Friday, October 26, 2007

Your nature is the buddha

To find a buddha all you have to do is see your nature.
Your nature is the buddha.
And the buddha is the person who's free:
free of plans, free of cares.
If you don't see your nature
and run around all day looking somewhere else,
you'll never find a buddha.
The truth is, there's nothing to find.
But to reach such an understanding
you need a teacher and you need to struggle
to make yourself understand. . . .
If you don't find a teacher soon,
you'll live this life in vain.
It's true, you have the buddha-nature.
But without the help of a teacher you'll never know it.
Only one person in a million becomes enlightened
without a teacher's help.
If, though, by the conjunction of conditions,
someone understands what the Buddha meant,
that person doesn't need a teacher.
Such a person has a natural awareness superior to anything taught.
But unless you're so blessed,
study hard, and by means of instruction you'll understand. ~ ( Bodhidharma)