Appearances: Dreamlike

Hui Neng asked himself:

Does the mind go towards the apparent object
or does the apparent object comes to the mind?

And the mountain replied:

Neither does the mind go to the apparent object,
nor does the apparent object comes to the mind.

MU

Utterly releasing: Awareness

The nature of rivers is to flow down, towards the ocean.

The nature of conceptual mind is consciousness.

The nature of rain is to fall down.

The nature of non-conceptual mind is awareness.

Both rivers and clouds are made out of water.

Mind is both conceptual and non-conceptual.

What do you see: consciousness or awareness?

Zen 10 Ox-herding pictures: 6- Getting free of hindrance

Traditional poem:

Sleeping contentedly under the sky,
the buffalo needs the whip nevermore.
The boy, sitting under the pine tree,
starts to play a peaceful, happy tune.

My words:

Mushotoku,
the old Patriarch is HERE,
right NOW, by the pine tree;
NOW, you are HERE too.

Insight has turned into WISDOM,
and mind is CALM and CLEAR,
FREE from hopes and fears,
no longer fettered by CLINGING
and CRAVING.

This is a stage where SATORI
has been polished, and mind
dwells in PEACE and BLISS,
even in the midst of turmoil.

Mind rests in a SELFLESS state,
which is its natural state,
fresh, artless and unbound.

This is the old Patriarch,
NOW, beyond past, present
and future, right HERE.

Watching: "I" and "Mine"

Stick a bunch of memories,
together with some hopes and fears,
using the craving-clinging glue
and the heap called "I" appears.

This "I" has some likes and dislikes,
and labels as "Mine" some objects and ideas,
clinging to and identifying with them,
so "not-Mine" is also born.

Take a closer look at this ghostly "I",
and his fellow shadow called "Mine",
and tell me what you find,
if there is anything left.