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ENLIGHTENMENT WILL GET YOU

THE TASTE OF liberation is the taste of Chan.

Where does liberation come from? It comes from cleaning the cup, from freeing oneself from ignorance and the vexations of craving, greed, and anger. In this way we become liberated from harmful behaviors and actions.

Liberation also comes when you attain the state of absorption. The elephant walking. The clear, calm steadiness of mind.

Attaining wisdom is liberation. For Buddhists this is liberation from samsara—the endless cycle of birth and death.

 

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE of Chan, buddha nature is always within. Chan is a method of simply opening up. We sometimes refer to this inner buddha as the Muni pearl because the Buddha’s name is Shakyamuni. Muni means “a precious pearl.” We sometimes call it the wish-fulfilling pearl. When the mind starts to open up, the pearl of buddha nature is revealed.

That is why we can think of liberation as no-vow, no-motivation, no-practice. We call this wu yen in Chinese, which means “not-vow.” In this case, yen means not wishing, not aspiring, not achieving. The vow has become you. It has internalized in you and become your nature. And yet in Buddhism the vows we take to practice, to deliver sentient beings, to keep the precepts are so important. They provide motivation and direction. Liberation is like coming home; there is no need for motivation and direction. You are home. You relax, you rest, you feel completely yourself. You are at ease and peaceful.

When you see your real nature, buddha nature is already there. You do not need to add or remove anything. There is no need to practice, no need for vows or intentions. You’ve been trying and trying and actually everything you’ve been looking for has been right under your nose all the time! You just hadn’t realized it was there.

Chan Master Hanshan went to the toilet in the middle of the night. The door slammed right into the front of his face. At that moment he became awakened. He exclaimed: “Oh, the nose actually points downward!”

Try not to misunderstand. Please don’t think, “I’m already the Buddha, so why do I need to practice?” You go around doing what you want. We call people who behave in this way the crazy Buddha. The ignorant Buddha. The sleeping Buddha. The greedy Buddha. The unawakened Buddha. In other words, sentient beings. It is the awakened sentient being that is called the Buddha.

The annals of Buddhism and the sutras generally highlight the moment of enlightenment, not the long and arduous sort of practice that preceded that moment. We rarely see how much effort the masters who became enlightened put into their practice.

I am often asked whether after they become enlightened Chan masters still practice. If you become enlightened, I will give you these instructions: Practice like you did before your enlightenment. When you awaken, everything becomes clear. But then it all becomes dark again.

Before enlightenment and after enlightenment there are different stages of practice. And there are different degrees of enlightenment or awakening. We can have a mini enlightenment, great enlightenment, or even complete enlightenment. And there are no guarantees. Enlightenment can happen at any time or not at all.

Master Xu Yun, Empty Cloud, who was born in Guangzhou, practiced diligently for many years but there was no experience, nothing, no news. He wandered around China. Then at the age of fifty-six, he was drinking tea. Scalding tea spilled onto his hand. He let go of the cup, and it dropped and shattered on the floor. At that moment he became awakened. His verses commemorating the event are very beautiful in Chinese:

The vast space of emptiness shatters
And the great earth falls into place.

Another great Chan master, Zhaozhou, was still wandering at the age of eighty-four. When asked by his disciple for instruction, Zhaozhou asked: “Have you had your breakfast?”

“No,” said the disciple.

“Go eat breakfast,” Zhaozhou replied.

Another disciple came to Zhaozhou. “What is your practice, Master?” he asked.

“Have you had your breakfast?”

“Yes,” said the disciple.

“Have you washed your bowl?”

“No.”

“Go wash your bowl,” said Zhaozhou.

Another disciple came to Zhaozhou.

“Have you eaten breakfast?”

“Yes,” the disciple replied.

“Have you cleaned your bowl?”

“Yes.”

“Go drink tea.”

 

WHEN TALKING ABOUT enlightenment in Chan we use the metaphor of a dam. The dam collects water behind it. If the dam is shallow, it collects water quickly. If it’s a big dam, it may take a long time for the water to collect. When that dam becomes full, the moment you open it up the water gushes out and you are able to generate an enormous amount of energy.

Enlightenment is like this. Sometimes we quickly have an experience of awakening. It may be shallow or deep, this or that. So don’t bother about it. Don’t trouble yourself about the different stages of absorption or the levels of enlightenment. Just keep practicing. That is, in fact, enlightenment. Chan masters can experience awakening again and again. One Chan master said he had a great awakening over thirty times and countless small awakenings. So awakening is not something that occurs and then is finished. The fog parts and you see the mountaintop. That is your destination. The fog closes back in. You keep walking. You are very sure because you clearly see the path, even in the fog. You continue your journey.

Chan is different from other types of Buddhism in this way. Other Buddhist schools say keep walking in the fog. You have faith that eventually you will get to mountain even though you haven’t seen it. Eventually you will get there. Chan gives you a sudden glimpse of the shining peak in the moment when the fog clears. Still, you need to keep walking. Still, you have to climb the mountain.

People think that when you become enlightened, you’re Buddha, and your job is done. If only it were so.

How can we tell whether enlightenment has occurred? When does a teacher test a disciple? Does the student say, “I’m prepared, now you can test me?” No, the teacher usually tests the disciple when the disciple least expects it. This is when state of mind is most natural, in its original state. In those moments, we say the spark of fire ignites, the fireworks go off.

Chan masters do not say, “I have a feeling I’m going to be enlightened soon. Enlightenment is close!” There’s no such thing. All Chan masters became awakened and enlightened when they least expected it.

Chan masters don’t think about enlightenment; they don’t think about awakening; they only think about practice, practice, and practice. As a result, they never expect enlightenment, and then enlightenment comes. If you just keep practicing, and you do not grasp at enlightenment or run away from it, enlightenment will get you.

All the Chan masters only want to practice; they don’t want to be enlightened or awakened. As a result, they become enlightened and awakened.

No Chan masters wanted to be Chan masters. And as a result, they became masters of Chan.