The Buddha said that he taught his dharma for the purification of beings. This purification means removing what is dross and not intrinsic to our true nature which is undefiled and immaculate. We have to keep in mind that the dross is mixed with our true nature or pure Mind such at it is there but we don’t recognize it. It is right in front of our nose in a manner of speaking. It is like looking for our glasses while we are wearing them. The pure Mind has never been absent. The problem is, we just don’t recognize it.
This pure Mind or true nature is said to be like pure gold, water free from dirt, or the sky without a cloud. In dealing with this matter we soon learn that the path to awakening is not an easy journey. Complicating our journey, even though we understand that we must remove the dross which requires a special kind of purification or removal process; we also have to acknowledge that this purity is real. We will behold it, directly, and face to face. Knowing this, we are still not out of the woods. Delusion—subtle delusion—still confronts us. Hui-neng, the Sixth Patriarch, gives an illustration of this problem.
If someone speaks of 'viewing purity,' [then I would say] that man's nature is of itself pure, but because of false thoughts True Reality is obscured. If you exclude delusions then the original nature reveals its purity. If you activate your mind to view purity without realizing that your own nature is originally pure, delusions of purity will be produced.
The biggest problem, taking our inspiration from Hui-neng, is when we activate our mind to view or conceive purity, delusions of purity will be produced. We even need to purify our drive to activate our mind to see purity which only gives us more dross—more obstructions. This is where we come to what I have said before is going to our wits’ end. This is the great mystery. All of our presuppositions and the need to activate our mind to form an image of purity have subsided all at once. There it is.
Comments