Teachings From Ancient Vietnamese Zen Masters – 152
Look at the river: the waves arise and vanish, but the nature of water is
unmoving; the waves constinuously transform into countless forms, but
the wetness always encompasses all them.
Look at the mirror: the images appear and disappear, but the nature of
mirror is unmoving; the images constinuously transform into countless
forms, but the luminousness always encompasses all them. Look at that
and feel that, with all things in front of your eyes, and with all feelings
in your body.
If you think that explanation is too abstract, you can try something
more concrete. You know, Zen should be fun. Now relax, breathe
gently, and feel the breaths coming and going. Feel that. Gently feel the
breaths coming and going. Try to see as an outsider that the body, not
your body, is breathing, while the breath is transforming endlessly. You
would feel that the breath becomes one with your body, and then later
the breath becomes one with your body and your mind.
Now you feel that you are the river and all the waves; also you feel you
are the mirror and all the images. You feel that the breath is
tranforming endlessly, and your body and your mind too. You feel that
you have no self at all, and you are changing constinuously. The
question here is: what is unmoving alongside all the waves and images?
Now watch your mind: thought comes and goes, tranforming endlessly.
Now see the mind seal – unborn, uncreated, undying.)
