Huangbo quoting the Daoist book of Zhuangzi

My translation of Essential Dharma of Mind Transmission

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<Chapter 5iii-c>

然道亦不可學。情存學解卻成迷道。道無方所名大乘心。此心不在內外中間。實無方所。

The way cannot actually be studied. Should there be remnant of passion¹ to study and to interpret, it becomes the bewitching way. The way has no direction and no location; it is named the great vehicle's² mind. This mind is neither inside nor outside nor in-between. It is really without direction and location.

1. Passion typically refers to the six impassioned vijnanas (consciousnesses) of the six sense roots (eye, ear, nose, mouth, body, intellect). In Mahayana Buddhism, impassioned vijnanas (consciousnesses) are a type of knowing that functions in a subject-object modality accompanied by direction and location.

2. The great vehicle is commonly known as Mahayana Buddhism.

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<Chapter 5iii-d>

第一不得作知解。只是說汝如今情量處。情量若盡心無方所。此道天真本無名字。只為世人不識迷在情中。所以諸佛出來說破此事。恐汝諸人不了。權立道名。不可守名而生解。

First and foremost, do not make any knowledge or interpretation. What's only to be said is that of your passion-measurement¹ . Should your passion-measurement come to an end, the mind is without direction and location. This is the natural true way, originally without a name.

But it's just because worldly people do not recognise it and are bewitched in the midst of passion, that the various Buddhas manifest to break this news to everyone. [And because the Buddhas] worry that you people do not understand, the name 'way' is thus nominally established. So do not hold on to name and give rise to interpretation.

1. Passion-measurement is measured consideration based on impassioned vijnanas.

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<Chapter 5iii-e>

故云。得魚忘筌。身心自然達道。識心達本源故號為沙門。沙門果者。息慮而成不從學得。汝如今將心求心。傍他家舍秖擬學取。有甚麼得時。

Therefore it is said: Having gotten the fish, forget the bamboo trap¹ - the body-mind [thus] arrives spontaneously at the way; the vijnana-mind [thus] arrives at its original source. This is hence known as sramana² .

The fruit of sramana is accomplished through resting all concerns; it is not attained through studying. Now you are using the mind to seek the mind, relying on other people's homestead in the hope of clinging to [something] of your studies, when then will you ever attain?

1. This is a quote from the book of Zhuangzi - Miscellaneous Chapters. The meaning is similar to that of 'abandoning the raft upon reaching the other shore' as found in Buddhist scriptures like the Alagaddupama Sutta.

2. In Chinese Buddhism, sramana typically refers to renunciation or monkhood.

Submitted January 02, 2020 at 01:23PM by chintokkong https://ift.tt/35h4loj