Evolution of love

Zen of words

WE MUST NOT STAY AT THE ZEN OF WORDS
In this materialistic world, if nobody tells people to practice meditation, who will practice it? One should teach beginners as beginners, recommending to them this and that method. One should teach the very determined meditators to become awakened. It must not be in words; it must be through practice.
The source of Zen is awakening. We must not stay at the Zen of words. To see the nature and become a Buddha, this is the foundation. Meditators can teach others to the extent that they have practiced and experienced it themselves. It is important to acknowledge that one does not know. To pretend, in meditation, is not acceptable.
We can say, ‘As yet, I do not know for myself, but the Buddha said this … And Bodhidharma said that… Let’s practice together in this way.’ This is fine! Who knows, the student may awaken before the teacher. In Buddhism, there is the saying: Although there might be a hierarchy according to who has entered the temple first, in awakening, there is no hierarchy, there is no line — it is according to our roots and our efforts.’
Water must be a hundred degrees for it to boil. If, every day, we only heat it up to eighty degrees, when will it ever boil? And if it was a thousand degrees, everything would melt. It is the same with meditation. If we put all our effort into it, it can bear fruit. It will never happen if we do it comfortably till we die.