Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘What is the buddha as the pure body of reality? The essential nature of human beings is originally pure. All things come from essential nature; when you think about all evil things, it produces bad behaviors; when you think about all good things, it produces good behaviors. Thus all things are in your own essential nature. It is like the sky, which is always clear, and the sun, which is always shining: when they are covered by drifting clouds, there is light above but darkness below. Suddenly a wind blows away the clouds, so above and below are both light; then myriad forms are visible.

The nature of worldly people is always drifting, like the clouds in the sky. Good friends, wisdom is like the sun, insight is like the moon: knowledge and insight are always light, but when you fixate on objects outside, you get your own essential nature covered by the drifting clouds of errant thoughts, so you cannot have light and clarity. If you meet a spiritual benefactor and hear truly authentic teaching, you get rid of confusion so that inside and out are thoroughly clear, and myriad things appear within your own essential nature. This is how it is with people who see essential nature. This is called the buddha as the pure body of reality.’ (The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch)