The Essence of Faiths
Whispers from everywhere
Contemplating Mind
Bodhidharma (470-543) was an Indian who took Buddhism to China in the sixth century. When he first arrived the Emperor did not appreciate what he was saying. Bodhidharma thus retired to the mountains where he sat facing a wall for nine years. Huike (487-593) asked to be his pupil and his ‘will for truth’ was so great that Bodhidharma accepted him. These two are the 1st and 2nd Masters in the traditions of the Chan religion in China.
Buddhism was mature by their time and a huge number of different surface level ceremonies, rituals and practices had been developed to help ordinary people find their way towards enlightenment. But many people were confused by the number of choices open to them. They became caught up in the formalities of the rituals and were not thus achieving peace of mind.
Huike asked Bodhidharma to explain the essence of the teaching and he said, “Let them just contemplate mind - this one method takes in all practices, and is indeed essential and concise”. Note that it is not easy to translate Chinese into English. The word ‘mind’ might be replaced by the word ‘consciousness’, ‘heart’ or even ‘soul’.
Bodhidharma went on to say, “Mind is the root of all thoughts. All thoughts are born from mind. If you can completely understand mind, the many practices are complete. It is like a great tree: all the branches and flowers and fruits grow based on the root. The tree grows only if the root survives. If the root is cut, the tree is sure to die. If you cultivate the Path by understanding mind, you save effort and success is easy. If you practice the rituals without understanding mind, then you waste effort and there is no benefit. Thus we know that all good and evil come from one’s own mind. If you seek outside the mind it is impossible”.
The same idea is expressed by the Dutch, Christian mystic Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471) when he says in his ‘On the Imitation of Christ’,
“The Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 27,27), sayeth the Lord. Turn then with thy whole heart (Rom 14,17) unto the Lord, and forsake this wretched world, and thy soul shall find peace ... All His glory and beauty is from within (Psalm 14,13), and there He delighteth Himself.”