"Thousands of rivers reflect thousands of moons; miles of cloudless sky, miles of pristine clarity." and “Thousands of rivers all reflect the same moon.”

Self-nature or pure consciousness is like a projector casting all the shapes and forms and bringing forth everything. 

“self-nature” in Chan, the “Buddha-nature" in Buddhism, “Brahman” in Hinduism, and the “Dao” or Wuji (ultimate reality) in Taoism—all indicate the same pure essence.

Physicists hypothesize as "quantum foam"—formless yet present. “Even if you took an empty container devoid of all matter and cooled it to absolute zero, there is still “something” in the container. That something is called quantum foam, and it represents particles blinking into and out of existence.” 

In other words, this physical world comes from “nothing” or “emptiness,” which resonates with the very idea mentioned in the I Ching, Buddhism, or Tao a thousand years ago. 

Chan has nothing to do with religion. It broke all doctrine and threw away the talks about reincarnation and karma. It set all rules, beliefs, and doctrines on fire, reducing them to ashes. Chan only has a single query: Are you awake or not? It is about seeing one's true nature.

Mainstream mindfulness and Buddhist meditation aim to help us be mindful of our thoughts and emotions. These practices build awareness, which is an important step in healing. Yet, it does not lead to awakening. Otherwise, Japan and China would have mass-produced enlightened beings every year.

The first book of Jed McKenna's trilogy. Though Jed is a fictional character, his teachings offer a vivid perspective on Enlightenment. Several key points from the book profoundly influenced me when I first read it years ago.