4310 W. 5th Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703; Phone:714-383-9833
Email: thichminhngoc@yahoo.com
A letter of Invitation for the Retreat of June, 2023
Dear Sangha and Dharma friends,
We would like to invite everyone to join us for the upcoming one week intensive Huatou Meditation Retreat. Starting from June 10th to June 16th, 2023. It is a great opportunity for both the experienced and beginning practitioners.
The practice focuses on Huatou meditation which awakens our transcendent wisdom (prajna) and allows ourselves to be free from attachments and sufferings.
The one-week retreat for those who want to go deeper into the practice. We fully understand practitioners who couldn’t commit for the entire week so we welcome you to join us any days that you could commit to the practice.
Please call or email us to make a reservation in advance which will help us prepare and accommodate your needs while you are attending the retreat.
No Fee for registration, Donation is grateful appreciated
For more information about Donation, please email direct to the master at thichminhngoc@yahoo.com
Thank you so much for your support🙏
Guidelines for retreat participants:
For the benefits of everyone, from now on, all participants participating in the meditation retreat, resident and non-resident, as well as monks and nuns at Tu An Thien Duong must strictly comply with the following regulations: FIRST. When investigating meditation using the Huatou method continuously, the Zen precept is being practiced. In addition to the time of meditation, participants must strictly uphold the precepts which already have been taken. Those who have not received any precepts should at least keep the five precepts. It is even better to request taking the three refuges and five precepts while attending the retreat. SECOND. No talking during sitting and walking meditation periods and listening to Dharma talks. THIRD. To help maintain a peaceful and harmonious environment, do not criticize others, do not use harmful words, and do not gather to discuss worldly matters. If necessary, speak softly and moderately at a minimum. FOURTH. Do not smoke or drink alcohol; do not watch TV, News nor listen to radio or music. FIFTH. Try the best to save electricity, water, and gas. Use the phone as little as possible. SIXTH. Turn off all lights and keep quiet after 10pm.
We appreciate your cooperation!
Sincerely, Tu An Zen Temple Venerable Master Thich Duy Luc
Cùng Mời Tham Dự Lễ Giổ Thầy Truyền Mẫn, Chư Hương Linh Ký Tự
Kính gởi: Chư Tăng Ni, quý Phật Tử và các bạn đồng tham:
Kỳ thiền thất 7 ngày tu tập theo Pháp môn Tổ Sư Thiền do Cố Hòa Thượng Thiền sư Thích Duy Lực hoằng dương sẽ bắt đầu từ ngày 10/06/2023 đến ngày 16/06/2023 tại Từ Ân Thiền Đường 4310 W 5th Street Santa Ana, CA 92703. Thời khóa biểu tu tập của 7 ngày thiền thất là từ 5:00 giờ sáng cho đến 8:00 giờ tối mỗi ngày.
Thứ Bảy 17/06 Giỗ thầy Truyền Mẫn lần thứ 22, Cùng Chư Hương Linh Ký Tự
7:30AM – 9:00AM: Chư Tăng Ni, Phật Tử và các Bạn Đồng Tham Tề Tựu
9:00AM – 11:00AM: Tọa hương và đi hương
11:00AM – 11:40PM: Pháp Đàm về Tổ Sư Thiền
11:40AM – 12:00PM: Lễ Phật, lễ chư vị Tổ Sư, lễ Hòa Thượng Thích Duy Lực
Môn đồ Pháp quyến hướng về giác linh thầy Truyền Mẫn và chư hương linh đảnh lễ
Tứ hoằng thệ nguyện, khai thị sách tấn, và lễ kết thúc
12:00PM: thọ trai.
2:00PM: Buổi họp khoán đại hội viên giữa năm 2023
Ban tổ chức kính mời quý vị quang lâm về tham dự tuần thiền thất, lễ giỗ thầy Truyền Mẫn và chư hương linh ký tự tại Từ Ân Thiền Đường cùng đại chúng.
Xin trân trọng kính mời
Trụ Trì Từ Ân Thiền Đường
Tỳ Kheo Thich Minh Ngọc
* Ghi chú:-Để giúp chuẩn bị cho vấn đề ăn ở được chu đáo, xin quý vị báo trước cho chúng tôi biết số ngày có thể đến tham dự, cũng như nhu cầu đưa đón tại phi trường hay bến xe, trước ngày 9 tháng 6 năm 2023. Xin liên lạc bằng email hay số điện thoại ở đầu thư.
TIN SINH HOẠT VÀ PHẬT SỰ
Trong 6 tháng qua Thiền Đường đã sinh hoạt bình thường và đều đặn, thiền thất tháng giêng, húy kỵ Sư Phụ Duy Lực, và 2 tuần thiền thất tháng 3 rất tốt, được chư tăng ni các nơi về tu tập. Sinh hoạt các đạo tràng mọi nơi như San Jose hằng tháng thường xuyên, Dallas Texas vào 3 ngày đầu tháng tư, ở Việt Nam 7 ngày thiền thất tại chùa Tân Ninh Đà Nẵng, và một tuần thiền thất tại chùa Báo Ân Gia Lâm Hà Nội, sinh hoạt trên Zoom hằng ngày rất đều đặn giúp cho chư hành giả luôn giử công phu rất tốt, rất được nhiều hành giả khắp mọi nơi hưởng ứng.
Zoom ID: 754 4215 8886 Pass Code: 123
Mỗi ngày từ 5:00am – 7:00am and 2:00pm – 5:00pm (giờ California-USA)
The one week retreat of Huatou meditation at Tan Ninh, Da Nang Vietnam was successfully completed.
Chúng con kính tri ơn nhị vị giáo thọ, HT Thích Đồng Thường và TT trụ trì Từ Ân Thiền Đường đã dành hết tâm huyết của mình mà giúp chúng con cũng cố được niềm tin, tin tự tâm và giữ nghi tình cho miên mật hơn.
Chúng con cũng thành kính tri ơn quý thầy, quý sư cô, và toàn thể quý bạn đồng tham trên khắp mọi nơi đã ủng hộ đạo tràng bằng mọi phương tiện, lên zoom va đến đạo tràng tham dự.
Chúng con thành kính chúc nhị vị giáo thọ, pháp thể khinh an, lục căn thông lợi, và Phật đạo viên thành.
Và chúng con cũng kính chúc quý thầy, quý sư cô, và toàn thể quý bạn đồng tham than tâm an lạc và công phu miên mật để sớm được làm chủ chính mình giải thoát hết tất cả khổ
Và giờ này đoàn đã chuẩn bị lên máy bay ra Hà Nội cho một tuần thiền thất tại chùa Báo Ân do TT Thích Huệ Kiệt dẫn chúng.
Kính mong quý thầy, quý sư cô và toàn thể quý bạn đồng tham tiếp tục ủng hộ đạo tràng cho đến ngày viên mãn
Nam Mô Bổn Sư Thích Ca Mâu Ni Phật
The one week retreat of Huatou meditation at Tan Ninh, Da Nang Vietnam was successfully completed.We sincerely want to thank to our two Dharma teachers, Venerable Thich Dong Thuong and Venerable Thich Minh Ngoc, the Abbot of Tu An Thien Duong, who have devoted all their hearts to helping us strengthen our faith, confidence and to believe in our own mind and keep maintaining the state of doubt.
We also sincerely want to thank to the Sangha and Dharma friends and all the fellow participants world wide, who supported the retreat by all means, on zoom and in person.
We respectfully wish the dharma teachers to be peaceful and success in the Buddha’s path. And we also sincerely wish all the monks, nuns, and dharma friends all live in peace and practice diligently to soon master yourself freeing from all suffering.
And now the group has prepared to fly to Hanoi for a week of meditation at Bao An temple led by Ven Thich Hue Kiệt. We hope that our dear Sangha and Dharma friends continue to support the retreat until the end.
May we all sooner will be free from samsara.
Namo Shakyamuni Buddha🙏
GIỜ KHAI THỊ CỦA TUẦN THIỀN THẤT TẠI CHÙA BÁO ÂN HÀ NỘI SẼ LÀ:
Buổi sáng:
9am-10am(giờ việt Nam)
là 7pm-8pm(giờ CaLi)
Buổi chiều:
2pm-3pm(giờ Việt Nam)
12am-1am( giờ CaLi)
Đồng thời chiều nay lúc 3pm ngày 16 tay thang 4, 2023 tại chùa Báo Ân, thầy trụ trì Từ Ân Thiền Đường sẽ lam lề xuất Gia cho 3 vị đệ tứ của thầy.
Và thầy cũng sẽ mở Zoom cho tất cả mọi người tham dự. Kính xin mọi người sắp xếp thời gian để len zoom tham dự.
Thien that tai chua Tan Ninh Da Nang VN-One week retreat at TAN NINH temple DA NANG, VNThien That tai chua Tan Ninh- Huatoa Meditation retreat at Tan Ninh Temple Da Nang, VN
Kính gởi: Chư Tăng Ni, quý Phật Tử và các bạn đồng tham:
Kỳ thiền thất tu tập theo Pháp môn Tổ Sư Thiền do Cố Hòa Thượng Thiền sư Thích Duy Lực hoằng dương với thời khóa biểu mỗi ngày từ 5:00 giờ sáng cho đến 8:00 giờ tối như sau.
BUỔI SÁNG
5:00AM – 6:30AM:Tọa hương và đi hương
6:30AM – 7:00AM: Khai thị 30 phút
7:00AM – 8:00AM: Ăn sáng+uống trà+đi hương
8:00AM – 8:55AM: Tọa hương và đi hương
8:55AM – 9:00AM: Khai thị (5 phút)
9:00AM – 9:40AM: Tọa Hương
9:40AM – 9:45AM: Uống trà
9:45AM – 11:00AM: Tọa hương và đi hương
11:00AM –12:00PM: Tham vấn 40 phút, Đi hương
12:00PM– 1:00PM: Ăn trưa+uống trà+đi hương
1:00PM – 2:00PM: Chỉ tịnh & Nghỉ ngơi
BUỔI CHIỀU và TỐI
2:00PM – 2:55PM: Tọa hương và đi hương
2:55PM – 3:00PM: Khai thị 5 phút
3:005PM – 3:40PM: Tọa hương
3:40PM – 3:45PM: Uống sữa đậu nành
3:45PM– 4:00PM: Đi hương
4:00PM – 5:00PM: Tham vấn 40 phút, Đi hương
5:00PM – 6:00PM: Ăn chiều+uống trà +đi hương
6:00PM – 8:00PM: Tọa hương và đi hương
8:00PM – 10:00PM: Tùy nghi
10:00PM: Chỉ tịnh
Ban tổ chức kính mời quý vị quang lâm về tham dự tuần thiền thất cùng đại chúng Từ Ân Thiền Đường.
T/M Ban tổ chức
Trân trọng kính mời,
Trụ Trì Từ Ân Thiền Đường
Tỳ Kheo Thich Minh Ngọc
* Ghi chú:-Để giúp chuẩn bị cho vấn đề ăn ở được chu đáo, quý vị vui lòng ghi danh với ban tổ chức trước. Xin liên lạc bằng email hay số điện thoại ở đầu trang.
Shakyamuni Buddha Bodhidharma, the 28th patriarch Zen Master Wei Li-Ven. Thich Duy Luc
About the Practice
Patriarch Ch’an is the method of practice officially handed down by the Patriarchs called ts’an ch’an [explanations will follow]. Ts’an ch’an is not tso ch’an [sitting Ch’an], on the other hand, tso ch’an is not ts’an ch’an. Many of us mistake tso ch’an for ts’an ch’an. In fact, we do not need to be in the sitting position to ts’an ch’an. The Patriarchs have taught: “It is best to practice ts’an while working. If one always chooses to practice by sitting in a quiet place, it is unlikely that he will see his self-nature.”
The Sixth Patriarch [Hui Neng] said: “The Tao [Way] is realized by the mind, not through sitting.” It is explained in the Chapter on Tso Ch’an in the Platform Sutra [1] that when we talk about tso ch’an, we talk about the mind which is sitting, not the body. Not giving rise to thoughts in response to the external good and bad circumstances is called sitting; seeing the internal imperturbability of the self-nature is called ch’an.
So what is ts’an ch’an?
The word ts’an means doubt. Doubt means not knowing. When something is known, the doubt stops. When the doubt stops, there is no more ts’an. Therefore ts’an ch’an strongly emphasizes the feeling of doubt. To stir up the feeling ofdoubt, we need to use the hua tou, so the practice is called ts’an hua tou.
What is hua tou?
According to Master Hsu Yun [2], a thought must be formed before we speak the words. Hua tou —which means word’s head, or thought’s origin— is the state before a thought is formed. Once a thought is formed, even not spoken out, we already are at the word’s tail [end].
Now, we have only begun practicing ts’an chan, we have not reached the hua tou yet, but we have left the word’s tail. In other words, we are on the way from the word’s tail to hua tou, or thought’s origin. And one day, we will get there. When we reach the hua tou, the hua [the words] will disappear. As long as the hua still exists in our mind, we have not reached the hua tou.
On this, Master Hsu Yun gave an example: “The hua tou is a cane, the doubt is the walking. Like a crippled person who needs a cane to walk, we need the hua tou to stir up the feeling of doubt.”
There are countless hua tou which can be used to ts’an hua tou. For now I suggest one of the following 5 for the practitioners to choose. Please choose the one that is the most difficult for you to comprehend. The harder for you to comprehend the better. You should choose one and one only. Once you have made up your mind, you should not go back and forth from one hua tou to another. You should stick to the one you choose and ts’an all the way until you see the self-nature.
The 5 huatou we want to suggest are:
1. Before heaven and earth came into existence, what was I?
2. All things return to the One, to where does the One return?
3. Before my parents were born, what did my original face look like?
4. From where did I come to this life, to where will I go after death?
5. It is not the mind, not the Buddha, not things. What is it?
The huatou is a question. When there is a question there must be an answer. For example, you silently ask yourself the question “Before heaven and earth came into existence, what was I?” When you cannot answer the question, your curiosity grows. That curiosity is the doubt.
You ask the question once and you cannot answer it. You ask it a second time, you cannot answer it. You ask it a third time, and you keep going on asking the question day and night without interruption. You keep asking while you are walking, standing, lying down, sitting, working manually or mentally, driving, eating, using the bathroom, sleeping. This ts’an process should continue without interruption.
Beginners tend to forget to keep up the asking. Therefore in a 24-hour day, the ts’an process is interrupted for 23 hours. With more practice, the interruption will be reduced to 22 hours, then 21 hours, then 20 hours, and so on. Gradually the practice will become continuous and tight, day and night, 24 hours without interruption. When the practice becomes gapless we reach hua tou. In other words, we reach the top of the 100-foot pole. From the top of the 100-foot pole, we make one more step forward, and instantly we see our true nature. In other words, we realize the state of ultimate freedom, we eternally deliver ourselves from all suffering.
Important things requiring great attention from practitioners of ts’an Patriarch Ch’an
1. Wiping out of the attachment to the reality of the self
Buddhist schools, Small or Middle or Great or Supreme Vehicle, all teach of the wiping out of the attachment to the reality of the self. Without wiping out the attachment to the reality of the self, we cannot liberate ourselves from the suffering of birth and death, cannot get away from the cycle of birth and death.
How does ts’an ch’an wipe out the attachment to the reality of the self? The basics of the practice can be found in these nine words: “Nothing to gain, nothing to seek, nothing to fear.” When there remains something to gain, the attachment to the reality of the self still exists. When there remains something to seek, the attachment to the reality of the self still exists. When there remains something to fear, the attachment to the reality of the self still exists.
2. Distinction between curiosity/suspicion and right doubt
Ts’an chan is right doubt. A person is said to have right doubt when he keeps his mind in a state of doubt and does not use his mind to run after knowledge and comparison, and therefore nurtures and strengthens the doubt. When this strong doubt reaches its highest limit, it will suddenly explode. This explosion is given the name of seeing the self-nature. Seeing the self-nature is to enlighten, to know ourselves hence to be our own masters. Only when we become our own masters can we realize the state of ultimate freedom, which is the eternal liberation from all suffering. In other words, it is to see the self-nature and to attain the Buddhahood.
On the other hand, a person is said to have curiosity when he uses his mind to look for knowledge, to try to explain the hua tou to look for an answer. That is not ts’an chan.
Satisfying our curiosity might lead to acquiring more knowledge, more logical understanding, but not to enlightenment. One good example can be found in the case of Newton. Seeing the apple falling down from the tree, Newton developed a curiosity asking himself the question, “Why did not the apple fly up to the sky instead of falling down to the earth?” From that question, Newton started his studies and ultimately found his answer with the discovery of the law of gravity. That is curiosity. Answers to curiosity can help invent things useful to our daily life. However, as these things are only valuable to this mundane life but cannot help us know ourselves, we cannot use them to make us masters of ourselves, and therefore, cannot realize the state of ultimate freedom.
3. Not letting any other thought arise
Besides the doubt, we are not going to let any other thought arise [3]. We do not suppress the wandering thoughts. We do not let go of them. We do not wipe them out. No matter how many wandering thoughts arise, we do not pay any attention to them. We do not bother if there are thoughts or not. The doubt, functioning like an automatic broom, without any manasikara [attention/intention], would clean away everything. When there are thoughts, the doubt does the cleaning. When there are no thoughts, the doubt still does the cleaning. If the doubt is continuous and tight, there will be no gap through which thoughts arise. The arising of even just another single thought is the proof of some gap.
4. Cause-Effect, Doubt-Enlightenment
We should know that doubt is the cause, enlightenment is the effect. The same as no-cause will lead to no-effect, no-doubt will lead to no-enlightenment. The same as small cause will lead to small effect, small doubt will lead to small enlightenment. The same as great cause will lead to great effect, great doubt will lead to great enlightenment. As we ts’an ch’an, when the doubt becomes heavy, it might cause headaches, chest pains, difficult breathing. These are symptoms of a great doubt. At those moments, the more pains the better: do not be scared, because these are good signs, as a great doubt will lead to great enlightenment. But if these pains happen when you are sitting, they are not good symptoms. In that case, what should we do? We should stand up immediately [4] and look for something to work on while keeping ts’an ch’an continuous. As we ts’an, when we feel that the nerves are too tense —so tense as to become unbearable— then we will have to ask the hua very slowly, word by word, with a spacing of about ten seconds between words. This will help loosen the stress.
5. No differentiation of qualifications
There is no differentiation of qualifications regarding practitioners of the method of ts’an Patriarch Ch’an. There is no difference between beginner and old hand, intelligent and ignorant, old and young [5]. The story of the 8 year-old Dragon Girl who attained the Buddhahood was told in the Lotus Sutra [6]. In the Transmission of the Lamp (the book on the history of the Chinese Ch’an), a 13 year-old girl named Trinh and a 15 year-old girl named To realized their self-nature, and several ignorant Patriarchs did the same with their practice of ts’an Patriarch Ch’an. Practitioners of ts’an ch’an only need to be wholeheartedly concerned about the question of life and death, to courageously ts’an, and then anyone can see the self-nature and attain the Buddhahood. We should not underestimate our own ability of attaining the Buddhahood.
6. Great faith in our own mind
When we ts’an ch’an, we need to have faith in our own mind. If we only have faith in the method of practice ts’an ch’an, but not in our own mind, then no matter how advanced we are in our practice, how much spiritual progress we make, we still cannot see our self-nature. Therefore Master Po Shan said that there is a correct faith and an erroneous faith:
The faith that our own mind is Buddha is the correct faith, clinging to dharmas outside of our own mind [7] is the erroneous faith.
Our faith that our own mind is Buddha must be accompanied by the practice to enlighten our own mind and we have to lead ourselves to the place of no more doubt; only then can our faith be spoken of as correct. On the other hand, if we are unsettled and erroneous, if we only make a wild guess when saying that our mind is Buddha, but have no intention to ts’an to realize our own mind, then it is an erroneous faith.
7. Awakening to the self-nature
“The dog of Han chases the bone while the lion bites the man.” This saying by one patriarch means: when someone casts a bone, the dog will chase the bone. But the lion, through the motion of the bone, discovers the man and, instead of running after the bone, bites the man. The man stands for the self-nature, the bone stands for the words of the Buddha and the patriarchs. Should one look to the words of the Buddha and the patriarchs for awakening, then he would be no different than the dog. Should one look to the self-nature for awakening, then he would be the lion.
Wise men in the ancient times talked about “to die in the middle of words” and “face the direction of the words to expect.” These sayings mean that the patriarchs uttered some words, we listened to the words and thought that we awakened ourselves. What we do not know is that such understanding remains in the discriminating realm of ordinary people. As we do not know that the ultimate awakening can only be realized when we leave the realm of consciousness behind, the patriarchs call us the dogs of Han [8].
8. Not to fall into the state of nihilistic void
A nihilistic void is something we should avoid when we ts’an ch’an. Unlike the practitioners of other methods whose aim is to put an end to thoughts, those who ts’an ch’an must keep the doubt [which is a thought] continuous and uninterrupted. The moment we have no doubt nor thoughts, we fall into the nihilistic void which is a common sickness for Ch’an practitioners. Patriarchs had a nickname for this condition: “immersion in dead water.” Feeling quietude and calmness, people in this condition find their bodies lighten. But as they tend to cling to this condition, they will never have the opportunity to see their self-nature. This condition, then, is even less desirable than having the doubt and the wandering thoughts. So, when we ts’an, as long as we have not reached the hua tou, we should not drop the hua. Some practitioners find out that even if they drop the hua [do not ask the question], they still can maintain the doubt, and are glad about it. But it is not the real case because chances are that there is interruption without being noticed, and we also have to consider the risk of being trapped in the nihilistic void.
9. Practice starts, understanding ends
For adherents of common Doctrinal Schools’ [9] methods, the path can be completed in four steps: faith, understanding, practice, attainment. Based on faith, a need of understanding will develop. Then practice will follow based on understanding. And then practice and understanding will develop side by side. Step by step, the path followers will attain the ten stages of faith, the ten practical stages of wisdom, the ten lines of conduct, the ten acts of dedication, the ten grounds [highest stages of Bodhisattva attainment], and then Universal Enlightenment [or, equal enlightenment] and Absolute Enlightenment [or, wonderful enlightenment] [10]. This process does not apply to practitioners of Patriarch Ch’an who do not follow the same process. The practitioners of Patriarch Ch’an also start with faith, with understanding. But once they begin practicing, their drive for understanding should stop. That is what Ch’an called “Practice starts, understanding ends.” Therefore those who ts’an ch’an are not permitted to understand Ch’an and the Tao. Why is it so? Because as we ts’an ch’an, we already have Ch’an and the Tao. If we now want to understand about Ch’an and the Tao, then it is similar to having another head grow on top of the head we have. The patriarchs had the phrase “grow one more head on top of the head” to describe this situation. The second head cannot be of any use to the original head. Besides, as it causes pains and obstacles to the original head, it needs to be removed by doctors. So, we come to know that even the understanding of Ch’an and the Tao is not permitted, let alone the understanding of other things. We should know that the thirst for knowledge and understanding is a great obstacle to awakening. That is the meaning of “Practice starts, understanding ends.”
10. Emphasis on practice
Patriarch Ch’an emphasizes practice, not rhetoric. Nevertheless, it is important to have guidance from old hands, even if the method of ts’an hua tou is very easy. The reasons are:
This booklet can only point out the essentials of the practice, and not the numerous subtle details.
Due to people’s different roots, degrees of attachment, varieties of knowledge and understanding, and personal inclinations, there are numerous possibilities for practitioners to go astray.
– The prescriptions must be written according to the diagnostic result for each individual.
Practitioners of Ch’an, please be very careful! If you let your overconfidence lead you astray from the clearly defined guiding principle of Patriarch Ch’an, your action would be construed as contempt of the Buddha’s teachings. You would therefore be led to a confinement in hell without knowing about it.
Basics of the practice of Patriarch Ch’an
To see the self-nature and to liberate themselves, practitioners of Patriarch Ch’an must follow these basics:
1. Faith in one’s own mind
What is the Faith in one’s own mind? That is the faith that our mind and the mind of the Buddhas are not two, not different. What will follow is that the power and the wisdom of our own mind are not inferior in any way to those of the Buddhas. The reason is that the nature and the marvellous function of our mind are the same as those of the Buddhas, encompassing space and time. Therefore we talk about the equality and non-duality of the self-nature. If the nature and function of our mind is just a little inferior to those of the Buddhas, then the Buddhas are above ordinary sentient beings, then we will talk about inequality, of high and low, of duality.
With our strong belief that our own mind is intrinsically complete with power and wisdom, that its marvellous function encompasses space and time —as the Buddha had said “there are no dharmas outside of the mind”— we surely can apply the nine words “nothing to gain, nothing to seek, nothing to fear.” The reason is that when we talk about gaining, we talk about gaining something outside of the mind; the same is with seeking. But now, as the mind encompasses the space and time, there is no space beyond space, there is no time beyond time. And as there is nothing outside of the mind, what is there to gain, to seek? If there is nothing to gain, nothing to seek, then there is nothing to fear. Then, without having to go through the process of wiping out the clinging to the reality of the self, the clinging would wipe itself out. So the use of “nothing to gain, nothing to seek, nothing to fear” is to wipe out this clinging to the reality of the self. When this clinging is wiped out, we would deliver ourselves from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.
With a strong faith in the method of Patriarch Ch’an alone, no matter how diligent we are, we cannot realize the self-nature if we do not have the faith in our own mind. Why? Because if we do not have faith in our own mind, how could we realize our own mind! Realizing our own mind means seeing the self-nature.
Hence it is said that the faith in one’s own mind is the basis of the correct teachings.
2. The doubt
What is the doubt? We raise the hua tou [question] and ask it silently. We do not have the answer. Ch’an names this feeling of “don’t-know” “doubt.” Whatever position our body is in —walking, standing, lying, sitting— whatever kind of work we do —manual or mental— whatever kind of activity we are involved in —eating, using the toilet, talking, sleeping— we always need to maintain the doubt. Only with the doubt maintained can we say that we ts’an ch’an. In other words, we use the don’t-know-mind (doubt) of the brain to put an end to all the knowing of the brain [11]. Even if the phrase “put an end to” is used, we do not need to have the attention/intention [manasikara, tsuo i] to end, because with the doubt present, the knowing of the brain will stop by itself as it is just a sick appearance. [12]
Another parable for the knowing of the brain is the knowing of a blind man. A blind man has never seen the sun. He asks a man with normal eyes about the sun. The latter gives the former a description of the sun as something round and hot. The description given by the man with normal eyes is correct. But it will be wrong for the blind man to take anything round and hot for the sun.
To keep the doubt, we have to put an end first to the knowing by cognition and the knowing by memorization, then the knowing based on causal conditions [which does not require cognition such as walking, standing, lying, sitting, putting on clothes, having meals, and so on] Therefore, Master Lai Kuo [13] said “when the practice reaches to hua tou, we walk without knowing that we are walking, we sit without knowing that we are sitting.” When the practice reaches to hua tou, the hua would disappear by itself, all knowledge of the brain would be wiped out. We then ts’an ch’an without knowing that we are ts’an ch’an’ing, we eat without knowing that we are eating. We don’t even know the don’t-know. When we reach this state, we are very close to the moment of realizing the self-nature. Common people might say that we look very silly. But the reality is that the great wisdom will soon manifest. Ultimately, the doubt will explode, the don’t-know-mind of the brain will disintegrate. By that time both the know and the don’t-know of the brain are cleaned away, the sick appearance [the function of the brain] vanishes. In that ksana [14], the healthy appearance [15] [the wisdom of the original Buddha nature] appears. That is what is called seeing the self-nature and the attainment of Buddhahood.
The patriarchs said: “About wisdom, not two persons, about dharmas, not two kinds.” Why are not there two persons when we talk about wisdom? The wisdom of the original self-nature is the Ultimate Unsurpassed Equal Wisdom [Samyak sambodhi/Genuine Complete Enlightenment] encompassing space and time, therefore there is only one wisdom [16]. If there is also the wisdom of the brain [which does not encompass space and time], then we are going to have two wisdoms, therefore, two persons. Why “not two kinds of dharmas”? As all dharmas come from the mind, and as the original nature of the mind encompasses space and time, then the mind-created dharmas also have to encompass space and time. Therefore, it was said “not two kinds of dharmas”. If there are dharmas accepted by the brain as real, then these dharmas are only manifestations of the sick appearance.
Notes:
[1] Some commonly known translations of the complete title are: The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, The Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch on the Pristine Orthodox Dharma, The Sutra of Hui Neng.
[2] Perhaps the most famous modern Ch’an Master [1840-1959.]
[3] In the Chinese version, there is an extra detailed explanation: “No matter if it is a good thought, an evil thought, a holy thought, a common thought, or even a thought transcending the Buddhas.”
[4] In the Chinese version, this line reads as: “We should stand up immediately, kin hin [walk around, do walking meditation] or look for something to work on…”
[5] In the Chinese version, there is an extra sentence after “old and young.”: “The only required qualification to practice ts’an chan is the knowledge of the method of practice.”
[6] One of the most important and influential of all the sutras [holy scriptures] of Mahayana Buddhism.
[7] In the Chinese version, this “clinging to dharmas outside of our own mind is the erroneous faith,” reads as “clinging to the idea that there are dharmas outside of our own mind to be acquired is the erroneous faith.”
[8] Dogs of Han are considered as very smart dogs. Han is the name of a kingdom in old China.
[9] Doctrinal Schools: Ch’an does not rely on texts or writings. Doctrinal Schools emphasize instruction based on the written canon.
[10] To understand these notions, refer to the Surangama Sutra, Volume VIII. As different English translations of the sutra might use different terms for the 52 steps mentioned in here, please be advised not to expect to find the same English words used here in the book[s] you read.
[11] The don’t-know-mind of the brain.
We start asking the hua tou, and we do not know the answer. The urge to know of the thirsty-for-knowledge mind of the old time unknown, unfelt habits automatically starts its process and transforms itself into doubt. Therefore, we say that the don’t-know-mind of the brain is the basis for the doubt. To maintain the doubt, we need this don’t-know-mind. If we know, than it is not doubt any more, than we don’t really ts’an ch’an. This don’t-know-mind is different from the not knowing of people who are ignorant, or with mental diseases, or are soundly sleeping or lose their consciousness. [translated from Master Wei Li’s original]
[12] If we look at ourselves in a mirror when we are sick, we see a sick appearance. If we look at ourselves again in the same mirror, when we recover from that sickness, we see a healthy appearance. It has always been the same face but appearances differ when we are sick and when we are healthy. Having a sick appearance is the parable for deluded people and having a healthy appearance is the parable for people who realize the self-nature.
[13] Modern Ch’an Master, younger contemporary of Hsu Yun.
[14] Ksana: The Sanskrit term for an extremely short unit of time, just a very small portion of a second.
[15] See [12] above
[16] The non-dual self-nature originally is not one. If the word one is now used, it is only as an expedient means. Please don’t cling to this one as real, because if one really is, then we will have to have two, three, up to thousands of thousands.
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