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Inner Constancy
Tao-shin (580-651)
Those who “maintain unified-mindfulness without deviation” use the eye which is empty and
pure to fix the mind on seeing one thing constantly day and night without interruption, exclusively and zealously without moving. When the mind is about to gallop off, a quick hand
still gathers it in, like a cord tied to the foot of a bird still controls and holds onto it when it wants to fly. Throughout the whole day seeing has not been abandoned,
disturbance is eliminated and the mind itself is settled. The Vimalakirti Sutra says: “The mind which is collected is the place of
enlightenment.”
This is the method of collecting the mind.
The Lotus Sutra says: “For innumerable kalpas of time
up to now through eliminating drowsiness and always collecting your thoughts, and by using all the various merits, you are able to attain various meditative states.” The
I chiao ching says: “Consider the mind as the lord of the other five sense organs; fixing it in one place there is nothing you cannot do.” That’s
it!
True principles of the Great Vehicle:
“Briefly, I suggest that overall there are five principles:
1. Know the essence of the mind. The essential nature is pure. The
essence is the same as the Buddha.
2. Know the function of the mind. It functions
to give rise to the jewel of the Dharma. It is always productive but constantly tranquil. The 10,000 delusions are all like this.
3. Constant awakening is unceasing. The awakening
mind is always present. The teaching of this awakening is without form.
4. Always view the body as empty and tranquil.
Inside and outside of yourself are transparent to each other. Your body enters into the center of Ultimate Reality. There never have been any
obstacles.
5. Maintain unified-mindfulness without
deviation. Both movement and stillness constantly remain. Those practitioners are able to clearly see their Buddha Nature and enter into the gate of meditation without
delay.”
All are based on that which is stated in the scriptures and
commentaries, and none are false teachings contrary to the truth. This is not the activity of illusion but is the ultimate truth.
Transcending the Sravaka stage, one immediately advances
quickly along the path of a Bodhisattva. Those who hear these teachings should practice and not have any doubts. Like a man who is studying archery, first he shoots with
great license, but then he hits the bulls-eye with a small leeway of error. First he hits something big, next he hits something small, then he hits a hair, and then he divides
a hair into 100 parts and hits one hundredth of a hair.
Next, the last arrow hits the end of the previous arrow
shot into the air. A succession of arrows do not allow the previous arrows to drop to the ground. It is like a man who practices the Way. Moment after moment he
dwells in his mind. Thought after thought continuously without even a short interval in awareness; he practices correct awareness without interruption and correct awareness in
the present.
As the Prajna-paramita Sutra says: “Use the
arrow of wisdom to hit the three gates of liberation and by a regular succession of arrows do not allow them to fall to the ground.”
Also, like fire produced by friction, before it is hot one
gets tired and stops. Although one wants to start a fire, the fire is difficult to get.
It is also like the wish-granting jewel which a family
had. There was nothing which they wanted that they didn’t get, but suddenly their heritage, the gem, was lost. Thus, there never was an instant when their thoughts
forgot about it.
It is like a poisoned arrow piercing the flesh. The
shaft is out, but the barb is deep inside. In this manner you receive severe pain, and there is no instant when you can forget it. Moment after moment it is on your
mind. Your state of contemplation is to be considered just like this.
This teaching is profound and significant. I do not
transmit it to unsuitable people. It is not because I am miserly about the Dharma that I do not transmit it to them, but only for fear that the above-mentioned people will not
believe but will fall into the error of slandering the Dharma. One must select people in order to avoid taking a chance of speaking hastily. Be careful! Be
careful!
Although the sea of the Dharma is unlimited, in actual
practice it is contained in a single word. When you get the idea, you can dispense with words, for then even one word is useless. When you understand completely in this
way, you have obtained the mind of the Buddha.
When you are first beginning to practice sitting
meditation, dwell in a quiet place and directly contemplate your body and mind. You should contemplate the four elements and the five skandhas, the six sense organs (the eye,
ear, nose, tongue, body and mind), and the three poisons of desire, anger, and delusion, whether they are good or evil, whether they are enemies or allies, whether they are profane
or sacred, and so on through all the various items of existence. From the very beginning they are non-substantial and tranquil, neither arising nor disappearing, being equal
and non-dual. From the very beginning they have never existed, but ultimately are utterly tranquil. From the very beginning they are totally pure and
free.
Without any interval both day and night, whether walking,
staying, sitting or lying down, always practice this contemplation. Then instantly you will understand that your own body is like the moon reflected in the water, or like an
image in a mirror, or like the air in the hot summer, or like an echo in an empty valley. If you say these exist, everywhere you look you are not able to see them. If
you say these do not exist, then you completely understand that they always are in front of your eyes. The Dharma body of all the various Buddhas is just like this. This
means you should understand that your own body from an unlimited number of ages ago ultimately has never been born, and from the present and forever, there is absolutely nobody who
dies.
If you are able to constantly practice this contemplation,
then this is repentance in accord with true reality. The most extreme forms of evil karma accumulated during a thousand or ten thousand kalpas are utterly destroyed
spontaneously. Only those with doubt who are not able to develop faith are excluded and are not able to achieve enlightenment. If one develops faith based on this
practice, there is no one who cannot achieve entrance into the uncreated correct truth of reality.
And again, if your mind attaches itself to devious
phenomena when sitting in meditation, the moment you realize this occurring then immediately concentrate on the fact that the place where it arises ultimately does not come
into being. When this mind does begin to attach itself, it does not come from any place in the ten directions, and when it goes there is no place at which it arrives.
Constantly watch any clinging to objectified phenomena, or any conceptualizing, or any false thinking, or scattered ideas. If this chaotic mind does not arise, it means that
you calm down those coarse mental activities.
If you achieve a calm mind and do not have the mind which
clings to objectified phenomena, then your mind gradually becomes tranquil and stable and step by step eliminates the various passions. Therefore, you finally do not create
new illusions, and it can be said that you are free. When you notice that your mind is becoming tied up with passions or sad and depressed and falling into a mental stupor,
then you should immediately shake this off and readjust yourself. Very slowly things will become orderly. Now, having attained this, the mind spontaneously becomes calm
and pure, but you must be fiercely alert as if to save your life. Don’t be negligent. Work hard! Work hard!
When you first begin practicing sitting meditation and
viewing the mind, go off by yourself and sit in one place. First make your body erect and sit correctly. Make your clothes roomy and loosen your belt. Relax your
body and loosen your limbs. Massage yourself seven or eight times. Expel completely the air in your belly. Through the natural flow you will obtain your true
nature, clear and empty of desire, quiet and pure. The body and mind being harmonized, the spirit is able to be peaceful. Then obscure and mysterious, the inner breath
is clear and cool. Slowly, slowly, you collect the mind and your spiritual path becomes clear and keen.
The state of the mind is lucid and pure. As
contemplation becomes increasingly lucid, and inner and outer become empty and pure, the nature of your mind becomes utterly tranquil. The manifestation of the awakened mind
is utterly just like this.
Although the nature of your awakened mind has no form,
inner constancy always exists. The mysterious spiritual power is never exhausted but always shines clearly. This is called your Buddha-nature. Those who see their
Buddha-nature are forever free from the stream of birth and death, and are called “people who have transcended the world.” The Vimalakirti Sutra says:
“Suddenly you regain the original mind.” Believe these words!
Those who awaken to their Buddha-nature are called
Bodhisattvas. They are also call “people awakened to the Way”, “people conscious of the Truth”, “people who arrived”, and “people who
have obtained their true nature.” Therefore the scripture says that “The succession of time is endless for the spirit that becomes colored by a single true
phrase.” This is an expedient aid, for those who are just beginning practice. Therefore, you should know that the cultivation of the Way involves using expedient
aids, and that this is the very place for the awakened mind to be manifest.
Generally, in the practice of giving up attachment to your
self, you should first of all calm and empty your mind in order to cause your mental phenomena to become tranquil and pure. When thinking is allowed to settle, it is
mysterious and tranquil and causes the mind not to deviate. When the nature of the mind is tranquil and settled, clinging to conditioned phenomena is immediately cut
off. Being elusive and hidden, the completely pure mind is vacant, so that there is a still and peaceful calm. As the breath is exhausted in death of this present life,
you receive no further rebirths but dwell in the utterly pure body of ultimate reality. But if you produce a mind which loses mindfulness, rebirth is unavoidable. The
method of attaining the mental state prior to Samadhi which we have just described should be like this.
This is our method of cultivation. The basis of our
method is no-method. The method of no-method was from the beginning called the method. This method, therefore, is not to be cultivated. Thus, the method of
non-cultivation is the true method of reality. This is based on the scripture which says: “Non-substantiality, non-cultivation, non-vowing and non-form is true
liberation.” Therefore, based on this interpretation the real method is not produced by cultivation.
As for the method of giving up attachment to yourself, it
means that while temporarily imagining there is a real body, you see the lucid state of your mental condition, and then use this spiritual lucidity to determine
things.
The Teachings of the Fourth Chan Patriarch Tao-shin
(580-651)
David Chappell
Early Ch’an in China and Tibet
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