June 15 Dharma Talk- Finding Our Original Face

 For the June 15 Dharma talk, ChangYuan Fashi continued with a discussion of Chapter 5 with the stark reminder from Master Boshan: “do not fear that in death you will not live; instead, fear living without [having experienced the great] death!” What is the fear of death that Master Boshan refers to, and, more specifically, the “great” death? Part of the tricky balance of huatou practice is to maintain “relaxed focus”, which means that we fully engage in generating the mass of doubt, but we must learn to relax our bodies first. Since huatou practice involves singleminded devotion to a question, it can sometimes lead to bodily tension. This is why ChangYuan Fashi reminded us to “leave our bodies to the cushion” when practicing huatou method, which means slowing down and releasing all tension before devoting oneself to huatou practice. Fashi compared the tense or nervous attitude that people sometimes take toward huatou with those in China who “pray to the god of Exams” in order to successfully pass a test. With a tense mind, it’s easy to make mistakes or have scattered thoughts in whatever we do. On the other hand, when the body is relaxed, the huatou practice can be more seamlessly practiced.

But, to go back to the original statement that begins Chapter 5, what would cause practitioners to overcome the fear of death? Fashi explained how most of us are attached to our bodies, going to great pains to make ourselves comfortable, ease any pains in the body, or relieve discomforts. As a result, we start to identify ourselves with our bodies, which then creates heavy karmic obstacles to practice, including focusing on the discomfort of leg pain at the expense of using the actual method while in sitting meditation. This isn’t to say that we should discard the body, but we should view the body from the right view as a tool of one’s practice. After all, the body that we currently have allows us to contribute to society, attend Dharma talks, take responsibility for our families, and even repay the kindness of our parents. Fashi reminded the participants not to identify with or attach to the body, but instead to appreciate the body as the way we can generate merit and practice meditation methods. In this way, the craving for life and avoidance of death can gradually be overcome.

Fashi recited the line “Dying is to remove your stealing mind”, where “stealing” refers to the tendency to look to the external environment for support, rather than within our own original nature as the way to awaken. When we are not moved by grasping or craving, then both stillness and motion become identical because the mind is no longer swayed by the changing conditions. While the unenlightened mind sees “still” and “moving” objects, in reality, the mind is constantly in flux. In fact, everything is always changing, so there really isn’t a single still phenomena to be found anywhere. When Master Boshan remarks on how “the deluded mind will be purified by itself”, he is referring to the fact that our vexations stem from a tendency to grasp the thoughts as though they were real and external to mnd, rather than seeing that they are the result of causes and conditions. When we see vexations for what they are (as impermanent and identical with Buddha nature), they cease to be sources of suffering. In this way, deluded mind becomes purified without adding or subtracting anything.

Fashi pointed out how the method of involves contemplate (use the method), illuminate (being clear about the method, or mindfulness) and pick up the method to maintain consistent and constant practice at all times. During the talk, Fashi briefly explored Silent Illumination, mainly to point out its differences from Huatou. With Silent Illumination practice, the “silence” does not involve absence of sound, but, instead, refers to the absence of moving the mind. The mind is simply clear about all the sense objects, without seeking them or adding conscious thought to them. Illumination refers to clearly being mindful of the totality of all the body, and treat all phenomena as extension of the body. Fashi explained that this practice is simple to describe, but not always easy to implement, since there is no specific method to return to. Keeping the “six roots” (six senses) open means to be clear and relaxed about what is emerging in the six senses without adding a conscious thought. In contrast, Huatou method is almost the opposite: it involves a single-minded pointing to the question of the huatou, while shutting out the six senses.

Throughout the talk, Fashi reminded his audience that the practices described in Master Boshan’s treatise are very profound, yet not often easy to apply in daily life. He encouraged the audience to interpret the talks positively, meaning that they should try to take whatever they can from the talk to uplift their minds rather than feeling discouraged or challenged by applying the method to daily life. When people go home to their families and express the joy of hearing the Dharma, their families will see an immediate difference and will want them to go back to the centre to learn more. At times, people may find the practice a burden and treat it as a responsibility, much like the “thousand pounds on your shoulders” which describes the doubt sensation in Chapter Six.  Instead of viewing practice as a burden, Fashi encouraged the retreat participants to see these burdens as opportunities to acquire merit. He compared this to a grandmother who doesn’t see taking care of her grandchildren as a burden.

Another analogy that is mentioned in Chapter 6 to explain the Huatou method is “searching for an important thing you have lost”. In fact, according to the analogy of the Original Face in the Platform Sutra, the one thing we feel we have lost the most is our original nature, which we have already had all along, and therefore does not need to be found outside the mind. As long as we are willing to investigate our vexations, then there is no need to seek additional wisdom beyond the vexations themselves. Fashi stressed that we should not try to seek this original face outside our mind, or with the intention of personal gain. Like a cat watching the mouse, we generate the huatou with a determination that is relaxed. At the very least, if we can do this at a slowed pace, we develop the quality of patience, both with the method itself and with vexations we face in daily life and practice. This also requires cultivating an intentional curiosity to know the answer to the huatou, and to use it to find our true home.