Li Yun Lecture Hall | Chen Jianxiang: "Dao" is not cultivated, but it is not polluted

One

To the void pole, keep quiet. All things work together, and I look at it. Husbands and wives, each returned to its roots. In the final analysis, it is quiet, and it is quiet and restored. Resurrection is often known, and knowledge is often known. I don't know how to do it, I am presumptuous. Zhi Chang Rong, Rong Nai Gong, Gong Nai Wang, Wang Nai Tian, Tian Nai Dao, Dao Nai Jiu, no body is immortal.

Later generations of enlightened people and researchers have taken this chapter as a program for enlightenment and monasticism, especially "to the extreme of emptiness, to keep quiet." All things are done together, and I look at it again." On the basis of "virtual" (pole) and "jing" (笃), another "view" is added, revealing the secret of Lao Tzu's path of enlightenment, which is regarded as the most precious treasure by posterity, and is pondered and tasted in detail. Feng Youlan said: "The method of 'learning for learning' that Lao Tzu talked about is mainly 'contemplation'. It says, 'To the void, to the silence.' All things are made together, and I will look at them again'. 'Contemplation' should be in accordance with the original appearance of things, not affected by emotional desires, so it is said that 'to the virtual pole, to keep quiet'. That is to say, you must keep your inner quiet in order to know the truth of things. ”

Some friends around me are learning the Tao of Enlightenment and have put a lot of effort into various "cultivations," which is of course a very good thing. It is precious that they have such a wish and practice, and we should show our respect and blessing to them.

What is practice? Cultivate your own mind and behavior. In an era of turbid social atmosphere, any complaint, pessimism, disgust, attack... All of them will only increase the further "turbidity" of society; practice is a good choice, it can return the mental energy to itself, and reviewing itself will reduce the turbidity and gradually increase the purity of society. This is the opportunity of the times of practice.

But looking at the results of a friend's practice, I feel that there are three situations: those that are repaired; those that have not changed much; and those that are not even as good as those who have not been cultivated before. The third case (which is not fixed) is mainly manifested in the fact that it seems to be more arrogant and conceited than before, more angry, more aggressive, more self-disciplined, more equal. Therefore, we should make a review of the "cultivation" itself. Understand the reason for "repair". When we know the ins and outs of "cultivation," the causes and consequences, we can choose to cultivate or not to cultivate, and can we cultivate (or not repair) a good result.

There is a saying that Chinese Zen Buddhism is a combination of Lao Tzu's thought and the Buddha's thought. I think that makes a lot of sense. Regarding "cultivation" (and non-cultivation), there is a popular public case in the history of Chinese Zen Buddhism that illustrates this problem, that is, the election of Liuzu Huineng and his brother Shenxiu. Shen Xiu's presentation is: "The body is a bodhi tree, and the heart is like a mirror table; always diligently wipe, do not stir up dust." Huineng's son was: "Bodhi has no tree, nor is the mirror a platform, there is nothing in the original, where is the dust?" ”

According to shenxiu's meaning, of course, it must be repaired! We have been polluting and creating karma since beginningless, how can we not cultivate it? It is necessary not only to cultivate, but also to be diligent and diligent, and to "always be diligent and diligent." Is that right? Right! Shen Xiu later became the "Two Capital Dharma Lords and Three Emperors Disciple", created the "Gradual Cultivation" Method, and became the founder of The Northern Sect Zen. There must be his reasoning.

But according to Huineng's meaning, "There is nothing in the original, where to stir up dust"! There is not even a single thing, where is there a little dust to stick? Since there is no dust, why "always wipe it"? It's just a matter of putting your head on your head and asking for trouble! Is that right? Yes! Huineng later became the Six Patriarchs of Zen Buddhism, creating the lineage of Chinese "epiphany" Zen Buddhism and continuing to pass on for future generations, and his words became the "Sutra" ("Six Ancestral Tantra Sutra"),Where is this accidental? There must have been his reasoning.

So, we judge, first, that they all make sense. Second, their truths are not ordinary truths, but excellent and profound truths of cosmic life. So why is there such a big difference? Third, their doctrines each speak of the truth of different aspects of life in the universe, belonging to the First And Second Noble Truths, respectively, the difference between the ontology and the activation of the phenomenal realm. Fourth, in this way, their teachings may be suitable for different people, different root organs, or they may be applicable to different stages of cultivation.

It is easier for us to compare wisdom and divine beauty in terms of the relationship between the First and Second Noble Truths. Buddhism often preaches such a truth: "Unchanging with fate, following fate without change", "Silence and constant illumination, so always silent", "away from all phases, that is, all the laws", "The actual reason is not a dust, and there is no one law in the ten thousand doors", "The tenth ancient and modern worlds are always not separated from the present, and the endless braking soil is not separated from him at any end"... It is all about the relationship between ontology and (phenomenal realm) activation, that is, the relationship between the first and second truths. Huineng speaks of the "First Noble Truth", that is, the truth of ontology. The body is as if it were not moving, it is "not born and does not perish, it is not dirty, it is not pure, it does not increase or decrease", so there is nothing to repair. What do you want to fix? What to repair, how to repair, is superfluous.

In fact, Chinese Zen Buddhism often talks about the principle of "not practicing", and "not practicing" is the main tone of Chinese Zen Buddhism. Earlier, such as Zhigong Zen Master (together with Dharma and Fu Dashi, he was called "the Three Great Masters of the Liang Dynasty". It is said that "the mind is the Buddha" was first proposed by him, and later carried forward by Fu Dashi, Huineng, Matsu, etc.) he believed that "asceticism is useless" and "the Tao is not false cultivation, but it is understood". In addition, he also put forward an opinion on "keeping the precepts": "The lawyer binds himself with the law, and he can bind himself." The outside is quiet, and the heart is just like Hongbo. How to live in love without driving the raft of life and death? As for "zazen", he said: "Everything is nothing but a Buddhist thing, so why should we meditate on zazen?" Delusions are originally empty, and there is no need to cut off the climbing edge. Youyun: "Sound and sound law enforcement zazen, like silkworm spitting silk to bind itself." "The three poisons are originally liberated, so why should we meditate on meditation?"

Later, the Three Patriarchs said in the "Letter of Faith": "There is no difficulty in the path, but it is only a matter of choice." But Don't hate love, understand. "The six dusts are not evil, but they are also the same as enlightenment." "The wise do nothing, and the fool binds himself." "Self-illumination, no effort." It all means the same thing: the body is quiet, why should it be artificial? He also asked, "Isn't it a big mistake to put your heart and mind?" ”

Later, Matsu Daoyi clearly put forward: "The Tao does not need to be repaired, but it is not polluted." In front of him, there is the demonstration of Nanyue Huairang's "grinding bricks as a mirror"; behind him, there is the proposition of "no mind is the Tao" of The Yellow Barberry Zen Master, which is the interpretation of the First Noble Truth of Ontology.

Having said all this, they all talk about the principle of "not practicing", so why does the "Buddhist Sutra" talk about so many methods of cultivation? Of the twenty-five yuantongs in the Lengyan Sutra, which one is not about cultivation? Why have thousands of of us still been practicing there throughout the ages?

Cultivation is the "Second Noble Truth," which is about how to wash away pollution through the efforts of the phenomenal world of life, return to the essence, and return to the "First Noble Truth." Since the initiation of the Ontology (which is of course beginningless), because of the relationship of fundamental ignorance, step by step we have become obsessed, tainted, distorted, and deteriorated, forgetting our true nature and true face, and becoming the entity divided by delusions, the "I" and the imprisoned entity, the "thing." In division and captivity, our innate wisdom is falling. So to repair, why? To repair it, fight back to your hometown!

Therefore, from the ontological point of view, it is right not to cultivate - the self-nature is perfect, so why fold the bed on the bed and the desk on the head? In terms of activation and phenomenal realm, cultivation is right—to return to the essence, to return to self-nature, how is it possible not to cultivate? All right.

How to choose, one is to see what kind of root organ you are; the other is to see where you are. You are a big root organ, one enlightenment is to understand, one is to understand, you do not have to cultivate; you are not such a sharp root instrument, you can not understand it at once, then you need to cultivate. This is all related to individual differences and "karmic discovery". Of course, the reality is far from being as simple as two points. Even if it is a great root organ, you should also cultivate after enlightenment and cultivate your merits, so that you can be blessed with wisdom and wisdom and achieve further enlightenment, not to mention that although enlightenment is very good, it is not after all "everything is unimpeded, and everything is unimpeded." On the other hand, even if it is a small root organ, you must also cultivate and realize at the same time; if you cultivate without enlightenment, it is definitely not possible, that may be a repair problem. In general, "epiphany" and "gradual cultivation" have a question of why to focus on, and there is also a question of how to integrate.

If we want to make a comparison, I think that epiphany is spatial, non-temporal, and is the explosion of "points", like the "singularity" of the Big Bang, the explosion of dots is small and dense, and it is a holistic response (reply) of the enlightened person to the activation (big bang), a complete "anti". In this way, the enlightened person returns from a divided state, a state of captivity, to a complete whole.

And gradual cultivation is temporal, it is a reverse crawl in the tunnel of time. The use of the Tao created countless time tunnels that allowed different substances to evolve. Gradual cultivation is to crawl in the reverse direction in such a tunnel, although it is reverse, but it is crawling. The tunnel of time itself is a state of separation and imprisonment, and in the face of the great puzzle of thousands of years, if there is no enlightenment, it is difficult to crawl here, and it is difficult to see clearly.

Therefore, the energy levels of enlightenment and gradual cultivation in returning to the function of the whole are different. The key depends on where the heart is, whether it is "because of the place" or "fruit land". In the land, is the first righteousness. To develop the mind according to the place is to develop the mind of doing nothing, to develop the mind of not asking for anything, to be useless, to be indifferent, is to initiate the original consciousness without any utilitarian purpose, and to let go of all the conditions is naturally with the ten thousand laws and all actions. You don't want to do anything, achieve something, achieve something, not even have the desire to become enlightened! Some of us say that we practice to "enlighten others" and help others to be liberated, which is of course very good, but only if we are already enlightened. The purpose of your desire to "live up to people" actually affects your heart in response to the place. If you are "fruity heart", a mind with a promising dharma, and you are bent on doing this and doing that, it may be a dream bubble. Everything that has a way is a dream bubble. Of course, you would say that you can "live up to yourself" in "being human" and become enlightened in the process of helping others. That being said, the probability is small, the probability is low, and the probability of self-error is high.

(For full text, please move to China Teachers, No. 265)

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