安祥之美（英文版）
THE BEAUTY OF AN-HSIANG
GENG YUN July 21st ,1985 in Taipei
“The Beauty of An-Hsiang” interprets the beauty of An-Hsiang (peace and benignity), and surely includes the praises of An-Hsiang. Firstly, we would like to verify what An-Hsiang is.
We can interpret it by the following points:
(1). An-Hsiang is the Direct Inference of the Dharma.
What is the direct inference of the Dharma?
The Dharma can be attained through the direct or the comparative inferences.
The comparative inference is a form resulted from thoughts, words, and logic; namely, to realize and interpret the Dharma by means of deliberation and verification.
However, if we do not go through those two processes, and can instantly present the Dharma, and directly perceive it, that is the direct inference.
How can we assure that An-Hsiang is the direct inference of the Dharma?
It is because that“the Dharma transcends languages and written words.”Indeed, the Dharma surpasses both of them.
Well, what is the Dharma that transcends both languages and written words？
It is the original self and body of the Dharma, and is the true essence of the Dharma that sublimates from languages, written words, deliberation and verification.
Therefore, we realize that it is very difficult to understand the so-called “Dharma”.
What is the Dharma？
Everyone says it is the truth.
What is the truth？
The truth is original.
Then, what is the original state？
Originally, 40,000 galaxies had not been discovered, nor were the solar systems, the earth, creatures, and human beings.
Before the formation of the universe, the original Dharma has been there, which is the true Dharma.
What is the Dharma that transcends both languages and written words？
Its true essence is An-Hsiang.
Why do we say that the Dharma transcends all the languages and written words？
It is because all the languages and written words at most can only describe something similar, but they are not totally identical to the Dharma.
There is a simile in the Buddhist sutra saying that people's understanding of the Dharma is exactly like the blind feeling an elephant.
Some touched its ears and thought it was a fan; some others touched its belly and thought it was a big wok.
As for people who touched its legs, they said it was a pole.
Their perceptions were all different, and none of them could view the whole picture.
(2) An-Hsiang is the Life of Ch'an
The Dharma is original, and An-Hsiang is the direct inference of the Dharma.
Therefore, An-Hsiang is the life of Ch'an.
Ancient practitioners traveled through hundreds of towns and crossed over hundreds of rivers to search for the Dharma and practice it.
As a saying goes, “Hiking through the clouds over the peak of mountains, one wore out one's straw-made shoes.”
They endured endless and hard journeys to search for the truth of the Dharma.
After all, what kind of Dharma were they searching for?
It is absolutely not a theory.
That which is original is true. Originally, there is no theory at all.
What one can attain is nothing but the mentality of An-Hsiang. Consequently, An-Hsiang is actually the life of Ch'an.
In the Ch'an scriptures we read, the most crucial dialogue between Bodhidharma and the second Patriarch was that the second Patriarch begged Master Bodhidharma to settle his restless mind for him.
Master Bodhidharma said, “Give me your mind, I'll settle it for you!”
The second Patriarch was stunned for a while and said, “I can't even find my mind!”
Master Bodhidharma then replied, “If it is so, I've already settled it for you.”
As far as the Ch'an School is concerned, this dialogue is very important.
Why do people search for the Dharma?
Their basic objective is to search for a clear conscience.
Regardless of whether one's material life is sufficient or deficient, one can live happily when one's mind is full of An-Hsiang.
Conversely, no matter what social status or lifestyle one has, if one's mind is restless, one's life is not different to a torture.
In the Ch'an scriptures we read, the Sixth Patriarch tied a stone around his waist to make himself heavy enough to push the rice grinder.
(Now the traditional grinder can only be found in the countryside; instead, there are mills in the city.)
In addition, some people even spent quite a few decades on hard practice.
What were they searching for?
Definitely, it is not for a mystery.
It is because the truth is general.
As it is general, so it is common.
As it is common; therefore, it is not special.
Consequently, we can conclude that a mystery is definitely not the truth.
If one does not pursue a mystery or a theory, then, what can it be?
It is nothing but the mentality of An-Hsiang .
People, who are conscious of the perception of An-Hsiang, can claim that they have attained the true joy of life, so that they can truly enjoy their lives.
Consequently, the An-Hsiang in one's mind is solely the most invaluable and rarest treasure to possess, and that is what all the Ch'an practitioners are searching for with their full strength and energy.Once they attain it, they should maintain it in every moment and nurture it even during their breaks.
(3). An-Hsiang is the True Verification of Genuine Perception
What is Genuine Perception?
It is a term from the Buddhist Sutras.
In our general language, it means the correct sensation.
In fact, almost 99 percent of all our sensations are incorrect.
That is the reason why our minds are restless and our lives are full of conflicts, regrets, confusions and pains.
Why are most of our sensations incorrect?
The so-called“sensation”is derived from our senses; namely, eyes, ears, noses, tongues, bodies and minds.
We use our senses to sense Six Dusts, which are forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches and consciousness.
Therefore, in this fantastic and delusive world, what we realize and observe is nothing realistic.
Some are kind of fantasy; some are like past clouds, and some are distorted forms caused by our negative mentality.
As a result, we are not living with correct sensations, and surely can never attain the true benefit of life.
If a practitioner has persisted with his practice for decades, but still cannot attain the true benefit of life, isn't it wasteful and frustrating?
When we read“Pointing-Moon Record”, we found a Ch'an master named Hsiang-Lin-Yuan.
While he was falling into decay, he happily said, “I, an old monk, after forty years of hard practice, finally have attained it!”
In other words, after forty years of hard practice, he eventually attained the true benefit of life.
What is the true benefit?
It never refers to having a limousine to drive, neither a houseful of electronic appliances to use, nor a non-stop
supply of banquets to enjoy every day.
It definitely does not refer to any of these.
No matter how rich you are, if I give you two pieces of twelve-ounce steak, I believe you cannot finish them.
If you do, you need to rush to a doctor.
We then realize that material satisfaction can never fill up the emptiness of one's life.
Obviously, it is not the goal for the pursuit of the Dharma.
The real goal is to attain the true benefit, and it is Genuine Perception.
Well, what is Genuine Perception?
It is a harmonious and unified state of mind, and is free from worries, fears, desires, flattery and conflicts, and
also deviates from all the attachments and contrasts.
It is exactly the true benefit an authentic practitioner
attains.
It is extremely difficult to unify and harmonize one's mind.
If our mind is inharmonious and restless, even we are in a very pleasant environment, we are unable to appreciate and enjoy it.
Therefore, “the unification of one's mind” should be the fundamental goal of our practice.
Why? It is because, generally, none of us has a unified mind, unless we have thoroughly completed the process of self-realization and have reached the very origin of all matters, reasons and sentient beings.
Otherwise, we are unable to realize that our minds are not unified.
You think your mind is unified and your personality is
integrated.
In fact, our personalities are broken, our minds are divided, and our consciousness is multiple.
Well, how to interpret it? For example, you originally planned to do something, but a few minutes later, you decided not to do it.
You were simply against yourself!
Your second thought opposed to your first one.
Your reason told you it was right to do so, but your emotion told you not to.
Furthermore, your reason told you that it was wrong to approach this person; however, your emotion encouraged you, forced you, seduced you and pushed you to get
close to the person.
Similarly, a moment ago, we were very happy; a moment later, we turned to be upset.
All these make us realize that our minds have never been truly unified.
All the great works in the world have been accomplished with a unified mind.
If we cannot have our minds unified, we are unlikely to develop the potential power of our lives.
That failing to develop the power of one's potential equates to personally burying oneself.
In most of time and cases, you are not limited by others, but simply buried by yourself.
Consequently, An-Hsiang is the state of a unified mind, and is the “Genuine Perception” as stated in Buddhist Sutras.
Genuine Perception can be interpreted as “a unified and harmonious state of mind”; meanwhile, it can also be defined as “one's mental sensation after one has broken through one's karma.”
What is karma? It refers to the entire accumulation of one's thoughts and behaviors from one's birth to the present.
Buddha said, “All beings have the nature of Buddha.”
Why can't we see it?
Truth is everywhere, even Chuang-Tzu said, “Tao is in
dung and urine.”
It emphasizes that truth will not disappear even when there is dung and urine.
If it is so common and obvious, why can't we see it?
It is because we are blocked by a barrier.
What is the barrier? It is karma.
We cannot judge karma as good or bad; we can only say it is a fact.
It is the accumulation of your entire life, behaviors, and thoughts, from your birth to the present.
How is karma formed?
It is formed because of “one's identification to the external world”, and “the association with the elements of the consciousness.”
Moreover, it is “the revelation of all the negative and
destructive emotions emerging from the self.”
As its essence is different from that of truth, so it makes one unable to see truth again.
As the whole karma is made of falseness; therefore, it is impossible to view truth through falseness.
The only possibility to see truth is to break through the barrier of karma.
Consequently, we often say that “people should be always reflecting upon themselves”.
Only by doing it, can one realize how one's personalities have been formed and likely to break through one's karma.
We can clearly and completely see the truth of life, when we have broken through the barrier of the karma.
Then, we can attain its true benefit, which is An-Hsiang.
(4). An-Hsiang Is the Most Superb Art of Living
Any knowledge or law, when it deviates from the human life, it soon loses its value.
Though An-Hsiang is the life of Ch’an and the true verification of the Dharma, it is also the most superb art of living.
Speaking of art, its highest state is truth, virtue and beauty.
Let us think about this question, “What is the truest thing in this universe?”
We try to find it externally, but we fail.
Speaking of truth, it cannot be separated from purity, which is so-called “the pure truth.”
Is there anything as the pure truth on earth?
Yes, there is. However, the only way to find it is to search within ourselves, but not from the outside world.
When we have harmonized and unified our minds to be free from conflicts, all the dual concepts, and to abandon the karma-formed self, it is the moment that our minds are
in the state of the absolute An-Hsiang.
A mind of the absolute An-Hsiang equates to ultimate truth, because it is free from falseness, duality and bias.
It transcends everything.
If we try to describe it, it can possibly be defined as, “I am aware; therefore, I exist.”
Consequently, only the mentality of An-Hsiang can be addressed as the purest truth and the ultimate truth.
And it also equals ultimate virtue.
When we talk about virtue, it refers to goodness.
Then, ultimate virtue means the best goodness.
What is the best goodness?
When one has abandoned the concepts of conflicts and duality to allow the state of An-Hsiang to emerge, it then can be claimed to reach the best goodness.
The mentality of An-Hsiang is ultimately beautiful.
We can interpret it in two regards:
[1] The beauty of feeling:
When one’s mind is constantly in the state of An-Hsiang and free from imagination, worries and contrasts, and even surpassing time and space, one must feel content and joyful.
It equates to the state of “Eternity, Joy, Self and
Purity” as described in the Nirvana Sutra.
It is the eternal beauty, the eternal purity, the eternal awareness and the eternal An-Hsiang.
[2] The beauty of sensation:
Some people are mentally ill; therefore, their minds are full of shadows.
In their minds, everything is gloomy, ugly and dark.
However, when one has harmonized one’s mind to reach the state of An-Hsiang, one will then discover and realize how wonderful everything is meant to be.
Not only is a grain of sand an entire world, but also
everything else in his eyes is true and beautiful.
With the mind of ultimate truth, virtue and beauty to
live in this mundane world, we surely live the most
superb art of living.
If we can live like this, we are delighted and can truly enjoy our lives. Living is no longer a punishment to one’s life.
Conversely, if one lives without An-Hsiang, instead, with frustration, helplessness, suspicion, fear and worry, one’s living is undoubtedly a punishment.
Therefore, only living in the state of An-Hsiang, can we truly enjoy ourselves in life.
(5). An-Hsiang Is the Live Fountain of Happiness
What is true happiness?
It is when one can always have a peaceful mind to face both Heaven and the earth with a clear conscience.
In other words, one needs to maintain the guiltless mind throughout one’s life, and live realistically with An-Hsiang in mind without any interruption as well as live in the state of the ultimate truth, virtue and beauty.
This kind of life can then be claimed as the greatest
bliss of life.
If one’s mind is restless, one’s bliss can never be built.
In “Zuo-Zhuan”, there was a feudal lord, Chu-Wu, named Jing-shi, who told his wife, Deng-Man: “My mind has been very disturbed that I cannot settle it down to stop
worrying.”
His wife said: “If your mind is restless, your social status is about to vanish.
Since you have lost the mind of An-Hsiang, you are going to lose everything you own shortly.”
It was as expected that the lord of Chu-Wu passed away a short while later.
Therefore, it is the true happiness for one to live with An-Hsiang in mind.
When we live with the mentality of An-Hsiang, we seem to attain the live fountain of happiness, and the happiness will be with us forever.
Referring to the above statements, we then realize:
An-Hsiang is the Genuine Perception;
An-Hsiang is Samadhi.
An-Hsiang is the True Origin;
An-Hsiang is the direct inference of the original mind.
An-Hsiang is the revelation of Mahaprajna (the Great Wisdom).
Why did we not apply the Buddhist terminology in the very beginning?
It is because we know it is very confusing and distant to our study of the Dharma.
It can block our visions to make us unable to realize its true meaning.
After we have realized what An-Hsiang is, then we can have a further discussion.
(1). To Search Only for the Peace of Mind
Everyone has his own concept of living.
Shu-Sun-Bau advocated the three forms of immortality
the immortality of one’s virtue, one’s feats and one’s
speech, which is his concept of life.
As for Lee-Bai, he admired strolling in the night by candlelight.
Some people chase after the material comforts, while some others are in pursuit of immortality based on their accomplishments.
Besides, some people are living corruptive and devastating lives and others are lost for unknown pursuits and reasons.
To these people, whether their purpose of life is for the their feats or pleasures, they are unlikely to attain An-Hsiang, because they are living with a dualistic and
contrasting mind.
The correct concept for one to pursue one’s liberation is to give up one’s personal desires and pleasures, and fully concentrate on searching for the peace of mind.
Otherwise, how can you attain An-Hsiang?
How can one attain the peace of mind?
Here is the requisite: “Making efforts is not for one’s own benefits, and doing well is not for winning
compliments.”
What does it mean by “Making efforts is not for one’s own benefits”?
Everyone should find himself a decent job and work hard.
However, if we have striven for a better production, but without being given an equal reward, we should not feel disappointed.
As the statement in the chapter of the Lee-yun goes, “One feels regretful for being unable to offer one’s strength, which is not necessarily for one’s own benefits”.
What we all should pursue is to find opportunities to devote ourselves, but not to emphasize self-assertion and
personal benefits.
If we can work with this attitude, we are “making efforts, but not for our own benefits.”
We strive to create more and perform better, but not for possessing more for ourselves.
Then, what is “doing well is not for winning compliments”?
When we have done something perfectly, we should not feel too proud of ourselves.
In addition, when we have achieved something that others cannot do, we do not feel superior to others either.
To live this way, we can live peacefully without any regrets and attain the mind of An-Hsiang.
Many people cannot stop complaining when their contributions are not rewarded fairly; therefore, their balanced minds are fully destroyed.
Moreover, some outstanding and decent people always feel forgotten and neglected, when they are not valued. Chiu-Yua, an ancient poet, was a typical example.
People who always feel pity for themselves seldom survive.
Eventually, they must end their own lives.
Therefore, if we want to attain An-Hsiang, we should keep in mind that “searching only for the peace of one’s mind” is our concept and attitude of life.
(2). To Govern One’s Senses and Control One’s Desires
Why do we need to govern our senses?
Why can we be lost?
In fact, the process of our growth equates to the journey of our lost life.
How to interpret this?
Our identification towards the external world is being deepened during the process of our growth; therefore, we are constantly driven by our senses.
We are excited when we see something beautiful; whereas, we feel disgusted when we see something annoying.
We feel happy when the environment is pleasant; otherwise, we become angry.
All these show us how we are restrained by our senses.
Indeed, we need to look for food to satisfy our digestive system, as it is our instinctive nature.
However, to keep craving for endless feasts
definitely makes us enslaved by one’s senses.
No matter the economical situation is good or bad, it seems every restaurant in the street of Taipei is full. If you go to a restaurant without making a reservation in advance, you will be rejected because they are mostly fully booked.
The flooding of our material desires has completely reflected the poverty of our mental lives and our drowning
minds.
This is a very terrible and sad phenomenon.
We definitely do not exaggerate its seriousness.
What does it mean by “control one’s desires”?
It is true that reasonable desires are the drive for the evolution of our civilization.
I often say that if our ancestors had been satisfied
with living in the caves or trees, and wearing the skins of animals, we would probably remain as that today.
It was because of their desires to improve lives, the quality of human lives then can be upgraded from generation to generation.
Having reasonable desires is not a sin; however, overspreading one’s personal desires is definitely sinful.
After having read all the history in the past, we realize that there is only one reason to result in the collapse of a dynasty, the destruction of a country, the
corruption of a society, or even the demolition of a few pre-historical civilizations.
This reason is nothing more than the overspreading of personal desires.
Personal desires can not only pollute the whole society, but also corrupt a country.
When it expands to the extreme, greed will devastate humanity.
Personal desires include the desires of possessions, dominance, leadership and self-preservation.
The extreme development of personal desires would make one afraid of men in the daytime and ghosts at night.
To live like that is truly miserable; however, there were many historic heroes who were mostly this kind of
cowards.
It is not sinful to have senses, which are necessary tools for our everyday life and should be subject to us.
We have to govern and control them, but not vice versa
, as the saying goes, “Do not look at, listen to, speak about or do anything which is against courtesy.”
If you can abide by it, you can reach the state as what Wang-yang-ming described: “With heavenly composure, every cell of our body is under control”.
If you are always dominated by your senses, your life must be miserable.
You can never live a free life, nor can you attain An-Hsiang.
Desires are just like a bottomless valley that you can never fully fill.
With regards to power, material, and vanity, they are neither real, nor eternal.
What they will bring to your life are pollution, torture and punishment, which make you lose your way and can even drive you insane.
Therefore, you have to control them to make yourself live within reasonable desires.
That is to say when we are hungry, we have food to eat; when it is cold, we have clothes to wear; when it is raining or windy, we have a house to shelter us. That is enough.
Furthermore, we have to think about how to make our lives worthy, but not wasteful.
How to introspectively reflect upon oneself, to purify oneself and to completely recognize oneself?
All these are claimed as the second condition for attaining An-Hsiang.
(3). To Search for the Origin of All Reason and Recognize the True Mind.
What does it mean that “To search for the origin of all reason”?
If you are searching for the truth and going sideways like a crab, you will find many reasons.
However, when you are reaching the end of your life, you still cannot figure out what reason is and may remain as a puzzled ghost.
Therefore, if you are looking for a reason, you definitely need to search for the origin of the reason. Where is it from?
Water has the origin of its fountain, and a tree has its root.
Where is the origin of a reason?
You must keep searching and searching until you find the utmost origin of all matter and reason.
The wise are not puzzled.
If you want to stop being puzzled, you need to solve the puzzle.
To achieve this, you not only have to find the reason, but also to find the very “Patriarch” of all reason.
When one has no more puzzles, one will be free from confusion, doubt and ignorance.
Then, one’s mind is peaceful, and one will be in the state of An-Hsiang.
Indeed, “a peaceful mind brings nothing but bliss”.
Why do we have to recognize the true mind?
We know that everyone has a mind; however, it is a mind with multiple intentions.
It is like a carriage driven by many horses, and there are conflicts and restraints among them.
Under the circumstances, it is definitely unlikely to unify one’s mind and fully develop one’s potential to expose one’s true value.
In the end, your life is totally buried unconsciously and worthlessly.
What is your true mind?
Why do we have to recognize it?
It is “because all the knowledge of reason publicly accepts the statement: “The true is the original.”
Only the original mind of yours is true and eternal.
Therefore, you have to strive to recognize yourself.
It is useless to recognize others, when you do not even recognize yourself.
A lost person can never succeed; therefore, the first
priority is to recognize oneself.
It is to recognize one’s mind, which is the original essence of life, but not one’s superficial consciousness.
The superficial consciousness equates to the dust of the Dharma, and it is accumulated from the interaction between our senses of eyes, ears, noses, tongues, bodies and minds, and the external forms, sounds, scents, tastes, touches and thoughts.
If you regard the differentiating mind as yourself, you simply mistake the thief as your son. It is not eternal.
Conversely, you are denying yourself.
It is a thorny issue.
If you say your superficial consciousness is not you, then, where does it come from? We know that waves cannot be brought without wind.
What is it based on to exist? Worries equate to Bodhi (wisdom). Without Bodhi, you even cannot sense the worries.
Can a rock be conscious of worries?
It is your consciousness that makes you perceive worries.
Therefore, if you are searching for the “self”, you firstly need to recognize what the self is.
To achieve that, you need to get to know your own mind.
It is to know the true mind that exists before your birth.
If you can make it, you will attain An-Hsiang.
In order to explain that the condition of recognizing one’s self is compulsory and sufficient, I would like to tell you that many people thought an enlightened person must have realized a set of great theories.
And the theories can be applied to the whole world and even the sages in hundreds of generations later will not challenge them. In fact, it is not true.
If someone can lecture a great theory because of his enlightenment, he must be psychopathic.
Some people say that this fellow is enlightened; therefore, he must possess some magical power.
Let me tell you, the true is the original.
Originally, there was no human being, no God, no Buddha, where did the magical power come from?
Even the magical power is not real.
Then, if someone is enlightened, what does he actually get from his enlightenment?
It is very simple! The so-called “enlightenment” is that one has reached the origin of all reason and also has recognized the true mind”.
In other words, all the problems and doubts are completely gone, and worries and karma also fully disappear.
At the moment, the only thing one possesses is nothing but An-Hsiang.
Otherwise, it is not true enlightenment.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you figure out a great theory during your meditation, then you hit your laps and jump up to claim, “I am enlightened.”
I think you had better be careful, because you may be obsessed.
What can you actually secure from the true enlightenment?
It is nothing but An-Hsiang.
Then, how can we reach the origin of all reason and recognize the true mind?
It seems easy to say, but you need to find the right methods to achieve it.
Otherwise, it will not work.
Then, how to be successful?
Here are two statements: firstly, “to reach the utmost
of unreality and maintain the absolute tranquility,”
secondly, ‘to maintain one’s true mind”.
What does it mean “to reach the utmost of unreality”?
We think whatever we see is real; a mountain is a mountain and a river is a river. Everything is real.
Since we regard everything as real, we can only live a contrary life, and our absolute mind is surely restrained.
We have to live not just unrealistically, but extremely unrealistically.
When you are walking, you feel like walking on a sponge instead of on the ground.
You will have this kind of sensation right before attaining your enlightenment.
In addition, we have to live with tranquility, not just with tranquility, but with extreme tranquility.
Otherwise, it is like the saying goes, “The law of nature originally goes smooth; it is only you who are restless.”
Some people criticize the statements as attaching. “To reach” and “to maintain” are both verbs, implementing
the law of the conditioned and are attaching.
If you see them like this, you simply do not understand what the Dharma is.
The Dharma does not adhere to taking-action, or not taking-action.
When one is taking action but does not adhere to taking action, one equates to taking no action, and vice versa.
Therefore, only people who believe in this can enter the Dharma.
If you can, please live as unrealistically as possible.
For example, when you are meditating and disturbed by someone, you immediately lose your temper.
It proves that the external world is completely real to your mind. Therefore, to you, the world is dual.
However, the Dharma is the methodology of non-duality.
If you always have dual or multiple minds, you absolutely cannot correspond to the Dharma to practice.
That “to close the external door to make the internal door opened” is the essential methodology for practicing “retreating in the darkness” of the Esoteric School.
Consequently, practitioners must live as unrealistically as possible.
Meanwhile they have to maintain their minds in an absolute tranquility, then, they will be more likely to correspond to the Dharma.
What does it mean by “to maintain one’s true mind”?
The Fifth Patriarch, Master Hong-Ren, repeatedly mentioned the statement of “To maintain one’s true mind” in “The Supreme Mahayanism”.
People who just start their practice would like to brag
about being carefree and selfless.
In fact, those witty talks and fancy eloquence are totally useless!
When you meet Pluto, it does not help you at all.
When you are trapped in difficulties and loaded with numerous agonies, it can barely make you relieved at all.
Therefore, from Master Bodhidharma to the Fifth Patriarch, they all advocated to monitor one’s mind.
Although the terminology of monitoring one’s mind is seldom applied in the later time, the true reality of practice does not deviate from it.
There are three stages of mind-monitoring.
The first stage is to monitor one’s mind through self-introspection.
To study the Dharma, one must begin from self-introspection.
No matter what school of Buddhism you are studying, you have to start from self-introspection.
Otherwise, the negative karma cannot be removed and there is no way for you to correspond to the Dharma.
Monitoring one’s mind during the self-introspection will help you get to know yourself.
What kind of person are you?
I believe that we all regard ourselves as good people.
We are integrated and complete.
We are gracious and hardly make any mistakes in both our speeches and deeds.
In fact, it is definitely untrue.
If you undertake a thorough self-introspection, you will discover that you are not even qualified to be addressed as a human being.
If you can admit whatever you did and thought in the past were not human and almost like animals without
evolution, and bravely face yourself, you can then truly repent and achieve solid progress.
Conversely, if you are unable to face yourself and always wear a fake mask, no one can ever save you.
Consequently, our first step is to disclose who you actually are.
The second stage is not to miss any thoughts. One should immediately sense a thought when it emerges, and always be extremely subjective to judge it.
If the thought is negative and gloomy, you slap yourself to stop it.
Even when you are talking or working, you need to constantly monitor your thoughts, and do not allow them to play freely.
If we need to think for a purpose, we should focus on thinking of it.
That is called “right intention”.
If it is needless for us to think, we have to monitor our thoughts to prevent losing control like a wild horse running without a direction.
Otherwise, our minds will be definitely disturbed.
The third stage is to detect where thoughts come from.
When you realize where they are from, you may possibly find your own true thoughtless mind.
After having found the original thoughtless mind, you have to hold it so that you can no longer lose yourself in illusions and attachments.
Which is the original thoughtless mind?
I attained a few phrases during my meditation when I served on the island of Dong-Yin more than a decade ago.
(Why did I say I attained them? It is because they were not from the books I read, nor my own creation.)
They are as follows, “With your mind, you are aware of the awareness,
With your awareness, you are aware of the mind.
The awareness is the mind, The mind is self-aware.
When the awareness and the mind are not dual, It is the authentic awareness.”
These few statements are extremely absolute, and why do they inspire me?
Referring to “The awareness is the mind; the mind is self-aware”, I realize that it is not to be aware to the outside, nor to be aware because of the outside.
Let me simulate the verse of Rene Descartes and claim that I “am aware”; therefore, I exist.
After having monitored your mind to the final stage, you have reached the state of “I am aware; therefore, I exist”, and that is “maintaining your true mind.”
As you are maintaining your mind, it will not run freely. That keeping your true mind is keeping your original mind; namely, you are maintaining the “true origin”.
In the later time, the descendants of the Ch’an School think the word “keep” is too clumsy .
In fact, the clumsiness is the great wisdom.
If you can keep your true mind, it is like keeping the MahaPrajna (the great wisdom).
Actually, it means exactly the same as “maintain” which we apply later.
The words are different, but their implication is identical.
I think that “maintaining the true mind” is more
explicit and positive.
(4). To Follow the Way to Focus on One’s Practice
“To follow the way” means to follow the methods described in the Buddhist Sutras as well as the instructions of one’s master.
Then, what does “focus on one’s practice” mean?
It means to focus, but not diverge, and to move forward
instead of retreating.
Do not be guided by miscellaneous methods, but only concentrate on a single practice.
As the Buddha said, “To focus your mind on one point, then there is nothing you cannot accomplish.”
Indeed, you have to fully focus on your practice, as it is the solely great task to do.
An old saying goes: “Before attaining the enlightenment, one feels like losing one’s parents; after attaining the enlightenment, one also feels like losing one’s parents.”
It sounds truly deep and interesting, and it is worth reflecting on it. You can realize it, but it is beyond your verbal expressions.
Therefore, you need to fully focus on practice.
An-Hsiang is derived from a peaceful and guiltless mind.
An-Hsiang is derived from maintaining legitimate, but not indulgent desires.
An-Hsiang is derived from the verification of the truth of the life and the universe.
Therefore, when we attain An-Hsiang, we can live realistically, cheerfully, freely and guiltlessly.
We were talking about the meaning of An-Hsiang, and how to attain it.
Now, we want to talk about what An-Hsiang can do for us and what its benefits are.
That is to say, now we are going to talk about “the beauty of An-Hsiang”.
(1). An-Hsiang Can Make One’s Life Full of Vitality
People who attain An-Hsiang are naturally healthy, seldom sick and look decent.
To those devoted and successful Ch’an practitioners, their features also turn better.
You can have a look at your old friends around, and will find some people have already radiated the beauty of the internal An-Hsiang on their appearances.
It truly makes them look elegant and extraordinary.
Naturally, their lives are full of bliss and harmony, and they also become very amicable and reliable.
As a result, their lives turn smooth and obstacles are lessened.
All their reasonable wishes can come true and positive efforts will bring them success.
In addition, it can make hundreds and thousands of disasters and hardship vanish before being formed.
Every disaster has its cause to happen.
If there is no cause, there will be no effect.
Therefore, to a person who attains An-Hsiang in every second, no disasters will attack him and hardship will never appear in front of him.
He can simply enjoy a carefree, cheerful and blissful life.
(2). An-Hsiang Can Repay the Favors That Normally Cannot Be Repaid
A person who attains An-Hsiang can radiate the energy of his life in every second to constitute a magnetic field.
Anyone entering the magnetic field can simultaneously attain An-Hsiang;
therefore, a restless person turns calm, an angry person turns warm, a person in anguish soon feels relieved, and a depressed person feels greatly encouraged.
As a result, you can always radiate the beam of yourmind to spread An-Hsiang and the spirit of harmony withinthe
radius of the activities in your lifetime.
Although you do not intend to apply the law of the conditioned to repay the four great favors, you realistically have already done it.
This is exactly “to repay the favors that normally cannot be repaid.”
You do not intend to do it, but you have realistically done it.
If each of us can spread An-Hsiang, our society will turn to be harmonious.
Our country will also become so wealthy, powerful, healthy and peaceful that all other evil forces cannot intrude.
If we want to repay our favors to our parents, to our country, to the heaven and the earth and to the sentient beings, we have to maintain An-Hsiang in our mind.
When we have firmly attained An-Hsiang in our minds, we will be able to elevate seven generations of our ancestors to a higher level.
Since An-Hsiang is so good that we must strive to pursue, secure and attain it with our full strength.
(3). An-Hsiang Can Make One Devoted and Enjoy One’s Life
A person with An-Hsiang always has a unified and focused mind.
When he is engaged in the “right intention”, he is incredibly sharp and highly creative.
When one has reached the state of An-Hsiang, one can shortly find a brand new answer to one’s question. It is because one can constantly deliberate the question with the mind of An-Hsiang.
Consequently, he can always make a great contribution to the country, people and the society, and will not become a burden to the society, nor bring any negative value to it.
He lives with An-Hsiang in every second, and he has no dissatisfaction, no suspicion, no jealousy, no grumbles, no complaints, no anger and no fear.
He is definitely content with his life, and enjoys his life.
IV. Why Do We Lose An-Hsiang?
Coming to this point, we would like to discuss: “Why do so many people lose their An-Hsiang?”
(1).To Be Misled by the Senses and Drowned by Chasing Forms
When we chase the outside illusions and make ourselves drowned by them, we lose ourselves.
When we are lost, we are easily seduced by worldly
illusions and restrained by the perceptions of our senses.
We do not live freely at all; then, how can we remain in An-Hsiang?
Even to people who have already attained An-Hsiang, they also may lose it if they are dominated by their senses.
(2). To Over indulge in Personal Desires and Abandon One’s Responsibilities and Obligations
To overindulge in personal desires means to do whatever one wishes.
Personal desires are endless.
The Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Qin-Shi-Huang, claimed he could pass his throne on for thousands of generations.
The Han Emperor, Wu-Di, also thought his empire could be eternal, because he had conquered all those intruders on the border, who had invaded for thousands of years.
However, while both emperors were dying, they were very sad, disappointed, confused and depressed.
Why? It is because even though they had taken so many herbs that assured their longevity, they finally realized
the impossibility of their survival.
Personal desires symbolize the sign of poverty.
While we are expanding our personal desires, we are showing people how weak our minds are.
Therefore, when a person fully focuses on pursuing his personal desires, he must be abandoning his own responsibilities and obligations at the same time.
How are we supposed to live?
We should live with our responsibilities and obligations.
Everyone should be responsible for his own duties.
To live with one’s responsibilities and obligations is the only way to live smoothly.
Wherever you work, no matter what job you are doing, if you want to live without gloom, annoyance, grievance and obscurity, you have to fulfill your responsibilities and satisfy the requirements of those responsibilities to make yourself strong and confident.
As the value of our life is applicable to the theory of the Economics; therefore, the Economical terminology of “the marginal effect” can also be applied to the human beings.
People who are strongly needed by society become the most important ones.
Those who cannot satisfy the demands of their jobs are useless to the jobs.
Therefore, wherever you work, you have to make yourself the most indispensable one. In other words, your presence can satisfy their needs, and your absence will result in their malfunction.
However, if your presence is unnecessary, and your absence is even better, that is truly miserable!
Consequently, we cannot abandon our responsibilities and obligations to make our conscience guilty, nor can we try to lessen our efforts to harm our dignities.
Besides the responsibilities and obligations, there is nothing essential for us to do.
All those greatest people always live with their duties and obligations, such as President Chiang-Ching-Kuo.
The burden they bore in mind is absolutely beyond our imagination.
They faced all sorts of problems and could not be relieved even for one day.
It was because the struggling country overloaded too much burden on them.
Everyone has to live with his responsibilities and obligations; then he can live smoothly, brightly, honestly and remorselessly.
If one fails to fulfill one’s duties and obligations, and expects to live well, it is impossible. The only exception is when one turns to be a thief or gangster, and therefore to be despised as the most shameful and inferior person.
Lives like this are not worth living.
They are not only the burdens to society, but also pollute it. To them, living is constant torture, and they surely do not live happily.
Since “doing good deeds is most joyful,” and they are doing evil deeds, will they be happy?
Just look at those wanted criminals, murderers and frauds; they do not even look like human beings at all.
Why? It is because “with sincerity in one’s mind, one will look naturally sincere.”
Obviously, they live bitterly and helplessly.
Therefore, only people who fulfill their responsibilities and obligations can maintain the mentality of An-Hsiang.
If one escapes from one’s responsibilities and obligations, one will surely lose An-Hsiang in one’s mind.
Is it parents’ right to raise us? Do we raise our children for their care of our retirement? Absolutely not!
Otherwise, how can the parents of a paralyzed boy and a
girl in a vegetative state look after them for more than twenty years? What for?
People definitely do not live for the purpose of getting benefits and fame.
Instead, people should live for fulfilling their responsibilities and obligations; then they are eligible to possess An-Hsiang.
Once they abandon their responsibilities and obligations, they can no longer attain An-Hsiang.
(3). To Deviate from the Dharma and Keep Away from the Golden Mean
The Dharma is the Golden Mean.
People who deviate from the Golden Mean and abandon the true and eternal law will inevitably lose An-Hsiang.
As far as “deviating from the Dharma” is concerned, self-attachment and Dharma-attachment are the most serious examples. They refer to attachment to one’s self as well as to the Dharma.
Narrowly speaking, one thinks that there is a great truth, which can never be changed and can be adopted by the sages even after hundreds of generations, that is called the Dharma-attachment.
People also think there is a self, which is real and will never change. In fact, it is not true.
Speaking of “I”, many people are still confused.
Why is “selfless” mentioned so many times in the Sutras?
However, it also reinforces “Eternity, Joy, Self and Purity.” Why?
We need to know that the true self is the shared form of all beings and also the original state of life.
The true self is the eternal self, which is exactly the true identity of all of us.
Nevertheless, the false self refers to individuality, namely the differences between you and I. The difference among one another is very clear.
The “cultivated self” is completely different from the true self of the “selfless”.
Our genes, environment, education, and the influences from
our parents’ background, friends and teachers, all are like
programmed computer information to make us different.
Before being programmed, everyone is identical.
However, after having been programmed, everyone is completely different.
Therefore, “selfless” refers to the self that has not been contaminated by the six dusts.
With regards to the “self”, we refer it to the true and eternal self, as quoted in the statement of “I am aware; therefore, I exist.”
We do not lose, that is to say, do not mistake the false self for the true self, nor allow the true self to be buried by the six dusts.
Consequently, one will become lost if one deviates from the
Dharma.
V. The Results of Losing An-hsiang
(1). Life Loses its Live Fountain
When one loses An-Hsiang, one will be trapped in a dull and dark life, and also live with frustration and regrets.
Without An-Hsiang, our life loses its foundation.
It is like the statement describes, “Being in the sea of karma, one has no base to land on.”
Which is the self? What do we live for?
After our death, when we have returned all our six trillion cells to the earth, what remains can we keep for ourselves?
We must feel helpless and do not know how to deal with it.
As we know, a person without a foundation to stand on can never find a right direction for his life, and it is inevitable that he will make a lot of mistakes.
Mistakes are equivalent to worries.
No one can live with mistakes and still attain An-Hsiang in their minds.
Living with mistakes equates to living with worries.
If a person does not stop making mistakes, he can never be free from worries.
Therefore, a life without An-Hsiang is a life of worries and sins.
Mistakes always result in worries, and sins eventually bring destruction.
(2). All Diseases Emerge from One’s Mind
When one’s life loses its live fountain, all sorts of diseases will begin to emerge and one’s life also turns weakened and dull.
After having lost An-Hsiang, one will start to complain, become dissatisfied, grumble, get upset, and also be
jealous, suspicious, indulgent and proud, because of his stuffed life.
Therefore, his life becomes dim and frustrating, and his physical condition turns bad as well.
Empty talk is useless. All these symptoms can be verified.
While you are listening to me, you can also try to think about your close acquaintances, including your friends, relatives, classmates or colleagues, to verify their symptoms. And you will agree with me.
To maintain one’s health, one should not only have the
concept that “The mouth is the entrance of most diseases”, but also should know that “Most diseases emerge from one’s mind”, which is the statement in the forward of the “Internal Scripture” written by our ancestor; the Huang Emperor.
You may look around, for those who like to show off, to win, and are afraid of losing, are apt to have sinusitis.
Those who suffer from sinusitis are mostly subjective and always intend to show off and defeat others.
In the long run, this type of persons will inevitably suffer from sinusitis.
Many people were spoiled when they were little.
Except the stars in the sky, they could get whatever they wanted.
Parents strove to satisfy their children’s desires without legitimate reasons.
As long as they asked, they could get almost anything.
When those children grow up, their personalities also become stronger and stronger and their habits remain the same.
In childhood, they simply wanted toys, a watermelon, or aguava; however, they want airplanes and automobiles when they become adults. It certainly becomes harder to
achieve.
If they want a space shuttle, can their parents buy them one? There are many more examples such as these.
In short, spoiled children must turn out to be arbitrary adults.
The arbitrariness certainly will bring them a great deal of frustration.
They cannot reveal their negative emotions to anyone, nor can they lose their tempers to anyone.
Consequently, they are stricken by the disease of asthma. People with too much dissatisfaction in minds will eventually get asthma.
They feel life is not warm, and the coldness makes them depressed and their backs turn cold.
You can try to touch the upper back of people who suffer from asthma, and you will find that their backs are cold even in the hot summer.
Many people suffer from stomach ulcers. Why?
It is because of anxiety, which results from a negative
identification towards everything. They always think
about the worst situations, instead of good ones. They
are used to worries.
They always think that “something may go wrong; and if it is getting worse, what can I do?”
They keep producing a vicious cycle of gloomy thoughts, and gradually, the mentality affects their
digestion.
Indeed, the mental indigestion surely results in physical indigestion.
We have two kinds of nerves: the motor nerves and the autonomic nerves.
The so-called autonomic nerve is a self-regulating nerve.
We can raise our hands because of the motor nerve; but we cannot slow down or speed up our heartbeats, or tell our intestines or stomachs to stop functioning.
We thought they were beyond our control or influence, but actually we still directly affect them.
For example, Mr. Wu and I were talking about the delicious food in our home town, Tainan, we had been in Taipei for quite a long time. When we were talking about the sticky-rice-meat dumpling and the basket noodles of Tainan, our mouths started to water.
Why? Before eating it, we are mentally ready to digest them.
Our mentality absolutely dominates our physical functions.
Some new military recruits, when they enter into the combat zone, they start getting diarrhea right after hearing the gunshots. Why?
It is because the gunshots make them nervous and
stimulating the emission of their bile.
It is the bile that increases the movement of the intestines to cause diarrhea.
Therefore, your health and bliss all depend on the state of your mind.
Meanwhile, most of the overly greedy people will suffer
from kidney illness.
Many people tend to be self-conceited and arbitrary. What does it mean by “arbitrary”?
It means that one always insists on doing this and that; otherwise, one definitely will lose one’s temper.
The first symptom for people like this is the dizziness after taking a nap.
Even after having a whole night of sleep, they do not
feel refreshed.
When they get older, they mostly are apt to get
Alzheimer’s disease.
Have you ever seen an old man at the age of sixty or seventy urinating on an electric pole?
He has lost the concept of value and has lost self-consciousness. Therefore, he even fights with little kids for sweets.
This is “the loss of one’s personality”, which is an anti-motive mind developed from an active motivation.
A person with over-active self-consciousness will lack self-consciousness when he gets old, because all his mentality has been fully consumed. As the saying goes, “Going to the extreme will result in the opposite.”
Some people are apt to be suspicious; they always suspect and guess that others are saying something against them or blaming them.
They tend to think illusively and enjoy the association of various thoughts.
Therefore, these people suffer from arthritis. Where does arthritis come from?
It comes from suspicion, guessing and illusions.
Many people always judge the conducts of others with their subjective standard and arbitrary attitude; therefore, they are often disappointed and upset, and blame everything on other people.
These biased people will eventually suffer fromthe
symptom of trigeminal nerve neuralgia.
It will bring them serious headache, which is very hard to cure.
A failed surgery may damage the other nerves to make them paralyzed.
In addition, radiation therapy may result in paralyzing half of his body, or at least half of his face.
Some people indulge their instinctive desires. The
so-called instincts needs are eating and lusting.
They try their best to enjoy food and think, “If not for eating, what is the money for?”
In addition, they think that throughout the history all the celebrities have been lustful, so they indulge themselves in the pleasures of drinking and sex.
With the combination of the indulgence, the emotional
stimulus, and a fury caused by jealousy and suspicion,
one is stricken by diabetes.
In fact, diabetes is developed by the indulgence of one’s instinct needs and the excitement of one’s emotion.
However, there are always exceptions.
To some people, diabetes is a genetic disease; while to some other, its cause is still unknown.
Some people are very talkative, which is very harmful.
When one talks too much, firstly, one will make oneself lost. Originally, his mind is full of An-Hsiang, but after talking for a long while, he can no longer find An-Hsiang in his mind. It has slipped away. You can try to experience it.
Secondly, if a man talks too much, he will get hernia.
If a woman talks too much, she will suffer from
leucorrhoea.
Well, if we keep giving examples, it will never end. Let us stop right here.
In general, when you lose An-Hsiang, you will inevitably suffer from all kinds of diseases.
As the saying goes, “Disasters will arrive at your body”, namely, the diseases will be around you.
Since you lose the balance of your mind, your internal
secretions will be out of balance.
As “your mind is not with heavenly composure”, so “all cells of your body naturally cannot be submissive.”
Therefore, there are layers of barriers surround you to make your mind and body losing their balance. You do not even look like a decent man.
When doing business or joining in any social events, you always make people trying to avoid you, because they feel so uncomfortable to get close to you.
In this situation, will your life go smooth?
Can you accomplish anything? Undoubtedly, your life must be full of gloom, darkness, frustration and regrets. To you, living obviously has become a kind of punishment.
Therefore, when one’s life is lacking An-Hsiang, to be alive is not better than to be dead.
Once we lose An-Hsiang, the glory of our lives starts to fade away.
Our appearances are no longer appealing, nor handsome.
There is no inner beauty, and our external appearances also turn ugly.
We do not mean to reinforce this; however, you may try to recall some people, especially those aging women. When they are alone, they mostly doze off in the afternoon, but become sleepless during the night.
Whenever there is a visitor, she will start grumbling
and complaining, “I have been taking good care of my
kids, but now they have grown up and fail to be filial to me and so on and so forth.” Anyway, she is full of
dissatisfaction in her mind.
As a result, when she stands up, she cannot walk because her legs get sore.
If she can realize the fact that everyone has his own attitude toward life, and our attitude toward others should be individualized and we should only mind our own business, she will be relieved from the sickness and can go mountain-climbing.
Consequently, once a person loses his An-Hsiang, the glory of his life will also fade out.
If it is a girl, her face will be no longer attractive.
If it is a boy, his face will become disgusting.
Commonly speaking, this person will show a sign of misfortune.
Therefore, if one loses An-Hsiang, one’s life will become
gloomy and full of contradictions, frustrations and regrets.
We have realized how wonderful An-Hsiang is and the way to attain it.
We also know how miserable our lives will be when we lose it. Therefore, we should strive to pursue it and maintain it.
Then, how can we achieve it?
(1). To Reflect on One’s Mind and Have Accurate
Cognitive Awareness
An-Hsiang is the state of a harmonious, unified, free and self-conscious mind.
Now, all of you take a few seconds to reflect on your own mind, you can perceive An-Hsiang, can’t you?
Aren’t you free from any illusions?
Isn’t your mind empty and clear?
Isn’t it free from any worries, excitement, the past and the future?
If it is, that is the mentality of An-Hsiang, and also the original mind of yours.
As long as you can maintain it, it will save you one-hundred-thousand years of perseverance in your practice.
Why don’t we name it “Samadhi”, “Genuine Perception”, “Authentic Awareness”, “Mahaprajna”(great wisdom), “Bhutatathata” (permanent mind), “True Suchness”, or “Original Mind”? Instead, we name it “An-Hsiang”.
It is because the ancient people counted thirty years as a generation in terms of the cultural differences.
Each generation has its own language.
If we use the language which belongs to the generation of one or two thousand years ago, it is difficult and confusing to understand it.
Besides, it will interfere with our search for the truth and our realization of the truth.
Therefore, we would rather use the modern language than the old terminology.
When we say, “Samadhi”, we feel a bit strange.
However, when we say An-Hsiang, we feel more familiar.
(2). To Stop Searching and To Maintain the True Mind
Since the essence of Ch’an is An-Hsiang, we do not have to search any further.
Even you try to keep searching here and there, it is impossible for you to find anything.
I would rather “return home to smell the fragrance of
the plum blossoms, and appreciate the beautiful spring
time,” than “search among the mountains to have my
straw-made shoes worn out.”
One only has to “maintain one’s true mind”, and strives to maintain it even when one is resting or in a hurry. Simply maintaining it is sufficient.
The maintenance of An-Hsiang does not co-exist with one’s mistakes and sins.
One must rectify all the mistakes made in the past and
get rid of all the sins; then, one can possibly attain An-Hsiang and maintain it.
Some people may attain An-Hsiang through their practice, which needs to take three and a half incalculable eons to achieve. This is not an exaggeration .
If you can practice without any retreat life after life, it will still take at least one-hundred-thousand or eighty-thousand years to attain it.
Therefore, it is very difficult to attain it by means of practice.
However, it is much easier for people who possess An-Hsiang to transmit their minds to you.
Unfortunately, people do not cherish whatever they can get easily. As a result, one cannot maintain it, and will
easily lose it again.
Hence, if you do not take it seriously, you may lose this wonderful opportunity to learn the Dharma.
Everyone should strive to maintain An-Hsiang and do not forget it or lose it.
Although An-Hsiang can be derived from either practice or mind transmission, no matter which way you attain it, you still have to constantly practice.
“Practicing Ch’an” is not a mysterious term, nor a specialized term reserved only for monks; on the contrary, it is a compulsory， subject that everyone must be aware of.
(3). To Abandon Mistakes and Constantly Rectify Oneself
To practice means to rectify your thoughts and behaviors. You should constantly monitor your own mind.
With those evil, wrong, sinful, gloomy and false thoughts in mind, you have to criticize, punish, warn, and assure yourself that you will never allow them to appear again.
People mostly live with some mistakes.
It is inevitable to make mistakes; however, we should not allow ourselves to make the same mistake over and over again.
Otherwise, we will forever live in darkness, and eventually be completely destroyed.
We have to know that if we live with mistakes, we surely cannot resist living with worries.
The greatest human weakness is to tolerate oneself all the time and be extremely critical to others.
I would ask you to bear it in mind: “People, who most easily forgive themselves, are most unlikely forgiven by others, Buddha and Heaven.
On the contrary, people, who most willingly condemn themselves, will most easily secure the forgiveness from others, Buddha and Heaven.”
We do not use our eyes to watch only others; instead, we have to watch ourselves.
Do not live with indulgence, arbitrariness and self-forgiveness, because that will form a vicious cycle to corrupt your life day after day.
Now, you do not believe me, but when the wicked effects arrive, even if you beg me,I cannot save you! (If I could, I would.)
Being even as great as the Buddha, he could not save his own tribe; nor could the great Lord Jesus Christ save the Jewish people.
It proves that human beings can only be saved by themselves.
The most effective way to save ourselves is to practice, that is to constantly rectify our thoughts and behaviors
(4). To Practice One’s Realization and Make Them Correspond to Each Other
Finally, I want to advise all of you the importance of “physical practice”.
You have to physically practice your realization, and make your practice correspond to your realization.
You are sitting here with full “realization” but without any “physical practice”, and your “realization” equates to useless knowledge, just like the calories in alcohol, which is not helpful at all.
With more useless knowledge accumulated in your mind, your life and wisdom will be blocked with more obstacles.
Although you have learned a great deal of terminology,
and even can recite them, what can they realistically do
for you?
Many practitioners are on the wrong path, though they are tightly holding certain Sutras to research and wish to attain enlightenment.
Eventually, they proved to us right before their deaths that
they were manipulated by Sutras, but not vice versa.
In conclusion,
Deviating from An-Hsiang, practitioners cannot secure the true perception and benefits of their practice;
Deviating from An-Hsiang, there is no true life, true blood and pulse of Ch’an;
Deviating from An-Hsiang, there is no true Dharma;
All the Dharma grows roots in our everyday life and our inner mind.
If we do not introspectively reflect upon our lives and are very determined to get rid of all the mistakes;
If we are willing to be manipulated, controlled and restrained by our senses;
If we enjoy the association of thoughts, meditation and illusions;
If we are used to attaching to the external objects;
If we are used to exposing the destructive and negative
emotions, namely, dissatisfaction, complaint, anger,
jealousy and defamation;
We will never attain An-Hsiang.
Thank you!
