So, what exactly is Zen? What Zen is is still up to us to understand.

First of all, Zen is a state of mind.

There is a saying in Zen Buddhism that says, "If a person drinks water, he knows whether he is warm or cold." ”

What kind of state is this? It is the state of life of the enlightened one.

The enlightened person is the Buddha, and the Buddha is always in Zen, and every move, word and deed of the Buddha is Zen. Therefore, it is said that "walking is also Zen, sitting is also Zen, and the body is calm and quiet." ”

This is the life of an enlightened being, this is the life of a Buddha.

"Naga is always in place, and there is no time to be fixed", this is the realm of Zen.

We can see the serenity, nature, and joy of the Buddha from the outside. This is also the state of life of the enlightened. An enlightened person who has not yet fully attained Buddhahood also has this realm, which is the second level.

The third level is the realm of practitioners, and practitioners and meditators sometimes have this realm, but their realm cannot be completely integrated, it is intermittent, and his realm is different from the realm of a Buddha in terms of level. That is to say, although your perception is equal to that of the Buddha, "there is no difference between the mind, the Buddha, and sentient beings." But that refers only to a kind of equality in the cause and ground, and cannot be completely equated with the Buddha on the fruit position.

However, talking about the mind, talking about the Buddha, talking about sentient beings, and talking about equality is still a kind of theory, a kind of thinking distinction, but we have to put all these things aside.

Only by putting aside all the theoretical frameworks, by putting aside all the thinking separately, can you experience the state of Zen.

In other words, as long as you let go of the duality completely, the present moment is the state of Zen.

It's not that we have to wait until when it is that realm, everything is now.

Each of us might as well give it a try, and in a moment, a second, two seconds, three seconds, you can experience this realm. In terms of effect, Zen is a state of mind, and it is this thing that each of us really has to grasp.

Second, Zen is a kind of use, a kind of experience. The realm of Zen is invisible and intangible, only to experience and use by oneself; Moreover, this kind of use is one's own use, and cannot be shared with others.

The use and experience of Zen can only be obtained by those who practice it, and only those who have evidence can obtain it. If you are a meditator, you will have this kind of experience and use. If you attain the state of Zen, you will get this kind of benefit.

To use an analogy, on the dog days of June, we walk under the sun, what do we want to do at that time? As far as people are concerned, it is to think of going inside a cool house.

What happens when we enter this cool room? It's cool, it's comfortable, it's comfortable. What kind of feeling only you know, can you tell what it feels? I can't describe it in words.

Others only see that you are very peaceful and comfortable there, and your kind of use cannot be experienced by others, and your kind of experience is not shared with you. Of course, this is due to the transfer of space.

As I said earlier, Zen is direct, present. It doesn't need the transfer of space, nor does it need the transfer of time, that is, this thing, this thing. It's like a poet describing the coolness of Zen that a Zen master feels on a hot and hot day.

How did the poet write in his poems?

Everyone may know that "everyone is crazy about the summer". In the hot summer, they all want to escape the heat, and they seem to be crazy when they run around;

"The only Zen master does not leave the room". Only those who participate in Zen, those who study Zen, and those who practice Zen do not have this phenomenon of running wildly;

"It's not that the Zen master is not passionate." It's not that Zen masters don't feel this kind of passion;

"It's only because the heart is calm and naturally cool." When the mind is calm, it will naturally be cold.

What is the state of tranquility? As I just said, the binary opposition of cool and hot does not exist, there is no heat or no heat.

Once there is a duality, his feelings are immediately different.

What is duality? It's our difference.

There is also a story about a Venerable Zen practitioner who was reading a book one day and saw the sun go down, and when it was time to hold the lamp, although he did not light the lamp, he was still reading, and the words on the book were very clear and not ambiguous at all.

At this time, a master came to his room by night with candlelight, and when he saw His Holiness still reading there without light, he said, "It's getting late, why are you still reading?" Can you see it? ”

His Holiness was reminded by him and immediately began to discriminate.

"Oh, I can't see it." At that moment, his eyes were black, and he couldn't see anything.

There are many stories like this: Master Yuanxiao of Silla came to China to seek the Dharma, went to a remote place in China, and in the evening, he could not find a place to stay in the wilderness without a place to stay in the village.

A few people had no choice but to sleep in the open, with no water and no food. At night, they were vaguely looking for water to drink, and suddenly they found a very small pit with a little water in it, and they drank it desperately, and after drinking it they felt sweet and comfortable.

The next morning, when I saw it, it was corpse water that had come out of the coffin. At that moment, I was distracted and vomited non-stop.

The same thing, because there is a difference and there is no difference, there are two completely different effects.

The moment when there is no difference, it is the realm of Zen, the use of Zen, and this use is very obvious.

It's the same for monks to place orders in monasteries.

The monk who placed the order came, sent him to a room, where he lived quite peacefully, and slept beautifully.

The next day, he was told that someone had died in the room yesterday, either from illness or by hanging.

When he heard this, he didn't dare to live in that room anymore, he felt that there was a ghost.

Where are the ghosts? The ghost is in the heart, and it is separation. This situation has probably happened to each of us.

Therefore, attachment to separation kills people, and it is the root cause of all problems in the world. If you want to become a Buddha and become an ancestor, you must first remove this thing.

Therefore, Zen is a kind of use, a kind of experience.

This experience is to move away from distinction and to achieve non-distinction.

Because things in the world are inherently equal, and everything is equal.

Difference is only its appearance, equality is its nature, we have to prove the nature separately from the phase, so that the use obtained is the end.

Third, Zen is a method, a means. This is from the aspect of Zen, not from the point of view of Zen. Of course, it is not separated from convenience, convenience is not separated from the end, two and one, one and two.

In essence, Zen is the method of seeing nature, "pointing directly at the human heart, seeing nature and becoming a Buddha". In this way, the ultimate goal is to point directly at the insight, and not to take detours.

How is it to be pointed at? That is, each of us is a Buddha ourselves, and we must believe it thoroughly, not half-believed, but not have any doubts at all.

Then, under the guidance of this concept, all the requirements of the Buddha are put in place in one step, which is to "point directly to the hearts of the people and become a Buddha by seeing nature".

The so-called "seeing nature to become a Buddha" is to do it in one step - to point it directly.

This method is not dead, but alive.

It is a dynamic approach that changes from person to person, time to place.

Shakyamuni Buddha used this method to show the public. Kaya didn't speak, just laughed.

After Zen was transmitted to China, was there still a way to show the public with flowers? In the lamps and quotations of Zen Buddhism, I don't seem to see anyone using this method. No patriarch picks up the flowers, you smile - it's useless for you to laugh, you don't see sex.

So, this approach is alive and dynamic.

When the patriarch does this, how can you know that he is enlightened? This must have that kind of teacher, and then there must be that kind of disciple.

Only when the teacher has insight, the disciple has insight, has a tacit understanding with each other, and has a heart-to-heart relationship, can this effect be achieved. So, the method of Zen is alive.

Zen Buddhism talks about "not dying with people", that is, it does not have a fixed pattern.

The ancient patriarchs used many methods when they were recruiting scholars, and there were 1,700 public cases in summary.

What are the 1,700 public cases? To summarize it in a preliminary way, it is 1,700 methods.

I think that's only found in quotations, and there are those that are not recorded in quotations, and I'm afraid there are more than 17,000 ways.

The methods and means of Zen are flexibly used and constantly developed according to the time, place and person.

It is still evolving to this day. Today, there are "Tranquility Zen" and "Life Zen", all of which are changing methods. It is necessary to use Zen to attract the masses according to the person, the place, and the time.

Fourth, Zen is a path. Since Zen is a method, with this method, there is a way to follow.

What is the path? It is a way to explore and develop wisdom.

Each of us has sufficient wisdom and virtue, but we cannot attain it because of delusion and attachment.

What methods should we use to develop it?

Zen tells us that there is a way, and this method is to "make a decision at the right time, and take responsibility directly." ”

This method is very simple, but it is also difficult, which is called standing on the wall and there is no door to enter. But you have to have a little courage to take one step forward in this situation.

Zen is also the way to break free from shackles. We live in a world of relativity, and everything relative binds us tightly like a shackle, so that we cannot be liberated or at ease.

For example, if we want to rest and fall asleep at night, and if we are lying in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and the more we sleep, the more awake we are, what is it that keeps us from sleeping?

It's delusion that is doing the trick, and it's the separation that is doing the trick.

If you don't have delusions, go to bed and fall asleep. There are also many such people. But more people love to think about things at night, and it is difficult to sleep, and he is very envious of the kind of people who fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow, and he is very envious.

But envy is useless, because envy itself is an attachment. Sleep as you slept, slept as you slept, had no use for the same purpose, and broke free from the shackles of all distinctions.

Zen is also the path to liberation. Shackles are shackles and handcuffs, and when you get rid of shackles, you are liberated at the moment, and Zen plays this role.

In short, Zen is the path to a fulfilling life. There are many flaws in our lives, and these flaws are self-inflicted, not inherent in us.

We should have had a fully enlightened life, a fully enlightened life.

The reason why we have many defects is that we are not able to become enlightened, we are not able to return to the present moment of life, and we are always seeking the Dharma from outside our hearts, and we are always seeking from the outside, so we cannot be satisfied, comfortable, or liberated.

Don't seek liberation outside of shackles, don't seek nirvana outside of birth and death, don't seek bodhi outside of afflictions.

Liberation is an infinite freedom, a total freedom.

Where is this total freedom?

The infinite is realized in the finite, and nirvana is sought in life and death.

Life and death and nirvana are the same, the infinite and the finite are the same, and the afflictions and bodhi are the same.

What's in it? Separated from some ignorance, i.e., discriminating minds.

If you transcend it in the moment, you can achieve it. The so-called life and death are nirvana, afflictions are bodhi, and finite is infinite.

This path of Zen tells us such a fact.