Bake the noddle:18_Path of Enlightenment

Let me tell you a story. One day, Hong Ren (Hung-jen), the fifth patriarch, called his disciples together and instructed them: "Each of you write a verse and bring it to me. I will read your verses, and if there is one who is awakened to the cardinal meaning, I will give him the robe and the Dharma and make him the Sixth Patriarch. Hurry, Hurry!"

The first among them, Shen Xiu (Shen-hsiu), took on the task of composing a verse. He wrote on the middle wall of the south hall.

The body is the tree of enlightenment

The mind is like a clear mirror

One must polish it constantly and earnestly

One must not let any dust set on it.

Hui Neng, a young monk, heard about the verse and immediately realized that it did not express enlightenment. He formulated a new verse and had it posted on the wall of the west hall.

From the beginning enlightenment has no tree

And the bright mirror has no stand

Buddha-nature is always pure

Where could dust set in?

                                                          Hui Neng was appointed as the sixth patriarch after this. Now you can bake your noodle to understand the delusion and the illumination. The first verse represents the madness of the educated society and the over complication and the hazardous methodologies. The second represents the true path of enlightenment or to be more accurate: the pathlessness of enlightenment.

Understanding on Quantum Mechanics can also help you to grasp this well apart from your own spiritual comprehension. Quantum information theory and Ithaca Interpretation will help a lot. Here is also a final teaser. Proper understanding of this line can lead you to total enlightenment:

If you cannot find the truth right where you are

Where else do you expect to find it?