The Great Life (2)

“the absolutely quiet stage in which we cling to nothing.”

 What way can we gain such consciousness? Needless to say, the way is to study the teachings of the Buddha repeatedly and to root them firmly in our minds by meditating on them. We must keep firmly in our mind the realization that our lives should be united with the universal life, the Buddha. This indeed is meditation from the religious point of view. Through this kind of meditation, we can purify even the mind of which we cannot be conscious ourselves; that is, our subconscious mind, and we can make our thought and conduct harmonize spontaneously with our surroundings [“free from measuring, comparisons, and free from all becoming—samsara.]
  If our mind and thought are in harmony with our surroundings, sufferings and worries cannot trouble us. This mental state is true peace of mind; it is the stage of “Nirvana is quiescence,” the absolutely quiet stage in which we cling to nothing. This state of mind is not limited to a passive mental peace. Our consciousness of being enlivened by this great universal life gives us great hope and courage. Energy springs from the consciousness so we advance to carry out our daily lives, our work, and our bodhisattva way for the benefit of others in this world.