SHIN JIN MEI | 信心銘- TWENTY-FIVE

"The ignorant cherish the idea of rest and unrest,
The enlightened have no likes and dislikes;
All forms of dualism
Are contrived by the ignorant themselves."

In ignorance, we attach ourselves to outcomes and gaining ideas. Things like rest and unrest, good and bad, and wisdom and foolishness abound. Sōsan here contrasts this with the enlightened having no likes and dislikes. We create these contrivances when we lead with our discriminating mind and are blind to the present.

This is not at all to say that we can't savor a glass of wine and really enjoy it. Quite the contrary! The real intention here is to cultivate a beginner's mind - approaching what is coming up directly before concepts and preconceived notions take over the narrative and rob us of openness. Approaching each moment this way, we can transcend the dualistic grasping mind and experience directly without prejudice.