..續本文上一頁ught that if he got enlightened all his problems would disappear. He said to me, “Master, I do not want anything; I just want the method to get enlightened quickly. Give me the methods as soon as possible.” I answered, “Such a method has not been invente. If I could invent a guaranteed, speedy method of enlightenment, I could probably sell it for quite a lot of money.”

　　Now I have invented the following method, and I offer it free of charge to whomever wishes to learn. The method is to relax your body and mind. It is easy and simple. Do not ask whether it can lead you to enlightenment. First you should be able to relax, and later we can talk about enlightenment. Close your eyes, lean back in your chair, and relax your muscles. Completely relax your eyes. It is very important that your eyelids be relaxed and do not move.

　　There should not be any tension around your eyeballs. Do not apply any force or tension anywhere. Relax your facial muscles, shoulders, and arms. Relax your abdomen and put your hands in your lap. If you feel the weight of your body, it should be at your seat. Do not think of anything. If thoughts come, recognize them and pay attention to the inhaling and exhaling of your breath through your nostrils. Ignore what other people are doing, and relax. Do not entertain doubts about whether what you are doing is useful.

　　The principle of this method is to relax─to be natural and clear. Keep each session short, but practice frequently. In the beginning, each session should be ten minutes or less, gradually working your way up to twenty to thirty minutes if you can do it without too much discomfort. If you do it longer, you will probably feel restless or fall asleep. You can use this method a few times a day; it will refresh your body and mind and eliminate some of the confusion in your daily life. Gradually you will gain the stability of body and mind that makes it possible to, eventually, enter the gate of Chan.

　　Chan: The Gateless Gate

　　Chan is often referred to as the gateless gate. The “gate” is both a method of practice and a path to liberation; this is “gateless,” however, in that Chan does not rely on any specific method to help a practitioner achieve liberation. The methodless method is the highest method. So long as the practitioner can drop the self-centered mind, the gateway into Chan will open naturally.

　　The primary obstacle to attaining wisdom is attachment to the self. When you face people, things, and situations, the notion of “I” arise immediately. When you attach to this “I”, you categorize and judge everything else accordingly: “This is mine; that is not. This is good for me; that is not. I like this; I hate that.” Attachment to the idea of self makes true clarity impossible.

　　But how might we define non-attachment means that when you face circumstances and deal with other people, there is no “I” in relation to whatever may appear in front of you. Things are as they are, vivid and clear. You can respond appropriately and give whatever is needed. Clear awareness of things as they are, in this state of selflessness, is what Chan calls wisdom. Giving whatever others may need with no thought of the self is what Chan calls compassion. Wisdom and compassion describe the awareness and function of the enlightened mind. In Chan, these two can not be separated, and both depend on putting down the attachment to self.

　　As the Chan school evolved, two forms of practice developed, which correspond roughly to Bodhidharma”s two entries, the one through principle and the other through practice. The method o Silent Illumination is the specialty of the Caodong tradition, while Linji tradition advocates the method of gonan and huatou. Both approaches can lead to enlightenment, the realization of no-self.

　　The ter…

《In the Spirit of Chan》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…