The essence of the Way is detachment. And the goal of those who practice is freedom from appearances. Bodhidharma More Quotes by Bodhidharma More Quotes From Bodhidharma Buddha means awareness, the awareness of body and mind that prevents evil from arising in either. Bodhidharma evil mind mean Still others commit all sorts of evil deeds, claiming karma doesn't exist. They erroneously maintain that since everything is empty, committing evil isn't wrong. Such persons fall into a hell of endless darkness with no hope of release. Those who are wise hold no such conception. Bodhidharma karma wisdom wise Life and death are important. Don't suffer them in vain. Bodhidharma life-and-death important suffering The awareness of mortals falls short. As long as they're attached to appearances, they're unaware that their minds are empty. And by mistakenly clinging to the appearance of things they lose the Way. Bodhidharma mind long fall But this mind isn't somewhere outside the material body of the four elements. Without this mind we can't move. The body has no awareness. Like a plant or a stone, the body has no nature. So how does it move? It's the mind that moves. Bodhidharma four-elements mind moving Leaving behind the false, return to the true: make no discriminations between self and others. In contemplation, one's mind should be stable and unmoving, like a wall. Bodhidharma wall leaving self If you see your nature, you don't need to read sutras or invoke buddhas. Erudition and knowledge are not only useless but also cloud your awareness. Doctrines are only for pointing to the mind. Once you see your mind, why pay attention to doctrines? Bodhidharma nature mind clouds One clings to life although there is nothing to be called life; another clings to death although there is nothing to be called death. In reality, there is nothing to be born; consequently, there is nothing to perish. Bodhidharma born reality Once you see your nature, sex is basically immaterial. Bodhidharma sex The essence of the Way is detachment. Bodhidharma detachment essence way Not thinking about anything is zen. Once you know this, walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is zen. To know that the mind is empty is to see the buddha.... Using the mind to reality is delusion. Not using the mind to look for reality is awareness. Freeing oneself from words is liberation. Bodhidharma lying reality thinking To have a body is to suffer. Does anyone with a body know peace? Those who understand this detach themselves from all that exists and stop imagining or seeking anything. The sutras say, "To seek is to suffer. To seek nothing is bliss." When you seek nothing, you're on the Path. Bodhidharma suffering doe peace Externally keep yourself away from all relationships, and internally have no pantings in your heart; when your mind is like unto a straight-standing wall, you may enter into the Path. Bodhidharma wall heart advice To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma, because seeing is neither seeing nor not seeing, and because understanding is neither understanding nor not understanding. Bodhidharma dharma understanding way And the Buddha is the person who's free: free of plans, free of cares. Bodhidharma plans care persons At every moment where language can't go, that's your mind. Bodhidharma language moments mind Mortals liberate Buddhas and Buddhas liberate mortals. Bodhidharma mortals Don't hate life and death or love life and death. Keep your every thought free of delusion, and in life you'll witness the beginning of nirvana, and in death you'll experience the assurance of no rebirth. Bodhidharma rebirth hate life To give up yourself without regret is the greatest charity. Bodhidharma giving-up regret letting-go If we should be blessed by some great reward, such as fame or fortune, it's the fruit of a seed planted by us in the past. Bodhidharma rewards blessed past
