A student once came to see me. She is very skilled in accounting and has been managing the books at a company. Within a year or two, she helped the company go public, and made a lot of profit for them.
I asked her, "How did you help the company make money?"
She said, "It was really about looking for places where we could cut costs—unnecessary expenses—and just cutting them out."
After hearing that, I thought, "You're really impressive."
Later, she asked me a question.
She said, "Sifu, I've had this feeling of jealousy in my heart for many years. I really want to transform it. I understand a lot of zen teaching principles, and I've also asked many people for advice: let it go, don't overthink, return to zero, breathe in slowly, breathe out slowly... But the jealousy still feels very heavy. Although the methods are good, they just don't work for me."
I said, "You're so good at accounting—you know how to cut costs for the company. Why not cut costs for your own mind too? When jealousy arises, you can cut it out, just like cutting unnecessary expenses. If you can help the company make money, you can also help your own mind earn back happiness and a sense of well-being."
After hearing this, she burst out laughing. In that moment, she let go of the burden she had carried for years, and her whole being felt light and at ease.
She laughed and said, "You're right—why have I never thought of it that way?"
Commentary:
The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch says: Buddha dharma is in this world; enlightenment is also found in this world.
We only need to learn, in our daily lives, to return the emotions that drain our inner selves to zero.
That is what it means by enlightenment is also found in this world.
- Zen Master Dae Kwan