The Ideograph for Mind

An old monk wrote the Chinese character for mind on the gate, window, and wall of his little hut. Hogen corrected him, saying, "The gate should hae the character for gate, the window the character for window, and the wall the caharacter for wall." But Genkaku, a third monk, commented, "The gate manifests itself without a character, so the window and wall need no sign at all."

In Buddhism there is the "Mind Only" teaching, which says that all things are created by mind. Things as you see them are only the shadows of your own mind. The old monk put the character for mind everywhere as a reminder. But even truth, if attached to, becomes a concept and a burden. Genkaku pointed out that gate is gate, window is window, and wall is wall. See, understand, use, and appreciate them as they are.