Who is the True Master?

[Astus]

Ultimately, Buddha is the pure Mind that resides in each individual. The true master is the Mind that allows one to listen, for example, to a lecture. Mind is the master of existence. Without Mind, nothing can exist.
(Chan (Chinese Zen), p 24)

So, it is said, “Once we reach our Pure Mind, there we are.” When we finally find our home, we meet our Source, the true Master, and the generator of our life. By finding and living from our Pure Mind, we are no longer lost and cease to exist in the world of ego and delusion. We can finally begin to live from our own free will. This is what we mean when we speak of being “liberated.”
(Essence of Life, p 6)

To really make progress in Zen or spiritually, we need to find and operate from our true Master, the Pure Mind. By finding our Master, we become the conscious maker of our thoughts and life conditions. Until we meet our Master, we never really know who we are and thus, will continually fail to recognize that we are entirely responsible for the conditions and quality of our life.
(Essence of Life, p 13)

For this reason, practitioners need to learn that thoughts and emotions are merely tools—servants of the Mind. The Mind is our true Master. This is a very important Zen principle.
(Essence of Life, p 17)

When we know and learn to follow our true Master, we are on the road to enlightenment. We no longer follow faulty thoughts, circumstances, or negative emotions because we know that such things are fleeting—they come and they go. When we understand this, then we are the true Master. As the Master, we know that every aspect of daily life is nothing more than a product of the Mind. By practicing Zen, we learn to use thoughts as the servants of the Mind. Thoughts should be trained to arise and respond only as we, the Master, dictates. Hence, we are the true Masters of our Mind, thoughts, and life.
(Essence of Life, p 60)

Quotes from Ven. Jian Liao's books

[Wesley1982]

I would say whatever leads you to awakening.

[Astus]

The true master is not somebody or something who leads to awakening. It is the awakened mind itself.

Daehaeng Sunim says,

"It is mind that can free mind. It is also mind that hinders itself, saying, "This can't be done." What tells you this are the thoughts that were input in the past. It's these thoughts, which over eons have accumulated within you, that are the source of what is sometimes called defilements and delusions. These thoughts have accumulated within you one after another and will eventually manifest one by one, according to circumstances. How, then, can you free yourself from these thoughts? If your mind can leap over these thoughts, everything will be fine. You have the ability to do this, but most people don't make the effort to use it."

[Wesley1982]

What the quote is saying that the mind must overcome its own hurdles? . .

[Astus]

What the quote is saying that the mind must overcome its own hurdles? . .

It's saying that it's one's own decision to dwell on thoughts or not. That's what makes the difference between host and guest, master and slave.

[LastLegend]

It is in accordance with what I have learned.

[White Lotus]

the true master... not mind, not buddha, not emptiness, not nature... the void is smashed to pieces. mountains are no longer ''not'' mountains: mountains are mountains, mu is just mu, ten pounds of flax are just ten pounds of flax. reality is reality.
a return to the beginning.

who is the true master... the 10,000 things return to 1, where does the 1 return to?

Astus knows him.

best wishes, Tom.