The Way

The Struggle of Opposites

A master was asked: “What is the way?”

“What a magnificent mountain!” he exclaimed, referencing the mountain where his haven was located.

“I do not inquire about the mountain, instead I inquire about the path.”

“You will not find the way as long as you are unable to go beyond the mountain,” said the master.

A fellow monk asked the same question of that same master: “There it is, right before your eyes,” the master responded.

“Why can’t I see it?” the monk asked.

“Because you have egotistical ideas,” said the master.

“Will I be able to see it, sir?”

“As long as you have dualistic vision and say, ‘I cannot,’ and so on, your eyes will be blinded by that relative vision,” the master replied.

The foundation of all thought lies in the conflict between opposing forces. When we label someone as tall, we mean they are not short. When we say we are entering, we mean we are not exiting. When we express happiness, we confirm that we are not sad. Life’s problems consist of mental frameworks with two opposing poles: one positive and one negative. Happiness and sadness, like and dislike, pleasure and pain, failure and success, this and that, good and evil, victory and defeat all constitute the conflict between opposites. We must free ourselves from living life in opposition. This is only possible by living in the present moment, without dreams, distractions, or abstractions.

A monk named Joshu once asked master Nansen, “What is Tao (the Way)?”

Master Nansen answered, “Ordinary mind is the Tao.”

“Then should we should live in accordance with it or not?” asked Joshu.

“If you try to direct yourself toward it, you go away from it,” answered master Nansen.

Joshu continued, “If we do not try, how can we know the Way?”

Master Nansen replied, “Tao does not belong to knowing or not-knowing. Knowing is illusion; not-knowing is blankness. When you truly reach the genuine Way, it is like vast space — clear and void. You cannot force it one way or the other. If you try to live in accordance with it, it will flee away from you; do not try to sing the song; let the song sing itself.

At these words, Joshu was suddenly enlightened.

The difference resides in one’s perspective — perceiving the sacred in the ordinary. Master Nansen’s words provide sage advice for us: when we chase after some special realisation, we neglect the miracle of the present moment. When we are entrenched in confusion or passivity, we also fail to recognise it. The Way is subtle, necessitating a state of alertness and ease unencumbered by attachment or avoidance. When this state is achieved, even briefly, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Zhaozhou (Joshu), who attained this insight, lived to be 119 and became a highly respected Zen master who would later teach Mu. His teacher, Nansen, was celebrated for his one-word answers that directly pointed to the ordinary mind.

A monk once asked master Bokujo: “Do we have to dress and eat daily? How can we escape from this?”

The master replied: “We eat, we get dressed.”

“I do not comprehend,” said the disciple.

“Then get dressed and eat,” said the master.

Why make a problem of getting dressed and eating? Why do we think of other things while eating and getting dressed? If you are eating, eat. If you are getting dressed, get dressed. If you are walking on the street, walk. If you are driving your car, drive. Do not think of something else; focus only on what you are doing. Do not fill your mind with so many meanings, symbols, sermons, and warnings. Act without distractions, evasions, or fantasies, free from the battle of opposites.

A great master said: “Seek enlightenment for all else will be added to you.”

Unlock your true potential through empowered action, transcending the limitations of conflicting forces. When we let go of fantasy, our inner wisdom is revealed, guiding us toward a profound awakening of consciousness.

References: The Revolution of the Dialectic by Samael Aun Weor.

[embed]Zen Koan #6: Nansen's "Ordinary Mind Is the Way" A Permission to be Powerful Premium Posttonyvolney.com

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