Episode Details

I want to return to this profound poem we are studying for the autumn practice period—Affirming Faith in Mind.

If mind does not discriminate, all things are as they are as one. To go to this mysterious source—frees us from all entanglements.

When all is seen with equal mind, to our self-nature we return. This single mind goes right beyond all reasons and comparison.

This poem is about Trust in Mind, Faith in our true nature, Trust in the Heart of Wisdom

Do we trust our heart-mind?

Do you have faith in the nature of your own mind? Your own heart?

This poem is a “pointing out” style teaching. Stanza by stanza, line by line—it’s pointing to the Mind beyond thought. It’s inviting us to recognize who we are beyond our strategies of defending, protecting, judging, identifying.

We too can know ourselves as mystery.

We too can know the source of all experience.

There is encouragement and support to turn towards the apparent source of our suffering, and really look into its nature. To experience for ourselves the freedom, spaciousness, clarity and love of our nature. Right, here.

Dahui in one of his letters addresses a student’s concern that he is dull, and his dullness is preventing him from realizing his true nature.

Dahui responds:

That which perceives dullness is certainly not dull itself…indeed you should use your very dullness in order to enter the Way. However, if you identify with dullness and regard yourself as incapable by nature of awakening, you will find yourself caught by the demon of dullness.

As I see it, in our ordinary way of seeing things we tend to let the desire for awakening get ahead of us and thus turn it into an obstacle preventing our true understanding from manifesting. But this obstacle is neither outside ourselves nor separate from ourselves—it is none other than the Master perceiving itself as “dull.”

For this reason everyday Ruiyan Shiyan would call to himself, “Master!” He would then answer himself, “Yes!” “Be wide awake!” he would say, and again answer himself, “Yes!” Then he would say, “Whatever the time, whatever the day, never be misled by others!” “Yes! Yes!”

Try examining this in your own way. The one who asks, what is this? is none other than the one who perceives dullness. And the one who perceives dullness is none other than your own True Self.

Whether it is dullness, distraction, anger, fear. Whatever we habitually identify with and appears to block our path. What happens when we turn our attention toward the one who is aware of this apparent block?

The “master” or True Self is always at home.

We are invited to recognize this always present awareness, for ourselves, in our own lives.

Freedom and love. Always right here.

We are entering the last weeks of this calendar year. Can we use this time to reconnect with our aspiration? To recognize the true self, and not be misled by others.

And to also appreciate the season of practice we are in. There are times where we are actually developing our discernment, our discriminating mind. Some of us are learning to trust ourselves, to stand in our karma, to take responsibility for our lives.

Part of Trust in Mind, is having the courage to take action, to follow the call when it arises. For some of us the call may take you to a monastery or into a period of inquiry and spiritual investigation. For others it may have more to do with how you are showing up in your lives, or it may be about healing, or responding to a relational challenge.

I know some of you are sitting in the question and are listening for the next step. That’s part of this path too—I listened for 7 years before I had clarity, courage, conviction and life circumstances to move to the monastery. I am listening now for the next step on this path, as I continue to deepen my practice and develop new skill