Grasping to Nothingness

Yutang Lin

Originally free and alive, no traces of grasping.
Lack of full comprehension, fallen to vainness.
Avoid using prayer beads or Buddha's epithets;
Still amid sea of suffering, to abandon the ship!

Comments:

"No grasping" means not to grasp to anything so as to merge into the original state of pure innocence and liveliness. Nevertheless, to some people that lacked thorough understanding of the Buddhist principles, the saying was misunderstood as "grasping to nothingness"; and they accordingly "taught" others to renounce using prayer beads or Buddha's epithets, and called the resulting state as "Mindful of Buddha without Form." In fact, this is to remain stagnant in the still water of grasping to "no form." Real and thorough comprehension of "no form" amounts to non-abiding by any form and not to be bound by forms; consequently, such a being would be well-versed in making good uses of all forms. Why would there be any need to avoid using prayer beads or Buddha's epithets? Leading purblind persons by a purblind person in such a manner had harmed the followers, causing them to jump off the lifeboat of Buddha's epithets or prayer beads amid the ocean of suffering before reaching the shore of liberation and enlightenment. "Preaching Dharma" before having gained a thorough comprehension and harming people's wisdom life without self-awareness, there are even such stray persons in this period of decay of Dharma.

Written in Chinese on September 30, 2003
Translated on October 1, 2003
El Cerrito, California

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