Dust-Speck Samadhi

Unmon was asked by a monk, "What is the dust-speck samadhi?" Unmon replied, "Inside the bowl is rice; inside the pail is water."

The dust speck samadhi is illustrated in the Avatamsaka Sutra. Samadhi is a deep concentration. In true samadhi numerous worlds are revealed in a speck of dust; a speck of dust contains the whole universe. It is similar to Leibnitz's theory of microcosm. Unmon simply replied, "Inside the bowl is rice; inside the pail is water." It is a matter of fact. A speck of dust contains the whole universe if we have the samadhi to see it. If one looks within, the whole world, the whole universe is in one's self. A speck of dust or a person or a rose - what is the difference? The reality is the same.