Chan is the lamp inside our bodies.
The wind of Chan fans our inner lamp, a light that never goes out.
Pointing directly to the mind; seeing one’s nature and becoming an Awakened One.
Chan practice
clarifies the mind and realizes the self—opening up awareness to attain enlightenment.
Clarifying what mind? Opening up what awareness?
The fundamental insight of the Buddha’s thinking,
laid down like a principle: through practice comes enlightenment.
When the Buddha gave the public Flower Sermon on India’s Vulture Peak, and Mahākāśyapa smiled in understanding,
what had the Buddha actually transmitted?
Why did Mahākāśyapa smile?
This is the origin of Chan: mind sealing mind, mind recognizing mind, mind transmitting to mind.
Chan appears in the world’s reflection.
In perceiving things as they are—our true selves appear.
The Buddha holds up the lotus flower.
We see the flower revealing our mind of enlightenment.
The Buddha reflects the world and holds up the flower; Mahākāśyapa sees into his heart and a smile spreads on his face.
Mind tracing mind, mind seeing into mind,
the Buddha spoke to Mahākāśyapa:
“I have the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye. I pass on this teaching and its insights.
Wheresoever it passes, there is the wonderful mind of Nirvana.
The wonderful mind of Nirvana is the formless true form.”
Only by grounding oneself in the formless true form
can one realize the wonderful mind of Nirvana,
taking leave of all words and all forms,
residing in this leave-taking—to seek and become aware,
becoming aware of our real selves,
until the body is entirely left behind and one is wholly at peace—
this is Chan’s realm of realization.
Thus:
“I possess the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, the wonderful mind of Nirvana, the true form of the formless, the subtle Dharma gate, independent of written words, transmitted beyond doctrine. I entrust this to Mahākāśyapa.”
This is the “law” of Chan—of its path which flows from within.
It is transmitted mind to mind—Chan doctrine, transmitted beyond doctrine.
Ling Jiou Mountain