside, what is mind?”
Baofu pointed at the boat.

Student: “Why did Baofu point at the boat when he was asked what mind was, putting the boat aside?”
Master: “Because he was told to put the boat aside.”

Commentary:
Don’t forget saying that seeing form is no other than seeing mind.
Don’t forget saying that Baofu pointed at the boat.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Hsin Shin Ming: “49. When all things are seen without differentiation, you return to the origin and remain what you are.”

‘All things are seen without differentiation’ means to see all things as they are, or to see without discrimination. ‘Return to the origin’ means to realise that everything is empty and that you are also emptiness itself. ‘Remain what you are’ means not to strive any more to escape from what you are by realising that you are perfection itself as emptiness.

So, this scripture signifies that if you can see everything as it is without discrimination, you come to stop struggling to escape from what you are and go to paradise or heaven by realising that you are already there.

Student: “How can I return to the origin?”
Master: “Where is the word ‘origin’ from?”
Student: “From my mouth.”
Master: “Go into your mouth.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway http://ow.ly/i/HGIKR

Q. What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ signify?

A. No Christians think that Jesus passed away. If they believed that he passed away when he was crucified, how would they pray to him who does not exist anymore? Then, where is he if he didn’t pass away? How can we see and feel him? Even though he resurrected, what is the use of his resurrection if we cannot feel it in person? Actually, it is not an exaggeration to say that the resurrection of Jesus Christ, implying his eternity, is the core of Christianity.

The resurrection of Jesus means to realise that there is no birth and no death and that you are eternity itself by seeing everything as it is. When there is no birth and no death, Jesus’s death is not death. Put simply, to realise that Jesus’s death is not death is Jesus’s resurrection. When Jesus’s death is not death, your death is not death, either. In other words, Jesus’s resurrection is your resurrection since you can understand Jesus’s resurrection only when you realise that you are eternity itself.

In conclusion, there is no use in just believing in Jesus’s resurrection, even if he were to resurrect a hundred times, if you cannot get your own resurrection. To realise that you are eternity itself, by seeing everything as it is, is the true resurrection of Jesus.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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Nanquan’s Sickle

Nanquan was once on the mountain, working. A monastic came by and asked him, “Which is the Way that leads to Mt. Nanquan?”
Nanquan raised his sickle and said, “I bought this sickle for thirty pence.” The monastic said, “I am not asking about the sickle you bought for thirty pence. Which is the Way that leads to Mt. Nanquan?”
Nanquan said, “It feels good when I use it.”

Student: “Why did Nanquan raise his sickle and say, ‘I bought this sickle for thirty pence’ when he was asked the Way to Mt. Nanquan?”
Master: “Don’t misunderstand him. He didn’t say that.”
Student: “What did he say?”
Master: “He said, ‘I bought this sickle for thirty pence’.”

Commentary:
Nanquan hands the monastic a cup of dainty tea.
The monastic only sees the cup without seeing the tea in it.

©Boo Ahm

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