Zen: Hsin Hsin Ming

Seng T’san – Hsin Hsin Ming: Verses on the Faith Mind*)

Seng T’san who lived in the sixth century, was the third Chinese patriarch of Zen.

The poem attributed to him, the Hsin Hsin Ming, is one of the earliest and most influential Zen writings, blending together Buddhist and Taoist teachings.

The Great Way is not difficult

for those who have no preferences.

When love and hate are both absent

everything becomes clear and undisguised.

Make the smallest distinction, however,

and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.

If you wish to see the truth

then hold no opinions for or against anything.

To set up what you like against what you dislike

is the disease of the mind.

When the deep meaning of things is not understood

the mind's essential peace is disturbed to no avail.

The Way is perfect like vast space

where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess.

Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject

that we do not see the true nature of things.

Be serene in the oneness of things

and such erroneous views will disappear by themselves.

When you try to stop activity to achieve passivity

your very effort fills you with activity.

As long as you remain in one extreme or the other,

you will never know Oneness.

Those who do not live in the single Way

fail in both activity and passivity,

assertion and denial.

To deny the reality of things is to miss their reality;

to assert the emptiness of things

is to miss their reality.

The more you talk and think about it,

the further astray you wander from the truth.

Stop talking and thinking

and there is nothing you will not be able to know.

To return to the root is to find the meaning,

but to pursue appearances is to miss the source.

At the moment of inner enlightenment,

there is a going beyond appearance and emptiness.

The changes that appear to occur in the empty world

we call real only because of our ignorance.

Do not search for the truth;

only cease to cherish opinions.

Do not remain in the dualistic state;

avoid such pursuits carefully.

If there is even a trace

of this and that, of right and wrong,

the Mind-essence will be lost in confusion.

Although all dualities come from the One,

do not be attached even to this One.

When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way,

nothing in the world can offend,

and when a thing can no longer offend,

it ceases to exist in the old way.

When no discriminating thoughts arise,

the old mind ceases to exist.

When thought objects vanish,

the thinking-subject vanishes,

and when the mind vanishes, objects vanish.

Things are objects because there is a subject or mind;

and the mind is a subject because there are objects.

Understand the relativity of these two

and the basic reality: the unity of emptiness.

In this Emptiness the two are indistinguishable

and each contains in itself the whole world.

If you do not discriminate between coarse and fine

you will not be tempted to prejudice and opinion.

To live in the Great Way

is neither easy nor difficult.

But those with limited views

are fearful and irresolute;

the faster they hurry, the slower they go.

Clinging cannot be limited;

even to be attached to the idea of enlightenment

is to go astray.

Just let things be in their own way

and there will be neither coming nor going.

Obey the nature of things

and you will walk freely and undisturbed.

When thought is in bondage the truth is hidden,

for everything is murky and unclear.

The burdensome practice of judging

brings annoyance and weariness.

What benefit can be derived

from distinctions and separations?

If you wish to move in the One Way

do not dislike even the world of senses and ideas.

Indeed, to accept them fully

is identical with true Enlightenment.

The wise man strives to no goals

but the foolish man fetters himself.

There is one Dharma, not many;

distinctions arise from the clinging needs of the ignorant.

To seek Mind with discriminating mind

is the greatest of all mistakes.

Rest and unrest derive from illusion;

with enlightenment there is no liking and disliking.

All dualities come from ignorant inference.

They are like dreams of flowers in air:

foolish to try to grasp them.

Gain and loss, right and wrong;

such thoughts must finally be abolished at once.

If the eye never sleeps,

all dreams will naturally cease.

If the mind makes no discriminations,

the ten thousand things

are as they are, of single essence.

To understand the mystery of this One-essence

is to be released from all entanglements.

When all things are seen equally

the timeless Self-essence is reached.

No comparisons or analogies are possible

in this causeless, relationless state.

Consider motion in stillness

and stillness in motion;

both movement and stillness disappear.

When such dualities cease to exist

Oneness itself cannot exist.

To this ultimate finality

no law or description applies.

For the unified mind in accord with the Way

all self-centered striving ceases.

Doubts and irresolutions vanish

and life in true faith is possible.

With a single stroke we are freed from bondage;

nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing.

All is empty, clear, self-illuminating,

with no exertion of the mind's power.

Here thought, feeling, knowledge, and imagination are of no value.

In this world of Suchness

there is neither self nor other-than-self.

To come directly into harmony with this reality

just simply say when doubt arises, "Not two."

In this "not two" nothing is separate,

nothing is excluded.

No matter when or where,

enlightenment means entering this truth.

And this truth is beyond extension or diminution in time or space;

in it a single thought is ten thousand years.

Emptiness here, Emptiness there,

but the infinite universe stands always before your eyes.

Infinitely large and infinitely small;

no difference, for definitions have vanished

and no boundaries are seen.

So too with Being and non-Being.

Waste no time in doubts and arguments

that have nothing to do with this.

One thing, all things;

move among and intermingle,

without distinction.

To live in this realization

is to be without anxiety about non-perfection.

To live in this faith is the road to non-duality,

because the non-dual is one with the trusting mind.

Words!

The Way is beyond language,

for in it there is

no yesterday

no tomorrow

no today.

*) The title of the Hsin-hsin Ming may be explained in the following way:

信

Hsin means "belief" or "faith." This is not the faith in the ordinary sense; it is a belief that comes from firsthand experience, a faith which arises out of supreme knowledge and wisdom of enlightenment. This "believing" is an affirmation that all existence or reality is essentially the Buddha mind, which is our true nature. Hsin is the conviction that at the bottom of all phenomena lies the One Mind, the Buddha mind, which is one with our real nature, the Buddha-nature.

心

Hsin literally means "heart." It means mind, not the deluded mind of the ignorant but the Buddha-mind. Hsin is the mind that merge with the all-encompassing One Mind.

銘

Ming literally means "inscription." It means written expression or record. Ming also means warnings or admonitions.

Hsin-hsin Ming is one of the earliest and most influential Zen writings. It is usually referred to as the first Zen poem. The Hsin-hsin Ming has an important place In Ch'an Buddhist tradition. The poem has been very influential in Zen circles and many important commentaries were written on it. The opening stanza, " The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences” is quoted by many Zen masters as well as in the classical Zen works such as the Blue Cliff Records. It is considered as a poem which reveals the essence of Zen philosophy.

Read Osho's comment on the Hsin Hsin Ming

The original Chinese characters have a beauty of their own.

I have always been attracted to these old Chinese characters..

I once did a test with these old characters and had a score of 90%

So another proof of knowledge from a past life.

Verses On the Faith Mind

Translated by Richard B. Clarke

至道無難 The Great Way is not difficult

唯嫌揀擇 for those who have no preferences.

但莫憎愛 When love and hate are both absent

洞然明白 everything becomes clear and undisguised.

毫釐有差 Make the smallest distinction, however

天地懸隔 and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.

欲得現前 If you wish to see the truth

莫存順逆 then hold no opinions for or against anything.

違順相爭 To set up what you like against what you dislike

是爲心病 is the disease of the mind.

不識玄旨 When the deep meaning of things is not understood

徒勞念靜 the mind's essential peace is disturbed to no avail.

圓同太虚 The Way is perfect like vast space

無欠無餘 where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess.

良由取捨 Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject

所以不如 that we do not see the true nature of things.

莫逐有縁 Live neither in the entanglements of outer things,

勿住空忍 nor in inner feelings of emptiness.

一種平懷 Be serene in the oneness of things

泯然自盡 and such erroneous views will disappear by themselves.

止動歸止 When you try to stop activity to achieve passivity

止更彌動 your very effort fills you with activity.

唯滯兩邊 As long as you remain in one extreme or the other

寧知一種 you will never know Oneness.

一種不通 Those who do not live in the single Way

兩處失功 fail in both activity and passivity,

遣有沒有 assertion and denial. To deny the reality of things

從空背空 to assert the emptiness of things is to miss their reality.

多言多慮 The more you talk and think about it,

轉不相應 the further astray you wander from the truth.

絶言絶慮 Stop talking and thinking,

無處不通 and there is nothing you will not be able to know.

歸根得旨 To return to the root is to find the meaning,

隨照失宗 but to pursue appearances is to miss the source.

須臾返照 At the moment of inner enlightenment

勝卻前空 there is a going beyond appearance and emptiness.

前空轉變 The changes that appear to occur in the empty world

皆由妄見 we call real only because of our ignorance.

不用求眞 Do not search for the truth;

唯須息見 only cease to cherish opinions.

二見不住 Do not remain in the dualistic state

慎莫追尋 avoid such pursuits carefully.

纔有是非 If there is even a trace of this and that, of right and wrong,

紛然失心 the Mind-essence will be lost in confusion.

二由一有 Although all dualities come from the One,

一亦莫守 do not be attached even to this One.

一心不生 When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way,

萬法無咎 nothing in the world can offend,

無咎無法 and when a thing can no longer offend, it ceases to exist in the old way.

不生不心 When no discriminating thoughts arise, the old mind ceases to exist.

能隨境滅 When thought objects vanish, the thinking-subject vanishes,

境逐能沈 as when the mind vanishes, objects vanish.

境由能境 Things are objects because of the subject (mind);

能由境能 the mind (subject) is such because of things (object).

欲知兩段 Understand the relativity of these two

元是一空 and the basic reality: the unity of emptiness.

一空同兩 In this Emptiness the two are indistinguishable

齊含萬象 and each contains in itself the whole world.

不見精麁 If you do not discriminate between coarse and fine

寧有偏黨 you will not be tempted to prejudice and opinion.

大道體寛 To live in the Great Way

無易無難 is neither easy nor difficult,

小見狐疑 but those with limited views

轉急轉遲 and fearful and irresolute: the faster they hurry, the slower they go,

執之失度 and clinging (attachment) cannot be limited;

必入邪路 even to be attached to the idea of enlightenment is to go astray.

放之自然 Just let things be in their own way

體無去住 and there will be neither coming nor going.

任性合道 Obey the nature of things (your own nature),

逍遙絶惱 and you will walk freely and undisturbed.

繋念乖眞 When thought is in bondage the truth is hidden,

昏沈不好 for everything is murky and unclear,

不好勞神 and the burdensome practice of judging brings annoyance and weariness.

何用疏親 What benefit can be derived from distinctions and separations?

欲取一乘 If you wish to move in the One Way

勿惡六塵 do not dislike even the world of senses and ideas.

六塵不惡 Indeed, to accept them fully

還同正覺 is identical with true Enlightenment.

智者無爲 The wise man strives to no goals

愚人自縛 but the foolish man fetters himself.

法無異法 This is one Dharma, not many: distinctions arise

妄自愛著 from the clinging needs of the ignorant.

將心用心 To seek Mind with the (discriminating) mind

豈非大錯 is the greatest of all mistakes.

迷生寂亂 Rest and unrest derive from illusion;

悟無好惡 with enlightenment there is no liking and disliking.

一切二邊 All dualities come from

妄自斟酌 ignorant inference.

夢幻虚華 They are like dreams of flowers in the air:

何勞把捉 foolish to try to grasp them.

得失是非 Gain and loss, right and wrong:

一時放卻 such thoughts must finally be abolished at once.

眼若不睡 If the eye never sleeps,

諸夢自除 all dreams will naturally cease.

心若不異 If the mind makes no discriminations,

萬法一如 the ten thousand things are as they are, of single essence.

一如體玄 To understand the mystery of this One-essence

兀爾忘虚 is to be release from all entanglements.

萬法齊觀 When all things are seen equally

歸復自然 the timeless Self-essence is reached.

泯其所以 No comparisons or analogies are possible

不可方比 in this causeless, relationless state.

止動無動 Consider movement stationary and the stationary in motion,

動止無止 both movement and rest disappear.

兩既不成 When such dualities cease to exist

一何有爾 Oneness itself cannot exist.

究竟窮極 To this ultimate finality

不存軌則 no law or description applies.

契心平等 For the unified mind in accord with the Way

所作倶息 all self-centered straining ceases.

狐疑盡淨 Doubts and irresolution's vanish

正信調直 and life in true faith is possible.

一切不留 With a single stroke we are freed from bondage;

無可記憶 nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing.

虚明自照 All is empty , clear, self-illuminating,

不勞心力 with no exertion of the mind's power.

非思量處 Here thought, feeling, knowledge, and imagination

識情難測 are of no value.

眞如法界 In this world of Suchness

無他無自 there is neither self nor other-than-self

要急相應 To come directly into harmony with this reality

唯言不二 just simply say when doubt arises, 'Not two.'

不二皆同 In this 'no two' nothing is separate,

無不包容 nothing excluded.

十方智者 No matter when or where,

皆入此宗 enlightenment means entering this truth.

宗非促延 And this truth is beyond extension or diminution in time or space;

一念萬年 in it a single thought is ten thousand years.

無在不在 Emptiness here, Emptiness there,

十方目前 but the infinite universe stands always before your eyes.

極小同大 Infinitely large and infinitely small;

忘絶境界 no difference, for definitions have vanished

極大同小

不見邊表 and no boundaries are seen.

有即是無 So too with Being

無即是有 and non-Being.

若不如此 Don't waste time in doubts and arguments

必不相守 that have nothing to do with this.

一即一切 One thing, all things:

一切即一 move among and intermingle, without distinction.

但能如是 To live in this realization

何慮不畢 is to be without anxiety about non-perfection.

信心不二 To live in this faith is the road to non-duality,

不二信心 Because the non-dual is one with the trusting mind.

言語道斷 Words! The Way is beyond language,

非去來今 for in it there is

no yesterday

no tomorrow

no today.

All the pictures have been taken at

ancient sacred Taoist/Buddhist sites in China.