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

Usually our love-affairs with things do not last. Deciding that our happiness depends
upon getting the flashy car in the dealer's window, we proceed to make the investment and to
project a huge hunk of our self-esteem onto the pretty piece of machinery. But as the novelty
wears off without our level of contentment having risen a notch, our desire to form a
permanent relationship with this particular ego-vehicle wanes. Though we once had vowed
with our blood to maintain it as we would a nuclear missile, we soon drain the egotistical
juices out of it and leave it desiccated at the curb - a quarter-inch of road dirt on its body and
oil in its crankcase the color and consistency of asphalt.
On the path we ruthlessly examine each desire. Why do we want a particular thing?
Whom are we trying to impress or attract? How can our self-worth be seen to reside in this
or that object?
The problem of false identities extends naturally to strategies. Here, too, we are
confused.
The first thing that a person with no Swamp experience does when he looks over the
list of Six Worlds' strategies is to sigh with relief that (thank God!) he doesn't practice Chan
of these abysmal sorts. But there is a little test which must be taken. The test is simple: he
has to ask three people who know him best which of the six categories they would put him
into if they absolutely had to put him into one of them. If all three separately confide that
probably he is a Titan, or an Angel, etc., he should give the unthinkable some thought.
Sooner or later, each of us has to face his truth.
Can it be true, wonders the Devil for example, that he is just a clotheshorse? Have
people been laughing at him... as in the story of the Emperor's new clothes? Is it possible
that everyone regards him as an empty-headed, posturing mannequin? Here he thought he
was ready to espouse the Bodhisattva Ideal only to learn he is not yet divorced from Samsara!
Well! What to do? He is not what he thought he was. But if not this, what?
There follows a terrible period of confusion and pain, of agonizing self-consciousness
and reappraisal. (Without conscious confrontation there can be no progress.) Chagrined, he
is forced to scrutinize his actions and reactions, to see himself as others see him, to
understand that his devotion to his outer appearance has cost him the development of his
inner life.
Advised to take constructive or remedial measures, the recovering devil gives away
his silks and pledges not to purchase even workclothes for at least a couple of years. Now
when a garment tears, he patches it as best he can.
He has long, denuding talks with his master. The leading topic is pride.
CHAPTER 12 RIGHT THOUGHT OR PURPOSE
S EVENTH W ORLD O F C HAN B UDDHISM
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