Where is the primal to be sought? It must be sought by way of the temporal.
Temporal feelings and consciousness are marvelous functions of the primal.
It must be sought through the work of practical balance in harmonious
accord, which means calmness and openness. Of course, as long as
clarification has not taken place, all is polluted. Clear up the pollution, and
eventually there will be spontaneous clarity even without attempting to
achieve clarity. Only then will the "gold pill” come out of the furnace.
When there is no self in the mind, it is even and clear; when the spirit is
pure and the energy clear, this is Buddhahood and immortality. It is only
because the iron pillars of thoughts are deeply rooted, and it is hard to
escape their limitations, that it is necessary to observe one's own mind.
When you sec the mind, only then will you find the roots are insubstantial
and thus have a sense of freedom from phenomena while having the ability
to enter their range.
The primal and temporal are originally not two: what makes the distinction
is only temporal. When you discriminate, then action and stillness are not
united, and primal energy becomes conditioned. When they are united,
temporal energy is also primal, and there is no distinction between primal
and temporal.
If there is discrimination between primal and temporal, that is just
consciousness; if you discriminate, then conditioning flares up, and this is
the source of the profuse confusion of thoughts.
