"Who is mindful of the Buddha?" Each time you investigate that, it's like a Precious Vajra Sword cutting through a bit of emotional desire and lust. It's also like a broom sweeping away some of the afflictions of emotional love and sexual desire. When you investigate "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" things may get vague You investigate over and over but you can't find out "who." Unable to find out "who,"
you give rise to a "feeling of doubt." Once this feeling of doubt arises--great doubt will bring great enlightenment. Small doubt will bring small enlightenment. No doubt will bring no enlightenment. Continual doubt will bring continual enlightenments. Brief doubt will bring brief enlightenment. What is meant by a "feeling of doubt"? It's being unable to find out "who." "Huh? Who?" Sustained investigation of this word "who" for hours non-stop can bring you to the point that your breathe ceases, your pulse stops, your thoughts come to a standstill, and you attain a profoundly great samadhi.

That kind of samadhi is such that you are in samadhi when you are walking; you are in samadhi when you are sitting; you are in samadhi when you are standing; and you are in samadhi when you are lying down. You neither enter it nor leave it and so it's called a profoundly great samadhi. At that time, above there will be no heaven; below there will be no earth; inbetween there will be no people; and afar there will be no objects. Absolutely everthing will be empty. Even emptiness will not exist; emptiness will be obliterated. Once emptiness is obliterated, what kind of state remains? Take a look. Think about it. Do you still have false thoughts? Do you still have extraneous ideas? When there 8isn't even any emptienss, where could the false thoughts and extraneous ideas be located? Where could lust be found? At that time, it's very easy to become enlightened. It's very easy to return to the root and go back to the source; to understand your mind and see your nature.

When you understand your mind and see your nature, nothing that happens presents any difficulty; there are no obstructions. Once you see your nature, you never worry. What are worries? They don't exist. You say, "My father just died." Well, he died and now he is dead. It's not a big deal. "My mother passed away." All mothers will pass away as a matter of course. That's natural. All human beings will die one day. You say, "Ah! My home burned down!" So what? Let it burn. Be absolutely imperturbable no matter what happens. Don't you see how fine it will be when you reach that point? That's why I don't like the custom of being expected to cry when one's parents die. However, if you want to cry, no one is stopping you. But it means you don't have any samadhi power. With samadhi, Mount Tai could collapse in front of you and you wouldn't be startled. A beautiful woman could stand before you and you wouldn't be moved. Or a handsome man could stand before you and you wouldn't be moved. At that time you are free and at ease; free and at ease; truly free and at ease!

Those who really want to get enlightened should not be lazy. Those who are lazy cannot get enlightened.