People need a goal in order to practice, but the person that Yung-chia describes is beyond practice because he has already been thoroughly enlightened. The first line introduces us to a deeply enlightened person. How did this person approach the practice? How did he attain enlightenment? What kind of attitude did he need in order to reach enlightenment? First, he did not try to cut off wandering thoughts; he did not oppose his vexations. Second, he did not crave enlightenment: he did not seek after Buddha-nature.

During retreat, I advise participants not to try to get rid of anything, oppose anything, or seek anything. Agreeing with me is easy, but accepting my advice and putting it to practice is difficult. Some of you may feel it is impossible to stop seeking and repressing things. Nonetheless, you must try. I will repeat this over and over, because if I do not, you will create more obstructions in your desire to stop wandering thoughts and to gain enlightenment.

There is no need to dispel wandering thoughts. Deluded thoughts stem from ignorance, and the essential nature of ignorance is not separate from Buddha-nature. A practitioner once asked his teacher, "How do I attain liberation?"

The teacher answered with a question of his own: "Who's binding you?"

The student asked, "How can I get enlightened and transcend birth and death?"

Again, the master replied with a question: "Where is birth and death?"

The student asked another question: "How can I be reborn in the Pure Land?"

The master asked, "Tell me, what place isn't the Pure Land?"