THE ZEN TEACHINGS OF BODHIDHARMA
...To find a Buddha, you have to see your nature." Whoever sees his
nature is a Buddha. If you dont see your nature, invoking Buddhas,
reciting sutras, making offerings, and keeping precepts are all
useless. Invoking Buddhas results in good karma, reciting sutras
results in a good memory; keeping precepts results in a good
rebirth, and making offerings results in future blessings-but no
buddha. If you dont understand by yourself, youll have to find a
teacher to get to the bottom of life and death. But unless he sees
his nature, such a person isnt a tea6er. Even if he can recite the
Twelvefold Canon he cant escape the Wheel of Birth and Death. He
suffers in the three realms without hope of release. Long ago, the
monk Good Star 21 was able to recite the entire Canon. But he
didnt escape the Wheel, because he didnt see his nature. If this
was the case with Good Star, then people nowadays who recite a few
sutras or shastras and think its the Dharma are fools. Unless you
see your mind, reciting so much prose is useless.
To find a Buddha all you have to do is see your nature. Your nature
is the Buddha. And the Buddha is the person whos free: free of
plans, free of cares. If you dont see your nature and run around
all day looking somewhere else, youll never find a buddha. The
truth is theres nothing to find. But to reach such an
understanding you need a teacher and you need to struggle to make
yourself understand. Life and death are important. Dont suffer
them in vain...
~ 1st Zen Patriarch, Bodhidharma
