Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (208)

Diligent Buddhist practice can eliminate the afflictions in the mind

The afflictions in our minds are extremely deep and heavy, and their number is vast, making them very hard to eradicate. In truth, to say it is hard is not really hard—as long as we practice with courageous diligence, the afflictions will melt away like snow beneath the rising sun, so whether it is hard or easy depends entirely on one's own mind. For example, when describing the difficulty or ease of Chan enlightenment, Pang Yun said: 难难难，十担麻油树上摊 (Enlightenment through Chan investigation is as difficult as spreading ten loads of sesame out on a tree)! Then Pang's wife said: 易易易，百草头上西来意！Lingzhao: 也不难，也不易，饥来吃饭倦来眠。The three of them had three different feelings and three different views about enlightenment. Therefore it is said that whether all dharmas are hard or easy depends on the person, on whether one's faculties are sharp or dull; hard and easy are relative dharmas, false appearances—there is no real existence of hardness or easiness.