27/08/2024
A person asked Master Hui Hai, "Master, is there anything unique about you?"
Hui Hai replied, "Yes."
"What is it?"
Hui Hai answered, "It’s my ordinary mind. When I feel hungry, I eat; when I feel tired, I sleep."
"How is that unique? Everyone does that. What’s the difference?"
Hui Hai replied, "It’s indeed different!"
"Why is it different?"
Hui Hai explained, "When people eat, they often think about other things and are not focused on eating. When they sleep, they are often dreaming and do not sleep soundly. As for me, when I eat, I eat without thinking about anything else; when I sleep, I never dream, so I sleep soundly. That’s what makes me different."
Master Hui Hai continued, "It is difficult for ordinary people to be single-minded. They wander through the gains and losses, confined by the transient highs and lows, and are consumed by ‘various thoughts’ and ‘endless delusions’. They remain stuck on the surface of life, which is their greatest obstacle, causing them to lose themselves and their 'ordinary mind'. One must integrate the mind with the world and truly experience life to find the essence of existence."
