Not till your thoughts cease all their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the right road to the Gate.
Huangbo XiyunRead
A perception, sudden as blinking, that subject and object are one, will lead to a deeply mysterious understanding; and by this understanding you will awaken to the truth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses the idea that recognizing the unity of subject and object leads to profound insight and awakening.
Huangbo Xiyunβs quote suggests that when one experiences a sudden realization that the observer and the observed are fundamentally interconnected, it can lead to a deep, mysterious understanding of reality. This awareness is described as a form of awakening to a greater truth, implying that our usual perceptions often obscure a more profound, unified existence.
Themes
PerceptionUnityAwakeningTruthUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophy class discussing Eastern thought.
More from Huangbo Xiyun
All quotes β...Therefore it is said: 'The perception of a phenomenon IS the perception of the Universal Nature, since phenomena and Mind are one and the same.'
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The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered his real nature, how can there be anywhere or anything separate from it?... ...Therefore it is said: 'The perception of a phenomenon IS the perception of the Universal Nature, since phenomena and Mind are one and the same.'
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Our original nature is...void, omnipresent, silent, pure; it is glorious and mysterious peaceful joy - and that is all. Enter deeply into it by awakening yourself.
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On seeing one thing, you see all things. On perceiving an individual's mind, you perceive all mind. Glimpse one truth, and all truth is present in your vision, for there is nowhere at all that is devoid of the Truth.
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People are scared to empty their minds_x000D_ _x000D_ fearing that they will be engulfed by the void._x000D_ _x000D_ What they don't realize is that_x000D_ _x000D_ their own mind is the void.
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