This Reality of Awakeness or Buddha, which is clear and obvious, is
usually ignored or overlooked. It is ignored by getting caught up in the
belief in separation of self and other and the belief in a
dualistically structured Reality. Reality is ignored when we are caught
up in these beliefs and respond and act based on these beliefs. We are
profoundly taken in by these beliefs in many ways. We have many beliefs
or assumptions about ourselves, others, and the nature of Reality, and
we live our lives based on these beliefs. This is the ignorance by which
our Buddhahood is ignored.
We don’t try to get rid of beliefs. We don’t try to get rid of the
ignoring or ignorance. We don’t try to get rid of the emotional
responses, desires, and patterns of behavior based on this ignorance.
Instead, we are just aware of them. Eventually these can be seen as
empty, illusory manifestations of the True Self or Buddha—then they
cease to be problems. Then they can be seen as helpful pointers—showing
us how we are interpreting Reality, how we are responding to it, how we
are getting stuck, and how we can be released. In this practice of
Awakeness the ways in which the True Self is ignored can eventually be
seen through, and they drop away by themselves.
Suzuki Roshi used to say, “Since you are Buddha, you must be Buddha.
That is our practice.” In a lecture he gave at the monastery at
Tassajara in July 1968 he said, “When it is hot you should be hot
Buddha. When it is cold you should be cold Buddha.”
He went on to say that each individual, each thing, each event, each
situation, each experience is Buddha. Each thought, each feeling, each
emotion, each desire, each perception, each state of consciousness is
Buddha. When you realize that you are Buddha and understand everything
as an unfolding of the Truth, then whatever you experience is the actual
teaching of Buddha, and whatever you do is the actual practice of
Buddha.
Usually people practice for a long time believing that it is a
separate ego self who is carrying out this practice. With continued
practice, with help from a teacher, this belief can eventually be seen
through. People usually begin practice with the belief that after a long time,
they will eventually attain Enlightenment. But Supreme Enlightenment or
Buddha is being directly experienced now. It is not a matter of
practicing for a long time and eventually attaining Enlightenment.
Most people starting out in this practice believe that practice is a
means to attain Enlightenment. They believe practice and Enlightenment
have a dualistic, before-and-after, means-and-end relationship. But,
with continued practice, this belief can eventually be seen through. It
becomes clear that Enlightenment, Buddha, or Truth is what we are and
that practice and Enlightenment are one.
Some questions might arise, such as, “Who practices?” “Who eventually
sees?” “What is eventually seen?” and “How long is eventually?”
These are interesting questions, but don’t try to figure out or
conceptually grasp particular answers. Whatever concepts or beliefs we
have about Reality are just limited views. It is by holding to these
beliefs and limited views about Reality that the actual
Reality—Buddha—is overlooked.
