The Presence is not the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, but the presence of the liberating Direct Experiences that do indeed, like the Holy Ghost of Christianity, guide one through the Labyrinth of Traps and Temptations in this stained and Unhappy world that for thousands of years has gone astray.
With increasing cognitive intelligence, academic knowledge and modern technology most seek solutions in the wrong way. They believe that there are shortcuts to liberation. As a result, Masters of Meditation grow peddling their noisy pots and pans crying out that they have the shortcut to Nirvana.
Just a word from Master Dahui should put things straight, although in truth I doubt that that will happen. Dahui declared:
"As soon as there appears the least intention to encounter a short-cut to reach Chan (understanding), it will be as though you have put your head in a jar of glue."
It may appear as if you are making progress but that is a pointless delusion that generates cognitive dissonance leading to continued folly and in the cognitively intelligent a foolish arrogance.
While a momentary Awakening may even appear it is either passed by or taken as the Glory of Dao, but without the possibility of lightening the mind and turning it back home, the Direct Experiences that seem so secondary to the "shortcut"-bound mind will be cast aside like mouldy fodder.
This is a grave error.
These Direct Experiences, which we can term, "purification and clarification of the way" are derived from the Natural Language of Experiences, not the plethora of Cognitive Experiences, are explained in the following two sections:
One must begin the Path with a doubt that is both curious and creative, free of academic logic and lateral thinking.
Master Fayan declared:
"Observe how the worthies of the past traversed mountains and seas, not shrinking from death or life, for the sake of one or two sayings.
"When there was the slightest tinge of doubt, the matter had to be submitted to certain discernment (Buddha's free critical inquiry); what they wanted was distinct clarity. First becoming standards of Truth versus Falsehood, acting as eyes for humanity and the angels. Only after that did they raise the seal of the zong on high and circulate the True teaching, bringing out the rights and wrongs of former generations, bearing down on inconclusive cases."
No, Dharma friends, there is no shortcut to liberation.