Commenting on a certain teacher’s writings, John Tan wrote,

“When we say "Mind is the great earth", the first step is to understand and taste what is mind before we go a step further.

If the teaching doesn't teach and taste what mind is, then it is just beautiful talks and grandious speech.

Next one has to point out what is "great earth"?  Where is this "great earth"?  The soil, the ground, the flower, the air or buildings or the conventional world?

Then talk about what is total exertion they have been talking?

Then the integration of the mind and total exertion and that is +A.”

Soh: "Just now i printed hong wen liang article for my mom, was reminded of what you said when listening to this passage

色相也是，我看到你的时候，我的『妙净明心』，以你的色相，以你的色相就是我的动，不是我这里catch， 我知道，不是这样。你的色相就是我的『妙净明心』那样子动，所以有那个色相。色相就是我的『妙净明心』那样才有你的色相。所以，『在一切尘、一切刹』，你 到美国，美国的样子就是你的『妙净明心』以美国的样子动，看到苏联人哦哦哦地叫，那个声音就是我的妙净明心以那个声音的姿态动。知道或不知道是意识，但是 耳朵照样显现那个声音。所以，『在一切尘、一切刹』，你想到五千年前，思想上即会想到五千年前。“五千年前”的这个思想本身就是我的『妙净明心』那动， “啊，五千年前”，否则，你怎知道五千年前？你的『妙净明心』都是它去想，那个思想本身就是它的动呀。所以，『在一切尘、一切刹』，都是去到哪里，听到哪 里，想到哪里，就是显现嘛。所以，『与法界等』，不是另外有一个法界在，你的『妙净明心』在去等到，去认知，那就根本不是佛法了。这样你的我相怎抛开呢？ 这个非常非常重要，你好好地自己亲证到、确认的时候，就是enlightened。 确认之前都有我，好像我有一个『妙净明心』在这里照、照、照。听的、看的，到哪里就看到哪里，到哪里就听哪里，那是外道说法，说有一个在转世。你整个法界 变，好坏、声音、色相、感觉、思想，就是你的妙净明心那样子动。那你的本性不是『与法界等』嘛？否则怎『等』呢？所以『与法界等』就是这“赤裸裸”的事 情。"

(Translation of the text above can be found in Everything is oneself, mind cuts off all connections 物物皆自己，心心绝诸缘 by Zen Master Hong Wen Liang)

The same is true for visual form. When I see you, my 'wondrously pure and clear mind,' through your visual form, is my movement. It's not that I catch it, I know it. Your visual form is how my 'wondrously pure and clear mind' moves, so there is that visual form. The visual form is how my 'wondrously pure and clear mind' moves to have your visual form. Therefore, 'In all dusts, all worlds,' if you go to America, the appearance of America is how your 'wondrously pure and clear mind' moves as America. Seeing a Soviet person shouting, that sound is my wondrously pure and clear mind moving in that sound's form. Whether you know or don't know is consciousness, but the ears still manifest that sound. Therefore, 'In all dusts, all worlds,' if you think of five thousand years ago, your thought immediately goes to five thousand years ago. The thought of 'five thousand years ago' is the movement of my 'wondrously pure and clear mind,' 'Ah, five thousand years ago.' Otherwise, how would you know about five thousand years ago? It's your 'wondrously pure and clear mind' that goes there to think, and that thought itself is its movement. So, 'In all dusts, all worlds,' wherever you go, whatever you hear, wherever you think, it's all manifestation. Thus, 'Equal to the Dharma Realm' doesn't mean there is another Dharma Realm that your 'wondrously pure and clear mind' goes to recognize or equate to; that would not be Buddhism at all. How then can you abandon the notion of self? This is extremely important. When you personally verify and confirm this, you are enlightened. Before confirmation, there is self, as if I have a 'wondrously pure and clear mind' here watching, watching, watching. What you hear, see, wherever you go, you see it there, you hear it there, this is the heretical doctrine that speaks of a transmigrating soul. The entire Dharma Realm changes, good or bad, sound, visual form, sensation, thought, it's all the movement of your wondrously pure and clear mind. Isn't your nature 'Equal to the Dharma Realm'? Otherwise, how could it be 'equal'? Therefore, 'Equal to the Dharma Realm' is this stark reality."

John Tan: "👍"