Bodhidharma, in many ways, is seen as the father of Zen. His teachings are cryptic because they are so simple. This challenges our desire to achieve something through practice which is the main obstacle of meditation. Even here, in this hobby of satisfaction and peace, we promote our subtle dissatisfaction and perpetuate our yearning for more. Tip; read these quotes with no mind. Seek nothing from them. Read them as gibberish and maybe a strange wisdom will come.
Introduction
Buddhism came to China 2000 years ago.
Unknown to all but a few disciples during his lifetime, Bodhidharma is the patriarch of millions of Zen Buddhists and students of kung fu.
He is the subject of many legends as well… To keep from falling asleep, while meditating, he cut off his eyelids, and where they fell, tea bushes grew.
Bodhidharma is said to have spent nine years in Meditation, facing the rock wall of a cave.
“Seeing your nature is Zen… Not thinking about anything is Zen… Everything you do is Zen.” - Bodhidharma
While others viewed zen as purification of the mind, or a stage on the way to Buddhahood, Bodhidharma equated zen with Buddhahood - and Buddhahood with the mind, the every day mind.
Bodhidharma’s Zen was the sword of wisdom, not the meditation cushion.
Bodhidharma used the sword his teacher had given him to free his students’ minds free from rules, trances, and scriptures.
One day, Brahma, Lord of creation, offered the Buddha a flower and asked him to preach the dharma. When the Buddha held up the flower, his audience was puzzled, except for Kashyapa, who smiled. This is how zen began.
Look for the one thing that Bodhidharma brought to China: look for the print of the mind.
Outline of Practice
Many roads lead to the path, but basically, there are only two: reason and practice.
To enter by reason means to realize the essence through instruction, and to believe that all living things share the same true nature.
Those who remain unmoved, even by scriptures, are incomplete and unspoken agreement with reason.
Without moving, without effort, they enter, we say, by reason.
To enter by practice refers to four all-inclusive practices: suffering injustice, adapting to conditions, seeking nothing, and practicing the Dharma.
Suffering injustice: The sutras say, “When you meet with adversity, don’t be upset, because it makes sense.” With such understanding, you’re in harmony with reason. And by suffering injustice, you enter the path.
Adapting to conditions: As mortals, we are ruled by conditions, not by ourselves… Those who remain on the move by the wind of joy, silently follow the path.
Seeking nothing: All phenomena are empty. They contain nothing worth desiring. Calamity forever alternates with prosperity… The sutras say, “to seek is to suffer. To seek nothing is bliss.”
Practicing the Dharma: the Dharma is the truth that all natures are pure.
Bloodstream Sermon
Everything that appears in the three realms (greed, anger, delusion) comes from the mind. Hence Buddhas of the past and future teach mind to mind without bothering about definitions.
But if they don’t define it, what do they mean by mind? You ask. That’s your mind. I answer. That’s my mind.
This mind is the Buddha… Beyond this mind you’ll never find another Buddha.
The truth is, there’s nothing to find.
What about when your eyes are shut? You should realize then that everything you see is like a dream or illusion.
Neither life, nor death can restrain this mind. Nothing can… It’s names vary, but not its essence. Buddhas vary too, but none leave his own mind.
At every moment, where language can’t go, that’s your mind.
Those who worship don’t know, and those who know don’t worship… The Buddha is your own mind. Don’t misdirect your worship.
Wherever you find delight, you find bondage.
A Buddha is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad.
Doctrines are only for pointing to the mind. Once you see your mind, why pay attention to doctrines?
The body has no awareness. Like a plant or stone, the body has no nature, so how does it move? It’s the mind that moves.
Angry people go to hell and happy people go to heaven. But once you know that the nature of anger and joy is empty, and you let them go, you free yourself from karma.
Wake-up Sermon
The essence of the way is detachment. And the goal of those who practice is freedom from appearances.
Those who free themselves from all appearances are called Buddhas.
Not thinking about anything is zen.
To see no mind is to see the Buddha.
To give up yourself without regret is the greatest charity.
To transcend motion and stillness is the highest meditation.
Using the mind to look for reality is delusion. Not using the mind to look for reality is awareness.
When we’re deluded there’s a world to escape. When we are aware, there’s nothing to escape.
An uninhabited place is one without agreed, anger, or delusion.
Those who don’t understand, don’t understand understanding. And those who understand, understand not understanding.
Not to let go of wisdom is stupidity.
When the mind appears, reality disappears. When the mind disappears, reality appears.
Every suffering is a Buddha-seed, because suffering impels mortals to seek wisdom.
When the stable boy awakened to the truth, he didn’t change his status.
When a snake becomes a dragon, it doesn’t change its scales. And when a mortal becomes a sage, he doesn’t change his face.
People of no understanding don’t believe in their own mind or that by understanding this teaching they can become a sage. They prefer to look for distant knowledge and long for things in space, Buddha-images, light, incense, and colors.
Breakthrough Sermon
The most essential method, which includes all other methods, is beholding to mind.
The mind is the root from which all things grow.
People who seek blessings by concentrating on external works instead of internal cultivation are attempting the impossible.
Sages of the past cultivated introspection and not speech