Huang Po or in Japanese, Obaku, is one of the Great Ones. I have been reading The Zen Teaching of Huang Po for nearly 40 years. Little is known of his life, but texts traditionally give his death some time between 847 and 859 A.D.
I am going to pick just one section from The Zen Teaching of Huang Po which was translated by John Blofeld in 1958. I will divide this section into two or three posts and add some commentary to each. His words really need no commentary, but I hope my comments are useful. My commentary will probably fall into the category known in Zen as ” spreading shit on the clean-driven snow”. However, this is also true of Huang Po’s words, so I have put myself cleverly in good company.
If you would spend all your time – walking, standing, sitting, or lying down - learning to halt the concept-forming activities of your mind, you could be sure of ultimately attaining the goal. Since your strength is insufficient, you might not be able to transcend samsara (illusion) by a single leap; but, after 5 or 10 years, you would surely have made a good beginning and be able to make further progress spontaneously. It is because you are not that sort of man that you feel obliged to employ your mind ‘studying dhyana (dharma)’ and ‘studying the Way’. What does all that have to do with Buddhism?
So it is said that all the Tathagata (The Buddha) taught was to convert people; it was like pretending yellow leaves are real gold, just to stop the flow of a child’s tears; it must by no means be regarded as though it were ultimate truth.
Commentary: Huang Po raises the flag of the true Dharma eye high. He draws a line below which all speculation, intellectualism, and conception fall and above which the empty mind of the Way begins. Can it be as simple as this? The answer is: yes, it can. But don’t be deceived: it is simple, but hard, very hard and requires an on-going, inexhaustible spirit.
photo credit: Nina Matth
ews Photography
Thank you so much for this, Doen.
I’ve been realizing lately the completely “casual” relationship I have with my practice. Lackadaisical.
If there was one thing I should be giving all my passions, energy, intention, sweat, and tears to in this life, it should be becoming one with my life, right?
The word “Ferocity” has been pounding around in my head for days. I’ll add “Inexhaustible Spirit” to the mix now as well.
I feel a little intimidated by this. I think it is because when I read this post, my intellect starts to run in circles like a beagle trying to sniff out a nonexistent track. As soon as I try to draw a line and stop that intellect from running around like crazy, the text becomes different, beautiful, but difficult to talk about. What I read then is, be patient, try hard, and you will find that your search didn’t get you anywhere. This is so peaceful. Just a blink of an eye later, my mind starts to circle around again, as if anything needed to be added. Sometimes I wonder why the most simple things are the hardest to accomplish. Thanks, Sensei, for saying that it takes effort.
I agree that it’s simple but hard. And it seems like the mind doesn’t like something that’s simple… too many places for my mind to take off and jump to something else. Thanks for the reminder of this and that it will take years to see some of the effects. I think the inexhaustible spirit that Kelli mentioned, for me, has to do with the continuous effort that I need to make.
@Kelli
That’s great but at the same time I would say don’t chastise yourself – we get into that – inspire yourself.
Thanks so much for your comment
@Diane
Nice to hear from you Diane. Inexhaustible spirit sounds like something that could get us anywhere we want to go.
@Chris
Thank you Chris. I think you are right Diane and Kelli point to it as well – maybe most things that are hard and worth while are simple, hard but not complex. So they take drive, courage commitment – the hard but simple things.