Profound Question : 万法归一，一归何处？

last SG · 2010-11-13T22:57:52+00:00

This is ignorant mind, not simple.Should have probably reply the koan for 爸爸小时候是做什么? 爸爸小时候是做念阿弥陀佛（zen)，行观士音 (loving kindness / bliss) :D no la, i'm refering...

Dawnfirstlight SG

I've come across this profound question but do not know how to translate into English.

Can someone help to answer : 万法归一，一归何处？

An Eternal Now SG

Dropped my cup, loud smashing sound.

Dawnfirstlight SG

Plop, dropped my cup.

Not enlightened, is it 空？

An Eternal Now SG

Not enlightened, is it 空？

空 is always the nature of all arisings.

明 is always the essence of all arisings.

Enlightenment is seeing this as already so from the beginning.

An Eternal Now SG

I've come across this profound question but do not know how to translate into English.

Can someone help to answer : 万法归一，一归何处？

First you reduce all multiplicities into a Single Awareness without any subject/object division... all experiences are simply the manifestation of Awareness. This is the non dual stage.

Then you realise there is no agent, no inherency to Awareness... you see that 'Awareness' is merely a label pointing only to insubstantial but vivid arisings. This is the insight into anatta.

This is the transition from Stage 4 (One Mind) into Stage 5 (Anatta) of Thusness/PasserBy's Seven Stages of Enlightenment

An Eternal Now SG

Richard Herman:

Yes, it is the absolute "elimination of the background" without remainder. It is the affirmation of multiplicity, not dispersion, but multiplicity. The world references nothing but the world. Each thing is radiant expression of itself. There is no support, no ground. No awareness. No awareness.

"All dharmas are resolved in One Mind. One Mind resolves into...."

There is the radiant world. just the radiant world. No awareness.

That is the Abbott slapping floor with his hand. The red floor is red. Spontaneous function.

Dawnfirstlight SG

空 is always the nature of all arisings.

明 is always the essence of all arisings.

Enlightenment is seeing this as so.

Ha ha....... so I'm right. Thanks. When my Zen master asked this question, my friends said was our heart, some said didn't know the answer, too profound and some said didn't know what he was asking. Just twist a bit and we were all confused and have forgotten Buddhism is about emptiness. My Zen master did not give us the answer, he asked us to think.

sinweiy SG

念佛是我,我又是谁?

sinweiy SG

Don't know.

An Eternal Now SG

Not think... if you use your intellect to understand koans, you will never hope to attain what the zen masters attain.

Koans are designed to induce a non conceptual, direct awakening into the true nature of reality. It cannot be approached by the intellect or conceptual mind. It can only be realized through an intuitive, non-dual, direct, non-conceptual, immediate, mode of perception coupled by a direct form of investigation like contemplating koan.

Also, I recommend you to start from the koan 'Who am I' because this is what led to my initial Satori/awakening experience, it is the direct path to realization and is also taught by modern masters like Ch'an Master Hsu Yun and others. From there you continue to further insights... As I wrote in detail the method and my insights in http://www.box.net/shared/3verpiao63

As Thusness wrote before, Zen is very good at pointing to this 'termination of linguistic description' by way of koan. There are different categories of koan triggering different level of insights -- From direct realization of the Absolute to the full integration of the Absolute and Relative. The experience derived from the koan “before birth who are you?” only allows the initial realization of our nature. It is also not the same as the Hakuin’s koan of “what is the sound of one hand clapping?”, and others. The five categories of koan in Zen ranges from hosshin that give practitioner the first glimpse of ultimate reality to five-ranks that aims to awaken practitioner the spontaneous unity of relative and absolute.

Dawnfirstlight SG

I find Zen is very difficult to understand. I have difficulties in understanding but find it interesting at the same time. Just like my Zen master also asked ：托着死尸的是谁？死尸is referring to our body. Who ? Is it nobody because we arise from emptiness ?

An Eternal Now SG

It's not difficult to understand...

It seems difficult because you are approaching it from an intellectual/conceptual viewpoint. But the answer to 'Who am I' can only be realized in the absence of conceptual thinking.

'Who am I', 'Who is dragging this corpse'... is simply a pointer back to the Pure Presence/Beingness. It can be discovered in the gap between two thoughts, where you turn the light inwards and rest in the Source, the Beingness that shines... it is not a void, an inert nothingness, because it is pure awareness by essence. A certainty/undeniability of Being will arise, and you will realize your true essence.

This is basically what I realized and wrote in the very first post in Certainty of Being (but edited and made clearer in http://www.box.net/shared/3verpiao63)

Keep contemplating on 'Who'... and do not follow your intellectual/conceptual answers which are susceptible to doubts - only the true essence of Being cannot be doubted.

Dawnfirstlight SG

It's not difficult to understand...

It seems difficult because you are approaching it from an intellectual/conceptual viewpoint. But the answer to 'Who am I' can only be realized in the absence of conceptual thinking.

This is basically what I realized and wrote in the very first post in Certainty of Being

Keep contemplating on 'Who'... and do not follow your intellectual/conceptual answers which are susceptible to doubts - only the true essence of Being cannot be doubted.

I practice Pureland, do you think I should give up the course because I think I'm not up to that level but I've heard many masters (even Pureland masters) adivsed us to 禅净双修。I'm into my 4th lesson and thought of giving up.

Is it Zen master normally won't give answers to his questions, we have to realise it ourselves. If cannot realise, how ?

sinweiy SG

Excerpted from a talk at the Foundations of Zen Retreat on May 2 0, 1990.

One of the most famous kong-ans refers to an incident from the Buddha's own lifetime. Once the Buddha was staying on Vulture Peak mountain. It was time for him to give his usual discourse to the disciples, but the Buddha only sat silently. Everyone started to wonder what was going on. As the assembly was beginning to get restless, the Buddha held up a flower. The entire assembly was baffled; only Mahakashyapa, one of the senior disciples, smiled. Seeing his smile, the Buddha said, 'My true Dharma is transmitted to Mahakashyapa."

There are three questions that come out of this kong-an:

1. Buddha picked up a flower. What does this mean?

2. Mahakashyapa. smiled. Why did he smile?

3. Buddha's statement, "my true dharma is transmitted to Mahakashyapa," is a big mistake. What could the Buddha have done when Mahakashyapa smiled?

If you don't understand, or if you have an answer but don't know how to respond, only keep a "don't know" mind. That's kong-an practice. Don't hold the kong-an in your thinking mind. The value of kong-an practice is that a kong-an is impervious to intellectual analysis. You can't attain a kong-an intellectually.

Keeping a "don't know" mind means cutting off all thinking. Cutting off all discursive thoughts takes us to the wellspring of our true nature, and brings us to the present moment. What are you doing just now? Paying attention to this moment is what Zen practice is all about. In a kong-an interview situation, the teacher uses kong-ans to understand the student's practice, and to give them "don't know" mind. Kong-ans let the student experience any hindrances they are having.

Any kind of formal practice is a simple situation in which it is easier to cut off thinking. As we do formal practice, it will start to affect our everyday life. Any moment in our life can be understood as a kong-an. As we are able to penetrate the simple situations of kong-ans without being confused by our discursive minds, our intuition starts to grow. Eventually our intuition can grow so that when confronted with complex situations in our lives, the correct response will automatically appear.

An Eternal Now SG

Is it Zen master normally won't give answers to his questions, we have to realise it ourselves. If cannot realise, how ?

No, I would not recommend giving up... You have an affinity with pure land, you should keep your practice.

Yes, I believe it is alright to contemplate koans along with chanting. There should be no contradictions at all.

The essence of Mind is your birthright... everyone can realize it - it is not confined to Zen school or Pure Land or Tibetan or even Buddhist...

Dawnfirstlight SG

Excerpted from a talk at the Foundations of Zen Retreat on May 2 0, 1990.

There are three questions that come out of this kong-an:

1. Buddha picked up a flower. What does this mean?

2. Mahakashyapa. smiled. Why did he smile?

3. Buddha's statement, "my true dharma is transmitted to Mahakashyapa," is a big mistake. What could the Buddha have done when Mahakashyapa smiled?

Yeah yeah, my Zen master told me this story too but he did not say why Mahakashyapa smiled. Do you know why ? Sorry if I'm asking you a stupid question.

An Eternal Now SG

Yeah yeah, my Zen master told me this story too but he did not say why Mahakashyapa smiled. Do you know why ? Sorry if I'm asking you a stupid question.

Who is your Zen master? Did you enter into Zen recently?

Dawnfirstlight SG

Who is your Zen master? Did you enter into Zen recently?

Yes. I've just entered into Zen recently. His lessons are on going so I think it is difficult for him to teach too because there are old and new students. Not convenient to reveal his name here but he is definitely a qualified Zen master.

An Eternal Now SG

I see... tell me by PM, I'm interested to know who.. :)

sinweiy SG

Yeah yeah, my Zen master told me this story too but he did not say why Mahakashyapa smiled. Do you know why ? Sorry if I'm asking you a stupid question.

to know is not to know. not to know is to know. ;-)

"Only keep this don’t-know mind. That is true ch'an practice."

Meditation in ch'an means keeping don't-know mind when bowing, chanting and sitting ch'an.

when u chant Amituofo, chant with a don't know mind. 念佛即是无上深妙禅。

it's not the smiling, it's Buddha's picking up the flower. smiling acknowledge the understanding. actually everything is ch'an. sitting down, walking, eating etc. in layman term, the goal is to reached no wandering thoughts. u still thinking of an answer is wrong already.

Buddha's All knowing ability is due to the returning to the don't know mind. 无明=明