When The Ten Thousand Things Come At You

When the monk came to Baoshou and asked, “Sir, when the ten thousand things come at you all at once, what can you do?” Baoshou responded, “Don’t try to control them!”

My sense is that the monk was struggling with the many troublesome thoughts, emotions, and feelings that arise in mind. Perhaps you also have similar concerns. And perhaps, like this monk, you also want relief. Who among us doesn’t want relief from the ten thousand things? Baoshou gave the monk the best possible guidance: “Don’t try to control them!”

Of course, we do try to control the ten thousand things. We do everything possible to arrange the world so that it won’t trouble us. And—as maybe you’ve noticed—the world really doesn’t cooperate with our attempts at control. Actually, the world doesn’t care much about our likes and dislikes. It isn’t interested in what we want or don’t want.

It occurred to me some years ago, when I was trying to control a difficult situation, that maybe there was another way. Perhaps, rather than demanding cooperation, I could respond to what the world asked of me. I could bring myself into alignment with the ten thousand. That’s possible for any of us. 

And, in fact, that’s our practice tradition—to sit in community, breathe in, and ask a question—“How is it, just now?”—and perceive what appears. How do the ten thousand things manifest in this moment? And then, on the exhalation, don’t know—returning to the One, returning to primary point.

By Zen Master Hye Mun
Excerpt from transmission speech