Bodhidharma:
Even if a buddha or bodhisattva should suddenly appear before you, there's no
need for reverence. This mind of ours is empty and contains no such form. Those
who hold onto appearances are devils. They fall from the Path. Why worship
illusions born of the mind? . . . The basic nature of a buddha has no such
form. Keep this in mind, even if something unusual should appear. Don't embrace
it, and don't fear it, and don't doubt that your mind is basically pure. . . .
Also at the appearance of spirits, demons, or divine beings, conceive neither
respect nor fear. Your mind is basically empty. All appearances are illusions.
Don't hold on to appearances. If you envision a buddha, a dharma, or a
bodhisattva and conceive respect for them, you relegate yourself to the realm
of mortals. If you seek direct understanding, don't hold on to any appearance
whatsoever, and you'll succeed. . . . The sutras say, "That which is free
of all form is the buddha."
Disciple: But
why shouldn't we worship buddhas and bodhisattvas? Bodhidharma: Devils and
demons possess the power of manifestation. They can create the appearance of
bodhisattvas in all sorts of guises. But they're false. None of them are
buddhas. The buddha is your own mind. Don't misdirect your worship.
Disciple: But
the Bathhouse Sutra says, "By contributing to the bathing of monks, people
receive limitless blessings." This would appear to be an instance of
external practice achieving merit. How does this relate to beholding the mind?
Bodhidharma: . .
. Our true buddha-nature has no shape. And the dust of affliction has no form.
How can people use ordinary water to wash an intangible body? It won't work. .
. . To clean such a body you have to behold it. Once impurities and filth arise
from desire, they multiply until they cover you inside and out. But if you try
to wash this body of yours, you'll have to scrub until it's nearly gone before
it's clean.
Source: The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma
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