Light the Bright Lamp in Your Mind

 

Section Three: Get Along Well with Your Spirit

 

Light the Bright Lamp in Your Mind

 

As a matter of fact, this is the true picture of the world. The dream-like world is held by deluded people to be real, thus leading to various conceptual elaborations. The so-called “conceptual elaboration” (or “intellectual play”) comes from defilements, which are produced by the discriminating mind, which, in turn, results from taking the illusory for the real. To be free from conceptual elaborations is to have the wisdom of turning away from intellectual play, to have the mind of renunciation, to understand thoroughly that life is but a drama.

 

It’s said that opportunities are only for a well-prepared mind. In order to reach enlightenment, the necessary preparation you need to make is to find a reliable teacher. For lack of a reliable teacher’s instruction, many practitioners fail to realize that what is before their eyes is the “pure light” (vimala-prabhasa) and thus miss the chance to be enlightened. Such people are innumerable.

 

Of course, your fundamental master who can show you your mind-nature may not be a monk in cassock, or a writer, or an artist. He may be a beggar or a laborer. His worldly identity will not affect his mind. It is very common in Zen Buddhism. When Huineng, after becoming the legitimate sixth patriarch, was escaping with the kasaya, a monk named Huiming, who had been a general, was after him. When Huiming finally caught up with Huineng, the patriarch took out the kasaya and said, “If you want it, take it away.” Huiming said, “It’s not the kasaya that I’m after, but dharma.” Huineng replied, “Think about neither good nor evil … that is your true nature.” Huiming attained enlightenment at once and he said, “When I was in Huangmei with the fifth patriarch, I didn’t see my own nature. Now with your instruction I know what it is, just as I know the temperature of the water I drink. Therefore, you are my teacher. Both Huiming and Huineng were disciples of the fifth patriarch Hongren, but Huiming’s enlightenment was due to the illiterate laborer Huineng. Therefore, he regarded Huineng as his fundamental teacher.

 

Only when you, with the directions of a reliable teacher, recognize your true mind and then retain it, can you dispel all doubts and be enlightened. Afterward, whatever you do, you do it with a clear and bright mind, because you are enlightened and the knowledge you have acquired is now elevated to wisdom. If you can’t reach this level with your practice, everything is futile. Knowledge remains separate from you and you two cannot be an integrated whole. Still, you are unhappy about worldly things, you are not free, and you cannot be the master of yourself.

 

To be clear-minded is to see one’s own nature, that is, to see the reality. Only after that will your mind become a torch that can light up all the paths you have gone along and the one you are going to take. With the sacred light of wisdom, you will no longer be puzzled by the appearances of the world. And now you can save sentient beings.

 

Once I had a dialogue with net friends. Someone asked me what the state of enlightenment was, I answered him with a poem I composed on the spot:

 

A single smile in dreams, moments of joy and carefree.

 

Suddenly over moon of the horizon, come through the inconceivable news.

 

Its sound loud as thunder, unfortunately few people aware.

 

This moment beholds clarity, there is omnipresent reality.

 

[poem translated by Agnes]

 

This poem describe the state of enlightenment: after breaking attachment, you find that everything in the world is but a dream, so you are happy that you are able to wake up from the dream and see your own nature. The own-nature is a profound silence, but in the profound silence there is profound sound, which quakes heaven and earth and can wake one up from the dream. Unfortunately, people of the world take dreams for reality, the false for truth; they are like the blind who can’t see the sun and the deaf who can’t hear sound. When wisdom is awakened and ignorance enlightened, you will see that everything in the world is but the reflection of your own nature.

 

Later another net friend asked me about the feeling of enlightenment, again I answered with a poem:

 

Breeze brushes away heart’s longings, muttering so like a quiet weeping.

 

Fine sun bewilders in sleep not, to you is the wondrous words.

 

Following the big roar, all dharma instantly emptied of permanence.

 

Amidst emptiness lies the marvelous wisdom, why bother seeking elsewhere?

 

[poem translated by Agnes]

 

The poem describes a state of enlightenment which is almost indescribable. The genuine state of enlightenment is not that of wood or stone; rather, it is infinite vitality in a state of absolute purity. In that state, all sounds are silent and still, all defilements ceased, but the “find sun” of self-nature is not “in sleep,” but is constantly giving out light. Within his mind, the practitioner can also feel the smoothness and gentleness of the breeze, which is the sound of nature filled with compassion and wisdom. The breeze, the quieting weeping, the fine sun, the news, and all the causes and conditions – when all these are ready, the light of wisdom begins to flow constantly into our mind and make it clear and calm.

 

Our true mind is a piece of translucent white jade, which ever refreshes with the blowing of worldly winds. Knock softly at it, and it will produce a clear and reverberant sound, which can awaken confused people from their dreams. Isn’t this white jade like the mind of a practitioner? His mind is as genuine as an impeccable piece of white jade. In spite of worldly affairs, it never gives up its spiritual pursuit nor turns away from its faith. In the course of time, it eventually gives birth to a kind of wisdom, which brings coolness to the practitioner.

 

As they have seen through the world as unreal, an enlightened one definitely has an ordinary mind, his behavior is usually sincere, natural, plain, unaffected, selflessness and free, and their interior and exterior, word and deed, body and mind are amazingly harmonious. His mind is vast, unoccupied, and tranquil, his affection concentrated and yet unobsessed. As he knows everything is produced by causes and conditions, he sees everything in a vastly clear and bright state. As he is able to maintain the self-nature, the Chan practitioner is lucid in speech and extraordinary in insight. This kind of wisdom is innate in everyone; if it cannot reveal itself, it is because external taints have covered it. After enlightenment, the defilements are gone and the original light shines again, bright and penetrating. That is why most Zen monks were good poets. Observing from that state, everywhere in the world is a Pure-Land.

 

The state of enlightenment is not made, imagined, or affected; it is not a performance, or an invention; it is neither subjective nor objective, neither primitive nor childishly ignorant, neither language nor concept. It is infinite possibility, unlimited transcendence, endless light; it is original existence, the highest calling, the boundless pure flow, the creation after great breaking and great existence, the soul of original existence, the realization of great self, the native statement of being.

 

That is our original face, our true nature.

 

After you have seen your original face, everything becomes a revelation of compassion and wisdom. Before Master Hongyi passed away, he wrote down four characters: bei xin jiaoji (a mixture of joy and sorrow). He said he was at once happy and sad. There is another interpretation: before attaining the way, one searches everywhere as if one’s parents are dead; after attaining the way, one is joyful and sad at the same time, again, as if one’s parents are dead. For after enlightenment you are calm and happy, but you are also compassionate towards sentient beings’ defilements. All this comes from true compassion

 

Now, you enter a state which is free from conceptual elaborations. You feel everything is illusory transformation and dream-like. For a quite long time after I had entered into Mahamudra, I felt I was in a dream all day long. Everything seemed so unreal as if with a touch of my hand, they would disappear immediately. I couldn’t feel a bit substance; even I myself was like an insubstantial shadow, floating here and there in the street.

 

As a matter of fact, this is the true picture of the world. The dream-like world is held by deluded people to be real, thus leading to various conceptual elaborations. The so-called “conceptual elaboration” (or “intellectual play”) comes from defilements, which are produced by the discriminating mind, which, in turn, results from taking the illusory for the real. To be free from conceptual elaborations is to have the wisdom of turning away from intellectual play, to have the mind of renunciation, to understand thoroughly that life is but a drama.

 

Having had the wisdom of being free from intellectual play, you will understand everything is illusory transformation. For now you understand what your mind and enlightenment are. You realize that, although your mind and the outside world are illusory, they are neither arising nor ceasing; on the other hand, although neither born nor ended, they are illusory and unreal.

 

When you have understood this, you will no longer take the false for the true. One day, when you see a beautiful girl, you won’t chase her, let alone be obsessed with her, because you know even the most beautiful girl will grow into an old woman eventually. You won’t long after the attractive dishes in cuisine programs, nor will you feel regretful if you can’t eat them, because you know even the most delicious food serves to fill a hungry stomach after all. The rising and falling of the shares won’t affect your interest in tasting tea, because you know that, whether you are excited or upset, the curve will fluctuate for ever.

 

The rain will stop, the sun will set, a flower in bloom will wither; as a man is born, so he will die; as a man falls asleep, so he will wake up. everything is changing every second, just like flowing water that never stops. To you, everything passes quickly like a dream.

 

Notice

 

Translated by non-professional volunteers, there would be some inaccuracies in the translation. You are welcome to offer us some advice for emendation. Please feel free to contact us.We also look forward to you joining our voluntary translation team.

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第三辑：与灵性好好相处

 

点亮心头的那盏明灯

 

实际上，这就是世界的真实，犹如梦幻，却被迷者误认为是真实，生起诸多戏论。所谓戏论，就是因认假成真而生分别心、因分别心而生烦恼。生起远离这种戏论的智慧，产生出离之心，看透人生如戏，便是离戏。

 

俗话说“机会只留给有准备的人。”对于开悟来说，必需的准备就是找到你的善知识。好多人就是因为没有得到善知识的指点，不知道眼前的就是“净光明”，才会与它擦身而过的。因此错过开悟的人，简直多如牛毛。

 

当然，能有为你开示心性的根本师不一定是穿着袈裟的僧人，不一定是作家，不一定是艺术家，他可能是乞丐，可能是民工。世间的身份，不会影响他的心。禅宗里就经常出现这种情况。当年的慧能成为合法的六祖，带着袈裟逃跑时，一个将军出身的叫慧明的和尚穷追不舍，终于追上了他。慧能把袈裟拿出来说：“你如果要袈裟的话，就拿去吧。”慧明说：“我不是为袈裟而来，我是为法而来。”慧能回答道：“你不思善，也不思恶……那个就是你的本来面目。”慧明当下大悟，说：“慧明虽在黄梅，实未省自己面目。今蒙指示，如人饮水，冷暖自知，今行者即慧明师也。”慧明虽然和慧能同为五祖弘忍门下，但慧明之悟，却源于苦力出身的慧能，他遂将慧能视为根本师。

 

当你在善知识的点拨下认知真心，然后保任它时，你的眼前才会豁然开朗，疑惑顿消。这时你无论做什么，心里都是明明朗朗的，因为你已经开悟了，你的知识也开始升华到了智慧的层面。假如你修不到这种层次，一切都是假的，知识是知识，你是你，二者不会成为一体。你还是会因红尘诸事而烦恼，你得不到自由，做不了自己的主人。

 

明白就是见性，也是见到了实相。这之后，你的心灵才能化成一个火把，照亮所有你走过的路和即将要走的路。在这智慧的圣洁火光之下，你再也不会被世界上的任何假象所迷惑。你也终于可以度众了。

 

在一次跟网友的交流中，有人问我开悟时的状态，我曾随机吟诗作答：

 

梦中才一笑，快乐无忧时。
忽闻天边月，传来妙消息。
其声大如雷，可惜少人知。
此时见清光，无处不栩栩。

 

这首诗讲的便是开悟时的景象：破执后发现世上万物不过梦幻，故生起喜悦，如梦中醒来，见到自性。自性虽然大默，大默却有大声，此声震天震地，能惊醒梦中之人。可惜世人执幻为实，认假成真，如盲者不能见日，如聋者不能闻声。待得智慧觉醒，振聋发聩后，则世上万物，皆明明朗朗，无不是自性的反映啊。

 

后来又有一个网友问我，开悟后觉受如何，我也随机吟诗作答：

 

风拂心头意，喃然如静泣。
晴阳勿醉眠，告尔妙消息。

大喝一声后，万法顿成空。
空中有妙慧，何必他方寻？

 

该诗便写出了很难言说的一种悟境：真正的禅悟，非木非石，而是于净境中充满无穷的活性和灵动。此时，万籁俱寂，烦恼已息，但自性的“晴阳”却没有“醉眠”，仍在源源不断地传递着一种光明。而行者心中，也能感到那自然之风的细腻和温柔，那是充满慈悲和智慧的天籁。那微风，那静泣，那晴阳，那消息，诸种因缘，一时齐备，智慧的光明才会源源不断地流向我们的心中，让我们的心灵得到了清凉。

 

我们的真心是一块晶莹透亮的白玉，在尘风的吹抚下变得越来越新，轻轻敲击，它发出的声音清澈辽远，能惊醒梦中的迷乱之人。这块白玉又何尝不像修行人的心？它一如无暇白玉般真诚，在尘世的历练中，它没有放弃灵魂的追索，也绝不与信仰背道而驰。久而久之，它终于生出一种智慧，为修行人带来清凉。

 

由于看破了虚幻，开悟者定然有颗平常心，其行为大多真实、自然、质朴、率真、无我、自在，其内与外、言与行、身与心皆达到了惊人的和谐。其心博大而虚灵恬淡，其情专注而去留自在，一切无非缘聚缘散，触目应心无不广大清明。因能安住自性，禅者语多清净，见地超迈。此智慧人人本具，但多为客尘所覆，不能显发。悟后客尘不见，光明新发，透彻玲珑，这便是那些禅僧大多具备诗才的原因。到了这种境界，人间无处不是净土。

 

悟境非造意，非做作，非表演，非发明，非主观，非客观，非原始，非童蒙，非语言，非概念，它是无限的可能，是无穷的超越，是无尽的明光，是本有之存在，是无上的召唤，是无边无际的清净之流，是大破大有后的创造，是本真存在之魂魄，是大我思想的实现，是存在本有的发言。

 

它，便是我们的本来面目。

 

明白这本有面目之后，一切都是慈悲和智慧的显现。弘一法师圆寂时写了四个字“悲欣交集”。说他高兴，他又是悲的；说他悲时，他又是高兴的。还有一种说法：得道之前，如同死了父母，到处寻找；得道之后，也如同死了父母，悲欣交际。因为，明白之后，你本是宁静而快乐的，但又因众生的烦恼而感到悲悯。一切都源自真正的慈悲。

 

这时，你会进入一种“离戏”状态，觉得一切都是幻化，像做梦一样。在契入大手印后的很长一段时间里，我感觉自己整天像在梦中一样，一切都不太真实，好像一旦伸手去触碰，它们就都会消失似的。感觉不到一点实质。连我自己，也像是大街上飘飘荡荡的影子，如梦如幻。

 

实际上，这就是世界的真实，犹如梦幻，却被迷者误认为是真实，生起诸多戏论。所谓戏论，就是因认假成真而生分别心、因分别心而生烦恼。生起远离这种戏论的智慧，产生出离之心，看透人生如戏，便是离戏。

 

生起“离戏”智慧之后，你就会明白一切都是幻化。因为这时你明白了自己的“心”和“悟”，自己的心和外部世界虽然虚幻，但它们又是不生不灭的；虽然不生不灭，它们又是虚幻无实的。

 

明白这些之后，你就不会再认假成真。某天看到美丽的姑娘，也不会去追，更不会被她迷惑，因为你知道再漂亮的姑娘，几年之后也会变成老太婆；美食节目中的菜肴再诱人，你也不会去向往它，更不会因为吃不到而感到不甘，因为你知道再美味的食物，最终也只能饱腹；股票上涨还是下跌，都不能影响你品茶的雅兴，因为你知道无论兴奋还是懊恼，那条曲线都会不断波动。

 

雨会停，日会落，花开就会花谢，出生就面临死亡，入睡就会醒来……一切都在每分每秒中变化着，像流水一样片刻不曾停歇。一切东西对于你来说就像做梦一样，很快就过去了。

 

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