The poet Chen Hou Shan once said, “Learning poetry is like alchemy, as long as you carry it on, transformation will come.” To paraphrase, I will say, “Practicing Chan is like mastering alchemy; transformation will surely happen in due time.”
Rather than worrying about attainment, a practitioner had better keep an eye on the due time. Or better yet, forget about the due time and just diligently carry on the practice.
by Grand Master Lian Chi (蓮池大師), the Eighth Patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism
換骨 – 錄自明末蓮池大師《竹窗隨筆》(初筆)
陳後山云:「學詩如學仙，時至骨自換。」予亦云:「學禪如學仙，時至骨自換。」故學者不患禪之不成，但患時之不至; 不患時之不至，但患學之不勤。
Buddha Mind 