Pt. 2 EXPLORING THE THIRD CHINESE PATRIARCH OF ZEN

Continued...

EMBRACING CLARITY by Phil Roger

Verses 17-18

“The changes that occur in the empty world we call real only because of our ignorance”.

“Do not search for the truth: only cease to cherish opinions”.

“The changes we call real in the empty world” revolves around our understanding of the word “real”. It is not require a matter of dogmatic faith to see that what we experience as reality is the result of our sensory perceptions and the brain’s ability to translate those perceptions into thought. Then the thought becomes a thing, a concept, a belief. To deny that changes are constantly occurring, manifesting from emptiness and ultimately returning, would be inaccurate. We live in an energetic world that is impermanent, empty of eternal solidity. It is like a dream. We attempt and often succeed in making them “real” through our perceptual thought. The “reality” is a mental construct. It is our unawareness of this dream-like impermanence that supports our “ignorance”.

If we search for the truth we are, in fact, ignoring the ever- present Truth of our existence. We are a direct expression of Truth, now and always. We only must remember this Truth. Of course we have to connect with it and thus our meditation. The cherishing of opinions is the process of forming reactions, opinions, beliefs, viewpoints, judgements and also our attaching an emotional energy to those. We can observe the world as it is. We can see that some things seem positive and some negative. If we see a big black bull charging us we know we should move out of the way. We do not need to be angry or hateful or even label the moment as bad. Yes, it is dangerous and requires a reaction as we have a duty to protect our precious human life. If we survive , we can even love the bull. If we are injured we can accept that as the ripening of our karma.

To cultivate this view on a 24/7 basis may take a lifetime. However, if we can experience the emptiness of the body, thinking mind and ego self, time and space even birth and death and we can begin to see that absolutely all that exists is a manifestation of Source Consciousness and our ignorance we soon evaporate!

THINK: OK, SUCH AND SUCH SEEMS TO BE MANIFESTING. WHAT IS IT,HOW DO I RESPOND….IF AT ALL?

Verses 19 - 20

“ Do not remain in the dualistic state; avoid such pursuits carefully. If there is even a trace of this and that, of right and wrong, the mind essence will be lost in confusion”.

“ Although all dualities come from the One, do not be attached even to this One”.

Let’s recall that this poem is likely delivered to very serious practitioners, likely many ordained monks. Even so it has great merit for those of us in this time and engaged with this current version of apparent reality. These stanzas are ideals to be gently approached and customized by us for us.

So, ‘the mind essence will be lost in confusion”. What is the mind essence? Clarity. PURE CONSCIOUSNESS or PURE AWARENESS. There is no object, there is no other. Even the slightest glimmer of dualistic thinking takes us back into our habitual thought patterns and their accompanying emotions. We can learn to catch this very quickly or we can be sucked into the vortex of separation which opens the gate to our fear, anger, prejudice, etc.

The One expresses and manifests all that is ,including us. What Lao Tzu calls the ten thousand things. We can think of this as the essential “action” of the quantum field, which is empty, containing all possibilities. In our meditation we raise our frequency and merge with Source Consciousness, the One. With that experience we can become fixated on becoming one with the One. We can become a bit obsessed. After all, we have spent possibly countless lifetimes working on this reunion. We are fine being a bit excited, we are coming home. I often think of my many road trips up to see my daughter to Lawrence Kansas from Dallas. It was a long drive both directions. I recall the feeling I always had when I crossed the Red River, the border between Oklahoma and Texas. It was a feeling of being back. I still had maybe two more hours of driving with the traffic in and around Dallas. And then, of course, the feeling intensified as I approached my home. Of course there was the ordeal of carrying my bags up the stairs. But the real joy came when I sat in my comfy chair or collapsed on my bed and just let the trip go and felt so good to be home. So, our reunion with the One is infinitely more than that! And yet, to be attached to this One requires us to give it some form, to wrap it up in some concept, to form a belief or opinion that this is it. See where this is headed? Duality! We have no option, if we want to be completely HOME, but to enter into the direct experience of Oneness. To feel it, to sense it in our deepest being. We can’t think our way home, we realize and remember our way there. So, our attachment is to an idea of the One, even the idea of “ Oh boy, I’m becoming One with God”! Oh, that’s happening but focusing on those thoughts anchors us in duality.

IN MEDITATION, ENCOUNTERING THE STATE OF UNITY,LET GO OF ABSOLUTELY EVERY THOUGHT FORM. ENTER EMPTINESS EMPTY!

Verses 21 - 23

“ When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way, nothing in the world can offend, and when a thing can no longer offend, it ceases to exist in the old way”.

“ When no discriminating thoughts arise, the old mind ceases to exist. When thought-objects vanish, the thinking subject vanishes, as when the mind vanishes, objects vanish”.

“Things are objects because of the subject(mind);the mind(subject) is such because of things(objects). Understand the relativity of these two and the basic reality: the unity of emptiness. In emptiness the two are indistinguishable and each contains, in itself, the whole world. If you do not discriminate between coarse and fine, you will not be tempted to prejudice and opinion.”

The “old way” is the key here. That term points to this impermanent ever changing three dimensional world that is shaped, defined and comprehended through the filter of an ego based awareness which is actually a sleep state. Also known as samsara. It is typified by separation, thus duality. We are the center of our own customized, self-created reality and everything else, separate from us moves in orbit around that separate ego-self. This is also the “old mind”. In meditation ,in the vastness of infinite space the emptiness is singular. No-thing is there with which we can hang our conceptual hat. It is the process of going beyond the idea of being a physical body, of being a cognitive mind, of having an egoic personality. We go beyond all labels and descriptions, no labels, nada,zilch! And we enter into the one time, the eternal Now which stretches forever into the past and the future and that too becomes empty. So, in that state there can also be no space so there is no conceptual mind to hold dimension, no coordinates, no points on the compass.

The relativity of the object that is perceived and the mind perceiving is a co-dependency. No thinking mind = no thought; no object of perception = no sensory effect. This is yet another reference to the two truths. “Form is empty, emptiness is form. Form is not other than emptiness, emptiness is not other than form”. All that is issues from emptiness, or Source Consciousness, exists for its allotted time and eventually returns back into emptiness. Big Bang, a zillion years, then back into whatever mystery that was before it. If we can understand this, we can know intuitively that ALL that we witness in this world and in this life is unfolding in this dream-like dance of a mentally formed reality. Instead of discriminating between coarse and fine we can cultivate the view that they are simply opposites. Two sides of the same coin. Like a continuum of frequency, yang and yin. Remember, all is energy and information. The opposites are not separated entities but simply opposing frequencies.

WE CAN EXPERIENCE THINGS AS THEY ARE. WE KNOW RED IS RED. WE USE IT AS NEEDED. AT NO TIME DO WE HAVE TO LOVE OR HATE IT. LEARN TO RECOGIZE THE OLD WAY AND MIND. WITNESS AND ENJOY THE DANCE OF OPPOSITES.

Verses 24 - 25

“To live in the Great Way is neither easy or difficult, but those with limited views are fearful and irresolute; the faster they hurry, the slower they go”.

“And clinging(attachment) cannot be limited. Even to be attached to the idea of enlightenment is to go astray. Just let things be in their own way, and there will be neither coming nor going. Obey the nature of things (your own nature) and you will walk freely and undisturbed”.

This may be two of the most important stanzas. We are being advised to RELAX. If we have found the joys of being silent and still in body and mind and we show up every day, if possible, we have essentially found the greatest treasure in existence. As we sit in our meditation and our mind is restless going here and there and we feel anything but spiritual, relax. That vastness of Spirit, the Loving Intelligence that brought us here and is now calling us back into itself. It is fully aware of us, sees us clearly and understands us completely. It does not judge and never pushes us. This timeless essence is just there and always has been. It has never been hidden and never plays hard to get. So, we just relax, get comfortable, be natural, be yourself. No one is asking you to change. Change will come but it will be subtle almost effortless. I say almost. Yes, we need to show up, even on days we don’t feel like it. Once the habit is formed that will be a joy. Yes, a bit difficult in the beginning but soon becomes easy. If we have limited views, if we are not really sure we want to awaken, doubts arise. We can become fearful when we begin to experience the dissolution of the ego self. Merging with the Mind of God requires a certain amount of courage. The unknown is scary by definition, uncertainty is not a comfortable mind. We are irresolute. If any of this arises we have to work with it, to see it for what it is, the play of the limited mind. The ego self does not surrender easily as its job is self- protection. Eventually it will soften and begin to relax. Facing these possibilities is not easy or difficult, it is just the work we must engage in. If we approach our spiritual work like training for a marathon, if we think we are in control, if we try and force it we will actually slow the process as this is the opponent of relaxation. All we do is show up, relax, and let the awakening unfold. Like the rising of the sun.

We eventually will want to let go completely. No beliefs or concepts. Not because they are wrong but because they are thought forms. Where we are going is formless, nameless, beyond, beyond. Even the IDEA of enlightenment is still a concept and still dualistic. Rather than obsess over the attainment of enlightenment it is much more relaxed, natural and comfortable to simply awaken to our true nature. We wake up and remember who and what we are. Once you begin to just feel the Divine Presence and you connect with Loving Intelligence, that connection will be your guide. As the intuition is strengthened your own inner nature, which has a voice, will always be there. We hear it best when we relax, when we just allow it to appear. We do not have to be worthy, deserve it or in any way prove ourselves. Just let it unfold. When we can cultivate a complete identification with our True Nature we are free. Disturbance is not there. We are totally that Nature. That Nature is the unique spark of Divine Mind that has incarnated as you. It is the small “g” God that we are. We meet and merge with big ”G” God as that. It is the only frequency that can merge with the One Source Consciousness.

SHOW UP. RELAX,ALLOW AWAKENING TO UNFOLD,NATURALLY

Verses 26 - 28

“ When thought is in bondage, the Truth is hidden, for everything is murky and unclear, and the burdensome practice of judging brings annoyance and weariness. What benefit is derived from distinction and separation?”

‘If you wish to move in the one way, do not dislike even the world of the senses. Indeed, to accept them fully is identical to true enlightenment”

“ The wise person strives to no goals, but the foolish person bound. There is one Dharma, not many; distinctions arise from the clinging needs of the ignorant. To seek the Mind with the discriminating mind is the greatest of all mistakes”.

Thought itself is not the problem. Being bound by thought is. As the observer of the thinking mind we come to be its witness and know its limitation. Until that is established the mind is our prison. This limited mind cannot see Truth, our view is murky and unclear and we fall back into judgements, preferences, opinions ,prejudice and conceptual thinking. And we all know that we are easily drawn into annoyance and it can be exhausting. The old world and old mind can literally wear us out. Stress can be deadly! None of this benefits us. At best it can bring temporary enjoyments and distractions. We can even be temporarily convinced we are not in this prison of thought. Not only is there no benefit to judging and separation they are the root of all forms of suffering, the dis-eases of the body, mind and spirit.

If we can grasp, see and feel that All That Is is a manifestation of Source Consciousness, that all that is unfolds within that Consciousness and arises from and falls back into that Source, we can simply begin to perceive that there is no “Not God”. The exalted states of higher frequencies, the joy, the bliss of mystical union is equal and co-existent with the delights of our humanity. ALL experience unfolds within the Source. Our human experience, even the very mundane becomes a verse in the song of our life. This, I suspect, is the source of the origin of the deep appreciation of nature in Zen. The simplicity of a blossom, its fragility and fragrance. The breeze against our skin. The laughter and tears of our child. All of that, all of life is truly sacred and there to be enjoyed. Enjoyment of life is a very high form of worship. If we want to express gratitude for life and all that it contains, enjoy it and live it deeply.

So again, we are reminded that we cannot think our way into the awakened state. It has to be realized, felt: visceral, deep in the body and spirit, down in the bone marrow. Thought can only get us to the door. Any knowledge that gets us there is sacred but there is only one door. The Dharma, the sacred teachings bring us to our own private entrance and it urges us to enter. No need to knock, its always unlocked. Just turn the knob and step through. Be wise.

STRIVE TO SEE WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. DULISTIC JUDGEMENTS PULL US BACK INTO SEPARATION. ACT FROM AWARENESS, AVOID PRECONCIEVED, HABITUAL AND PROGRAMED REACTIONS.

Verses 29 - 31

“Rest and unrest derive from illusion; with enlightenment there is no liking or disliking. All dualities come from ignorant inference. They are like dreams or flowers in air; foolish to try and grasp them. Gain and loss, right and wrong; such thoughts must be abolished at once.”

“ If the eye never sleeps, all dreams will naturally cease. If the mind makes no discriminations, the ten thousand things are as they are, of single essence. To understand the mystery of this One-essence is to be released of all entanglements. When all things are seen equally, the timeless Self-essence is reached. No comparisons or analogies are possible is this causeless, relationless state”.

“ Consider movement stationary, and stationary in motion; both movement and rest disappear. When such dualities cease to exist Oneness itself cannot exist. To this ultimate finality no law or description applies.

With these stanzas the author is expressing extremely advanced levels of realization. We have been totally convinced that this dimension we have called real is a solid reliable reality. We think we understand how things work and how they should be. We grasp cause and effect, gravity, good and bad. We are comfortable. Duality works well enough until it doesn’t. But impermanence rains on our parade. Our intuitive sensing that there is more to this than what we see and know and think, so we begin to open to other possibilities. We begin to question and, if we are wise, we begin to awaken. These three stanzas represent a view of “reality” from the perspective of a full awakened being. He is trying to give us some idea of what that reality is like. We are again advised to see the ten thousand things AS THEY ARE.

No comparisons or analogies exist because there is only ONE. No relations are possible either. I have been studying human anatomy and have been totally amazed at the intricacy and complexity of every cell, tissue, organ and system. Billions, trillions are used to describe even very small parts. For instance, the growth of brain cells in an infant are described in such numbers per day! So, I have been meditating on this magnificence, this miracle that my consciousness inhabits. Today, in meditation I realized that every body of every species has this same complexity, then the plants, even the rocks and minerals, on and on. Planets, galaxies….ALL THAT IS. It all exists in the cosmic body of Source Consciousness. All that exists is ONE consciousness. Energy and intelligence. Any time we start thinking we are pretty smart just focus on that. Infinite intelligence. To really realize this Oneness and to see it in ALL things brings us to our timeless Self-essence. Remember, this poem comes from a blend of Taoism and Buddhism. These stanzas describe very clearly the dynamic of yang and yin, the interplay of opposites. The negative flows into the positive and the positive flows into the negative. In duality the possibility exists of most anything evolving into its opposite. We fall into love and then that becomes indifference. We are happy one moment and events arise and we are in deep sadness. This flow is constant in the dualistic state. We are being shown that we can step out of the tai chi du, the ever-moving circle of colliding opposites. This is also how we can see these vast pairs of opposites, all dichotomies, as two halves of one energy or even archetype is you wish. “When such dualities cease to exist Oneness itself cannot exist. To this ultimate finality no law or description applies”. So, Lao Tzu says in the Tao te Ching,” the Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao”. I think I will shut up now,you are on your own!!

SEE THE WORLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A UNIFIED MIND. LOOK FOR THE UNITY OF ALL THINGS. YOU ARE THE TIMELESS SELF-ESSENCE.

Verses 32 - 33

“ For the unified mind in accord with the way all self-centered striving ceases. Doubts and irresolutions vanish, and life in true faith is possible. With a single stroke we are freed from bondage; nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing. All is empty, clear, self-illuminating, with no exertion of the mind’s power. Here thought, feeling, knowledge and imagination are of no value. In this world of suchness, there is neither self or other than self”.

“To come directly into harmony with this reality, just say when doubts arise, “Not Two”. In this “Not Two”, nothing is separate and nothing excluded. No matter when or where, enlightenment means entering this truth. And this truth is beyond extension or diminution in time and space, in it a single thought is ten thousand years”.

The unified mind in accord with the way refers to being in harmony with the Tao. Tao can be thought of as the unified field, quantum consciousness, the Holy Spirit, the Creator or any name of God you may choose. Please don’t get hung up on names! If we can begin to see from this vantage point we can begin to operate from it also. Of course we need to make decisions and choices, and we do so from our conditioned, belief oriented preferences. Many such actions are habitual even hereditary, nearly always culturally formed. They come from our “Old Mind”. When in accord with the way our choices are made from our new minds. We are connected to the Supreme Ordering Principle and its intelligence. We can call that profound wisdom. That ,combined with seeing things as they truly are makes decision making and choosing an entirely different matter. In this liberated state everything is empty, clear and self-illuminating. The mind is at ease. He says “Here thought, feeling, knowledge, and imagination are of no value” This is referring to the meditative state. It would be foolish to say that thought ,etc. have no value. In the dualistic world we still operate in they are invaluable tools. But since they are qualities of mind they are limited by impermanence.

To debate self vs. non-self is hard core duality and a waste of time really. In Oneness all such arguments just vanish. The world of ‘suchness” is the unified mind living in accord with the way; operating from the point of Oneness. This is what I have tried to covey in our group. “See the ego-self and recognize how you identify with it. Now change your identification to the Unified Mind. Make that new identification permanent” Come to accept that the personality that you think you are is a construction. You have learned it through your life experience. Its not bad, its just not totally true as it is impermanent. It is not your true nature. Its still wonderful and all that and very useful, its just not the real you!

The “Not Two” is a classic Zen “mantra”. When doubts arise, what do we do? Remember! Remember Oneness. He says that entering this truth is enlightenment. So, I suppose that being able to remember Oneness always is an enlightened thing to do. This truth is beyond impermanence, beyond time and space. “In it a single thought is ten thousand years” I think that’s a Chinese way of saying a really long time, like infinity, the eternal NOW.

JUST SAY WHEN DOUBTS ARISE “ NOT TWO”

Verses 34 - 35

“Emptiness here, emptiness there, but the infinite universe stands always before your eyes. Infinitely large and infinitely small, no difference, for definitions have vanished and no boundaries are seen. So too with being and non-being. Don’t waste time in doubts or arguments that have nothing to do with this. One thing, all things, move among and intermingle, without distinction. To live in this realization is to be without anxiety about non-perfection. To live in this faith is the road to non-duality, because the non-dual is one with the trusting mind”

“Words! The Way is beyond language, for in it, there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today.”

DON’T WASTE TIME IN DOUBTS OR ARGUMENTS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.

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FINAL COMMENTS

I will let the last two stanzas speak for themselves. This is a poem after all. There are many translations of Hsin Hsin Ming attributed to Seng-T’san. I have used a version I encountered back in the early 70’s that was recited by Baba Ram Das on the epic collection of LP’s ,Love, Serve, Remember. In those days it seemed very cryptic and mysterious, but there was something about his reading and the words of the poem that drew me in. I listened to it innumerable times and came back to it often as the years rolled by. This translation was by Richard B. Clark and I want to thank him for that. It will always be my favorite because of my connection with Ram Das. So, I thank him also for all he gave us. May he rock in the Pure Land!

As I have stated, this is not an entry level teaching. It is a bare bones expression of “hard core” non-duality and is a key document in the study and practice. Nonetheless, it gives us a very clear understanding of non-duality. I suggest taking a very light view of this poem. Enjoy it for its poetry and its wisdom. It does not necessarily describe your path or mine. One of the aspects of the non-dual way is the responsibility we each have to create our own spiritual practice and to follow our own highest mind as our guide. However, that can be a rough road to travel alone. We need something like this to help us down that road, but we always have the option to be selective and discerning. Much of the poem is describing meditation, which I suspect in the time of Seng-T’san was pretty intense, as many forms of Zen still are. So, be sure and factor that in. I suggest that you study this blog slowly. If you wish you can read it completely with my comments. But then I suggest you go back and take it in a verse or so at a time. I grouped the verses in a way I felt logical, but they are in order . Take one or several and contemplate the meaning that comes to you. You can consult my commentary as you like but be reminded that my views are my own. I am not a Zen scholar. What I have shared comes from my Unified Mind which is a work in progress! Also, please note that I have used words like, God ,divinity, etc. Those are not Zen vocabulary, but they are mine. I didn’t write this as a Zen thing, it’s just a Now thing! If you have questions or comments please share them in the comment section or contact me by e-mail.

I will offer you, in closing, what Ram Das gave us with his version.

The mantra of emptiness is;

Tayata Om Gate Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Soha