Question: Are there fast and slow ways of attainment?
Answer: If one sees that endless time is the mind, he will attain quickly, but if he makes a point in his mind and aims at his destination, he will attain slowly. The wise one knows his mind is the path; the stupid one makes a path beyond his mind. He does not know where the path is nor does he know that mind itself is the path.
Question: Why does one attain quickly?
Answer: Because mind is the body of the path, therefore, is quickly reached. Stupid ones mark their own time starting according to that standard, therefore they must make their own destination according to their own delusions.
Question: What part of the mind is the body of the path?
Answer: Mind is like the wood or stone from which a person carves an image. If he carves a dragon or a tiger, and seeing it fears it, he is like a stupid person creating a picture of hell and then afraid to face it. If he does not fear it, then his unnecessary thoughts will vanish. Part of the mind produces sight, sound, taste, odor and sensibility, and from them raises greed, anger and ignorance with all their accompanying likes and dislikes. Thus is planted the seed, which grows to great suffering. If one realizes that from the beginning mind essence is empty and quiet, he should know no specific time or place. Instead he makes an image of a tiger, lion, dragon, demon, warrior or other monster, recognizes them by comparison and produces likes and dislikes. If he knows that from the beginning there is no such thing, then he should know that mind essence is not formed, therefore these images are nothing but illusions. When he realizes this fact, he will be emancipated at that instant.
Question: What is the natural, simple mind, and what is the artificial, complicated mind?
Answer: Letters and speeches come from the artificial, complicated mind. Both in the material and immaterial world a person stays or goes, sits or lies down, and moves innocently, or, it can be said, in the natural, simple mind. When one remains unmoved by pleasure or suffering, his mind may be called the natural, simple mind.
The mind is the problem and the mind is also the solution.
Mind as an ego is the problem. Mind without any ego is the solution. Mind with a lower case m is the problem. Mind with a capital M is the solution. Mind with a lower case m is part of personality. Mind with a capital M is universal. It is not yours, it is not mine. It is nobody’s or it is everybody’s. The universal mind contains all consciousness.