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If you use your mind to look for a Buddha, you won’t see the Buddha.

Bodhidharma

Buddha means awareness, the awareness of body and mind that prevents evil from arising in either.
BODHIDHARMA

Arise Awareness Body Buddha Either Mena Mind Prevent
The awareness of mortals falls short. As long as they’re attached to appearances, they’re unaware that their minds are empty. And by mistakenly clinging to the appearance of things they lose the Way.
BODHIDHARMA

Appearance Attach Awareness Empty Fall Mind Mortal Short Unaware
Many roads lead to the Path, but basically there are only two: reason and practice.
BODHIDHARMA

Basically Lead Many Path Practice Reason Road
All know the way, but few actually walk it.
BODHIDHARMA

Actual All Few Know Walk Way
People of this world are deluded. They’re always longing for something, always, in a word, seeking. But the wise wake up. They choose reason over custom. They fix their minds on the sublime and let their bodies change with the seasons.
BODHIDHARMA

Always Dilute Long People Something Up Wake Wise World
To find a Buddha all you have to do is see your nature.
BODHIDHARMA

Buddha Find Look Nature See
Life and death are important. Don’t suffer them in vain.
BODHIDHARMA

Death Important Life Suffer Vain
And the Buddha is the person who’s free: free of plans, free of cares.
BODHIDHARMA

Buddha Care Free Person Plan
Neither gods nor men can foresee when an evil deed will bear its fruit.
BODHIDHARMA

Bear Deed Evil Forse Fruit God Neither
The mind is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the mind.
BODHIDHARMA

Buddha Feel Meditation Mind Patience Power
The Way is basically perfect. It doesn’t require perfecting. The Way has no form or sound. It’s subtle and hard to perceive. It’s like when you drink water: you know how hot or cold it is, but you can’t tell others.
BODHIDHARMA

Ay Basic Perfect Require
According to the Sutras, evil deeds result in hardships and good deeds result in blessings.
BODHIDHARMA

Accordingly Bless Deed Evil Good Hardship Result Sutras
The mind is the root from which all things grow. If you can understand the mind, everything else is included.
BODHIDHARMA

Everything Grow Include Mind Root Thing Understand
But this mind isn’t somewhere outside the material body of the four elements. Without this mind we can’t move. The body has no awareness. Like a plant or a stone, the body has no nature. So how does it move? It’s the mind that moves.
BODHIDHARMA

Body Element Four Mind Move Outside Somewhere
Not thinking about anything is zen. Once you know this, walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is zen. To know that the mind is empty is to see the buddha…. Using the mind to reality is delusion. Not using the mind to look for reality is awareness. Freeing oneself from words is liberation.
BODHIDHARMA

Anything Down Everything Lying Popple Stand Think Walk
Don’t hate life and death or love life and death. Keep your every thought free of delusion, and in life you’ll witness the beginning of nirvana, and in death you’ll experience the assurance of no rebirth.
BODHIDHARMA

Death Decisions Every Free Hate Keep Life

If you use your mind to look for a Buddha, you won’t see the Buddha.

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If you use your mind to look for a Buddha, you won’t see the Buddha.

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