Cultural environment, too, poses a problem for most Americans. In order to make profound progress. Ch'an practitioners should lead a steady, stable lifestyle. If practitioners' lives are too hectic, too cluttered, practice will be difficult. A simple existence is necessary. Let me illustrate. There was once a very learned practitioner named Hsiang-yen Chih-Hsien who was posed a question by his master. Even with all his knowledge and practice, Hsiang-yen could not answer the question, so he abandoned Buddhism and moved to the mountains, where he lived alone. He existed, nothing more. One day as he was was sweeping his hut, a piece of bamboo cracked, and upon hearing the noise he got enlightened. Although he had abandoned the formal teachings of Ch'an, the question his master had asked stayed in his mind. His enlightenment was possible because he had a simple mentality, and he lived a simple life in a simple environment.

A similar situation would be difficult to come by in our present time. It is hard to isolate oneself. Yet, there are places where one can live and practice undisturbed. Actually, in terms of physical environment, America is a good place for practice. There is abundant land and material, and the government is stable and accepting. What is necessary is the right attitude toward practice. If you were given the opportunity to live and practice without interruptions, would you have the mentality to follow it through, or would you abandon your commitment after a few months?

Another problem for Americans is that they have too much mobility. People here constantly look for new teachers and teachings, and if they do not find success after a short time in one system, they move on to another. In hopping from one master to another, it would be difficult to make progress, no matter how hard one practiced.