Gengsang Chu (10)

1 Houyi was an excellent marksman; however, he was a layman in the way of practice, because, he did less in repressing the impulses of the will, such as eliminating nobility, richness, eminence, stateliness, fame and interest.

2 The common men of practice usually do well in the practice of “nature of nature”. They work hard in practice of Zen, sitting in meditation, pondering in silence and staying in stillness, but do worse in the practice of “nature of human”. Only those who can accomplish the two practices at the same time are the men of perfect practice.

3 As the matter of fact, it is not difficult to practice the “nature of human” and the “nature of nature” at the same time. The key point is that we should give up much bondage and care of the objective conditions.

4 All creatures except human are playing well of their own role in universe. Do creatures, however, know that they are engaged in their own and natural missions? Obviously, they are not. They bustle just according to their nature role.

5 So we hold that when the men of prefect practice develop “nature of nature” and do well the practice of “nature of human”, they do them according to Tao and under the guidance of self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, calmness and refinement. They accomplish the practice naturally.

6 For this reason, only by repressing the impulses of the will, eliminating the ridiculousness of mind, removing the encumbrance of moral and getting through the obstructs of Tao, the men of practice can obtain sound, tranquil and peaceful mood. Let self-nature arise and guide their behaviors, so they can accomplish the things that conform to nature and human as other creatures do. Naturally, they become complete men with perfect practice.