Hong Zeng's Chinese language and culture

Hello, everyone, welcome to the course: “Faith Mind Inscription: Study the language and wisdom of sacred Zen Buddhist text”.

Faith Mind Inscription was written by the third patriarch of Zen Buddhist school, Sengcan. It has been much beloved by Chan (Zen) practitioners for over a thousand years. It is still well studied in Western Zen circles.  

“Xinxin" has commonly been interpreted as "faith" or "trust."  It is regarded as a departure from the traditional view of seeking refuge in the three jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. It is a declaration and poetic polemic of the Chan (Zen) school written as a response to the increasingly popular movement of faith in Amitaba Buddha known as Pure Land Buddhism. From the Chan/Zen point of view, Buddha and Mind are one (即心即佛) (see the Platform Sutra of Six Patriarch (六祖壇經)), as expressed in Mazu’s famous dictum "Mind is Buddha". Thus, faith in outward Buddhas is contrary to the goal of Buddhism, because the goal of Zen Buddhism is the direct experience of enlightenment. This can only be attained by having faith in Mind Buddha himself did.

Another reading of the text allows that Xinxin could be understood as the Truthful Mind, which is always ready and perfect, implying that there is no need to further "perfect" it.

From the Chan/Zen view, the true mind is perfect as it is and only false views obscure the true mind's inherent perfection. As the text states,

"Any degeneration of your previous practice on emptiness arises because of false perspectives. There is really no need to go after the Truth but there is indeed a need to extinguish biased views." (前空轉變 皆由妄見 不用求真 唯須息見)

Moreover, the passage explicitly warns against losing the original, true mind (失心):

"Do not dwell in the two biased views. Make sure you do not pursue. The moment you think about right and wrong, that moment you unwittingly lose your true mind." (二見不住 慎勿追尋 才有是非 紛然失心)

As an early expression of Chan Buddhism, the Inscription on Faith in Mind reveals the Buddhist missionary use of expedient means in China by adapting Taoist terminology to the Buddhist context of awakening. It also draws on the Wisdom Sutra as well as the Avatamssaka Sutra and Lankavatara Sutra to express the essential unity of opposites and the basic nature of emptiness.

The poem professes the need to take pleasant and unpleasant life experiences with a sense of equanimity. Broadly speaking, the Xinxin Ming deals with the principles and practice of non duality. The world is non-dualistic, therefore in our attitude towards things in this world, we should not grasp or loathe things, but accept all things in their totality, exert no individual will on things. Any aversion or attachment will throw us into the realm of demon; non-attachment, following the flow of Nature will bring us to heaven. Heaven and Hell are only a moment’s thought. Tao resides in the large as much as in the small, in the infinite and the infinitesimal. Void and Being are one, so don’t be fixated on the notion of emptiness and not see the beauty of small things around you, nor pursue delusory desires without seeing the emptiness beneath all things. One and many are the same: One is embodied in many; Each of the many manifests the One. When you don’t allow human desires, artificial judgement and the mentality of making division to disrupt Nature, you will see Nature in its totality and oneness, see things in themselves—one suchness---rather than things as perceived. In such perception of oneness, you will be free from the volatile circumstances, and see rest in motion, permanence in change. “Outside mind, no Buddha”, enlightenment and Buddha state can be reached in this life, at this moment, beyond the teaching of scripture and beyond words, when such enlightenment is suddenly reached, there is no past, present or future, rather, you achieved Eternal Now at this moment, in this life, as Buddha said, “how long is human life. Life is between your breathing.” Zen Buddhist enlightenment often comes when our usual sense of time and space collapses.

This course teaches the language and the wisdom of the inscription in eight parts, each part contains 8-12 stanzas of the poem. Each part is taught in two lectures, the first lecture teaches the language of the text, explains in English the text word by word, and explains the philosophical implication, and leads you to read the text. The second lecture is a talking head video reviewing the teaching of the language and religious meaning of this part of the text, so that you would be further familiarized with the language of this famous inscription and deepen your understanding of it.

You will find your Chinese language and understanding of the gist of Zen Buddhism enhanced together with your study of this cryptic, condensed, canonized Zen Buddhist text that have stood the test of time for more than a thousand years and is still extremely active in both Eastern and Western Zen Buddhist circles.