Zen is not about learning a particular kind of exotic behavior. Real Zen can't be imitated because what is uncovered in awakening or satori is pure Mind which is luminous and the very substance of phenomena including even our thoughts. Having said this, probably, not everyone will agree with me. Some I am sure think Zen is a matter of behaving a certain way. They need to be corrected When we read Daoxin's (580–651) advice to Farong (594–657) it is easy to see the thin end of the wedge begin to open the door of imitation, behavior oriented Zen.
"When there is not a single teaching left, then you are just left to abide in your own nature; with no need to worry about your behavior; no need to practice cleansing austerities; but just living a life without desires; with a mind without anger, without cares; completely at ease and without impediment; acting according to your own will; without needing to take on any good or evil affairs; just walking, abiding, sitting, and lying down; with whatever meets your eye being nothing other than the essential source; and all of it is but the sublime function of Buddha; blissful and without care."
Most of these kinds of stories (not all of course) seem to me to be the work of literati biographers. No mention is made of the luminous Mind. When a person has awakened to the luminous Mind it is not something that a person already awakened cannot detect. It is also true that if a person awakens to this luminous Mind in some cave ten miles from their nearest neighbor the awakening is not without a specific effect. To reach this unconditioned pure, luminous Mind is more than just being in a state where "there is not a single teaching left." This is a state when one has come to their wits' end. There is nothing more to grab hold of—you're grabbed out! But you still haven't arrived!
What Daoxin seems to be describing is being at our wits' end with nothing left to do—I mean, what can we do? We've done it before. It didn't work. So we "live a life without desires; with a mind without anger, without cares." So what? There is still one final hurdle. If a person has really, really, stopped patting the water down, so to speak, trying to push down the ripples on the mind-water—they will see the old Buddha face to face soon enough. If not, they still have a long way to go. They are still unconsciously patting down the ripples. And what do I mean by this? Such people are still trying to think and act their way to the luminous Mind.
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