Folio 7 Recto

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Der Kommentarinhalt des Originaltextes von Jikji ist in englischer Sprache verfasst.

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    Commentary
    When Chan Master YantouQuanhuo (巖頭全豁) asked, “Did you achieve virtue?” Chan Master LongyaJudun (龍牙居遁) said, “I achieved it long time ago, but haven’t done jeoman (點眼, a consecration ceremony held to make a Buddhist statue come alive) yet.” Then he asked Master Yantou to perform the ceremony for him, saying, “I am like a snowflake on a glowing brazier.” At this, Master Yantou said, “A lion cub is roaring loudly!”
    Then he added, “If you cannot rest in this life, when can you? You should know that resting is something to be done in this life. Resting your mind is to eliminate delusion, and the right way to rest properly.”     In Seon Buddhism, rhetorical devices, such as figures of speech, symbolisms, ellipses and allusions, are commonly used, and sometimes more peculiar expressions, like shouting and beating, are also used without hesitation. For this reason, Seon dialogues are criticized for being outlandish and illogical. However, such an act is a form of tacit agreement, where two people in conversation transcend the limitations of language and achieve a communion of minds. Just as people deep in love can communicate their feelings with their eyes, Seon practitioners do not want to deliver their thoughts through pre-conceptualized linguistic tools.

    In light of this, let’s revisit the Seon story. In their conversation, a request for jeoman suggests the monk’s desire to be recognized for his talent. As such, when his teacher asked him to express it, he mentioned “a snowflake on a glowing brazier,” which meant that his anguish and discernment disappeared all at once, bringing him serenity and peace of mind. Upon hearing the answer, the teacher acknowledged him as his disciple, dubbing him “a lion cub.” In this respect, Seon dialogue is connotative and elusive yet warm and friendly.
    Chan Master Yantou said that delusion disappears when you rest your mind. This one line is the gist of his Dharma talk. Chan masters often call for “an awakened rest.” Idling your body is a kind of laziness, but clearing your mind can afford real rest. That is, life’s respite to relieve stress and tension can be said to be an awakened rest. In this regard, resting your mind is perhaps the stage where you become free from holding onto your ego and from making distinctions.

    Let go in a small way, and it will bring you a little peace.
    Let go in a big way, and it will bring you great peace.
    But if you let go completely, then you will experience complete peace and freedom.
    Then, you will win the battle against yourself. (Monk AjahnChah)

    The way to happiness as suggested in Buddhism is to “rest and rest more.” In other words, to remove elements that can interfere with your present happiness. Just as a mason has to chisel out unnecessary chunks to give shape to their sculpture, your own inferiority complex and discontent that hamper happiness must be overcome. Seon masters have said that overcoming a sense of inferiority is to “lead life as its owner.” Inner Buddha-nature (佛性), purity (淸淨), suchness (眞如) and no mind (無心), words that appear in recorded sayings of Seon masters, are all expressions that depict the character of life’s true protagonist. Whatever it is, if you become a slave to it, your happiness will suffer. Be it money or honor, once you are enslaved by it, your freedom will be confined.
    The secret to happiness as suggested by Chan Master LongyaJudun is to have “no mind.” No mind means resting your mind, a state where your feeling of inferiority has dissipated. In this light, the master gives the following advice:

    The tree by the gate doesn’t dispute right or wrong when a bird sits on it or flies away.
    It is indifferent to one who comes and one who flies away.
    If man’s mind is like the tree’s, we will benefit, and we will not be at odds. (Monk Hyeonjin)
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