Why Seek Bodhi Within the Mind

Bodhi is to be sought only within the mind; why labor to seek the mysterious outside? Hearing this and practicing in accordance with it, the Western Pure Land is right before your eyes.

Explanation: Why is bodhi to be sought within the mind? Because bodhi is the mind. But which kind of mind is it? What are its characteristics and features? Within which mind should bodhi be sought? From which mind can bodhi be found?

The mind is within the body, or rather within one's own mind; the mind is not in empty space, not on external appearances or external sense objects, nor is it on other people. Therefore, to search for this mind you do not need to seek outwardly, speaking of the mysterious and the wondrous—none of that is necessary; you only need to turn around and look for it within your own mind. However, this mind is at all times and in all places engaged with all dharmas, including other people, including external environments, and also including empty space and the material universe (the inanimate world). When you are dealing with these external environments, if you turn the light inward and reflect back upon your own mind, you can illuminate and perceive this bodhi mind. Because bodhi is functional, operating at every moment without idle time, you must seek Him amid all these various functions; at the same time, do not let external environments blind your eyes, seeing only the external environment and taking it as real. If you do that, you will not be able to illuminate and perceive the bodhi mind.

This is called investigating Chan (cān chán). Only by cultivating in this way can you realize your own mind, realize the bodhi mind that manifests the great thousand worlds with light, realize the bodhi mind that can perfectly accomplish all dharmas, and realize the self-mind Tathāgata who has always been a Buddha. Having found the Tathāgata, rely on Him to transform the defiled mind of the seven consciousnesses, making it as pure as the bodhi mind, as selfless as the bodhi mind, as pure and non-active as the bodhi mind, and as beneficial and joy-bringing to all sentient beings as the bodhi mind. Such cultivation can bring the Buddha path to completion, becoming a Tathāgata who is transparent within and without, radiating light that thoroughly illuminates the boundless trichiliocosm. Being united with the self-mind Tathāgata, one will manifest countless great thousand worlds as resplendent and wondrous as the land of bliss (Sukhāvatī). The land of bliss is at all times and in all places right before your eyes; having delivered all suffering sentient beings, one returns to the arena of quiescent extinction, in eternal bliss, self, and purity.