Ancient Wisdom: The Zen Teachings of Huang Po

A friend recommended this book. It's interesting. The Zen teachings of Huang Po is one of those texts that peels the human mind through old and traditional knives. Old wisdom soup. It touches cause-effect, duality, and the stress of living in past and future. Translated by John Blofeld, the book was published in 1959.

Who was Huang Po? The Chinese master of the 9th century Huangbo Xiyun. He learned from Baizhang Huaihai, one of the crafters of the early monastic rules of Chan - Chinese Zen. This teacher created the "Wild fox koan", one that makes you think about causality.

Some ideas from this book. 

  • Buddha is within us. 
  • Don't seek mind with mind. 
  • Escape past, present, and future.
  • Things arise from thoughts and vanish with thoughts. 
  • Nobody can "study the Way". 
  • Avoid clinging to written texts.
  • There is nothing to seek.
  • The mind is a void that can be filled with wrong stuff. 
  • Cast away the darkness from your old concepts.
  • Don’t be blinded by your sight. 
  • Reject dualistic thinking. 
  • Shine without intent to shine. 
  • Be and forget appearances. 
  • Kill the self. 
Four quotes from this text. 

All who reach this gate fear to enter. 
 
Here it is – right now. Start thinking about it and you miss it. 
 
Nothing is born, nothing is destroyed. 
 
Throughout this life, you can never be certain of living long enough to take another breath.

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