NON-OPPOSITION | Getting The Buddha Mind

Buddhism condemns fighting and advocates non-opposition to one’s enemies. This principle also applies to meditation. When you meditate, vexations and scattered thoughts may arise. You may be hindered by bad habits, or disturbed by noises. If these problems annoy you, no matter where you are, you will be unable to settle your mind and practice Ch’an. You have merely added another layer of scattered thoughts to your original set. The result is wasted effort. If you do this habitually, the more you meditate the more disturbed and ill-tempered you will become. This is why many so-called “old cultivators” have very irritable dispositions and become angry at the slightest provocation. This is due to their wrong approach of opposing, fighting against their vexations and scattered thoughts, thus increasing their problems and creating much internal tension.

A true Ch’an practitioner handles distractions or unfavorable conditions with non-opposition, and thus dissolves any tension. He never resists or fights. What is meant by non-opposition? For example, if someone treats you maliciously, you would not wrangle with him. Rather, you would do everything to peacefully avoid a confrontation. In this way the dissolving of tensions is most likely to be achieved. It’s the same when practicing Ch’an. Don’t be disturbed by scattered thoughts. If you don’t desire the pleasant, or repulse the unpleasant, your mind will naturally become collected. Ch’an practitioners should also maintain this attitude during their daily life. To become annoyed when faced with difficulties merely adds difficulty to difficulty. By maintaining a mind of peace and non-opposition, all tensions will naturally be dissolved.

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