The response is down-to-earth and understandable for any of us.  To stay on track and not get overwhelmed by the illusions that surround us involves a lifetime of commitment.   

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Waking up is a great phrase to illustrate realization. In the beginning of practice when we are first learning meditation, and in some schools, the other techniques that have been used over time, it is easy to feel like what we seek is far away from where we currently are.

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Here we have several very different examples of Foyan’s skill as a teacher. The crystal clear teaching poem on sitting meditation juxtaposed with the conversational skill he has in communicating with his students. 

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Reading this piece is like standing under a plum tree with blossoms falling all around you, the fragrance enveloping your senses, and feeling connected with much more. Remember the last time the fragrance wafted into your consciousness?

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This is a teaching vast in scope, covering the beginning, middle, and end of practice.  Stunning to see the dates of the writing and to feel a deep connection with something so ancient/contemporary! 

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While the tone of Hongzhi’s Practice Instructions is lyrical and evocative, surpassing the ordinary “instructions,” this is a voice rarely heard in a teaching hall and is immediately transporting.

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This discussion between sudden enlightenment and gradual cultivation has gone on for centuries.  So we are not alone in our own confusion about these principles.  This is a very clear description of the need for both.  

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Naturally, we have thoughts that come up almost continuously at times. The ability to let them go and make room for an openness that is constantly responsive to the ever-changing is an integral part of a life of practice.

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Bodhidharma’s teaching is essentially very sparse and simple: “Behold the mind.”  Doesn’t allow a lot of distracting philosophical points, just brings us back to awareness and turning the attention inwards. 

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There are sutras like the Heart Sutra that are chanted in temples and are a part of practice handed down from long years ago.  For those of us who don’t have a temple to attend or a teacher to train with, we seek out forms and practices that sustain us.