DHARMA SPRING

Nanquan's Ordinary Mind is the Way

September 09, 2022 Andrew Palmer
DHARMA SPRING
Nanquan's Ordinary Mind is the Way
Show Notes

  Zhaozhou Congshen asked Nanquan Puyuan, "What is the Way?"
  Nanquan said, "Ordinary mind is the Way."
  Zhaozhou asked, "Can we deliberately strive toward this?"
  Nanquan said, "To strive toward it is to turn away."
  Zhaozhou said, "Without striving, how can we know the Way?"
  Nanquan said, "The Way has nothing to do with knowing or not-knowing. 'Knowing' is delusion, 'not-knowing' is apathy. If you really attain the Way-without-doubt, it is vast and boundless like open space. How can you speak of affirmation and negation?"
  At these words Zhaozhou was deeply enlightened.

from Entangling Vines, Thomas Yuho Kirchner, trans

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