Superior Way to Recognize Grasping

Yutang Lin

Go through a great death to become fully alive!
Still worldly people would care only about living.
Supposing that one is dead right at this moment,
What are the matters that would remain of significance?

Comment:

Some Chan books contain the saying, "To die a great death once." It encourages people to thoroughly renounce grasping and attachment so as to master the wondrous use that is the natural result of being fully alive and free. Most people who are learning about Buddha's teachings often fail to even think about death, not to mention to practice death of self-centered mind in order to live on solid ground. If one is sincere in practicing the Dharma, one may try a simple way to discern where one's grasping lies. The method is as follows: first assuming that one is dead at this moment, and then reflect on how many matters at hand would still be of significance. All matters that are of significance only because one is attending to could be considered as one's grasping. On such matters one need to practice renunciation and non-insistence in order for one's grasping to decline. If one could keep up with this practice, years later one might emerge from the tiny cell of self-centeredness to attain the universal view that encompasses the whole Dharmadhatu.

Written in Chinese on May 1st, 2000
Translated on May 4, 2000
El Cerrito, California

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