Mind and True Nature 心與性

Different states of water. Image: Shutterstock.

The mind and our true nature may seem like two different things, but they’re really one and the same. The only difference is that one is always moving, and the other is still. Our mind tends to wander and shift without stopping, while our true nature stays calm and unmoving, like perfectly still water.

To see this more clearly, think of water and ice. They may look different, but they’re really the same thing in two forms. Water can turn into ice, and ice can melt back into water. In the same way, our mind is like water, and our true nature is like ice.

Water keeps moving and never stays in one place, with no fixed direction. Our mind is much the same—it jumps from one thought to another, with nothing to stop it or keep it steady. Our true nature, on the other hand, is like ice—still, solid, and unmoving.

And here is the heart of it: when the mind settles down and becomes calm, it turns into true nature. When the mind no longer wanders, our true nature shows itself. Just like still water turns into ice, and ice comes from water, our true nature comes from the mind. Once you see this, the meaning of “mind” and “true nature” becomes much easier to understand.

We must be careful. If water hasn’t frozen yet, we can still shape it and guide it. But once it’s turned to ice, melting it back into water is really not the best. So stay alert!

心與性

雨花集

濟公活佛

心與性，乃是二而一，一而二。所分別者為靜與動而已。心乃流蕩不定，性乃止如死水。

今以水與冰作喻﹕水與冰實二而一，一而二。水亦冰時冰亦水。水者猶心也，冰者猶性也。

水流動不止，方向無定。猶人之心也，想東想西，絕無關攔，不能防範，性猶冰也，凝結不動。以此為喻，可知結心則為性，心不動則性見。猶水之靜止成冰，冰由水變，性由心生。心性二字，想可了然。

但吾人極須警惕﹕水未成冰，猶有可為，水既成冰，由冰化水，則大不宜也！慎之！

This translated text is a chapter from Collection of Rain Blossoms, a scripture written by JiGong Living Buddha in the 1900s through spirit writing. Here the link to the original Chinese source.

If you are interested in other chapters of this book, here is the link to the table of contents.