There is an ancient saying:
“If they didn’t endure bone-chilling cold, how could the plum blossoms be so fragrant?”
The plum blossoms open in the winter and so their fragrance is especially sweet.
Why are they so fragrant? Because they endured the bitter cold.
When we investigate Chan, we should bring forth genuine determination and a true mind.
Don’t fear suffering; don’t fear difficulties. Don’t sit in meditation and wait for the bell to ring.

The first time Guo Xiu came to investigate Chan, she talked about her experiences. She said, “Every time I sit in meditation, I just wait for the bell. And I can’t get rid of the garbage in my head. My whole brain is full of garbage.” By now it’s been a few years, and the garbage is less. Probably she’s not like she used to be, always waiting for the bell. Although she’s not waiting, I believe there are many people who are waiting. That’s because when people first begin to investigate Chan, their legs hurt and their backs ache. If they keep sitting, then their heads ache. They never feel comfortable. When their legs ache, they don’t want to follow the rules. It’s not that they run away, but they stretch out their legs, which is not permissible.

In the Chan hall, if you stretch out your legs, you get your legs chopped off so that you’ll never be able to stretch them out again! You watch and see, in the future, whoever stretches out his legs will get his legs clipped by the incense board. Then see if you ever stick them out again! Without any legs, you have nothing to stick out, right? Also, when your legs hurt, you’re not supposed to lean back against the wall, or bend forward. When you can’t take it anymore, you shouldn’t act like a certain monk who bends over as if he is bowing to the Buddhas.

“I bow to the Buddhas and beg them to make my legs stop aching,” you say.

That’s being superstitious. The Buddha is not going to pay any attention to your leg or back pains. The more pain you experience, the better.

“Then the Buddha isn’t the least bit compassionate!” you say.

Why should the Buddha be compassionate to you? What have you ever done for the Buddha? Your legs hurt a little, and you can’t take it. Your back aches a bit, and you can’t stand it. You experience a little pain in your legs and back, and you have to bother the Buddha about it. You go give the Buddha trouble. What should you do at that time? You should be patient.

Be patient with pain, with hunger, and with thirst. Bhikshus must have that kind of patience—patience with everything. Don’t be afraid of the pain in your legs. You have to break through the barrier of leg pain. Don’t be afraid of a backache. You have to break through the barrier of pain in your back. Sitting in Chan here, we are going to battle with the demon king of birth and death. We must fight with birth and death, how much the more with pain! Pain is a small problem. Will you die of pain? Impossible. Since it’s impossible, you don’t need to be afraid.

The Dharma door of Chan is the most wonderful! One can never finish speaking about it. One can never completely explain it. I can only explain a little for you. During a session, time is very precious. Every minute, every instant is an opportunity to become enlightened. Therefore don’t let the time go by in vain. Don’t strike the bell early to end the sitting period like you did last night. All those participating in the Chan session, no matter who they are, should look upon this time as especially important. Don’t casually let the time pass. Every second you let go by might be the very second in which you become enlightened. When you let the seconds go by, you are letting the opportunities to get enlightened go by.

You say, “I don’t want to get enlightened. What use is enlightenment?”

Well, if you don’t want to get enlightened, why did you come to participate in this Chan session? Your reason for joining the Chan session is self-evident: “Since you are standing on the river bank, you must be longing for the sea.” When you come to the Chan session, it’s like going to a mountain full of treasures. Don’t return empty-handed.

When a session is held, it must be conducted properly. In the past, no matter where I went for a session, I always sat in the Chan hall. I was in the Chan hall during the day, and also at night. The kind of sessions I was in then were not like last night when the bell was rung much too early. We were never off by a minute in ringing the bell. You must be accurate right down to the minute—to the second. It’s like going into outer space; there can’t be any miscalculations. If you make a mistake, if you’re off by a hair’s worth in the beginning, you’ll be off by a thousand miles in the end. If you cheat about the time, the time will cheat you. You cheat about the time and say, “Oh! It’s already midnight.” Time says “Yes.” As a result you waste half an hour. And so, if you cheat about the time, the time will cheat you. Now, this period of time is particularly important. We endure suffering all day long—pain in the legs and various other kinds of discomfort. Is it really the case that we can’t endure that last half hour? Do we have to cheat about the time? It’s a big mistake to do that. When I sat in sessions, I was sitting in the Chan hall regardless of whether the bell had been rung to end a sit or the fish had been hit to start a sit. When it was time to walk, I walked. When it was time to sit, I sat.

When you met Master Ming Guan in Hong Kong, didn’t he tell you that he and I had sat for ten weeks of Chan together? At that time I had a disciple with me, and the three of us were in the Chan hall. We sat in the Chan hall all day and all night. We never left the Chan hall. When you mentioned it to me, I had forgotten. I forgot that I had those conditions with Master Ming Guan. Now you who are studying with me will learn my forgetfulness. When asked anything you will reply, “Uhh, I don’t remember.” Not remembering is not bad. If you learn to be like that, you can be considered to have inherited my robe and bowl. Inheriting the robe and bowl of forgetting everything, even the robe and bowl are forgotten. That’s the wonder of it.

In a Chan session, talk less. Sit more and investigate Chan more. Investigate until you don’t have any understanding. Since someone just said they didn’t want to get enlightened, you may investigate only to the point of not understanding; you may not go on to break through ignorance.