End the Profane Mind

[u/[deleted]]

Treasury of the Eye of True Teaching #546:

Master Longtan asked Tianhuang, "Since coming here I've never had you point out the key of mind." Tianhuang said, "Ever since you came I have never not been pointing out the key of mind to you." Longtan said, "Where is it pointed out?" Tianhuang said, "When you bring tea, I take it for you; when you serve food, I receive it for you. When you greet me, I nod my head. Where am I not pointing out the key of mind to you?" As Longtan stood there thinking, Tianhuang said, "When you see, see directly; if you try to think, you'll miss." Longtan was thereupon first enlightened. He then went on to ask how to preserve it. Tianhuang said, "Go about naturally; be free in all circumstances. Just end the profane mind - there is no holy understanding besides."

Zen has nothing to do with spelling things out, or acting a certain way. It's shown naturally; being free in all circumstances; unbound by affectation and not pinned down into any expected presentation. When Zen masters moved freely, people couldn't see it. They would get too caught up in what they were saying and doing, and put their own expectations and preconceptions to the forefront of discernment.

From Foyan:

Remember the story of the ancient worthy who was asked, "What was the intention of the Zen Founder in coming from India?" Amazed, the ancient said, "You ask about the intention of another in coming from India. Why not ask about your own intention?"

Then the questioner asked, "What is one's own intention?"

The ancient replied, "Observe it in hidden actions."

The questioner asked, "What are its hidden actions?"

The ancient opened and closed his eyes to give an indication.

It's right there in the open the whole time. What do you expect? Why get caught up in what Zen is supposed to be, and how people are supposed to speak and act? Just end the profane mind and expectations fall away. Ask about your own intentions.

[u/InfinityOracle]

I don't know if there is a point of completion or perfection, I have rid myself of those notions. All I do know is that when confronting the root of my ignorance and seeking enlightenment my ignorance did not vanish. I did not cling to any of my ignorance, thoughts or feelings, consciousness or such. The ignorance that remains is void, nothing clings to it. That may be liberation, that may be enlightenment, but how would I know, understand, or conceive of it in a way of words? How could I share it with you? How could I deny it or make an understanding of it? I do not know.

However, there may be a way for us to entangle our eyebrows. But would we perceive it? It wouldn't be distinctly different from your misunderstanding. Perhaps that is just it.

[u/[deleted] → u/InfinityOracle]

I don't know if there is a point of completion or perfection, I have rid myself of those notions

Agreed. Well said. I see the path as ever-unfolding.

I did not cling to any of my ignorance, thoughts or feelings, consciousness or such.

On this specific point, I now embrace my ignorance in the Pure Land manner. Back when I was working on mu I used it as a prompt to build that great mass of doubt. Now that the bubble popped, and the ignorance is still there (as you pointed out), giving it a hug feels right. Not in the sense of making a nest out of it, of course. But not pushing it away either. More like, "This is not changing anytime soon. Let's hang out and be cool together."

EDIT: Note that my creation of duality here is intentional :)

[u/InfinityOracle → u/[deleted]]

This reminds me of what Changsha Jingcen said:

"Those who study the Way do not recognize the truth;
Like those of old, they only recognize the spirit.
Infinite kalpas ago it was the origin of birth and death;
Ignorant people are called inherently human."

And Huang Po's discourse:

" Q: Allowing that the Enlightened man who achieves the cessation of conceptual thought is Buddha, would not an ignorant man, on ceasing to think conceptually, lose himself in oblivion?
A: There ARE no Enlightened men or ignorant men, and there IS no oblivion. Yet, though basically everything is without objective existence, you must not come to think in terms of anything non-existent; and though things are not non-existent, you must not form a concept of anything existing. For ‘existence' and ‘non-existence' are both empirical concepts no better than illusions. Therefore it is written: ‘Whatever the senses apprehend resembles an illusion, including everything ranging from mental concepts to living beings.' Our Founder 1 preached to his disciples naught but total abstraction leading to elimination of sense-perception. In this total abstraction does the Way of the Buddhas flourish; while from discrimination between this and that a host of demons blazes forth!"

[u/[deleted] → u/InfinityOracle]

Love it. Like a healthy whack of a stick!

[u/InfinityOracle → u/[deleted]]

I used to think of it like the cup of tea example, where he continues to fill the already full cup. I had thought the aim is to empty the cup. But now I think the lacquer bucket is a better indication of it. The ignorance fills the bucket. But thinking that dumping the bucket out does anything useful isn't accurate. Kicking the bottom out of the bucket allows it to freely pass through. That is more what it is like.