The six paramitas (six perfections) mentioned by Yung-chia are methods of practice through which one realizes enlightenment.The paramitas ─ generosity, morality, patience, effort, meditation and wisdom ─ encompass many methods of practice. One must practice a method to become enlightened, but after enlightenment, one realizes that one does not become a Buddha by practicing. We have always been Buddhas.

At the moment you become enlightened, you awaken from the dream and practice disappears. Although practice is illusory, it is needed in order to awaken. One day. Master Pai-chang came upon his already enlightened disciple, Huang-po. Huang-po was curled up on the floor, dozing in the corner of the meditation hall. Pai-chang woke him, but when Huang-po saw who it was, he rolled over and went back to sleep. Pai-chang walked over to another disciple who was sitting up-right, deep in meditation, and knocked on his cushion with the incense board. He then pointed toward Huang-po and said, "You useless thing! Look how hard Huang-po works. Why are you dozing off?"

I bet many of you would like to try Huang-po's method. But Huang-po was enlightened. The point of the story is this: Before seeing your self-nature, there is a cause and effect relationship between practice and enlightenment. Practice leads to enlightenment. In the enlightened state, however, there is no practice. In the story, despite appearances, it was really the second, unenlightened disciple who was asleep.

There is no sin or merit, no loss or gain.
Do not look for anything in this Nirvanic nature;