European Chan Program - Sculpting a Buddha with Nothingness

On May 12, 2019, we concluded the Chan program in Germany. Next, we traveled to Reichersberg in Austria for another 7-day Chan practice. I was delighted to see the students from last year. As they’ve learned about the Four-step Technique of Ling Jiou Mountain’s Peace Meditation, we took this week as an opportunity to review it again.

Chan school speaks about “view”. When the view is unclear, we are not practicing Dharma in life properly. By implementing the right view in life, our practice would become motivating and powerful.

What is the “view”? It is the understanding of the face of our mind. By following the Four-step Technique of Ling Jiou Mountain’s Peace Meditation, we get to contemplate on, analyze, comprehend, and realize the original face of mind. This was shown when Buddha Shakyamuni picked up the flower and smiled. Only Mahakashyapa realized the meaning of the Buddha, “wondrous mind of nirvana, the ultimate reality of notion is notionlessness.”

The view of “wondrous mind of nirvana, the ultimate reality of notion is notionlessness” refers to “nothingness” in our contemplation on Chan. When our thoughts are fixated on materials, all are limited physically. Immaterial thoughts, on the other hand, allow one to enter emptiness.  “Entering the gate of emptiness with Chan” means that our values, thoughts are devoid of materials. That way, we can see our awareness clearly.

All of you are here today to find the source, the origin. We aren’t sitting here just to sit but learn to be clear and realize emptiness. Lastly, we can attain the result of uncovering our original face. As for this time, we are going to sculpt a Buddha devoid of notions. How? It definitely can’t be done with any thoughts or notions. To sculpt this Buddha statue, we must apply “no-thoughts, non-abidance, notionlessness”. Once it’s done, luminosity will shine through the statue.

The three minds (the past, the present, nor the future mind) should be absent when sculpting the statue. The four notions of I, other persons, sentient beings or time should also be averted. As a result, our innate awareness will brighten up eventually. Our luminosity of mind will shine forth.