Bassui: The Sole Practice of Zen

Zen Master Bassui writes in the Book, Mud and Water, "clearly seeing into one's nature is called practice. And the seat that puts an end to analytic thoughts is called zazen...There is no gate through which demons and heretics can secretly enter... On perceiving that the five skandas are empty, one is saved from all kinds of pain and misfortune... If, while practicing, you have thoughts of gain... this kind of reason will immediately create demons inside of you, attracting demons from outside, and causing chaos within, like a stinking carcass attracts blowflies... You will very quickly lose sight of the seeds of the right karma."