Bloodstream Sermon by Bodhidharma

“Beyond this mind you’ll never find another buddha. To search for enlightenment or nirvana (heaven) beyond this mind is impossible. The reality of your own self-nature, the absence of cause and effect, is what’s meant by mind. Your mind is nirvana (heaven). You might think you can find a buddha or enlightenment somewhere beyond the mind, but such a place does not exist. Trying to find buddha or enlightenment is like trying to grab space. Space has a name but no form. It’s not something you can pick up or put down. And you certainly can’t grab it. Beyond this mind you’ll never see a buddha. The buddha is a product of your own mind. Why look for a buddha beyond this mind?” (Extract from The Bloodstream Sermon of Bodhidharma, translated by Red Pine)