Some Bodhidharma for today...

I think it was Bodhidharma about whom Paul Gorman, a WBAI radio host way back in the 80s once said, "He put the Boo! back in Buddhism."

Or maybe it was Lin-Ji.

Anyhow, for some reason, the Shaolin website's up again, and here's something I found...

To truly understand what it means to become awakened (chin.: jueyu 覺悟) there are many paths, but essentially only two can help someone to achieve it. By gaining a direct understanding of the Ultimate Truth - by Principle (chin.: shi li ru 是理入) and by using various practices that lead up to the final understanding of the Ultimate Truth Practice (chin.: shi xing ru 是行入).

To become awakened by Principle, means to awaken to the Ultimate Truth through the doctrine, with a deep faith that all sentient beings have the same true nature. Obscured by the mind delusions, this nature cannot manifest itself. If one can relinquish the false and turn to the true, let the mind to understand that there are neither self nor others, that mortals and saints are equal and one—abiding this way without wavering, clinging not even to the scriptures, then one is implicitly in accord with the Principle. Being non-discriminative (chin.: wuyou fenbie 無有分別), silent (chin.: jiran 寂然), and non-interference with nature (chin.: wuwei 無為) is to become awakened by Principle. This is the Chen practice known as the “gateless gate”.

To become awakened by Practice means following four practices (chin.: Si Xing 四行). They are: accepting adversity (chin.: baoyuanxing 報冤行), adapting to conditions (chin.: suiyuanxing 隨緣行), seeking nothing (chin.: wu suoqiu xing 無所求行), and acting in accordance with the Dharma (chin.:sichen faxing 四稱法行).

Your loneliness is my loneliness.