seventh world of chan buddhism - Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun

Although the tale of our twins was an obvious exaggeration, the simple truth remains.
People are not born into equal environmental circumstances. Neither are they born with
equal genetic endowments. Baby B as a fraternal twin could easily have been born as
mentally dull as he was socially unlucky. Our personalities are so constitutionally different
that some of us will survive the worst sorts of psychological abuse while others are felled by
a single act of rejection.
In Buddhism we say that the same man does not exist in two consecutive minutes.
With each passing minute we gain new experience and information just as we simultaneously
forget old experience and information. On Monday, we can recall what we had for lunch the
day before, a week later, only a hypnotist can extract that datum from us.
Our minds proceed mechanically. The engine performs exactly in accordance with
the external facts of its manufacture and its maintenance. We do not judge the engine's ego.
It has none.
We therefore cannot submit anyone's ego to judgment. Righteous individuals are not
rewarded with Nirvana because they have obeyed laws. Criminals are not denied Nirvana
because they have broken laws. There are no egos in Paradise and that fact alone should
bring us to our knees.
At first this might seem radically different from other religions such as Christianity.
But consider the Christian position. Aside from being Biblically enjoined from judging
others, Christians know that regardless of the seriousness of their sins, if they but repent and
sincerely ask God's pardon, they are absolved of their sins. If even an Adolph Hitler is not
necessarily beyond God's mercy, what then is the special significance of such terms as good
and evil?
Egos are samsaric illusions just as good and evil are samsaric descriptions. We, as
particular societal elements, usually apply such descriptions to persons or events according as
they seem either beneficial or detrimental to us. What benefits us we consider good and we
then tend to speak of that good as though it suffuses all society. "What's good for General
Motors is good for the country." Or, as in that marvelous phrase of ministerial seduction, "If
you take care of the shepherd, you take care of the sheep."
What passes as good and evil, then, is frequently nothing more than a shift in rights to
money, power or pleasure. The shiftees and the shiftors determine which is which according
to increase or loss in such samsaric valuables.
It is sometimes difficult to remember that when one man perceives another as his
enemy he may commit terrible acts against him. This does not make him a devil any more
than it makes his victim a saint.
2. Repentance
CHAPTER 11 RIGHT UNDERSTANDING
S EVENTH W ORLD O F C HAN B UDDHISM
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