In the early 1960s I became interested in Buddhism through Zen Buddhism. My philosophy teacher happened to know D.T. Suzuki and even had ice-cream with him. I didn't become interested in Buddhism because I was depressed or leaned towards atheism or because I was a materialist. I was genuinely intrigued by how koans worked and what they revealed.
Over the years I ran into people who were devout Christians then became atheists and decided to take up Buddhism. Others, I had met were deeply depressed. They believed Buddhism might better help them to cope with their depression. Still others were looking for a new religion or were just curious. None, I had met, said they were interested in seeing what the Buddha saw when he became awakened. For some reason I equated this with solving a koan. This meant that I believed a special, unique experience was what awakening was about.
This soon turned into a challenge for me. What do I have to do to get there? Is it wearing Buddhist robes, abstaining from sex forever, kissing a teacher’s butt, and sitting on my ass on a pillow for several hours a day? I tried these things but to no avail. My basic commonsense reason informed me that there was a huge disconnect between what the Buddha taught in the Lankavatara Sutra, for example, and being a houseboy for my teacher whom, I later found out was having-sex very close with a fellow monk. After that, I figured it would be safer to study Buddhism and Zen on my own, and if the gods so willed it, I would find someone who might give the right clue I was looking for, then I could go from there (which did happen).
Looking back, I am glad I took this road. Teachers are a dime a dozen these days. This is not to suggest there are no good teachers out there in Buddha land. But they are far and few between. The big clue to how to tell a good teacher from one who is, frankly, a bullshiter is how much to they teach about the pure Mind? They don’t have to use the exact term pure Mind. Unborn Mind or Buddha Mind will do fine. Bodhicitta is okay, too. A good teacher talks almost incessantly about such a Mind. It’s the core of their teaching and their soul. Everything else about them is conditioned except this Mind which is unconstructed and unconditioned.
Getting to the genuine realization of this Mind is not dependent on teachers, a temple, robes, and other props. It is to be found within us. The problem as to why we don’t see it, is how do you see something so incredibly pure it almost seems like it’s not there? It is like a clear, transparent jewel that takes on any color it is placed over. Still, it is something real and solid. This is the kind of subtly we are dealing with. It’s something we have to accomplish. We personally have to see that pure Mind. Otherwise our practice has been a waist of time.