Reverse Heaven and Earth from the Present Moment

"Master, could you explain again why becoming a Buddha and achieving the Dao are both simple and difficult?"

"There is a saying: 'Awaken in the present moment, become a Buddha in the present moment.' If you awakened in every present moment, then would not every present moment be Buddha? Simple, right?

What is difficult is understanding awakening, and turning awakening into our instinct. Actually, it is not difficult—it is fucking laziness: no persistence, no perseverance. If you have persistence and perseverance, and keep cultivating awakening, then sooner or later, awakening will be present in every one of your moments.

Becoming a Buddha and achieving the Dao may be difficult for others, but not for me. Anything you cannot do is difficult; anything you can do is simple.

When we come into this world, everything goes from difficult to simple. Learning to crawl, walk, and run was hard at first, but now it is no longer hard. Cultivation is the same.

Turn cultivation into instinct. Turn awareness into instinct. Turn this heart that can realize and remain clear-headed into instinct. Turn all wisdom into instinct. Then there will be no such thing as difficulty in this world. What is difficult is that we do not believe we can do it. Even harder, we do not believe it, yet still want to do it. That is when difficulty appears."

"Master, how do we simplify the complicated? Is it about being able to bring forth wisdom when facing difficulties?"

"Do not cling. Do not let your heart tangle itself up with the difficulty; instead, bring forth wisdom to solve the problem. When you tangle with difficulty, you are choosing the feeling of difficulty. When you do not tangle with it, when your heart does not stick to it, wisdom blooms right there.

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