..续本文上一页drill through the piece of wood. Once the drill penetrates, you can see through to the other side. That”s what becoming enlightened is like. Prior to penetrating, we are only doing the daily work of drilling. Prior to becoming enlightened, we investigate "Who is mindful of the Buddha

　　"

　　Now we are putting in the work that it takes to become enlightened. During the period of working, you don”t want to say, "Oh! This drill won”t penetrate and make a hole." Then you don”t want to drill any more. But if you don”t drill, no hole will be made. You must drill the hole today, drill it tomorrow, and drill it the next day¡Xdrilling and drilling until your work is realized. After a time, you will penetrate. That penetration is enlightenment. That means what you weren”t clear about before, you will be clear about. What you didn”t understand, you will understand.

　　What is this skill like

　　 It”s like a cat poised to catch a mouse. The cat waits beside the mouse hole. If the mouse comes out, the cat catches it with one swipe of its claws. Your investigation of "Who is mindful of the Buddha" is like a cat stalking a mouse. Your false thinking is the mouse, and the phrase "Who is mindful of the Buddha" is the cat. The cat is waiting to catch the mouse. That”s what this analogy means.Investigation is also like a dragon guarding its pearl. A dragon is always protecting his dragon pearl. His attention never strays from it.

　　Again, investigation is like a hen brooding over her eggs. The hen is always concerned about her chicks, thinking, "My little chicks are going to hatch soon." She keeps brooding, "Ah! Hurry up! Hurry up! Little chicks, hurry up and hatch!" Every day she”s there thinking about her chicks until they finally hatch. As it is said, "Egg-born come from thought."

　　When her thinking wins out, the chicks hatch. Once the chicks are hatched, the hen has succeeded. Our investigation of Chan is also like an old mother hen incubating her chicks. While the mother hen is brooding on the eggs, she is extremely hot! So hot she pants. And yet she can”t bear to leave the nest. She has to brood until the chicks hatch. That”s all there is to it!

　　When One Solves the Meditation Topic, A Clue Appears

　　The same principle applies when we investigate Chan. We must pay attention at all times and not have any discursive thoughts. As the saying goes,

　　When not a single thought arises, the entire substance manifests.

　　When the six senses suddenly move, one is covered by clouds.

　　When not a single thought arises, the vast functioning of the entire substance is seen. One”s inherent wisdom manifests. When the six sense faculties--the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind--suddenly move, it is as if the sky were suddenly covered by clouds. When not a single thought arises, then "Inside there is no body or mind, and outside there is no world." When you reach that level in your meditation, your breath stops. Although you stop breathing, you are not dead. When your breath stops, not a single thought arises. But if you suddenly think, "Oh, my breath has stopped. It”s gone!" Then it will come back. When you are devoid of thoughts, the breath stops; but as soon as you have a thought, the breath resumes. Actually, your breathing does not completely cease, or else you wouldn”t be alive. Rather, an internal breathing begins to function, so you no longer need to rely on external breathing. This is known as turning the great Dharma wheel--singing the soundless song and turning the invisible Dharma wheel. However, you should not become attached to this state.

　　Cultivators alternately advance and retreat in their practice. We may be vigorous for a few days, but then, feeling that we aren”t getting any benefit, we slack off. After being lazy for a while…

《CHAN: The Essence of All Buddhas》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…