Teachings From Ancient Vietnamese Zen Masters – 154
62 This Land, This Mind
People elsewhere rumor, and falsely say our Patriarch came from the
West. It is true that the Patriarch transmitted the Eye Treasure of
Dharma, named it Zen, and foresaw it as a flower with five petals and
countless seeds. It is true that tens of thousands of auspicious people
have fathomed the secret words, practiced the teachings of mind, and
realized the originally spontaneous purity. The West is this land; this
land is the West. Oh -- anciently and now, the sun and the moon;
anciently and now, the mountain and the river.
It’s wrong to touch it [this land or this mind]; thus Buddha will be
misunderstood. Such a tiny mistake leads to hundreds, thousands of
losses. You should observe skillfully; don’t deceive future generations.
Otherwise you ask me, the answer is that I originally have no words.
VÔ NGÔN THÔNG (? - 826)
(COMMENT: Did Zen Master Vo Ngon Thong say a lot of words, or
without any word? Did Buddha say a lot of words, or without any word?
The name Vo Ngon Thong means “Understanding without a word.” You
should try that way.
Listen to your mind. Listen gently to your mind right now. You would
hear some voices, some sounds, some noises. When you hear
something, you know you are hearing the manifestation of the mind. All
the sounds from the birds, the cars, the winds, and so on are all your
mind. Also, all the sounds from your memories, your imaginations, your
dreams, and so on are all your mind. Listen. Breathe in and out gently,
and listen to the mind.
You might remember the koan that asks about your face before you
were born. You can try another version: listen to where before a sound
arises; listen to your mind before it manifests. Try that. Don’t say that it
ever has a sound or a word.)
