An ox that has been straining against its yoke for years will develop a thick callous around its neck. Even if you prick the callous with a needle, the ox will not feel it because its skin has grown insensitive. Many people are the same as this ox. They may think that Ch'an is irrelevant, or they may absorb the teachings so slowly that by the time they finally learn something, the sudden teaching has become the gradual teaching.

In Taiwan, many old people attend my lectures. Sometimes I ask them how they liked the talk. They usually admit that the lecture confused them. I ask what part they enjoyed most, and they tell me that the stories were the best part. I tell these stories to relax the audience, but also to get ideas across. If you follow the stories without catching the meaning, then you are missing the point of the lecture. You may as well be watching television.

I have told you that self-nature is empty, and that you can attain Buddhahood through sudden enlightenment. Unfortunately, many who hear such words are obsessed with the idea that they have sinned, and that they have tremendous karmic obstructions. They are convinced that practice will be too difficult, so they cannot accept the teachings. All you have to do is accept the teachings, have faith in yourself and the method, and practice. If you can do that, your obstructions will lessen and disappear.