“It’s obvious that there is a contradiction in wanting to be perfectly secure in a universe whose very nature is momentary and fluid.”

-Alan Watts

Book of Serenity Case #82: Unmon’s Voice and Color
Unmon instructed the assembly and said, “To realize the way through hearing a voice, to enlighten the mind through seeing color—Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara comes with some small change and buys poor rice cakes. If he throws it away, he will get nice manjû cakes instead.”

“We all get sick, lose people we love, and each of us will die. Our practice is not to try to get rid of this pain, which would be impossible. Rather, it is to avoid constricting around our pain, or blaming ourselves or others for it, or lashing out when we feel attacked.”

-Donald Rothberg

Book of Serenity Case #19: Unmon’s Mt. Sumeru
A monk asked Unmon, “Not a single thought arises: Is there any fault or not?”
Unmon said, “Mt. Sumeru.”

“Earnestness, not perfection, is the precondition to self-realization.”

-Nisargadatta Maharaj

Book of Serenity Case #11: Unmon’s Two Diseases
Great Master Unmon said, “When the light does not penetrate, there are two diseases. Everything is unclear and things hang before you—this is one disease. Even after you have realized the emptiness of all things, somehow you feel as if there were still something there. This shows that the light has not yet penetrated thoroughly.

“Also there are two diseases concerning the Dharma-body. You have reached the Dharma-body, but you remain attached to the Dharma and cannot extinguish your own view; therefore, you lead a corrupt life around the Dharma-body—this is one disease. Suppose you have truly penetrated to the end, if you give up further efforts, it will not do. You examine yourself minutely and say you have no flaw—this is nothing but a disease.”