20. - 29.09.2002
The Ipje Dharma speech of the 10 day’s retreat
at Schloss Sommerswalde
By Zen Master Young San Seong Do
(Hiting the table three times with the Zen staff)
Zen-Master said, “What is the dharma?” Buddha says “all that has forms is unreal and false. If you view all forms as non-forms, then the Tathagata (true nature) can be seen.”
The meaning of this doctrine is that you should cut off attachment to all forms and attain your true self.
(Holding up the Zen staff):
“When you see this staff and give rise to even a thinking, you are already attached to this stick’s form.”
(Hitting the table with the):
“When you hear this sound, if you have even an opinion separately, you also fall into the sound.“
Then how can you be free from such an attachment to forms and sounds?
Ark!.................. (“A shouting”, called ‘Hal’ in Korean)
Put it all down!
What is it that sees and hears? Whosoever, if entering this gate, must relinquish everything and make his mind clear.
(After a pause):
Good evening. I wholeheartedly welcome you and thank you for your attending this 10-day intensive retreat despite your busy schedule.
Chanting a Zen Song : Going through a dense forest, seeking for my old home.
From wooden Cock crowing at the peep of dawn,
I knew I had finally returned home
Entering the yard of my old house
Willow is still green and flower still red...
What is your true home? Where about is it located?
An eminent teacher chants;
Coming empty handed to this world,
Going empty handed to the other world,
This is our Life.
When I was born, where did I come from?
When I die, where will I go?
Life is like a floating cloud that appears,
Death is like a floating cloud disappearing.
Originally, no floating cloud itself,
The same is true of Birth and Death, coming and going.
But one thing is there, always clearly shining.
Originally, it is free from Life and Death...............
What do we live for? What is a real aim of our life?
Above Zen verse says, “One thing is there, always clearly shining.”
What does this one thing mean? Above verse is a good expression of a life of serene enjoyment always gazing at one's own mind. Quite so, gazing at one's mind is the greatest pleasure of a practitioner, and keeping one's mind pure and clear is the real aim of a practitioner's life.
What thing is this one.......?
If you clearly know this message,
Even though a body, covered in ragged garment
Mind, leisurely and peaceful,
Always strolling on Prajna Peak.....
2500years ago, Buddha once was giving a sermon on Lotus Sutra at the Grdhrakuta (Vulture’s Peak). One time, Buddha went up to the dharma rostrum, sat and was mute for a long time. The large congregation of practitioners were puzzled looking at him, curious... out of this silence Buddha slowly held up a lotus flower in his hand and showed it to the Congregation. None could fathom why Buddha held up a flower before them... Sat far back in the crowd, wearing a rag, Mahakashyapa, had a big smile on his face. Seeing him, declared Buddha to the congregation,
“The authentic enlightenment of the Tathagata has now been passed on to Mahagashyapa!”
This is why Mahagashyapa succeeded ‘the Dharma Seal of Buddha’ and became the first of the Patriarch lineage.
But, of course, for practitioners like us, this is but a history told by man... completely irrelevant to our Life. What is important to us is why Buddha presented lifting of a flower instead of a Dharma sermon, and why Mahakashyapa smiled: This is of paramount importance to practitioners.
We must know that Buddha was undoubtedly using an expedient trying to awaken us to something, and also that Mahakashyapa must have penetrated into the very intended meaning of Buddha.
Therefore, if only we penetrate into the meaning of Mahakashyapa’s smile, we can penetrate also into the meaning of Buddha's raising a flower.
Then, what really was the meaning of Mahakashyapa's smile?
Naturally, this meaning should not be narrated in words, owing to the fact that exposing the key of the Gongan is strictly forbidden. But here, borrowing some words from an eminent teacher, I would like to present you with a hint.
An eminent teacher said; “Mahakashyapa’s smile was a mocking smile.....!”
Then I want to ask you again; “Why did Mahakashyapa laugh at Buddha’s holding a flower?”
Honorable Practitioners, what do you behold now? What do you listen now? And what do you intend to achieve through this ten day intensive retreat?
Buddha has declared; “There is no separative seeing, no separative hearing,” and he continued, “there is no separate thing to gain nor is there something to accomplish...”
Hence, we, pratitioners should, sitting for our lifetime on our meditation cushions, see only what must be seen, and hear only what must be heard, and realize the original message of no separate gain and no loss. That is, Seeing only what must be seen means to see his true self. When you see your true self, you and all forms become one, and hearing only what must be heard means to hear his true self's sound. When you realize that all sounds are your own sound, you and the sound become one. Thus when you and all phenomena really become one, this is called samadhi. -“no mind“. But there is actually even nothing that can separately be called one or no mind. Right now, if you, practitioners truly see only a thing that must be seen, while listening to my dharma speech, you cannot help but smile like Mahakashyapa, i.e. it can even be called a mocking smile, but being attracted to my voice or my form, without seeing what must really be seen, some of you might even go mad.
That is to say, one who seeks for dharma outside his mind or separately inside his mind, is constantly attracted to names and forms. Such a person, even if Buddha were to raise a flower in front of him at this very moment, would be attracted to the form of the flower or immediately contemplate upon any motive or reason hidden behind Buddha's action. Why? Because of his lacking in the mind eye to look back to his true Self, when an abnormal phenomenon should appear, he would lose his mind easily and fall victim to the situation. This sort of person, deluded by his own thinking, always believing that his thoughts are Buddha or God... how will he ever be able to realize the truth?
A Seon (Jap. Zen) practitioner must, encountering any kinds of barrier, at one single thought, open the mind eye that would turn the light of awareness back to its source and gaze at his true nature. Then, realizing there is no separate thing apart from him, he will come to know that all is his true self, that is, nothing other than ‘Mountain is Mountain, and Water is Water’.
......Originally there is no trace of eye and ear
In the midst of this, who really has the bright awareness?
Once turning up one's body where even emptiness has ended,
Dogs barking, donkies braying, are all but way of life...
I ask you one more time,
How do you understand Mahakashyapa’s smile?
If you would like to realize this meaning, relinquish all your thoughts and only hang on to the question, what is this? (Who am I?)..... That is, looking back to one self with pure question, one comes to know that out of this entire universe, only one thing that he has been completely ignorant of is in fact his true Self. One has to steadfastly drive into the Unknown with an intense question. But here, producing an analytic thinking and therein obtaining an answer would be as pathetic as catching the tail of a ghost. So, when such a pleasant or glorious answer arises, immediately turn back in with doubt, and ask ‘who is the one that knows this answer?’
Now, I ask you one more time,
Under Buddha's holding a flower in his hand, what did Mahakashyapa see?
If you answer, “Mahakashyapa saw his mind!”. I will give you 30 blows with this staff, why? What then is Mahakashyapa’s mind?
Even if you answer, “Mahakashyapa did not see his mind!”. I will again hit you 30 times, because, what is now Mahakashyapa’s no-mind? Who makes his mind and his no mind?
Now, then, how can you dodge my 30 blows?
Relinquish everything! And if returning directly back to “What is this?” Gong An, then your mind will be pure and clear. And then this world will be empty like the space....
Like this, anyone who finds his true Self and keeps it will never lose the smile like that of Patriarch Mahakashyapa anytime and anywhere, and just like Buddha finding ragged clothed Mahakashyapa even though he was sitting far back hidden behind the crowd, Buddha will always watch and protect you.
I hope you all practitioners would practice hard for 10 days and obtain excellent results.
^TOP
15. - 17. Nov. 2002
Dharma Speech at Evangelische Akademie Bad Boll
Invited by Christians, Catholics and Buddhists
Speech by Zen Master Young San Seong Do Snim
Guten Abend.
I wholeheartedly thank you for your invitation to this great conference.
I am just a simple practicing Buddhist Monk from Korea. My name is Young San Seong Do.
When this beautiful global village is faced with a very serious crisis caused by our mankind’s moral corruption and religious frictions, a few prescient leaders of religion, having realized the absolute need for dialogue that transcends a barrier between religions, have now organized this meeting of dialogue. Today, regarding their great effort, this humble monk would cordially like to eulogize again the host organization.
I take it that you have invited me for the purpose of hearing from Buddhist monk at firsthand how all Buddhists would overcome all violences, or other
hostilities. Before I begin, I'd like to obtain your tolerant consent for I will be quoting many phrases of Buddha.
2500 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha has declared: “This world is called Sabha.” The Sabha means this weary world where no one can live without having to endure suffering. And all these numbers of pang are as many as 84000 kinds, and they would incessantly anguish minds of sentient beings. Looking from this perspective, it would not be so difficult for us to believe that all sorts of violence and aggressions today are not new but only a small fraction of 84000 kinds of sufferings. Then why are all beings destined to pass through such hardships?
The Sutra says, “The reason is caused by their previous Karmas that are good or bad,” and the old Testament, in Genesis, says that all human kinds' distress is originated from the Original Sin of Adam and Eve who violated the word of God due to their curiosities. Believe it or not, it is a fact that we, all human beings, are always experiencing incessant sufferings.
When we look back in the history, we can all agree that the most atrocious violence against a man was an act of hanging Jesus Christ on the cross and driving many big nails into him. I am positive that the crucifixion must have been the most cruel form of all violences through all history of human beings. But, as you know well, what was Jesus' reaction to that?.......... Didn't he only pray calmly, “...... forgive them, father, for they know not what they do ........”
“Only enduring his own pain of taking up the cross and forgiving the persecutors against himself were the teaching of Christ” I think that we as religionists must never forget his teaching.
Shakamuni Buddha was also like that. 2500 years ago, when his former Kingdom, Gapira was invaded and his entire Shakya clan was on the brink of ruin, just at that time, Maudgalyayana, a disciple with supernatural power, appeared before Buddha and requested to him, “If I would be allowed to use my supernatural power to defeat the invaders, I could save all Shakya clan.” At that time, Buddha in a calm voice only taught, “ Maudgalyayana, Do not mistake the true Dharma by using such worldly sorcery. On the contrary, keep your own mind peaceful and silently enter the Samadhi.” And Buddha also calmly entered Samadhi unperturbed (calm, peaceful and unmoving mind).
As we have now retraced the steps of these two great saints, we can clearly see that the essence of their teaching is to retain one’s own purity of heart in overcoming one’s difficulties under any kinds of hardship. That is to say, “Retaining one’s purity of heart is the best way of overcoming all violences.”
The New Testament, in the Matthew Gospel, chapter 5 paragraph 8, says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” That is, it means that the pure in Heart will be able to go to the Kingdom of Heaven and live together with God.
The Sutra also says, “ The Purity of Mind is better than building the Seven Jewel Stupas as innumerous as the sands of the Ganges. Why? Because the Seven Jewel Stupa will finally be reduced to dusts, but the Purity of Mind produces Enlightenment.”
As we have seen from lives of two Saints, the Purity of Mind can make us overcome all obstacles such as violence or hostilities. What is more important is that “the Purity of Mind itself” is called “the kingdom of Heaven” in the Bible, and also in the sutra “the Purity of Mind itself” is called “the Enlightenment or Buddha”.
I am positive that „only if all human beings could attain the Purity of Mind and retain it constantly, all violences in this global village will perpetually disappear, and “Enduring-World-Peace“ can be fulfilled”.
Here, what I want to guide you is Zen Practice.
The essence of Zen Practice is to attain „the purity of mind“ and to retain it.
Zen is the ultimate in Buddhist Practice, and Zen is “a Practice to see one's own mind directly and to remove all illusion. The impure mind means the illusive mind obsessed with lots of ideas or 84000 passions. That is, this is called sentient beings’ mind. On the contrary, the pure mind is called „An Enlightenment“ or „the Holy paradise”. Then this impure mind of sentient beings is whose mind, and where is it now? And the pure mind of Buddha is also whose mind, and where is it now? The impure mind and the pure mind together is clearly now, here, just before us. That is, the two kinds of mind is originally one, my own mind. But it is not easy for us to see our own mind that clearly appears now, here, just before us.
How hard we may try to purify our mind from 84000 passions, it will not be possible, without seeing our mind directly. Because, without seeing our mind, we can’t understand if our mind is pure or impure. Therefore, this monk would like to recommend Sitting Zen Practice to all believers. As said earlier, Sitting Zen is a practice to see his mind directly. Practice of Sitting Zen will never interfere with one’s religious life, so there is no reason to regard it as a taboo. In fact, it is quite easy to practice Sitting Zen only if you follow my instruction someday and learn how to sit still.
Regardless of one’s religion, through Sitting Zen, one can be more vigorous in his spiritual life, improve health, clarify the mind and enhance one’s understanding of religious doctrines and texts.
I do not instruct zen-Practice in oder to convert people of other creeds to Buddhism. I don’t think it is sound for people to abandon their own belief at once and convert to other’s religion. Why? Because having a religious belief is also connected by his own previous Karma.
As a true pious religionist, one shouldn’t tamper with religious life of others or confuse other’s faith for the interest of his own religion, and this would contradict the very meaning of religion. But for those, who do not yet have religion, I do advice them to have religion that suits their life style.
Maybe some of you can ask me why I stayed in Europe and built a Buddhist temple here........
I do not propagate Buddhism to people of other religious group. But I see many young moderns in Europe who have lost their sanity and have fallen into dilemma of depression. They are bringing themselves and this society to a dead end. This generation is jeopardising the entire mankind.
For this very generation I offer them sitting Zen-Practice so that they can find right path to their precious and beautiful lives. For this reason I have built Zen center in Germany. I firmly believe that such guidance is the true Buddha's teaching and I always proudly advocate Zen Practice to people of all creed so that they can dedicate their religious life harder through Zen. It really saddens my heart to witness so called religious people who cannot control their own mind and thereby allow themselves in misconduct beyond retrieval.
This Zen meditation is a practice to fully control one's own mind. I am confident that this Zen Practice would lead you directly to your pure mind and let you witness your true soul, and provide you countless wisdom and enough energy for your profound realization and sound life.
In Buddhism „Enlightenment“ means „to clearly understand one's True Mind “.
Once he sees his True Mind and realises it, he comes to understand all secrets and mysteries of Life and Death, and he would be forever free from all obstacles. Realising his true mind, i.e. Enlightenment, would directly have no relevance to some philosophical views, accumulation of knowledge, or research of deep learning.
For example, about 1200 years ago in southern China, there lived a young woodcutter who was uneducated. With taking firewood on his back he went to the market to sell. On his way back coming from a small inn he heard a monk reciting a sutra, and upon hearing this unknown Sutra he had a great sudden realization. Later this very young woodcutter became a monk named Hui neng and changed the entire history of Chinese Buddhism. He is honoured by us as the Sixth Patriarch, starting with Boddhidharma as the first in China.
One day, just before he was ordained as the Sixth Patriarch, Hui neng, when passing a temple called, 'Bup Sung Sa', came upon overhearing an argument that was going on between two monks sitting on the rock. They were arguing over a flapping flag on a pole. One of the monk was asserting that the moving one was the flag, but the other monk was protesting that it was indeed the wind and not the flag. When one considers the causal agent of movement, this argument, however trivial it may appear, does not really allow an easy answer.
At that time, Hui-neng reproached the two monks saying; “What really moving is neither the wind, nor the flag...!” Completely shocked by totally unexpected answer to their argument, the two monks asked Hui neng; “... pardon me sir, but then, what is it that really moves?” Hui neng replied, “what is moving is just your mind.... !”
If a Christian would ask me, „How will we be able to overcome all violence ?“ I’d reply, “Why don’t you believe in the Bible, and why don’t you repent your own sin?”
If you truly realize that all violence and hostile aggressions are just the reward of your own sins, all pangs will vanish clearly. And if a Buddhist ask me as above question, I will reply as the following,
“Why don’t you believe in the teaching of Buddha? All good and bad situations are just reward of your previous karma, didn’t Buddha say? Then where is the reward of all good and bad originated from?”
All beings, only when realizing their clear minds and retaining them all the time, will be free from all violences and hostilities.
If someone ask me, “then venerable monk, how do you overcome your own violence or hostilities? I’d say the following,
When cold, I put on clothes.... When hot, I take them off ....
^TOP
05.03.2002
Anadolu Alevileri Kültür Merkezi Berlin AAKM
Opening Ceremony of the 9th "Alevitischen Kulturtage"
Dharma Speech by Zen-Meister Young San Seong Do
Thank you for your kind invitation on the 9th Alevitischen Kulturtage.
And here, I would like to address my sincere and friendly message to all members of Aleviten.
I, a lowly monk from Korea, wish to pay my respects to all the Alevites for courageously demonstrating your open-hearted tolerance and your great effort in trying to harmonize all global village families on the issue of the World-Peace through these programs of your wonderful heritage.
Even if we have difference of culture, or difference of creed from each other, it is a fact that we are first of a same family of Human Being, existing together in this beautiful global village. Therefore, we should all live peacefully together in Unity and Harmony, giving and receiving advices from each other, respecting others’ sense of value, however different they may be.
The peace of Mankind originates from personal peace of each and every one of us. Without attaining one’s own personal peace, the peace of the Mankind will never be realized. Why? Because the very individuals who are now fighting with each other for peace, unfortunately, do not know that they themselves have already lost their own personal peace.
So, if I may, now I would like to offer a humble advice to all leaders of government, corporation and religious institution and to all Mankind concerning “Enduring-World-Peace”.
It is the following;
Everyone should fulfil the duty of his part, after attaining the peace of his own self..., but how does one go about attaining the peace with one’s Self? “Through learning a Way to keep stable balance of his own mind ...... ” Then what is the way?
I pray that your cultural festival be of a great success.
Thank You.
^TOP
24.10.1999
Dharma speech Berlin Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Invitation by Deutsche Buddhistische Union
By Zen Master Young San Seong Do Snim
Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
All this news, from whose household does it all come?
If you wish to enter this gate, put down all your knowledge. Not through words and terminologies, but a special transmission outside scriptures is this possible. Seeing your mind directly, you become Buddha ......
Shouting “Hal”.
Where did the sound come from, and where did it disappear? Once you can correctly realize the source of coming in and out of this sound, you can understand the mystery of life and death.
Now, where did the sound come from and where did it disappeare?
Please lay it all down ...... Then, you can see it right.
One day, a teacher Ma-tsu and his disciple Pai-chang were walking along the road. At the moment, a flock of wild geese, honking kyauk ......, flew away westward. The teacher Ma-tsu, heard this sound, asked Pai-chang;
Did you hear the honk of the wild geese?
Yes, very Reverend monk.
Then, where do you guess the sound disappeared to?
Yes, well...... The sound disappeared westward..... replied Pai-chang.
Just at that moment, Ma-tsu, suddenly turning around, twisted his disciple’s nose hard.
A...rk.....! Pai -chang screamed in great pain.
Ma-tsu said while letting go of his hold.
You dare to say that, one more time, the sound disappeared westward .
At that moment, Pai-chang suddenly attained great enlightenment...
I want to ask you, What did Pai-chang attain?
We always wonder where all things disappeared and we all puzzled when we witness those who die and vanish away like the sound...
What is Seon (Zen)?
The purpose of Seon lies, first of all, in awakening one’s true self, and next keeping one’s correct function (Maintaining one’s true being?)
You see this stick, what is it that sees this? (while holding a Juk-Bi stick)
You hear this sound, what is it that hears this sound? (while hitting a Juk-Bi on a palm)
Seeing this and hearing the sound, are they the same or different? If you say, same, then you go to hell. If you say, different, also you go to hell. Then how can you escape from going to hell? Then what is it that sees and hears? Is it mind? Is it nature? Is it emptiness? ...........
Suramgama sutra called it mind, but ......, to call it mind, is it right? Besides mind, this is called by many kinds of name, such as Buddha, original nature, Tathagata, true self, the world honoured One, emptiness, one thing, original face, etc., but all these are not merely words and terms pointing to the very one thing that sees or hears but also names. Names or words are all abstract and illusive, and they are all impermanent. You must not be attached to such illusions. Because of that illusions or forms, you must not mistake your right function in your life. Then what is the awakening of one's true self?
Of course, it is the very one that sees one's original nature.
You don’t know? If you don't know anything, what would you do? As you know, when you don't know anything, you cannot help having doubt about it.
What is this?
What is the one that sees and hears now and here? You must not try to know or understand it. On the contrary, you must keep on having doubt about it. If only you’d do this, then even the doubt finally disappears by itself.
Only go straight “what is this?” .............
In the Gong-An Seon (Japanese Koan Zen), what is the Gong-An?
Once a student named Huai-yang went to the famous sixth patriarch Hui-neng.
Hui-neng asked the student immediately upon his arrival. “What kind of Thing comes here?”
The student Hai-yang was completely dumfounded by this question. “I don’t know” replied he.
Because he couldn’t come up with an answer and he simply went back to where he came from. Thereafter, he practiced intensively around the clock, never losing his grip on the question,
“ What is this?”, “......?”
When he finally attained a firm belief about the question, he decided to revisit the sixth patriarch. When he went to him, he gave his reply as follows.
“Even though you call me a thing, it’s already not correct....”
After this Gong-An talk, Huai-yang was finally transmitted the dharma from the sixth patriarch Hui-neng.
Likewise, if only a practitioner keeps on having strong doubt with regard to a given Gong-An, the ten thousand doubts and illusions that well up inside his mind will boil down to one essential Gong-An doubt in time. Then, he should take care not to let go of it and should keep holding fast on to it. That is to say, a practitioner should not let his question escape him wherevere and whatever activity he is involved and should progress in the power of intense concentration in his Gong-An doubt.
Seon practice is the essence of practices of all Buddhism, and especially Gong-An gazing Seon lays great emphasis on the enlightenment attained through passing Gong-An.
The Gong-An practice has to be constantly connected directly to enlightenment, and a practitioner should always bear in mind that the Gong-An question is used as means to attain enlightenment. Those who attained the true meaning of Seon through personal breakthrough of a given Gong-An can live with the correct function of his life in this world.
One day, an abbot monk was cleaning the dharma room of the temple. Just at that moment, a guest monk in tattered clothes (rags) came in smoking a cigarette and wandered from place to place. And he finally flicked the ashes from the cigarette to on the Buddha's palms.
The abbot monk was much surprised to view such treachery, and he shouted angrily, “You are crazy! How dare you commit such an act to Buddha as a monk!”
The monk in rags laughed aloud, saying,
“Avatamsaka sutra says that the three thousand galaxies of worlds are all Buddha’s Dharma body.”
Now, I want to ask you, wherever I flick the ash, wouldn’t it fall on the Buddha’s body? The abbot monk was instantly dumfounded and couldn’t come up with an answer......
Now, I ask you. How could you answer if you were the abbot monk? I’ll answer for you .....,
You’d better serve rise in a bowl than in a chamber pot.
What colour is the sky? Blue?
Yes, but the sky has never said, “I am blue”.
The colour of the heaven has been created by you alone. Originally the heaven is not blue. Why do you create the colour of that empty space?
Now, I want to ask you again, “What is the original colour of the heaven?”
If you reply, “It is blue”, you make a mistake. Why? Because the heaven has never said,“I am blue”.
If you say, “It is not blue”, you also make a mistake. Why? Because the heaven has never said,“I am not blue”. Then how could you let me know the original colour of the heaven? Only when you attain the true meaning of it, the heaven and you finallz become one.
Then everything is ok as it is..., Mountain is Mountain, Water is Water. ----- And the sky is also blue. -----
^TOP
29. May 1999
Vesag-Ceremony 2543
The Dharma-speech on the Ceremony
of the Buddha's Birthday
Dharma Speech by Zen Master Young San Seong Do Snim
Who is the one that is the highest and the noblest between the heaven and earth?
When Shakyamuni Buddha, the World-Honoured One was born in the Palace of the King Suddhodana, 2500 years ago, he looked around, walked seven steps in the four directions of the East, West, South and North, and pointing one hand to heaven and the other to earth, he roared out;
“Above the Heaven and below the Heaven, only I am the most honoured.”
People have diverse opinions regarding this particular utterance of Buddha, but it is not easy to understand clearly this teaching of Buddha with worldly point of view. Then what does the word of his teaching imply?
It does not mean that only Shakyamuni Buddha himself is the highest and noblest between the heaven and earth. On the contrary, the Buddha enlightens us the real fact that each of all sentient beings, even an insect or a worm already possesses the “I” who is the most honoured in the world.
The Christian Bible says,
“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Kingdom of God, but by me.”
Where is the Kingdom of God? And here, what does the “I” mean?
In the New Testament, Luke (17:21) says, “The Kingdom of God is within you.”
Here, what does the inside of you (within you) mean? We should understand that the “I” spocken of by Jesus was a kind of symbol word of corresponding to each of all sentient beings.
One day, a disciple asked Jesus Christ,
“How can we enter the Kingdom of Heaven?”
Jesus taught as follows,
“Relinquish all things, and follow me, then the Kingdom of Heaven is yours!”
The above teachings should be also taken the meaning as “Believe in yourself (true self), and follow yourself (true self); then you will be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven”.
Originally, in the truth there is no “I”. And why? Because if in the truth, there is a personal “I”, it is but a selfish “I”.
The same is true of “the Most Honoured One” which 2500 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha roared out.
What does “the Most Honoured One” mean?
The Diamond Sutra says, - If someone by form sees me,
And seeks me by sound,
Such a person practices the false path
And cannot see the Tathagata (true nature).
Here, we can understand that the authentic meaning of the Buddha and Jesus Christ’s doctrines is not different each other. Therefore, originally, the Truth of all religions is just One. And yet the One cannot be distinguished, nor can it be explained, nor can it be imagined. That is, this One is beyond all names and forms. Then what?
So, an eminent teacher asked, “The ten thousand dharmas return to One. Then where does the One return?”
I’d also like to ask you about this One. What is the genuine meaning of this One?
When you attain its original meaning, you will free yourself from all attachments. Then everything is just as it is: Mountain is just Mountain. Water is just water.
^TOP
