“…. (know) that your mind is originally pure,
that it is neither created nor destroyed, and that it is free of
discrimination. The mind whose nature is
perfectly pure is your true teacher….
And how do you know your mind is originally pure?
… ‘Like the sun it fills the world with its perfect light. But because it’s covered by the dark clouds
of the Five Skandhas (Form, Sensation, Perception, Memory, and Consciousness),
it can’t shine forth, like a lamp inside a jar.’ For example, when the clouds and mists of the
world arise in every direction and turn the dark sky, does the sun stop
shining? The reason there’s no light
isn’t that the light has been destroyed but that it’s been covered up by clouds
and mist. The pure mind of every being
is like this. It’s just obstructed by
the dark clouds of attachment, delusion, and affliction. If you can concentrate on guarding the mind,
delusions no longer arise … Thus, you should know that your mind is originally
pure.
Hung-jen
