I Like Zen
Zen points directly to the human mind, leading to sudden enlightenment and becoming a Buddha. Its sharp verbal exchanges make it thoroughly exhilarating for analytically minded people to study, giving them a feeling of suddenly finding a path out of a dead end, a burst of utter clarity, and coming back to life. Seeing the Zen patriarchs scolding the Buddhas and rebuking the patriarchs, discussing emptiness and form, and keeping the precepts in their hearts without leaving a trace—this made someone like me, who loves freedom and doesn’t sweat the small stuff, slam the table in absolute admiration. I immediately chose to study the Dharma door of Zen. Little did I know, once I actually entered it, I realized that practicing Zen requires extreme caution at every single step. If you’re not careful, you either fall into one-sided emptiness or you fall into form. Without Master Shenxiu’s gradual approach of “constantly wiping it clean, letting no dust gather,” it is very difficult to fully comprehend the Sixth Patriarch’s ultimate state of “originally there is not a single thing, where can dust gather?” Therefore, sudden enlightenment must be paired with gradual cultivation. You must have the solid skill of Zen meditation. In the past, the Zen patriarchs did not talk about spiritual states or meditation skills, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t possess those states and skills. Many huatou and koans seem to discuss view and insight on the surface, but in reality, they are entirely about the states and skills within samadhi. Without the skill of actual realization, your responses in those sharp verbal exchanges will definitely miss the mark.
Zen starts directly from the fundamental nature. You could say it is charging straight into the tiger’s den. Its cultivation and realization are full of thrilling highs. People with great boldness and profound spiritual roots should choose to practice Zen. (Saying this is really just me doing a commercial for Zen.)