September 1 | Getting The Buddha Mind

Before the retreat, Shih-fu explained how we were to practice. During this talk, he revealed that by the end of this retreat, at least one person would enter the door Ch’an. His tone was so firm I couldn’t help thinking, “Has Shih-fu already seen what is going to happen? All right, let’s wait and see.” I started every sitting with a prostration and a vow: “Homage to the Buddhas, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Homage to Bodhisattva Ksitigarbharaja.”

Tonight, right after sitting down, I felt I was sitting better than I did during my first retreat, three weeks ago. I had a firm grasp of the count-the-breath method. The numbers came smoothly and continuously; there were wandering thoughts, but they couldn’t interrupt my method. Suddenly, “Ding!” The bell cut through the silence of the meditation hall. My chest, especially the nerves around my heart, received the strong vibrations of the bell, and then I heard the sound. The two things happened simultaneously, but my mind clearly discerned them as separate events.

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