Zen Mind Master Dae Kwang

Te monk Damei Fachang once asked Daoyi, one line from the Diamond : “When thinking arises “What is Buddha?” in your mind, don’t attach to it.” Mazu replied, “Mind is Buddha.” Our original Buddha nature is not a thing, so applying Zen mind is just another name for our original Buddha a term to “it” can just increase the problem. People can nature. Buddha nature has many names. In the it easily become attached, even to the term that is designed says that there are 36,000,119,500 names for Buddha and to free them. However, we do have to talk about “it” if they are all the same! When I frst encountered we are going to help the world. Buddha talked about it a in the United States, one of the most popular books about lot—that’s where the sutras come from. Teir purpose is Zen was Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki not explanation. Teir job is to point us toward what we Roshi. I don’t remember much about the book, but the truly are. Tat’s why Zen is known for its iconoclasm. It title is quite striking. During its history Buddhism has used wants to remove every idea, even a good Zen idea, so you many terms to talk about our Buddha nature: , pure can have an authentic experience. land, original nature, true nature, mind . . . many, many A monk once asked Mazu, “What is Buddha?” names. Mazu’s student, , even called it Mazu answered, “No mind, no Buddha.” “everyday mind.” Te intent of these terms is not to defne Here is a kong-an for you: sat facing a but, rather, to point us toward a direct experience of what wall. Te Second Patriarch, standing in snow, cut of his we really are. In the above example our Buddha nature is arm and, handing it to Bodhidharma, said, “My mind likened to a “beginner”: it doesn’t have any predetermined cannot rest. Please, teacher, rest my mind!” idea about how things are or how they should proceed. It’s Bodhidharma replied, “Bring me your mind and I will not attached. put it to rest.” Buddha taught that the reason we sufer is because we Te Second Patriarch said, “I cannot fnd my mind.” [15 don’t know what we really are—we’re ignorant of our true “Tere,” said Bodhidharma, “I have already given your nature (another name for Zen mind). We are attached to mind rest!” our thinking. If we can just let go of our mistaken idea then So, the question is: What is rest mind? If you want to at- we can return to what we already were, our Buddha nature. tain that you have to do what Seung Sahn said: Te Sixth Patriarch got enlightenment when he heard just “Trow your mind in the trash can!” ◆ If the Ancient Barbarian Could Do It, So Can You—Letter to a Student Ken Kessel JDPSN

Tanks for your letter. Your strong intention to practice is time will fx something that either already happened or hasn’t marked with despair at the persistent habits that refect and happened yet. Sometimes that may be possible, but that cause discomfort. Intentional practice makes anchor points, doesn’t dispel demons. Rather, gain strength by practicing so that you have an experience of persistent efort. You have ordinary things. Find simple everyday tasks and make them an anchor that refects this, even if at times it feels like the your practice as well. Tat cultivates a mind habit of continu- rope has detached from the anchor. Even at the end of your ous practice. At the moment of attentive engagement, there rope, you still have the rope. So fnd something to connect is nothing to fght. Tere is not a thing to hold on to and not it to. Having an anchor point in the midst of despair is one a thing to push away. Just be with what you’re doing. If you core element of practice. take that mind into other moments, they become that way Bodhidharma speaks of bearing the unbearable. Now you too. When you see that your demons are originally your own know what he’s talking about. If the ancient barbarian could true self, their power becomes your power. Don’t be deceived do it, so can you. One suggestion—don’t increase formal by power; it’s only swallowing juice, when you drink it. Re- practice beyond what your daily routine allows in order to fx frain from looking for truth. Just see. Ten your mind, my this. Tat has several errors. mind and Buddha’s mind are the same. If you feel like your First, the idea that there’s something to fx. own worst enemy, consider that that’s also what makes you Second, the belief that doing something at one point in your own best teacher. ◆

PRIMARY POINT Fall 2016