The Awakening Mind: Path to true freedom

From Doctoral Semi...

Yesterday, Master Jian Dan gave a talk at a social study seminar at University of Houston. This semester, this group of about 15 doctoral students has been discussing ‘wide-awakeness’, morality and the concept of individual freedom, as based upon the writing of educational philosopher Maxine Greene. Students were interested in knowing how other culture or philosophy approaches these concepts. As a result, Master Jian Dan was invited to present his take from Chinese Buddhism’s point of view.

Master shared a story about a little river. The story goes like this:

A little river travels from far away mountain, passing through villages and forests. One day it arrives at a desert. It thought to itself, “I have overcome many obstacles, so I should be able to pass through the desert!” The little river decides to pass through the desert. However, little river soon realizes that its water is disappearing into the desert. It tries and tries for several times but every time the water disappears. Little river is disappointed and wants to give up, "maybe this is my fate; I will never be able to see the big ocean I have heard so much about!”

At this time, the little river heard this deep voice, ‘If the wind can pass across the desert, river can too.” It is the voice of the desert. However, little river argues angrily, “that is because the wind can fly across the desert but I cannot fly.”

The desert replies,’ That is because you insist on maintaining your current form (water). Therefore you will never be able to pass through the desert. You need to allow the wind to carry you over the desert to the ocean. You need to be willing to give up your current form (water), allowing yourself to be evaporated into the wind.”

Little river has never heard of such a thing. “Give up my current form, disappearing into the wind? No, No” Little river has never heard this concept and has never experienced it before. Asking the river to give up its current form seems like a road to death. “How do I know it will actually work?” little river asks.

The wind encompasses water. It can then fly across the desert. Once reaching the destination, the wind can release the water in the form of rain. Rains become the form of a river and then the river can continue the journey,” the desert replies.

Will I still be the original river?”

Yes and No. Whether you are a visible river or invisible steam, your original quality/true nature has never changed. You insist to be a river but you never really understand what your true nature is.”

So little river brings out all its courage, let go of its current form, and disappears into the wind. Little river allows the wind to carry it into its next destination.

In the story, the little river is willing to give up its current form and therefore adjust to the conditions appropriately. An awakening mind can observe each situation clearly and act accordingly. Buddha means the “awakened one.” As a cultivator, we first need to have the absolute confidence that each one of us possesses the same Buddha nature; it is God giving. Buddha nature is like the mirror: it reflects what is in front of it as is, without distortion, without addition. However, our mirror is covered by dusts so we cannot see reality as is. In other words, we are still asleep. Once we are awake, our Buddha nature will manifest.

Why our Buddha nature is covered by dusts? It is due to our attachments. We attach to all external phenomena: clinging and grasping to what we desire. Attachment to our Buddha nature is like dust to mirror. Once we are awake, once we have our dusts removed, we can see things clearly. We have to free our vexed mind first. Meditation helps us clean our dust, calm our mind, and manifest our Buddha nature.

No one lives in isolation. We cannot really function like a mirror, which only reflects without interacting with objects in front of it. When we start to interact with people and with the environment, we need to have the awakening mind to act accordingly – according to a particular time, a particular space, and in a particular relationship, such as what the little river did in the story.

As Thich Nhat Hanh once said, “Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves.” An awakening mind is the path to true freedom.