An important point in our practice is to never commit verbal teachings to memory.
Carrying around words and phrases is a trap worth avoiding. The truth has
nothing to do with clever speech. Keep bringing your mind back to the present
moment. You will then be able to see through all the inconsequential mind
meanderings and be able to cut them off right on the spot. Stay clear and
unmoved by thoughts and circumstance. You will then be free as you eventually
leave this life behind.
This may sound easy but as we know it is oftentimes formidable. The human
tendency is to attach to all sorts of sentiment in our daily nonstop human
interactions. Being perfectly at rest regardless of where we find ourselves can be
a beautiful reality. Alas, like everything else we encounter it is often turned into a
mental construct. Our minds constantly wander. To this I say, keep the course!
Stay aloof and independent. Adding additional mental baggage to what we see,
hear, taste, touch, and smell is the disease of the mind. Remain empty, silent, and
serene. Grasp at nothing.
Recently I saw a youtube video of an elderly Chinese monk traversing a busy
marketplace street, Automobiles, trucks, motorbikes and many pedestrians all
coming and going. His facial expression remained calm, peaceful and unmoving.
He was also unaware of the videographer who was a bit away using a camera
zoom in capturing this splendid samadhi moment. The monk held “mala” beads in
his right hand signaling that perhaps he was engaged in a mantra practice of
some sort.
Yuanwu urges us in his letters to not exert any mental effort, but to go along
unencumbered without grasping or rejecting. Remain empty yet solid in all
conditions and situations. Same thing as the Chinese monk wouldn’t you say?
This is a day by day, moment by moment practice. It is an adventure well worth
taking. The Buddha assured us that this adventure is available to everyone. Most
choose to avoid it, clinging instead to a fabricated self, a reliance on a narrow
intellect, and an unmitigated “ I, my, me,” ego agenda.
The climate crisis coupled with a global population of eight billion demands that
the literal survival and continuance of human life on this planet is dependent on
our diligence in finding our true self and life purpose. More than any political or
social intervention, this journey is paramount. Bon voyage!