When we cannot find peace inside our mind, we will always look for solutions outside: we blindly pursue fame, profit, wealth, sex, and convince ourselves: “The grass is always greener on the other side.” These kinds of comparisons are endless. Contrarily, if we can rein in our outer-clinging mind (攀緣心 pan-yuan-xin) and abide in our original nature, we will naturally be calm and feel at ease. As a Chinese saying goes, “With the mind at peace, we find safety in a thatched hut. With the mind in serenity, we find rich flavor in simple food.” Confucianism also teaches, “Observing calmly, we will realize all things have their way, and feel at ease.” So, if we can calm our mind, we will surely lead a rich and meaningful life. Conversely, if we are unable to reflect inwardly with intrinsic awareness and blindly pursue fame and profit in the outside world, our lives will be filled with a meaningless void and afflictions.
To paraphrase a story from The Lotus Sutra, there was a man from a very poor family, with insufficient food, uncomfortable housing, and poor living conditions. One day, he suddenly recalled he had a very rich relative, who was a minister in the imperial court. So, he went to seek help from this relative. Kind by nature, the minister was always willing to help anyone experiencing disadvantage and poverty. Upon seeing his poor relative, he did not get irritated. Instead, he prepared abundant food and wine to serve his guest, who ate and drank to his heart’s content. Getting very drunk, his guest lost consciousness.
At that time, the minister happened to receive an order from the emperor who summoned him to the palace for a meeting. Before the minister left, he wanted to help his relative and relieve him from the ongoing torment of poverty. He hurriedly sewed a rare and priceless pearl into a layer of his guest’s clothing. However, the poor man—still in a drunken stupor—remained unaware of this priceless treasure hiding in his clothes. When he eventually sobered up, he noticed the minister had gone. So, he continued on his way, working very hard to just make a living.
After some time, the minister ran into his relative. Seeing him still in the same ragged clothes, the minister asked in surprise, “I wanted you to have a stable and happy life, so I gave you a rare pearl. Why do you continue to live like this?” As the poor man had remained oblivious to this invaluable treasure, the minister removed the threads from a layer of his disheveled clothes and revealed the precious pearl to him. At that moment, the brilliant light of the pearl shone radiantly.
Regarding the radiant light of our intrinsic pearl, Chan Master Chalingyu (ca. 11th century) once wrote a poem:
I have a bright pearl;
It was darkened by dust for a long time.
Now, the dust is all gone; its light radiates,
Shining upon all the mountains and rivers.
What this poem says is that everyone has an inherent pearl. However, since we always worry about personal gains and losses, our afflictions and defilements become graver and heavier, obscuring the light of our inherent pearl. If we can stop deluded thoughts, reflect inwardly to bring awareness back to our mind, and see through reality to let go of attachments, our inherent pearl will naturally appear. At this moment, we will surely know our life is bright, meaningful, and invaluable as well.
Effortless Composure in the Changing World, p.148