Chapter V: Sitting in Chan, the Sixth Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra
translation by Buddhist Text Translation Society
“The door of sitting in Ch’an consists fundamentally of attaching oneself neither to the mind nor to purity; it is not non-movement. One might speak of becoming attached to the mind, and yet the mind is fundamentally false. You should know that the mind is like an illusion, and therefore there is nothing to which you can become attached. One might say that to practice Ch’an is to attach oneself to purity, yet the nature of people is basically pure. It is because of false thinking that the True Suchness is obscured. Simply have no false thinking, and the nature will be pure itself. If an attachment to purity arises in your mind, a deluded idea of purity will result. What is delusory does not exist, and the attachment is false. Purity has no form or mark and yet there are those who set up the mark of purity as an achievement. Those with this view obstruct their own original nature and become bound by purity.
Good knowing advisors, one who cultivates non-movement does not notice whether other people are right or wrong, good or bad, or whether they have other faults. This is the non-movement of the self-nature.
Good Knowing Advisors, although the body of the confused person may not move, as soon as he opens his mouth he speaks what is right and wrong about others, of their good points and shortcomings, and so he turns his back on the Way. Attachment to the mind and attachment to purity are obstructions to the Way.
The Master instructed the assembly, “Good Knowing Advisors, what is meant by ‘sitting in Ch’an?’ In this unobstructed and unimpeded Dharma-door, the mind’s thoughts do not arise with respect to any good or evil external state. That is what ‘sitting’ is. To see the unmoving self-natuer inwardly is Ch’an.
Good knowing advisors, what is meant by Ch’an concentration? Being separate from external marks is Ch’an. Not being confused inwardly is concentration.
If you become attached to external marks, your mind will be confused inwardly. If you are separate from external marks, inwardly your mind will be unconfused. The original nature is naturally pure, in a natural state of concentration. Confusion arises merely because states are seen and attended to. If the mind remains unconfused when any state is encountered, that is true concentration.
Good Knowing Advisors, being separate from all external marks is Ch’an and being inwardly unconfused is concentration. External Ch’an and inward concentration are Ch’an concentration. The Vimalakirti Sutra says, ‘Just then, suddenly return and regain the original mind.’The Bodhisattva-shila Sutra says, ‘Our basic nature is pure of itself.’ Good Knowing Advisors, in every thought, see your own clear and pure original nature. Cultivate, practice, realize the Buddha Way!”
“The door of sitting in Ch’an consists fundamentally of attaching oneself neither to the mind nor to purity; it is not non-movement.”
Commentary:
Got the point? This is about sitting in Ch’an, and is consistent with what I have always told you to do. When sitting in Ch’an, do not get attached to the mind. Do not try to control the idle thoughts. Many are teaching people how to sit in Ch’an, but few truly understand the instructional talk by the Six Patriarch. He made it clear to us that we do not need to apply efforts to control the idle thoughts. “It is not non-movement.” This, again, reminds us that we do not need to do anything about the idle thoughts. If we do, we get attached to the mark. A genuine cultivator who is truly enlightened thinks and talks exactly the same as the Sixth Patriarch did. Long time ago I told it to you, which was consistent with the teachings by the Six Patriarch, except that I spoke in modern language, while he in ancient language.
“One might speak of becoming attached to the mind, and yet the mind is fundamentally false.”
Commentary:
This is a reminder to us: if we try to rid us of the idle thoughts, we get into a smaller-scoped state.
“You should know that the mind is like an illusion”, this is to say, your mind is illusive, and will eventually lead you to empty illusion.
“and therefore there is nothing to which you can become attached.”
Commentary:
It is necessary to discard it all. As I have always taught you that you need to change the way you cultivate the mind, based on the foundations you have built of sitting in meditation and practicing Qi-gong (the exercise of breath). You just sit there, unmoved, thinking about nothing, and staying in accord with conditions. Do not pay attention to them if there are idle thoughts rattling your mind. Let them be. This is the supreme way to cultivate the mind.
“One might say that to practice Ch’an is to attach oneself to purity, yet the nature of people is basically pure. It is because of false thinking that the True Suchness is obscured.”
Commentary:
Our true mind is wonderful and bright. The inherent Buddha-nature we have is originally pure. It is because of the discriminative mind we have that they develop to be false thinking. And, with the false thinking, the True Suchness is obscured.
“Simply have no false thinking, and the nature will be pure itself. If an attachment to purity arises in your mind, a deluded idea of purity will result. What is delusory does not exist, and the attachment is false.”
Commentary:
If you get attached to the mark, you are applying a conditioned mind, or delusion, in an attempt to achieve purity.
“Purity has no form or mark and yet there are those who set up the mark of purity as an achievement. Speaking is a tool. ”
Commentary:
Purity is formless and unmarked. It is for the sake of helping us to get purified that we talk about it. Purity does not have any mark. “Speaking is a tool.” As I told you just now, purity does not have any mark. Its mark it not the mark. Why are we talking about purity all the time? It is so because some of you would fail to understand it or get enlightened if we do not say so. Therefore, we speak it in a way to help people understand it.
“Those with this view obstruct their own original nature and become bound by purity.”
Commentary:
(If you get attached to it), you get bound by purity. Purity comes into existence because of discrimination.
“Good knowing advisors, one who cultivates non-movement does not notice whether other people are right or wrong, good or bad, or whether they have other faults. This is the non-movement of the self-nature.”
Commentary:
What does “the non-movement of the self-nature” mean? It means we turn a blind eye to the both the strengths and weaknesses of others. So, you need to keep it in mind. That is to say, if you feel favorable or unfavorable to someone, or you find in him strengths or weaknesses, your self-nature is being under the control of false thinking.
The Six Patriarch then goes on to talk on “one who cultivates non-movement does not notice…”. This is to say that when we are in Ch’an concentration, we do not see others as good or bad, right or wrong, be they our parents, children, relatives, friends, people who know or do not know. We do not apply a discriminative mind to judging them. They are but a member of the beings.
If you can make it, you achieve the non-movement of self-nature. You are in Ch’an concentration. Once in such a state, you shall be in Ch’an concentration whether you are walking, sitting, lying down, or reclining. If you cannot make it, you are in delusion.
“Good Knowing Advisors, although the body of the confused person may not move, as soon as he opens his mouth he speaks what is right and wrong about others, of their good points and shortcomings, and so he turns his back on the Way.”
Commentary:
This is to say that while some are able to sit in stillness for three years or five years, and therefore conclude that they have achieve the Ch’an concentration, yet once they are out in the street, they speak against other Dharma Masters or cultivators and challenging their cultivation. See, opening one’s mouth to speak what is right and wrong about others is against the Way. If one acts like this, one is yet to achieve Ch’an concentration, let along being enlightened.
“Attachment to the mind and attachment to purity are obstructions to the Way.”
Commentary:
This is to say that when cultivation the Ch’an concentration or practicing sitting in meditation, we don’t need to go out of the way to keep our mind under control, to purify it, or set it at peace. That can be obstructions to the cultivation. That is not the right means to cultivate the Way. Remember the other day how I scolded you. You have been my disciples and listening to my lectures for quite sometime, and yet you don’t seem to have accepted well. If the Bodhisattvas are too kind to knock your head with a ferule, I am going to do it with a big hammer (Laughter).
Those who have been enlightened and who act in accordance with the Buddha Dharma always speak consistently. I am now giving you my explanations of the remarks by the Sixth Patriarch. That I am doing so it to prove to you that what I speak is consistent with his, except that I speak in the language of the present era, which is more understandable, while he in ancient language. “Attachment to the mind and attachment to purity are obstructions to the Way.” This is to say if you deliberately try to control your mind, you in turn shall be controlled by it. Couldn’t be worse should that happen. You would be imposing obstacles for yourself by doing so. It impedes your progress. Take time to learn my teachings to you. I have been talking on this time and again. This is but a process. It is only normal that your mind is rattled by afflictions and idle thoughts. Pay no attention to it. Stay in accord with conditions. The more you want to purify the mind, the more it is obstructing you.
“Good knowing advisors, what is meant by Ch’an concentration? Being separate from external marks is Ch’an. Not being confused inwardly is concentration. If you become attached to external marks, your mind will be confused inwardly. If you are separate from external marks, inwardly your mind will be unconfused. The original nature is naturally pure, in a natural state of concentration. Confusion arises merely because states are seen and attended to. If the mind remains unconfused when any state is encountered, that is true concentration.”
Commentary:
He who is truly in Ch’an concentration is unobstructed and unfettered. He never imposes any obstacles for himself. This is the same as what I have always stressed to you. All Dharmas are natural. Whatever we do, it should be natural. Are you being natural if you still there with a mind of idle thoughts? Yes, you are. It is so because you have yet to achieve Ch’an concentration, surely it is natural for you to have idle thoughts. Don’t care about them. Let them be. Will you still be bothered by them if you have thought them through? Surely not. I have been talking about this for so many times and yet you all seem to have failed to realize it. You are always imposing obstacles for yourselves. T hat is why you have failed to reach a more advanced state. There is nobody but you yourselves that are making it difficult for you. You keep building a wall to prevent you from passing.
“If you are separate from external marks, inwardly your mind will be unconfused. The original nature is naturally pure, in a natural state of concentration. Confusion arises merely because states are seen and attended to.”
Commentary:
Why pay attention to it? If you want to make it clear, you are attached to external marks, and as a result confusion arises. You asked me why. I have told you before that everything is empty. Pay no attention to it. It is not only Zhi Xin that faces such a challenge. Ling Kong, too, had this problem sometime ago. Fortunately she is free from it now. I guess she has received too much scolding from me. (Ling Kong commented: I don’t mind being scolded by Master everyday. J ) She always asked me why. Why bother about the external marks? Now keep in mind what I say to you: Do not think about it, or look into it, or try to figure out why, if any state should appear before you either when you are practicing Ch’an concentration or sitting in meditation. If you try doing so, you will get confused.
“If you are separate from external marks, inwardly your mind will be unconfused. The original nature is naturally pure, in a natural state of concentration. Confusion arises merely because states are seen and attended to. If the mind remains unconfused when any state is encountered, that is true concentration.”
Commentary:
If you meet such a state, talk to me. However, some of you simply don’t do it, presuming that anyway you shall figure it out yourself. “If the mind remains unconfused when any state is encountered, that is true concentration.” This is a remark by the Sixth Patriarch. He certainly was enlightened.
“Good Knowing Advisors, being separate from all external marks is Ch’an and being inwardly unconfused is concentration. External Ch’an and inward concentration are Ch’an concentration.’The Bodhisattva-shila Sutra says, ‘Our basic nature is pure of itself.’Good Knowing Advisors, in every thought, see your own clear and pure original nature. Cultivate, practice, realize the Buddha Way!”
Commentary:
“Good Knowing Advisors, being separate from all external marks is Ch’an”—If a state appears when you are practicing Ch’an concentration or sitting in meditation, do not bother with it. You can talk about it with me, and try to feel it, though. As I said to you before, you can observe it and get to feel it, but do not try to figure out why. Can you make it? When you are separate from the external marks, you are in the state of Ch’an concentration.
“and being inwardly unconfused is concentration. External Ch’an and inward concentration are Ch’an concentration.’The Bodhisattva-shila Sutra says, ‘Our basic nature is pure of itself.’Good Knowing Advisors, in every thought, see your own clear and pure original nature. Cultivate, practice, realize the Buddha Way!”
Commentary:
You are not supposed to go out of your way for all the troubles. If you do, you are setting up obstacles for yourself.
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