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July 17, 1979
North of Ocean Cove, California
Dear Shih Fu,
In the early dark hours of the morning, I wake up outside, sleeping under a tree, to look around. For a minute or two I can't find me. Inside and outside, up or down, here or there don't exist. The jealousy and arrogance, desire and fear I carry around in my heart day after day, for a few seconds, seem like a dream. A smile comes to my face. "How can you possibly take yourself so seriously? Look!...See? Basically there's not one thing. Yet right within nothing the wonderful appears," says the Good Advisor inside.
Slowly, bit-by-bit, things are starting to come into focus. Bowing brings moments of clarity and stillness that tell us to let go of all false thinking and attachments. "With deep faith and courageous vigor, be 'one of the Way with no mind.' Everything that's supposed to happen, happens by itself," the bowing heart says. When I stop meddling and interfering, the Way naturally and effortlessly responds. When the heart is unobstructed, kindness, compassion, joy, and giving appear like the buds in spring. When the false mind stops and greed is put to rest, then by itself, the nobility and blessings of our original face appear. "One who can be like this benefits the whole world," the Abbot told us.
"What are they doing?" asks a bystander.
"Nothing. They aren't doing anything," answers a friend.
"Why don't they do something?" the bystander persists.
"They are doing something. They're doing nothing," answers his friend.
"I don't get it," says the bystander perplexed. But his friend understands. In doing nothing, everything is done. That is, by not giving rise to the karma created from greed, anger, and stupidity with body, mouth, and mind, the natural truth and goodness manifest. "Not doing" is being single-minded to the point of no mind, no thoughts, nowhere to attach. It's called "action that is actionless." This is what precepts, samadhi, and wisdom are all about. They make everything "neat". We haven't reached the point of doing nothing. Our simple instructions still remain: "No false thinking. Have no attachments. Try your best!" and this verse keeps lighting our path:
When the nature is in samadhi
the demons are subdued
and every day is happy.
False thoughts not arising,
everywhere is peaceful.
When the mind stops and thoughts
are cut off--
that is true nobility.
With selfish greed ended forever--
that is the true field of
blessings.
Master Hua
Peace in the Way,
Disciple Kuo T'ing
(Heng Ch'au)
bows in respect