Four stages of Chan Pointers to the koan "Mind"

• jinlin

  29 Jun 11, 09:03

  Excerpts from "The Lighthouse in the Ocean of Chan" http://yogichen.org/cw/cw45/b0050ch06.html 1. Entrance Stage Answers to the Koan "Mind" Fa Chang heard Ma Zu's saying "Mind as such is Buddha" and attained an entrance. Then he lived on Plum Mountain without coming down. Ma Zu sent a monk to ask him, "What kind of entrance did monk attain that you are staying up on the mountain?" Fa replied, "Mind as such is Buddha." The monk said, "Ma Zu's recent teaching on Buddha Dharma is again different." Fa asked, "How is it different?" The monk said, "Neither Mind nor Buddha." Fa said, "This old fellow confuses people without ever ending. Despite your 'neither Mind nor Buddha,' I simply adhere to 'Mind as such is Buddha'." 2. Exit Stage Answers to the Koan "Mind" Huai Hai said, "Not seeking the Buddha; not seeking knowledge and understanding; the sentiments of defilements and cleanliness are exhausted; not maintaining this 'no seeking,' nor abide at where exhausted." 3. Use stage Answers to the Koan "Mind" Tong An, in denouncing no mind, said: Should know that the originally sensitive and unobstructed nature May be likened to a lotus growing in the flame of a red hot stove. Do not say that no mind is rightly Tao; No mind is still one barricade away. 4. Finish Stage Answers to the Koan "Mind" Long Ya's gatha reads: He who learns Tao should not covet; In all matters free from intention, Tao would meet. Free from intention, only then would realize the intention-free Tao. Once intention-free is realized, Tao would also be finished.
• jinlin

  29 Jun 11, 09:16

  I find some parallel between Yogi Chen Four Stories of the Lighthouse with Thusness Seven Stages of Enlightenment. I see Thusness describes it as 'Views' of enlightenment while Yogi Chen describes it as 'Manifestations'. In my practice with Roshi Joshu Sasaki, he always stress the manifestation part. How do I manifest 'All is Mind'. I find it is in 'action' that is much harder than in 'understanding'. Comments?
• An Eternal Now

  29 Jun 11, 12:50

  It looks like stage one and two are about I AM, stage 3 is non dual, stage 4 is spontaneous activities. Go step by step. Awaken to the absolute first, then the nonduality of absolute and relative, by anatta it will be clear how actions are spontaneous.
• An Eternal Now

  29 Jun 11, 12:53

  Seeing Form is seeing the mind, �色明心，闻声悟�，this is nondual stage. stage 3: Section 3.7 Use stage Answers to the Koan "Mind" Ma Zu said, "Ordinary mind is Tao; no artificiality, right and wrong, select and discard, extinction and permanence, commoners and sages." Hui Jue asked the King of Min, "What is the mind that Great King responds daily to thousands of differences?" King said, "Where was mind obtained from?" "Could there be a mindless one?" King said, "How is the matter on that side?" "Please ask toward that side." King said, "Chan teacher does not deceive people would do." Chan teacher Long Ya wrote the gatha saying: Human sentiments are dense while sentiments for Tao scarce; How could the worldling know that Tao uses human sentiments? Vain are only human sentiments without the use of Tao, How much time can human sentiments last? Tong An, in denouncing no mind, said: Should know that the originally sensitive and unobstructed nature May be likened to a lotus growing in the flame of a red hot stove. Do not say that no mind is rightly Tao; No mind is still one barricade away. Jian says, "'No mind' belongs to the second stage. 'Red lotus in flame' belongs to the third stage. That is the so called 'one barricade away.' However, for one who has not attained no mind, red lotus in flame is out of the question. Therefore, the ancients often said, 'only when having attained to this field would do.' If one cannot die a great death in the no mind of the second stage, then merely on the basis of a bit of view points, talks about walking into a boiling cauldron; that would vainly be merely dry wisdom." Niu Tou said: When exactly using the mind, Exactly no mind is using. Devious sayings are elaborated with names and concepts; Straight talks are free from troublesome repetitions. No mind is exactly using, Regular use is exactly nothing. The 'no mind' talked about now Is no different from having mind. A monk asked about the original mind. Ling Duan replied, "Sit atop Vairocana; appear and disappear in the infinite space." Jian says, "The first sentence belongs to the second stage; appearing and disappearing belong to the present stage." A monk asked about the mind of ancient Buddhas. Sheng Nian replied, "A radish from Zhen Zhou weighs thirty catties." A monk asked, "How is Tao?" Ju Dun said, "Not different from human mind. If one realizes this, only then would one be a man of Tao. Except wearing clothing and eating meals, there is not the slightest difference from human mind, and no cheating of human mind. If one says, 'I attain, I comprehend,' then it is irrelevant." A monk asked, "Seeing Form is seeing the mind; still see the boatman?" Cong Zhan said, "See." "Putting the boatman aside for now, what would be the mind?" Cong Zhan yet pointed to the boatman. A monk asked about the mind of ancient Buddhas. Zhen Sui replied, "Mountains, rivers, the great earth." A monk asked about "before any thought was born." Tou Zi said, "Truly a rude saying."
• An Eternal Now

  29 Jun 11, 13:01

  This is the experience of anatta. Xue Feng said, "To comprehend this matter, it is similar to the ancient mirror - Hu comes, Hu appears; Han comes, Han appears." Xuan Sha heard this and said, "Suddenly the mirror is broken, then how?" "Hu and Han both disappear." Xuan Sha said, "Old monk's heels have not touched ground yet." Jian says instead, "Hu and Han are ready-made." Xuan Sha said, "When the blind, the deaf and the mute come, how to receive them? Raising the duster is not seen, conversation is not heard, in addition, the mouth is dumb; how do you consult for them? If they cannot be received, then the Buddha Dharma would be ineffectual." A monk said, "These three kinds of people still allow consultation or not?" Xuan said, "How do you consult for them?" The monk bade farewell and exited. Xuan said, "Not so! Not so!" Gui Chen retorted, "How to receive those with eyes, ears and mouth?" Zhong Ta said, "The three kinds of disabled people, where are they right now?" Another monk said, "Not only denouncing others, but also denouncing oneself."
• An Eternal Now

  29 Jun 11, 13:05

  Blind, deaf, and mute, a bird flies by.
• An Eternal Now

  29 Jun 11, 13:08

  A monk asked Monk Jiao, "How to apply efforts?" Jiao said, "When Spring comes, grasses naturally turn green; when the moon rises, the sky is already bright." Again asked, "How not to apply efforts?" Jiao said, "Stones fall in a landslide; fire spreads on a plain." Very good koan. maha total exertion and effortlessness coexist in this single moment of manifestation.
• An Eternal Now

  29 Jun 11, 13:23

  Xue Feng, Wen Sui and Yan Tou sat together. Wen pointed to a water bowl and said, "Water clear, moon appears." Xue said, "Water clear, moon disappears." Yan kicked off the water bowl. Xue the second stage, Wen the first stage, Yan the fourth stage.
• An Eternal Now

  29 Jun 11, 13:44

  Just read stage two. Stage two is already nondual beyond stage one I AM. I want to find the original chinese text of this to add to my chinese article. A monk asked Da Tong, "'In heaven and under the sky, only I am supreme'; how is I?" Da said, "What would be the offense for overthrowing the teacher?" Jian says, "Now and then some Chan teachers would preach: 'Stand atop high mountains, and walk on deep ocean floor.' They would employ this Divine Self which encompasses heaven and earth to harm all sentient beings. Ordinary 'blind' fellows would hold fast to this; it would be most difficult to exit. Overthrowing such a teacher is not only blameless but also saving his wisdom life. Such would be real descendants of Sakyamuni."