A person will practice extremely hard once he sees the mani pearl, or experiences genuine enlightenment. He realizes that such a thing exists, and that all he has to do is continue to clear away the muck of vexation. His faith is firm and unwavering. If a practitioner claims to have experienced enlightenment, yet puts little effort into his practice, then the validity of his experience is doubtful.

The Ch'an tradition, however, has stories which seem to contradict what I have just said. There is the story I previously related about two monks: one practiced diligently while the other slept all day. The first monk reprimanded the sleeping monk, "You should work harder. What's happened to your practice?"

In reply, the second monk said, "I sleep. What other kind of practice would you have me do?"

You probably also remember the story where Master Pai-chang praised Huang-po, who was asleep in the Ch'an Hall, and scolded another monk, who seemed to be practicing vigorously.

The Sixth Patriarch, too, once said, "When neither hatred nor love disturbs the mind, you can stretch out your legs and rest."

These anecdotes may seem to suggest that Ch'an practitioners do not have to continue their practice after enlightenment, but that is not the case. These special examples describe highly realized practitioners who have a firm understanding of Buddhadharma. They see the Buddha path clearly, and they proceed steadily. They have no doubts or confusion. Nobody or nothing can steer them off the path or cause their determination to slacken. On the other hand, a practitioner who is not sure what he is doing and is not clear where he is going still needs to practice in the usual fashion.