Unborn Mind

“The ordinary person’s mind is the Way. This very mind, just as it is, is Buddha.”

Recently my fellow teacher, Kendo Roshi, suggested that we look into Bankei’s writings together. While reading Bankei’s writings what seemed so famailiar is what I often refer to as “resting in naturalness [of mind]”. Bankei says that, for example, if you are listening to someone speak or cooking or engaged in a bit of work, fixing the fence, as you are attentive to what you are focused upon, you also are aware of say, the sound of a crow cawing and what he refers to as Unborn Mind does not mistake it for the sound of a dove. No active thinking about the sound of a crow or sound of a dove, just experiencing it as it arises. Try this sometime; as if using your peripheral vision, try to use your peripheral mind. Notice what you are experiencing without your intentional focus. What happens then?

This effortless, unintentional discernment is resting in naturalness or Bankei’s Unborn Mind. This is what I refer to as cognitive awareness. When resting in naturalness of mind cognition is present, effortlessly. This is the so-called Bodhi-mind in Zen. It is the state of Mu.

Original, unconditioned awareness is what we are born with. This naturally exists before thoughts arise. All beings are inherently in this state, which is free from delusion, discrimination, and suffering. The Unborn Mind is like Mu, it is “things-as-it-is” and is not something to be attained—it is already present.

We have been taught by our parents and the world we grow up in to become “habitually mistaken” by attaching to our thoughts and desires. This teaching discourages over-intellectualizing or striving. Such efforts often lead us away from our innate clarity. Please simply allow thoughts to come and go without attachment. When we don’t cling to or follow thoughts the mind naturally returns to its original, luminous state. Really, it’s just a matter of reminding ourselves to do so when we notice our attachment to a particular thought that comes up. It is in this state of awareness, compassionate and appropriate action arises spontaneously

It seems that what Bankei is simply saying is: you are already what you seek.

Deep peace and great love,

Issan Sensei