What is Buddha?
Understanding the true form without ‘I’

None but sentient beings are Buddha.
Illusion is enlightenment, and sentient beings' illusion is Bodhisattva's enlightened mind.
In other words, if you get enlightened and realize your mind, you will see that the three poisons (greed, anger and foolishness) are the threefold learning (precepts, meditation and wisdom).
The same things, used by sentient beings, become the three poisons, but they, used by Bodhisattva, become great compassion and the threefold learning.
If you, neither being attached to the threefold learning (precepts, meditation and wisdom) nor discriminating the shapes of sentient beings and Bodhisattva, go back to the origin, nirvana appears clear.
But you should know that sentient beings' mind and Bodhisattva's enlightened mind act togerther in the clear nirvana.
Seeing sentient beings is seeing Buddha.
As all illusions are caused in relation to Buddha's Nature, you have only to realize what it is that causes this thinking.
Whenever you feel some thinking arise, you should know clearly that Buddha's Nature is acting.
Be aware of the sentient being of self-mind or your mind.
It is not out of your mind but within your mind that all illusions and delusions arise.
Thouth the terms "illusion and delusion" are often mentioned, they actually don't exist at all.
Since your true nature is empty, all that are seen, heard, felt, smelt and tasted are no more than transitory shadows.
Observe cleary the nature of reality, truth.
One step further, what could you name the state in which you forget even the mind of observing clearly?
You cat't see Buddha's Nature within yourself only because of the shadown.
You should know that al sentient being's mind arises within Buddha's Nature.
Enlightened man knows it, but unenlightened man, not knowing it, keeps seeking something transitory out of mind by being fooled by the transitory forms and can't evade samsare (the cycle) of the six destinies.
What a pity it is!
Change your thought and realize that your self-mind is a sentient being and you will see that your self-mind is none other than Buddha.
In other words, Buddha and sentient beings are not separate but one.
Think everything over reasonably all the time.
Realize and experience in person what I have said so far and prove it for yourself.
Don't step back on the way of ascetic practices to do so.
You practice hard keeping what I have said in your mind, and don't be so foolish as to waste your time in looking for samething transitory.
It was not Buddha that made sentient beings ignorant.
Buddha and sentient beings originally have such a shape.
If realizing that his self-nature is Buddha, a sentient being is Buddha but not realizing it, Buddha is a sentient being.
That is to say, Buddha is a sentient being who has realized his self-nature, and a sentient being is Buddha who has not realized his self-nature.
Once you get enlightened, you will see that everything is that way.
This is everyday mind, which you always use and nothing else.
The true shape of everyday mind was, is and will be only like this.
Whether illusion and delusion arise or not in the mind, there is no change in the true shape of everyday mind, you should know.
Once you have realized this, the illusion of your mind is not illusion any longer but Bodhisattva's mind and enlightened mind, and you have enough power to do away with all illusions whenever you want to.
But not realizing this, you have no power to turn illusion into enlightened mind, and illusion causes another illusion.
Therefore, you repeat samsara of six destinies.
But the samsara also takes place in the everyday mind where there is no change, and not outside of the everyday mind.
And so it is said that sentient beings and Buddha are not separate but one.
It is the Buddha in your mind that is the true Buddha.
Don't be so foolish as to try to find Buddha and get enlightened out of your mind.
When you have realized the Buddha in your mind, all Buddhas will come to life at the same time.
If you don't realize the Buddha in your mind, and you think of the Buddha out of your mind as the true Buddha and attach yourself to it, you will never see the true Buddha however hard and however long you may try.
In other words, only when you see the Buddha in your mind are all Buddhas always with you.
All Buddhas out of your mind are nothing more than transitory shadows.
And I always say to you, "Don't seek Buddha out of your mind.
Seeing the Buddha in your mind, you will get enlightened or yourself and be satisfied."
Your mind is the very Buddha you are seeking.
Never doubt it.
The sixth Patriarch said this even at the last moment of his life.
Though all the shadows out of your mind are transitory, the transitory forms are also shapes of your true Buddha.
No other form but your true Buddha exists.
Unfortunately while being in Buddha, you don't know what Buddha is, and you think, "What on earth is it?
I have never seen it in my body before.
I am lucky to have good karma to see it.
The true Buddha does have such spiritual power that he gives off light like that."
when you see some splendid miracle you've never seen come true before.
However, actually the miracle is also related to you, for you couldn't see it if you didn't exist.
Everything is revealed and seen only through your mind.
What would be the use of it to you, whatever thing may happen, if your self-mind didn't exist?
That is to say, you can talk about everything and know clearly that all things around you exist because you exist. But don't mistake this transitory "I" for true "I" within the transitory "I".
But you should not be attached to true "I", either.
You will become foolish again if you create a transitory shadow by being attached to true "I".
To make you understand better, I have talked about true "I" and false "I" so far, but where would I be?
To conclude, you should understand the true form withou "I".

 

Written by Master Subul
Translated by Boo Ahm(Song Soo-kyong)

Monthly Magazine SEOUL(March 2007)