Freedom and Independence

One who’s detached from the world of things no longer struggles with the duality of materialism.

You can’t say that ‘the mind sees the mind’ (the eye can’t see the eye); since there’s nothing

opposed to the mind, seeing doesn’t involve something seen, and hearing isn’t something heard.

Isn’t this leaving the duality of materialism behind?

Consequently, there’s no road into it, no here from which to see it there: the Dharma has no points

of the compass to follow; no talk of ‘I am the disciple, you are the teacher’ when you visit a teacher,

if your self is clear, as above, and everything is IT, obviously you don’t imagine there’s a teacher there;

when you investigate yourself, it’s not that you see ‘a self’. The same is true when reading scripture

and meditating  or eating. You’re not confused when doing these things, yet you cannot grasp anything

at all. When things are like this are you not independent and free?

Foyan

Guizong

“ The ancient worthies since time immemorial were not without knowledge and understanding; those lofty people were not the same as the common run. Now you cannot mature yourselves and stand on your own, so you pass the time uselessly. Don’t misapply your minds; no one can take your place, but there’s nothing for you to worry about either. Don’t seek from others. All along you have been depending on interpretations from others, so you get bogged down whatever you say, and your light does not penetrate freely simply because there is something in front of your eyes.”
Guizong