Buddha said: “Pure awareness elevates one to the heavenly realms, whereas emotional attachments sink one to the bottomless hell.”<\/p>\n
Simply put, if you are perceptive and observant, you move upward in the reincarnation cycle toward the celestial lands of bliss, toward light. However, if you indulge yourself in likes and dislikes, love and hate, then you descend downward into the dark realms of hell.<\/p>\n
Proficiency in deliberation, observation, and pure awareness equip you with a pair of magical wings to fly. Clinging to relationships, attachment to things, self-contradiction, or a mind that is heavily burdened with mundane affairs drag you straight into darkness.<\/p>\n
Flying insects are drawn toward light, whereas crawling insects are drawn to darkness. It is the different elevation in spirituality that distinguishes one from another among the same species. Hence Buddha said that one would rather kill one thousand ants than one fly. The importance of spiritual growth can thus be seen. If one reaches constantly toward light in the cycles of birth and death, then one’s spirituality will keep on evolving.<\/p>\n
Be alert, witness and watch yourself incessantly. By and by, as you become more aware of your mind, there may come a moment when light suddenly flushes into the darkness of your mind. We call this phenomenon illumination of the heart or opening of the eyes.<\/p>\n
Opening up of the mind, attainment of clear understanding, clear and broadened horizon, eyes flashing with lights — terms like these are used to describe and praise in admiration those who cultivate and obtain insights in an inspired moment.<\/p>\n
We know hells are dark without a ray of light. The human world is brighter than hells. The Heavens of the Desire Realm are brighter than the human world. The Brahma Heavens are brighter than the Heavens of the Desire Realm. The Second Dhyana Heavens are brighter than the First Dhyana Heavens. The Fourth Dhyana Heavens are brighter than the Third Dhyana Heavens. The Formless Realm is brighter than the Formed Realm. The forms and colors of Bodhisattva are more exquisite than Arhats’. The light of Buddha outshines the light of Bodhisattva.<\/p>\n
Undoubtedly cultivation is walking toward light. The right cultivation is definitely the journey of light.<\/p>\n
There is a Zen enlightenment story?<\/p>\n
Master Te-shan was born in Jian Zhou, a county of Szechwan province in mid-western China. Chou was his family name before he became a Buddhist monk at the age of twenty. Master Te-shan was specialized in the doctrines of Discipline, and also well versed in the scriptures on Dharma Nature and Dharma Characteristics. He lectured frequently on the Diamond Sutra, so people addressed him as ‘Diamond Chou’. He often told his students, “Soak a piece of hair in the ocean and the ocean (of Buddha Nature) remains undiminished. Throw a mustard seed against the blade of a sword and the sword retains its sharp edge without being blunted. Only I can make distinction between the real practitioner and the fake.”<\/p>\n
When he heard that Zen teaching was prospering in the south, he felt defiant and scolded in disgust, “A monk can spend one thousand eons imitating Buddha’s dignified demeanor and ten thousand eons learning from Buddha’s fine behavior, but still he can not attain Buddha-hood. How dare these southern devils assert that one can attain Buddha-hood by pointing straight to the mind to realize one’s Buddha Nature? I am going to sweep clean their dens, annihilate their races, to show my gratitude for Buddha’s kindness.”<\/p>\n
Without delay, with his back loaded with the bundle of Green Dragon Commentaries, which he composed to elucidate his views on the Diamond Sutra, he departed from Szechwan and headed south. On his way to Lee-yang, he met an old woman peddling pastries on the road. Unloading the bundle from his back, he wanted to buy some pastries from her. The old woman pointed her finger at the bundle and asked, “What words are these?” “Green Dragon Commentaries”, replied Te-shan. The old woman asked again, “Which Sutra do you lecture on?” “The Diamond Sutra,” replied Te-shan. The old woman then said, “I have a question for you. If you answer correctly, you’ll get the pastries from me. Otherwise, you will have to get them elsewhere. In the Diamond Sutra, it is stated that one cannot get hold of the mind of the past, one cannot get hold of the mind of the present, and one cannot get hold of the mind of the future. What would you like to get?” Unable to find words to counter her question, Te-shan thereupon departed toward the temple of Dragon Pond. Once he reached the dharma hall there, he said, “I used to have much aspiration for the Dragon Pond. But once here, I don’t see a pond, nor any dragon.” The abbot of Dragon Pond, Lung-tan, came out and said, “You have been personally to the Dragon Pond (implying seeing one’s Buddha Nature)?!” Te-shan became speechless and hence stayed.<\/p>\n
One day Te-shan waited on Lung-tan until it was very late. Lung-tan said, “The night is getting old, why don’t you retire?” Te-shan respectfully bade farewell and took his leave. When he was about to walk outside, he turned around and observed, “It is dark outside.” At this Lung-tan lit a candle and handed it to him. Just as Te-shan was about to accept the lit candle, Lung-tan blew it out. At that moment Te-shan became fully awakened. He bowed to his teacher. Lung-tan said, “What did you see?” Te-shan responded, “From now on, this one here will not harbor doubts about what’s been said by old monks all over the world.” The next day, Lung-tan ascended to the high seat and announced, “Among you there is a fellow who has fangs like a sword-tree and a large mouth like a bowl full of blood. Hit him with a club and he won’t turn his head — his heart is unmoved. He is on his way to a lonesome peak where he will establish the Tao there.” Hearing this, Te-shan piled his commentaries in front of the dharma hall and lit a torch to burn them. He said, “Even if we have mastered the most eloquent argument, it is only like placing a fine hair in the vast expanse of the sky. Even if we have exhausted the cardinal wisdom of the world, it is only like letting a drop fall into the gigantic abyss.”<\/p>\n
In the story, when the disciple (Te-shan) extended his hand to accept the candle, the master blew out the light. This demonstrates that the Light towards which one cultivates is not the material light of this world.<\/p>\n
As another story goes, a disciple asks: What is Buddha? The master calls out the disciple’s name. When the disciple responds, the master remains silent. The master has used silence to teach that, that which knows to respond is Buddha, is the Light. Or, in other words, the Light is knowing, is clarity, is awareness.<\/p>\n
Awareness, clarity, and knowing is the Light that guides your way to enlightenment. All the changes within your body and mind should not stray away from the illuminating awareness, the Light. All the methods you practice should all lead to this illuminating awareness, the Light. This is the most remarkable way to maintain your right mindfulness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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