Bill!, What do you think?
Mike ________________________________ From: Bill! <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thu, 3 March, 2011 10:13:56 Subject: [Zen] Re: Is Enlightenment a process? Mike, I was amused at the question you asked at the very end of your post below. Was the humor intentional? ...Bill! --- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote: > > It seems to be the view of many Buddhist practioners (and on this >forum) that > > meditation is essential for Self-Realisation. I meditate myself and have sat > in > > 10 day retreats here in japan, but I don't believe that Realisation is a >process > > (ie thru meditation). Rather, the Absolute is unborn - without beginning or >end > > - and can be realised simply by 'waking up' to our true nature. Does >meditation > > help us to wake up? Undoubtedly! It's just that meditation has nothing to do > with enlightenment per se. > > > The Buddha Mind is none other than our own pure, original mind that is always > present, and merely hidden by deluded thought. Many Zen texts from the > earliest > > times describe this: > > > Hongren (600-674): Just as the light of the sun is never destroyed, but is > merely obscured by clouds and mists, the pure mind possessed by all sentient > beings is merely hidden by layered clouds of discursive thinking, false >notions, > > and deluded views. Just clearly maintain [awareness of] the mind and do not >give > > rise to false notions. The Dharma sun of nirvana will then naturally appear. > Thus we know that our minds are inherently pure. > > > Huineng (638ï½°713): Huineng said, “Do not think of good, do not think of >evil. At > > this very moment, what is your original face before your father and mother > were > > born?â€� > > > Damei Fachang 大梅法常 (752â€"839): Monks, strive to reach the root; do > not >chase > > after the branches. Reach the root, and the rest will naturally follow. If > you > wish to perceive the root, just see into your own mind. This mind is the > source > > of all, both mundane and supermundane. When mind arises the various dharmas > arise; when mind is extinguished, the various dharmas disappear. If you give > rise to the mind that is unattached to good and bad, all things are in their > true state. > > > Linji (d. 866): If you will just bring to rest the thoughts of the > ceaselessly > seeking mind, you will not differ from the patriarch-buddha.Turn your own > light > > inward upon yourselves! >  > Thoughts? >  > Mike >
