Cultivating the Empty Field Quotes

“The field of boundless emptiness is what exists from the very beginning. You must purify, cure, grind down, or brush away all the tendencies you have fabricated into apparent habits. Then you can reside in the clear circle of brightness.”
― Yi Wu Taigen Leighton, Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi

“In wonder return to the journey, avail yourself of the path and walk ahead. In light there is darkness; where it operates no traces remain. With the hundred grass tips in the busy marketplace graciously share yourself. Wide open and accessible, walking along, casually mount the sounds and straddle the colors while you transcend listening and surpass watching. Perfectly unifying in this manner is simply a patch-robed monk's appropriate activity.”
― Zhengjue, Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi

“In darkness it is most bright, while hidden all the more manifest.
The crane dreams in the wintety mists. The autumn waters flow far in the distance.”
― HONGZHI, Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Buddhist Master Hongzhi

“Vast and far-reaching without boundary, secluded and pure, manifesting light, this spirit is without obstruction. Its brightness does not shine out but can be called empty and inherently radiant. Its brightness, inherently purifying, transcends causal conditions beyond subject and object. Subtle but preserved, illumined and vast, also it cannot be spoken of as being or nonbeing, or discussed with images or calculations. Right in here the central pivot turns, the gateway opens. You accord and respond without laboring and accomplish without hindrance. Everywhere turn around freely, not following conditions, not falling into classifications. Facing everything, let go and attain stability. Stay with that just as that. Stay with this just as this. That and this are mixed together with no discriminations as to their places. So it is said that the earth lifts up the mountain without knowing the mountain’s stark steepness. A rock contains jade without knowing the jade’s flawlessness. This is how truly to leave home, how home-leaving must be enacted.”
― Yi Wu Hongzhi, Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi

“You must completely withdraw from the invisible pounding and weaving of your ingrained ideas. If you want to be rid of this invisible [turmoil], you must just sit through it and let go of everything. Attain fulfillment and illuminate thoroughly, light and shadow altogether forgotten. Drop off [to lo—my italics] your own skin, and the sense-dusts will be fully purified, the eye readily discerning the brightness. Accept your function and be wholly satisfied.”
― Yi Wu Hongzhi, Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi

“Whenever a thought occurs, be aware of it, as soon as you are aware of it, it will vanish. If you remain for a long period forgetful of objects, you will naturally become unified. This is the essential art of zazen.”
― Yi Wu Hongzhi, Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi

“Studying the Buddha Way is studying oneself. Studying oneself is forgetting oneself. Forgetting oneself is being enlightened by all things. Being enlightened by all things is causing the body-mind of oneself and the body-mind of others to be shed. There is ceasing the traces of enlightenment, which causes one to forever leave the traces of enlightenment which is cessation.”
― Yi Wu Taigen Leighton, Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi

“Whenever a thought occurs, be aware of it, as soon as you are aware of it, it will vanish. If you remain for a long period forgetful of objects, you will naturally become unified. This is the essential art of zazen.32”
― Yi Wu Taigen Leighton, Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi