Zongjing Lu – Fascicle 1

When Buddhas realize the mind-essence it is called complete enlightenment. When bodhisattvas cultivate it, it is known as the practice of the six perfections. Transformed by “ocean wisdom” it becomes water. Sought after by good friends, it becomes a treasure that is granted as one pleases.

Attained by sravaka Buddhas it becomes the four noble truths and the emptiness of self-nature. Grasped by common people, it becomes the sea of birth and death. Discussed in terms of its essence, it is in subtle harmony with principle. Considered in terms of phenomena, it is in tacit agreement with the conditioned nature of existence as properly understood according to Buddhist teaching.

Thus, even though I have revealed the main entrances to the dharma-realm, I must explain all the various meanings of nature and appearance contained in the special teaching of the one-vehicle. With the perfect understanding inherent in great awakening, everything is interconnected and is a gateway for entering the dharma-realm.

Only with the full wisdom of a Buddha does one miraculously penetrate the meaning of this special teaching. It is simply that those with weak capacities do not reflect on it; with lack of study they have difficulty understanding it thoroughly. They do not realize the two gates of nature and appearance are the essence and function of their own minds.

If they utilize the mind’s functioning ability but ignore its ever-present essence, it is like a wave without water. If they realize mind-essence while denying it as the gateway of miraculous functioning, it is like water without waves. There is never water without waves, nor waves without water.

As waves originate entirely from water and water crests entirely as waves, so does nature reveal itself entirely in appearances and appearances originate entirely in nature. They must realize that essence and appearances reveal each other.

I will now clarify in detail the general and distinctive characteristics of essence and function, and discuss at length the differences and similarities between them. By studying the root-origin of each dharma and investigating the roots and branches of conditioned phenomena, one can explain the source-mirror (zongjing) through the minute subtleties revealed in it.

Since there is not a single dharma that escapes form, the thousand variations forms assume are encountered everywhere. If one pursues them fully, they are interwoven with extensive implications regarding their essence and function, nature and appearance. I have selected and summarized the essential writings on the matter, and set them forth here in one hundred fascicles.

The fascicles consist of content pertaining to universal mind—they are able to make difficult ideas among the vast sea of teachings easy to understand and perfectly clear to one’s passing thoughts; they make the unlimited complexities of the true source of all phenomena readily observable and in tacit harmony with one’s thought processes.

To compare, when the spiritual jewel is in one’s hand, one is forever precluded from rushing around in search of it. Or when the tree of enlightenment provides shade, it completely eliminates shadows and traces. After one finds the true treasure in the spring pond, picking through pebbles in search of it becomes completely unnecessary. When one finds one’s original face in the ancient mirror, deranged notions suddenly disappear.

One can, on the basis of this, extract what is deeply embedded, expose and attack it, forever eliminating the roots of uncertainty. Without even the slightest effort, one completely opens the treasure storehouse.

Without expending the slightest bit of energy, one suddenly obtains the mystical jewel. It is referred to as the place of great tranquil extinction, nirvana, in the one-vehicle, and the correct place for cultivation and practice in the true aranya. It is the object realm that the Tathagata himself appears in the dharma-gate where the Buddhas originally reside. Consequently, after exerting oneself everywhere, one is a “worthy.”

One experiences the mystery inherent in every detail and subsequently gains the wisdom to fathom vast seas of nature. Through study, one penetrates the true origin.

Yongming Yanshou (904-976)

Excerpted from Conception of Chan in the Zongjing lu: A Special Transmission Within the Scriptures, translation by Albert Welter 2011

This second excerpt is scratching the surface of a work consisting of 100 fascicles; the above being only part of the first fascicle and is the only one in translation at this point. Even in this brief glimpse, one can get a sense of the intention behind the work.

Since there are sutras too numerous to count, Yanshou is taking the gems from many of them to help essentialize the heart of Buddhism. Anyone who has attempted to read a sutra in its entirety can feel like the literary style of hundreds of years ago and many cultural iterations away from ours can make true understanding very difficult.

One can also appreciate the balance of practice and study; they both go hand in hand. When you appreciate how many years the sutras were memorized and transmitted verbally, it is truly a gift to have a written form of them, and more importantly a master who is intent on keeping them alive for us.

“It is referred to as the place of great tranquil extinction, nirvana, in the one-vehicle, and the correct place for cultivation and practice in the true aranya.”

The word “aranya” is one many of us have never heard. The true aranya refers to a genuine place of solitude and spiritual cultivation, often associated with a forest or a secluded natural setting. This demonstrates how words can get lost in time and why translation is a challenging job.

The piece simply speaks for itself and the encouraging tone beckons us further along the Way.

Staying on track together,

Elana, Scribe for Daily Zen