When Bodhidharma spoke of the two entrances, namely, ‘insight’ (C., li) and ‘practice’ (C., hsing) he was not speaking of methods to attain enlightenment but presenting instructions as a way of further enhancing Mind’s awakening. This may help to explain why those new to Zen Buddhism have a difficult time making any headway in grasping the recondite essence of Zen because they have not accessed the way (C., ju-tao) which according to Zen master Tao-shin (580–651), who was the fourth patriarch, may take from one to five years. Tao-shin elaborates on this with the question, “How can we awaken to the true nature of things—our minds attaining lucid purity?”
It is neither by meditating on the Buddha nor by trying to seize [pure] Mind, nor by trying to see Mind [as if it were an object], nor by analyzing Mind, nor by reflecting upon it, nor mentally discerning it, nor by scattering and confusion, but through giving yourself over to the course of heaven and earth (C., chih-ren-yün). In other words, don’t force anything to go or stay. By abiding in the one sole purity does the Mind become illuminated and pure. Accordingly, some people can see the Mind is lucid and pure like a bright mirror. Some need a year for the Mind to become lucid and pure while others need five years. Some can attain awakening with the help of others, or without ever being taught by others. The Nirvana Sutra says: “The nature of the Mind of beings is like a pearl which when in water is hidden by the water’s agitation but when the agitation ceases, the pearl is revealed.”
The gist of Tao-shin’s words for a beginner who is earnestly trying to have an initial awakening is to approximate Mind’s solitary purity. The old adage “like is known by like” certainly applies. By more or less upholding the one sole purity, as if pure Mind were like a homogeneous field or an unagitated super medium, any attempt on the part of the beginner—gross or subtle—to objectify Mind immediatly causes interference so that the beginner is forced to re-calm this field. Thus, by this practice is gradually built up the proper conditions for awakening.
Turning to the example of zazen (C., tso-ch’an), sitting as such for the beginner who wishes to awaken to Mind involves a solitary focus of the body through cross-legged sitting. This helps put the body somewhat in accord with pure Mind. But the beginner must go one step more. Not only must they work with the body in zazen by sitting correctly, the body must also be put in accord with Mind through the breath (S., prana)—above all, understanding that Mind fundamentally leads and is prior to breathing and the breathing is prior to the gross physical body. With this kind of zazen, over time the beginner may begin to grasp that Mind has an inner constancy but is nothing ascertainable by the senses except the body is effected by Mind. In the words of Zen master Tao-shin it is a “mysterious spiritual power that is never exhausted but always shines clearly this being our Buddha-nature.”
Harking back to Bodhidharma’s ‘insight and ‘practice’, after awakening to Mind, both insight and practice help to remove the old habit of regarding the body as one’s lord including its carnal demands! Over time, by insight and practice, the light of Mind grows significantly in power. In the Dasabhumika, it is said that the Bodhisattva’s charge gets larger by orders of magnitude as he advances from stage (bhumi) to stage. First he has 1000 samadhis, then a 100,000, then a 1,000,000 samadhis, etc.
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