Zen - seeing

If you want to see, do not cover your eyes with cloth, hands, eyelids. The precious physical eyes are essentially bright and clear. They only need to remain exposed, uncovered. The wonderful merit of clear seeing does not belong to the eyes. . . . The eyes make no separate claim. The eyes are not engaging in any contemplative methods in order to see, nor are they vowing to see or establishing altruistic motives for seeing. They just see. Naturally. Spontaneously. Joyfully. Unless one is very sleepy or ill, there is no sensation of struggling to keep the eyes open. Seeing eyes are open eyes, open eyes seeing eyes. After much meditative effort, one arrives at the effortlessness of direct seeing, not only with physical eyes but with the whole being. After drawing back the bow, simply release the arrow. It will certainly fly by itself.

- LEX HIXON, LIVING BUDDHA ZEN