Our Taiwanese friend 顏宏安 (Yán Hóng’ān) friend wrote:

I wanted to share something interesting with both of you. I've found that recently, I'll occasionally have a sudden realization in my dreams that emptiness and dependent arising are not contradictory. At other times, I'll perceive within a dream that the dreamscape itself lacks inherent existence. After having these kinds of dreams, I tend to wake up quite quickly.

Upon waking, I'll sit up in bed and start to reflect on what it was that I just understood in the dream. The interesting part is that it's not as if I'm meeting some great master who teaches me things. Rather, my dreams are helping me deepen my understanding of emptiness in a unique way, it's almost as if I'm practicing in my dreams.

Thank you both, again, for always helping me on my spiritual path. Don't worry that I'll become attached to these dream experiences and neglect my practice. I am deeply aware that I am still a beginner, and so I will practice even more diligently.

I was previously contemplating what kinds of questions about emptiness a practitioner could ponder to further dismantle the grasping at inherent existence. This led me to write an article titled, "Ten Questions on Emptiness." Several of the questions in it were ones John Tan had already mentioned.

PDF: https://app.box.com/s/fee9sw223qpwlr72yhpnafbu4fahx9k0

John Tan said:

"So fast got dreams of clarity. Not bad. 👍

Ask him what is the difference between lack of boundaries and oneness?"

English Original: Self-Enquiry: “Are you Space or What is Aware of Space?” — Bassui, Two Koans, and Practice Notes

**背景：**一位朋友（“Mr M”）询问如何进行自我探究（self-enquiry）。下面是他的问题（略作文字整理）、我的回复（整理过）、拔队得胜（Bassui Tokushō）禅师致中村公——安艺国太守的书信全文（未作任何改动）、约翰·陈（John Tan）的两则有力公案，以及延伸阅读链接。

Mr M 写道：
我一直以两种方式进行探究：（1）主动式——在做事时（例如洗碗）保持当下，默默问“我是谁？”，然后安住于其中；（2）静坐式——端坐来探问“我是谁？”，并安住于其中。通常我发现自己安住在头脑里似乎在一切背后的某种“空间”里，同时对身体保持觉知，并尝试对“觉知本身”保持觉知，而这整体上只是感觉像“虚无”。
在回复你之前，我今天还没来得及读你发来的内容。我之所以发问，是因为像 Rupert 这样的老师会说要尽可能多地停住在“存在”（Being）中，直到它变成持续不间断；而 ATR 建议每天至少打坐一小时，并说那些不坐的人通常都是空谈家（意译）。不过，除了那篇文章，我找不到你更具体的建议。

Soh 回复：
“我是谁”不是一种言语活动，而是要在一切思想与言语之前，发现“你是什么”。
阅读：《自我探究、非此非彼与排除法》
另见：《自我探究提示（探究“我是谁”）》
你不是“空间”。空间同样是被感知之所缘。“非此非彼（neti neti）”。是什么在觉知它？如果你“安住于空间”，就继续追问——你究竟是什么？（“非此非彼”在汉译奥义书与不二论语境中常译作此语，用以逐一否定一切对象化之执取，以免误认所缘为自我。Wikipedia）
**修行建议：**让探究成为你的专修。尽量在整日中都做，同时也要安排高质量的正坐时间（身体端正，如跏趺/莲坐）来专注探究。

请阅读：
拔队得胜禅师致中村公——安艺国太守（全文，未改动）
你问我如何依经中这句“心无定所，应当流出”来修禅。证悟没有什么特别的“方法”。只要你直接照见自性，不为外缘所转，心花必然开放。所以经上才说：“心无定所，应当流出。”诸佛祖师直说的成千上万句话，都归结为这一句。心是真如之性，超越一切形相；真如即道，道即佛，佛即心。心不在内、不在外、不在中间；既非有，亦非无，亦非亦有亦无，亦非非有非无；既非佛、亦非心、亦非物质（色）。所以称之为无住之心。正是此心，以眼见色、以耳闻声。请直接寻觅这位主人！（“无住之心”与《金刚经》的“应无所住而生其心”同旨。Quanxue）

昔日一位禅师【临济】言：“此身四大（地水火风）所成，不能闻解此法。脾、胃、肝、胆，不能闻解此法。虚空亦不能解。则是谁能闻解？”务须直下体认。若你的心粘著于任何形式或感受，或为逻辑推理与概念思维所牵，则与真实悟入相去如天与地。

如何一刀两断生死之苦？一思如何前进，便堕思辨；若却步，又与至道相违。既不能进，亦不能退，便是“行尸走肉”。即使处于此困境，只要你令一切念虑顿歇，硬坐参究，终必自悟，了然“心无定所，应当流出”之意。届时，你将顿解一切禅问答之旨趣，亦得会无量经论之微妙玄义。

居士何问马祖：“什么能超越宇宙万有？”马祖答：“你一口饮尽西江之水，我便告诉你。”何居士当下大悟。看这里，这是什么意思？它是阐明“心无定所，应当流出”吗？还是直指正在读此语的这个人？若尚未会，就回头追问：“此刻是谁在闻？”就当下这一念自己明白！生死事大、无常迅速。光阴难再，务须珍惜。

自心本来是佛。悟此者名为佛；未悟者，称为凡夫。行住坐卧，且问“我自之心为何？”直观念起之源头。此刻是谁在知、在思、在动、在作、在出、在还？要得知，须切切专注于此一问。纵使今生未悟，亦必因今日之功而于来世开明。

坐禅时，不作善恶之想。莫试图止念，只一味问：“我自之心为何？”即使你的追问日益深切，仍不得答案；终至穷路处，思虑全歇。此时观内了不可得一物可名为“我”或“心”。但是谁了知这一切？更深地探入，乃至连“知无之心”亦复消融；不复觉有“问”，唯有空寂。连空之知也不现时，了知心外无法、法外无心。此时你方知：不以耳闻，真能闻；不以眼见，真能见。过去、现在、未来诸佛，皆在当前。然勿执著此等境会，只须亲自体验而已！

看这里，你自之心为何？人人之本性不下于佛。然众生多疑，不向自心中求佛与真理，而向外驰求，故不得悟，被善恶业力所牵，流转生死。**一切业系之源，是迷妄——即从无明而起之思想、感受与分别。**去除此等，便得解脱。譬如扇去覆炭之灰，火焰自现；一旦你了悟自性，此等迷妄自会消散。

坐禅之际，对来去诸念不憎不爱。回光返照，直观其源，则所依之迷情与分别自会融化。然而，此尚非自证。即令心境澄明如空，内外不立，十方朗然；若执此为证，乃将幻景当作真实。此际更要痛切搜寻“能闻之心”。色身四大，本来如幻无实；然离此身别无其心。十方虚空不能见闻，而你心中却确有能闻而能分别声者——

此体何物？

当此一问彻底点燃你时，善恶、有无、空有之分别，恰如暗夜熄灯，悉皆顿灭。虽不再有自觉之“我”，仍能闻、仍知其在。你若极力欲穷究“能闻之主体”，终归无门而入绝境。**忽然间大悟现前，恍如死里回生，拍手大笑。**至此方知：心即是佛。

若人再问：“佛心为何相？”我当答曰：“树里鱼嬉，深海鸟飞。”此语何解？汝若未会，且回光自照问：“此刻谁是能见能闻之主？”

光阴难再，务须珍惜！

——载自《禅的三支柱》（The Three Pillars of Zen）

另见：《当下你的本心是什么？》

“约翰·陈（John Tan）寄给一位朋友的两则有力公案——适合参究：
在没有任何念头时，直说：当下你的本心是什么？
在不使用任何文字与语言的情况下，你此刻如何体验‘我’？

（在禅宗里，还有这样的说法：“不思善、不思恶，正当其时，哪个是你本来面目？”——六祖慧能；“父母未生前本来面目为何？”等公案。Zhihuwenyanguji.com
一则类似的公案曾引发我在 2010 年 2 月的初悟。）

有人答：“无心。”
那位朋友也曾对 John Tan 说了相近的话，结果被“当头棒喝”。

John Tan：在没有任何念头时，直说：当下你的本心是什么？
朋友：空。空洞。

John Tan：给你当头一记……哈哈。

John Tan：不使用任何文字与语言的情况下，你此刻如何体验“我”？
朋友：……关于个性、习气、观点之类……
John Tan：既无念，哪里来习气、观点与个性？你到哪里，都如何会错过它？日日夜夜、无时无处，不就有“你”在吗！你怎能把“你”与“你自己”隔开？

John Tan 另言：
“摩诃止观、直指（大手印、直指/大圆满、禅）——任何宗派，怎么可能把你从你自己那里剥离？那么，你是谁？”

自我探究之所以被称为“直捷之道”，正因：
“不要联想，不要推断，不要思虑。印证‘你’自己，根本不需要这些。无论来自老师、书本、摩诃止观、大圆满、禅，乃至佛陀，凡从外得者皆是知识；从你自性深处涌现者，才是你自己的智慧。
无须去找任何答案。归根结底，那是你的本体与本性。要从推理、归纳与攀缘的心，一跃而入最直接与最当下的印证，则须令心完全止息，回到任何造作生起之前的所在。若这只‘当下之眼’不开，一切都只是知识；而开启这只直观之眼，正是那条无路之路的开端。好了，闲话休提，言语已多。莫摇摆，径直行。一路吉祥！”

“R 先生，我对你已经非常直截了当——不过是一个极其简单的问题：此刻你的心是什么？别无他事。世上再没有比这更直截的路了。
我已告诉你要放下所有念头、所有教法，甚至大圆满、大手印、禅——只问：此刻你的心是什么？这不是已经一语中的、毫不浪费吗？我也说过，凡从外得者皆是知识，把那些都放下；智慧只从你自己内里直出。可你还是把我让你放下的文本、对话、禅宗、大手印、大圆满、中观统统搬来。
你问我还有什么建议？还是一样：不要逐境逐知。你读得、知得已经够多了，回归简单吧。你的任务不是‘知道更多’，而是把这一切剔除，回到直接之味的简单。否则，你还得再耗费几年、几十年，最后还是回到最简单、最根本、最直接的地方。
由这份简单与直截处，你再处处印证，在一切当下与诸般境缘中，让你的本性自显其广与深。
所以，除非你把一切都放下、回到清净、纯粹、根本的简单，修行就没有真正进展。直到你体会到‘简单’的珍宝，并从这里重新出发，每往前一步，都是退步。”
——John Tan，2020

Soh 回复（修行要点）：
非此非彼（neti neti）。若所安住的是“虚无”，那仍然只是经验/观念。在发现真我之前，必须将一切意识对象一概否定为“这不是我、这不是真我”——非此非彼；否则就会不断把更微细的现象误认成自我，从而以所缘遮蔽了纯粹的存在与觉性（Being-Consciousness）。唯有拒绝这些认同，真我方得显现。（“非此非彼”为奥义书与不二论之通行译法。Wikipedia）
证悟并非“虚无”。当真我被证得时，是一种对存在之确定无疑。
让探究成为你的专修。整日实践，同时安排正坐。端直坐姿（如莲坐）有助于防困倦。
无论现起何境（光相、能量、怖畏、真空感）——皆属意识对象。但请持续发问：“是什么在觉知？”是什么光明照见一切？**我是谁/我是什么？**不停探究。
**短视频：**YouTube 短片

延伸阅读
—— 拔队得胜禅师的书信收于 Philip Kapleau《禅的三支柱》（The Three Pillars of Zen）“书信”部分，含〈致安艺国太守中村公〉等。
—— “心无定所”与《金刚经》“应无所住而生其心”同旨，皆指非住之心。Quanxue
—— 拔队得胜（Bassui Tokushō），日本临济宗禅师。Wikipedia

Context: A friend (“Mr M”) asked about how to practice self-enquiry. Below are his questions (lightly edited), my replies (tidied), the full text of Bassui’s letter (unaltered), two potent koans from John Tan, and links for further reading.

Mr M wrote:

I’ve been doing inquiry in two ways: (1) active — staying present during activities (e.g., doing the dishes), silently asking “Who am I?” and then resting in that; and (2) seated — sitting to inquire “Who am I?” and resting in that. I usually find I’m resting in a kind of space in my head behind everything, being aware of the body and also trying to be aware of being aware, which simply feels like nothingness.
I haven’t had time to read what you sent today before replying here. I asked because teachers like Rupert say to remain in Being as much as possible until it’s continuous, and ATR recommends at least an hour of sitting per day, saying people who don’t sit are usually full of it (paraphrasing). However, I couldn’t find your specific recommendation beyond that article.

Soh replied:

• “Who am I” is not a verbal activity. It’s to discover what you are before all thoughts and words.
• Read: Self Enquiry, Neti Neti and the Process of Elimination
• Also: Tips on Self-Enquiry (Investigate “Who Am I”)
• You are not space. Space too, is an object of perception. Neti neti (not this, not that). What is aware of it? If you’re “resting in space,” inquire further — what are you, precisely?
• Practice recommendation: Make inquiry your dedicated practice. Do it as much as possible throughout the day, and also set aside quality sitting time (upright posture, e.g., lotus) for focused inquiry.

Please read: 

BASSUI’S LETTER TO LORD NAKAMURA — GOVERNOR OF AKI PROVINCE (full text, unchanged)

You ask me how to practice Zen with reference to this phrase from a sutra: "Mind, having no fixed abode, should flow forth." There is no express method for attaining enlightenment. If you but look into your Self-nature directly, not allowing yourself to be deflected, the Mind flower will come into bloom. Hence the sutra says: "Mind, having no fixed abode, should flow forth." Thousands of words spoken directly by Buddhas and Patriarchs add up to this one phrase. Mind is the True-nature of things, transcending all forms. The True-nature is the Way. The Way is Buddha. Buddha is Mind. Mind is not within or without or in between. It is not being or nothingness or non-being or non-nothingness or Buddha or mind or matter. So it is called the abodeless Mind. This Mind sees colors with the eyes, hears sounds with the ears. Look for this master directly!

A Zen master [Rinzai] of old says: "One's body, composed of the four primal elements can't hear or understand this preaching. The spleen or stomach or liver or gall bladder can't hear or understand this preaching. Empty-space can't understand it. Then what does hear and understand?" Strive to perceive directly. If your mind remains attached to any form or feeling whatsoever, or is affected by logical reasoning or conceptual thinking, you are as far from true realization as heaven is from earth.

How can you cut off at a stroke the sufferings of birth-and-death? As soon as you consider how to advance, you get lost in reasoning; but if you quit you are adverse to the highest path. To be able neither to advance nor to quit is to be a "breathing corpse." If in spite of this dilemma you empty your mind of all thoughts and push on with your zazen, you are bound to enlighten yourself and apprehend the phrase "Mind, having no fixed abode, should flow forth." Instantly you will grasp the sense of all Zen dialogue a well the profound and subtle meaning of the countless sutras.

The layman Ho asked Baso: "What is it that transcends everything in the universe?" Baso answered: ' I will tell you after you have drunk up the waters of the West River in one gulp.' Ho instantly became deeply enlightened. See here, what does this mean? Does it explain the phrase "Mind, having no fixed abode, should flow forth," or does it point to the very one reading this? If you still don't comprehend, go back to questioning, "What is hearing now?" Find out this very moment! The problem of birth-and-death is momentous, and the world moves fast. Make the most of time, for it waits for no one.

Your own Mind is intrinsically Buddha. Buddhas are those who have realized this. Those who haven't are the so-called ordinary sentiant beings. Sleeping and working, standing and sitting, ask yourself "What is my own Mind?" looking into the source from which your thoughts arise. What is this subject that right now perceives, thinks, moves, works, goes forth, or returns? To know it you must intensely absorb yourself in the question. But even though you do not realize it in this life, beyond a doubt you will in the next because of your present efforts.

In your zazen think in terms of neither good nor evil. Don't try to stop thoughts from arising, only ask yourself; 'What is my own Mind?" Now, even when your questioning goes deeper and deeper you will get no answer until finally you will reach a cul-de-sac, your thinking totally checked. You won't find anything within that can be called "I" or "Mind." But who is it that understands all this? Continue to probe more deeply yet and the mind that perceives there is nothing will vanish; you will no longer be aware of questioning but only of emptiness. When awareness of even emptiness disappears, you will realise there is no Buddha outside Mind and no Mind outside Buddha. Now for the first time you will discover that when you do not hear with your ears you are truly hearing, and when you do not see with your eyes you are really seeing Buddhas of the past, present, and future. But don't cling to any of this, just experience it for yourself!

See here, what is your own Mind? Everyone's Original-nature is not less than Buddha. But since men doubt this and search for Buddha and Truth outside their Mind, they fail to attain enlightenment, being helplessly driven within cycles of birth-and-death, entangled in karma both good and bad. The source of all karma bondage is delusion i.e. the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions (stemming from ignorance). Rid yourself of them and you are emancipated. Just as ash covering a charcoal fire is dispersed when the fire is fanned, so these delusions vanish once you realize your Self-nature.

During zazen neither loathe nor be charmed by any of your thoughts. With your mind turned inward, look steadily into their source and the delusive feelings and perceptions in which they are rooted will evaporate. This is not yet Self realization, however, even though your mind becomes bright and empty like the sky, you have awareness of neither inner nor outer, and all the ten quarters seem clear and luminous. To take this for realization is to mistake a mirage for reality. Now even more intensely search this mind of yours which hears. Your physical body, composed of the four basic elements, is like a phantom, without reality, yet apart from this body there is no mind. The empty-space of ten quarters can neither see nor hear; still, something within you does hear and distinguish sounds,

Who or what is it?

When this question totally ignites you, distinctions of good and evil, awareness of being or emptiness, vanish like a light extinguished on a dark night. Though you are no longer consciously aware of yourself, still you can hear and know you exist. Try as you will to discover the subject hearing, your efforts will fail and you will find yourself at an impasse. All at once your mind will burst into great enlightenment and you will feel as though you have risen from the dead, laughing loudly and clapping your hands in delight. Now for the first time you will know that Mind itself is Buddha.

Were someone to ask, "What does one's Buddha-mind look like?' I would answer: "In the tree fish play, in the deep sea bird are flying." What does this mean? If you don't understand it, look into your own Mind and ask yourself: "What is he, this master who sees and hears?"

Make the most of time: it waits for no one!

- The Three Pillars of Zen

Also: What is your very Mind right now?

"John Tan sent two potent koans to a friend -- good for contemplation.

1. Without thoughts, tell me what is your very mind right now?

2. Without using any words or language, how do you experience ‘I’ right now?

(In the Zen tradition, we also have, "When you're not thinking of anything good and anything bad, at that moment, what is your original face?" (Sixth Patriarch Hui-Neng), "What is the original face before your parents were born?"

A similar koan led to my initial sudden awakening in February 2010.)

Someone replied, “No mind"

That friend of ours told John Tan something similar and got 'smacked'.

John Tan: Without any thought, tell me what is your very mind now?

Friend: Void. Hollow.

John Tan: Smack your head... lol.

John Tan: Without using any words or language, how do you experience 'I' right now'?

Friend: ....something about personality, habits, opinions...

John Tan: If there is no thoughts, how can there be habits, opinions and personality? Everywhere you go, how can you miss it? Day in and day out, wherever and whenever there is, there 'you' are! How can 'you' distant yourself from 'yourself'?"

More by John Tan:

"Mahamudra, Dzogchen, Zen, whatever tradition, how are they able to deny you from yourself? So who are You?"

Self-Enquiry is called a direct path for a reason:

“Don’t relate, don’t infer, don’t think. Authenticating ‘You’ yourself requires nothing of that. Not from teachers, books, Mahamudra, Dzogchen, Zen or even Buddha, whatever comes from outside is knowledge. What that comes from the innermost depth of your own beingness, is the wisdom of you yourself.

There is no need to look for any answers. Ultimately, it is your own essence and nature. To leap from the inferencing, deducting and relating mind into the most direct and immediate authentication, the mind must cease completely and right back into the place before any formation of artificialities. If this ‘eye’ of immediacy isn’t open, everything is merely knowledge and opening this eye of direct perception is the beginning of the path that is pathless. Ok enough of chats and there have been too much words. Don’t sway and walk on. Happy journey!’

Mr. R, I have been very direct to you and it is just a simple question of what is your mind right now and nothing else. There is no other path more straightforward than that.

I have told you to put aside, all thoughts, all teachings, even Dzogchen, Mahamudra, Zen and just [asked] ‘what is your mind right now?’. Isn’t that telling you straight to the point, not wasting time and words? I have also told you whatever comes from external is knowledge, put all those aside. Wisdom comes from within yourself directly. But you have cut and pasted me all the texts, conversations, Zen, Mahamudra, Dzogchen, Madhyamaka that I have told you to put aside.

You asked me what is my advice. Still the same. Don’t go after experiences and knowledge, you have read and known enough, so return back to simplicity. Your duty is not to know more, but to eliminate all these and [get] back to the simplicity of the direct taste. Otherwise you will have to waste a few more years or decades to return back to what that is most simple, basic and direct.

And from this simplicity and directness, you then allow your nature to reveal the breadth and depth through constantly authenticating it in all moments and all states through engagement in different conditions.

So unless you drop everything and [get] back into a clean, pure, basic simplicity, there is no real progress in practice. Until you understand the treasure of simplicity and start back from there, every step forward is a retrogress.“

– John Tan, 2020"

Soh replied (practice pointers):

• Neti neti. If it’s “nothingness,” that’s still an experience/idea. Before finding your Self, you have to reject all objects of consciousness as not what you are, not your true Self — neti-neti. Otherwise you keep mistaking ever-subtler phenomena for your identity and veil the Self, which is pure Beingness and Consciousness. Only by refusing these identifications can the Self stand revealed.
• Realization is not “nothing.” When the Self is realized, it’s a certainty of Being.
• Make inquiry your dedicated practice. Do it throughout the day, and also set aside proper sitting. Upright posture (e.g., lotus) helps prevent sleepiness.
• Whatever appears (lights, energy, fear, vacuums) — totally fine as objects of consciousness, but keep asking: “What is conscious or aware?” What is that Source of that light of consciousness that illuminates everything? Who or What am I? Keep inquiring.

Short video: YouTube Short

Further reading

• Bassui’s letters are collected in Philip Kapleau’s The Three Pillars of Zen (see the “Letters” section, incl. “To Lord Nakamura…”).
• The phrase “mind having no fixed abode” echoes the Diamond Sūtra’s teaching on the non-abiding mind.
• Brief bio of Bassui Tokushō (Rinzai Zen master).