It's tragic. People have been deluded for so long.
They do not recognize that their own minds are the true Buddhas.
They do not recognize that their own natures are the true Buddhas.
They want to search for the Buddha, yet they will not observe their own minds.
All the Buddhas of the past were merely persons who understood their minds.
All the sages and saints of the present are likewise merely persons
who have cultivated their own minds.
the ordinary man is deluded, he assumes the ...elements are his body
and ...thoughts are his mind. He does not know his own nature... he
does not know that his own numinous awareness is the true Buddha.
He looks for the Buddha outside his mind.
While wandering aimlessly, the entrance to the road might by chance
be pointed out by a wise advisor. If ... he then follows the light and
sees his own original nature,... innately free of obstruction.
...sudden awakening.
Although he has awakened ... the beginning-less habit-energies
are extremely difficult to remove suddenly and so he must continue
to cultivate...Through this gradual permeation, his endeavors
reach completion. This process can be compared to the maturation
of a child.
~ Robert E. Buswell, Jr.
from Tracing Back the Radiance
Chinul's Korean Way of Zen
