Guishan Lingyu: Have your insight... but don't forget to cultivate!

During an assembly period a monk asked whether the man whohas achieved sudden enlightenment still requires self-cultivation.

The Master \[Guishan Lingyu\] answered, "If he should be truly enlightened, achievinghis original nature and realizing himself, then the question of self-cultivationor non-cultivation is beside the point. Through concentrationa devotee may gain thoughtless thought. Thereby he issuddenly enlightened and realizes his original nature. **However,there is still a basic delusion without beginning and without end,which cannot be entirely eliminated. Therefore the elimination ofthe manifestation of karma, which causes the remaining delusion tocome to the surface, should be taught. This is cultivation. There isno other way of cultivation**. When one hears the Truth one penetratesimmediately to the Ultimate Reality, the realization of whichis profound and wondrous. The mind is illuminated naturally andperfectly, free from confusion."

\--"Great action and great potentiality," excerpt from the *Transmission of the Lamp* (excerpted in *Original Teachings of Ch'an Buddhism,* trans. Chang Chun-Yuan)