Blue Cliff Record Case 50: Yunmen's "Every Atom Samadhi"
In practice we are all walking on a path. It's possible to measure progress as we go, yet it's dangerous to attach to this progress. Instead, we need to use the notion of progress as a skillful means to help us continue in our practice and avoid losing heart. Practice is all about having heart, and this means not shirking our responsibility to look into the difficult places in ourselves and the world around us. When gold dust and sand intermingle, when we allow everything to co-exist peacefully within us and allow ourselves to exist in harmony with all things, we can enter that space of equanimity and joy.