The Principle of “Mind Itself Is Buddha”
The principle of “mind itself is Buddha” is well known in Zen, but many people have misunderstood it. They think, “if our mind here and now is Buddha, then our behavior must always be correct, and therefore we don’t need to make any effort to understand or realize Zen.” Without a doubt, this interpretation is a serious mistake.
The Story of Master Daisho
Master Daisho asks a monk: “Where are you coming from?”
The monk says: “I come from the south.”
The master says: “What good teachers are there in the south?”
The monk says: “There are many good teachers.”
The master says: “How do they teach people?”
The monk says: “The good teachers in that region teach that mind itself is Buddha. Buddha means consciousness itself. Right now, we are fully endowed with the essence that gives us the sense of sight, hearing, perception, and awareness. This essence is capable of raising the eyebrows and blinking, of coming and going, of moving and acting. It pervades the body, so when something touches the head, the head knows it, and when something touches the foot, the foot knows it. That is why it is called ‘the true intelligence that pervades all.’”
Apart from this, there is no Buddha at all. This body must appear and disappear. But the mental essence has never appeared nor disappeared since beginningless time. The appearance and disappearance of the body is like a dragon changing its bones, a snake shedding its skin, or a person leaving an old house. This body is impermanent, the essence is constant. What they teach in the south is mostly like this.”
What Does Mind of Buddha Mean?
The master replies:
“How painful it is that our tradition is being lost. That there are teachers who do not understand the principle of ‘mind itself is Buddha.’ If seeing, hearing, perception, and consciousness were equivalent to Buddha-nature, Vimalakirti would not have said:
‘The Dharma transcends seeing, hearing, perception, and consciousness. When we use seeing, hearing, perception, and consciousness, it is only seeing, hearing, perception, and consciousness – it is not the realization of the Dharma.’”
What Is a Koan?
A koan invites us to transcend the need for logical explanation and to seek truth through direct experience and introspection. Ultimately, it urges us to let go of our reliance on words and open ourselves to the vastness of the knowledge that lies beyond the conceptual mind.
Koan Meditation Workshop: Mind Itself Is Buddha
Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 17:00, both in-person and online.
This two-hour koan meditation workshop on the “unspoken teaching” will be guided by Zen Master Lluís Nansen Salas, who will lead a meditation to help us delve into the koan.
Location: Zen Kannon meditation center. Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 665, Barcelona
This workshop is part of the koan meditation course.
For more information about the schedule and prices, please fill out the form on this page.
Extracts from the book: Lluís Nansen Salas, Dharma Zen, L’ull de la joiosa revelació, 2019, Barcelona, Viena edicions.
