In Master Boshan's writings, we read the following: "When you consider your own mind as the buddha, that is genuine faith" (p.10). As I am reading this sentence, it strikes me how rarely I fully experience the gravity of the sentence. After all, if the Buddha is within us, it would be like having a precious jewel that is worth more than all the money in the world. Not only would we feel happy and free to know that the Buddha exists within, but we would also treat our lives as very sacred and precious. Stop for a moment right now, close your eyes, and think: "I have Buddha within. I am Buddha nature." It is probably very hard for most people to imagine that the profound nature of Buddha mind is within them, and it's easy for people to say "that's not possible", and default to imagining a great heavenly being as the Buddha.
We are taught to believe, in fact that buddha nature is far away, yet I think Master Boshan said that we have to look to ourselves to know the real meaning and answer of life. And that also points to the fact that the only real liberation is what is happening now, in this moment. When we are wholeheartedly embracing that moment, we truly begin to know ourselves as Buddhas. That is genuine faith, because then we know that it is our responsibility alone to show the buddha nature in every moment and in every step. That means, we cannot rely on any external sign to bring it about. It has to go beyond signs, words, concepts and other marks. So the challenge of Master Boshan's teachings is to embody that faith and not to waste a single moment of life to try to embody it.
Philosophy begins with thinking. When people say, "That is impossible," it may not be out of laziness but rather a recognition of their own powerlessness if knowledge is the boundary. Why don't take all that has passed is but a prologue, and many chapters ahead? As long as the direction of practice is right on.
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