Chinese Original: https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hans/%E7%A0%B4%E7%9B%B8%E8%AE%BA

Note: The translator's commentary and notes (by Soh) are provided at the end of the text.
Treatise on Breaking Through Marks Attributed to Bodhidharma

Treatise: If there is someone who intently seeks the Buddha Way, what method should they practice to be most economical and essential?

Response: Only the one method of contemplating the mind totally encompasses all methods; it is the most economical and essential.

Question: How can one method encompass all methods?

Response: Mind is the root of the ten thousand dharmas; all dharmas whatsoever are born only from the mind. If one can understand the mind, then the ten thousand dharmas are all complete within it. It is like a great tree: all the branches, twigs, flowers, and fruits depend entirely on the root. The planter of the tree preserves the root and the branches then begin to grow; the cutter of the tree removes the root and [the tree] will necessarily die. If one understands the mind in practicing the Way, one uses little effort yet easily succeeds. But if one practices without understanding the mind, one wastes effort to no benefit. Therefore, know that all good and evil come from one's own mind. Seeking anything apart from mind—there is ultimately no such place.

Question: Why is contemplating the mind called understanding?

Response: When Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas practice deep prajñāpāramitā, they understand that the four great elements and the five aggregates are originally empty and devoid of self. They understand and see that the functioning of one's own mind has two differences. What are the two? First is the pure mind; second is the defiled mind. These two types of mind-dharmas are naturally present from the beginning. Although they arise based on the conjunction of conditions, they mutually depend on each other. The pure mind always delights in wholesome causes; the defiled essence constantly thinks of evil karma. If one is not stained by what is defiled, then one is called a sage; one subsequently is able to leave all suffering far behind and realize the bliss of Nirvana. If one falls into the defiled mind, creates karma, and is bound and covered by it, then one is named an ordinary being; one sinks into the Three Realms and undergoes various kinds of suffering. Why is this so? Because that defiled mind obstructs the Essence of Suchness. The Daśabhūmika Sūtra says: "Within the bodies of sentient beings there is the adamantine Buddha-nature; like the orb of the sun, its essence is luminous, perfect, and full, vast and boundless. It is only covered by the heavy clouds of the five aggregates, like the light of a lamp inside a jar, unable to manifest." Also, the Nirvana Sūtra says: "All sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature; because they are covered by ignorance, they do not attain liberation." The Buddha-nature is simply the nature of awareness (juéxìng).

But if one is self-aware and makes others aware, with awareness and knowledge being bright and clear, this is called liberation. Therefore, know that all wholesome deeds take awareness as their root. Because of this root of awareness, the tree of all merits is subsequently able to manifest. The fruit-virtue of Nirvana is accomplished through this. Contemplating the mind in this way can be named "understanding."

Question: You stated above that the Essence of Suchness and Buddha-nature, and all merits, take awareness as their root. I have not yet examined the mind of ignorance: what does it take as its root?

Response: The mind of ignorance, although it possesses eighty-four thousand afflictive passions and desires and a Ganges-sands number of evils, all takes the Three Poisons as its fundamental root. What are the Three Poisons? They are Greed, Anger, and Delusion. This mind of the Three Poisons is naturally able to possess all evils. It is like a great tree: although the root is one, the branches and leaves produced are boundless in number. From these Three Poisonous roots, within each single root, hundred-thousand-millions of evil karmas are born; they multiply beyond the former [metaphor] and cannot be illustrated by analogy. This mind of the Three Poisons responds and manifests through the six sense-roots within the fundamental essence; thus they are also named the Six Thieves, which are the six consciousnesses. Because these six consciousnesses go out and enter through the various sense-roots, greedily attaching to the ten thousand sensory environments, and are able to form evil karma that obstructs the Essence of Suchness, they are named the Six Thieves. All sentient beings are confused and disturbed in body and mind by these Three Poisons and Six Thieves. They sink into birth and death, cycle through the Six Destinies, and undergo all manner of suffering and affliction. It is like a river: because the small spring at the source flows incessantly, it is then able to overflow and surge as waves for ten thousand miles. If someone cuts off its fundamental source, then the multitude of currents all cease. Those who seek liberation can transform the Three Poisons into the Three Cumulative Pure Precepts, and transform the Six Thieves into the Six Pāramitās; naturally, they will eternally leave behind all suffering.

Question: The Six Destinies and the Three Realms are vast and boundless. If one only contemplates the mind, how can one avoid infinite suffering?

Response: The karmic retribution of the Three Realms is born only from the mind. If the mind is fundamentally absent, then within the Three Realms, one instantly exits the Three Realms. These Three Realms are simply the Three Poisons. Greed is the Realm of Desire; Anger is the Realm of Form; Delusion is the Realm of Formlessness. Therefore they are named the Three Realms. From these Three Poisons, the karma created is light or heavy, and the retribution received differs; it is divided into six places, hence they are named the Six Destinies.

Question: How are the light and heavy [karmas] divided into six?

Response: Sentient beings do not understand the correct cause; confused in mind, they practice goodness but have not escaped the Three Realms, so they are born into the Three Light Destinies. What are the Three Light Destinies? Those who are confused in practicing the Ten Good Deeds and falsely seek happiness have not escaped the Realm of Greed; they are born into the Destiny of Gods. Those who are confused in upholding the Five Precepts and falsely give rise to love and hate have not escaped the Realm of Anger; they are born into the Destiny of Humans. Those who are confused in clinging to conditioned things and trust in deviant ways to seek blessings have not escaped the Realm of Delusion; they are born into the Destiny of Asuras. These three categories are named the Three Light Destinies. What are the Three Heavy Destinies? Those who indulge the mind of the Three Poisons and solely create evil karma fall into the Three Heavy Destinies. If the karma of greed is heavy, one falls into the Destiny of Hungry Ghosts. If the karma of anger is heavy, one falls into the Destiny of Hell Beings. If the karma of delusion is heavy, one falls into the Destiny of Animals. These three heavy ones, together with the previous three light ones, constitute the Six Destinies. Therefore, know that all suffering karma is born from one's own mind. If one can just encompass the mind and depart from all deviance and evil, the suffering of cycling through the Three Realms and Six Destinies will naturally be extinguished, and one will instantly attain liberation.

Question: As the Buddha said, "I endured infinite diligence and suffering for three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas before accomplishing the Buddha Way." Why do you now say that merely contemplating the mind and controlling the Three Poisons is named liberation?

Response: The words spoken by the Buddha are without falsehood. "Asaṃkhyeya kalpas" refers to the mind of the Three Poisons. In Sanskrit it is said as asaṃkhyeya; in the language of Han it is named "innumerable." Within this mind of the Three Poisons, there are evil thoughts as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Within every single thought, all are one kalpa. Like this, they are as innumerable as the Ganges sands; therefore they are called the Three Great Asaṃkhyeyas. Since the nature of Suchness is covered by the Three Poisons, if one does not transcend that mind of the Three Great Ganges-Sands of poisonous evils, how can it be named liberation? Now, if one can transform the mind of the Three Poisons—greed, anger, and delusion—into the Three Liberations, this is then named crossing over the three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas. Sentient beings of the final age are foolish and dull-rooted; not understanding the Tathāgata's secret explanation of the three great asaṃkhyeyas, they subsequently say that attaining Buddhahood requires kalpas of dust appearing in the future. Does this not doubt and mislead practitioners, causing them to retreat from the Bodhi Way?

Question: Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas accomplish the Buddha Way only by upholding the Three Cumulative Pure Precepts and practicing the Six Pāramitās. Now you tell students only to contemplate the mind and not to practice the precepts; how can they accomplish Buddhahood?

Response: The Three Cumulative Pure Precepts are simply the controlling of the mind of the Three Poisons. By controlling the Three Poisons, one accomplishes measureless clusters of goodness. "Cluster" means a gathering. Because measureless good dharmas universally gather in the mind, they are named the Three Cumulative Pure Precepts. The Six Pāramitās are simply the purification of the six sense-roots. In Sanskrit it is named pāramitā; in the language of Han it is named "reaching the other shore." Because the six sense-roots are pure and not stained by the six dusts, this is exactly crossing the river of afflictions and arriving at the shore of Bodhi; therefore it is named the Six Pāramitās.

Question: As the sutras say, the Three Cumulative Pure Precepts are: the vow to cut off all evil, the vow to practice all good, and the vow to liberate all sentient beings. Now you only speak of controlling the mind of the Three Poisons; is there not a discrepancy in the meaning of the text?

Response: What the Buddha spoke is truthful speech. When Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas practiced in the causal ground in the past, in order to counter the Three Poisons, they made Three Vows. Vowing to cut off all evil, they therefore constantly upheld the precepts, to counter the poison of greed. Vowing to practice all good, they therefore constantly practiced concentration, to counter the poison of anger. Vowing to liberate all sentient beings, they therefore constantly practiced wisdom, to counter the poison of delusion. Because they upheld these three kinds of pure dharmas—precepts, concentration, and wisdom—they were able to transcend those Three Poisons and accomplish the Buddha Way. The extinction of all evils is named "cutting off." Because one is able to uphold the Three Cumulative Pure Precepts, all goodness is fully present; this is named "practice." Because one is able to cut off evil and practice good, the ten thousand practices are accomplished, benefiting both self and others, universally saving the multitudes of beings; therefore it is named "liberation." Thus know that the precepts and practices one cultivates are not apart from the mind. If one's own mind is pure, then all Buddha Lands are completely pure. Therefore the sutra says: "If the mind is defiled, sentient beings are defiled; if the mind is pure, sentient beings are pure. Desiring to attain the Buddha Land, one should purify one's mind; as one's mind is pure, the Buddha Land is pure." The Three Cumulative Pure Precepts are naturally accomplished [therein].

Question: As the sutras say, the Six Pāramitās are also named the Six Crossings: namely Giving, Precepts, Patience, Diligence, Dhyāna-Concentration, and Wisdom. Now you say that the six sense-roots being pure is named pāramitā; how do these correlate? Furthermore, what is the meaning of the Six Crossings?

Response: Desiring to practice the Six Crossings, one should purify the six sense-roots and first subdue the Six Thieves. Being able to abandon the eye-thief and detach from all visual spheres is named Giving. Being able to forbid the ear-thief from indulging in those sound-dusts is named Precepts. Being able to subdue the nose-thief, remaining balanced and soft towards all smells and stenches, is named Patience. Being able to control the tongue-thief, not craving various tastes, but praising, chanting, and expounding [the Dharma], is named Diligence. Being able to subdue the body-thief, remaining clear and still (zhànrán) and unmoved amidst all desires of touch, is named Dhyāna-Concentration. Being able to adjust the intent-thief, not according with ignorance but constantly practicing awareness and wisdom, is named Wisdom. The Six Crossings mean "transport." The Six Pāramitās are metaphorically like a ferry-boat; they are able to transport sentient beings to reach the other shore, hence they are named the Six Crossings.

Question: The sutra says: "When Śākyamuni Tathāgata was a Bodhisattva, he drank three dou and six sheng of milk porridge before he accomplished the Buddha Way." First owing to drinking milk, later realizing the Buddha-fruit—how can merely contemplating the mind result in liberation?

Response: That Buddhahood is achieved like this involves no false speech. It is certainly due to eating milk that he was then enabled to become a Buddha. Regarding "eating milk," there are two kinds. That which the Buddha ate was not the impure milk of the world; it was the pure Dharma-milk of Suchness. Three dou refers to the Three Cumulative Pure Precepts. Six sheng refers to the Six Pāramitās. When accomplishing the Buddha Way, it was by eating this kind of pure Dharma-milk that he then realized the Buddha-fruit. If one says the Tathāgata ate the mixed, impure, cow-stench milk of the world, is this not the height of slander and error? Suchness is the adamantine, indestructible, outflow-free Dharmakāya; it has eternally left behind all suffering of the world. How could it need such impure milk to fill hunger and thirst? As the sutra says: "That cow does not live on the high plains, does not live in the damp lowlands, does not eat grain, wheat, chaff or bran, and does not herd with cows; the cow's body is the color of purple burnished gold." This "cow" refers to Vairocana Buddha. Because of great compassion and pity for all, from within the pure Essence of Dharma, he produces such subtle Dharma-milk of the Three Cumulative Pure Precepts and Six Pāramitās to nourish all those who seek liberation. If all sentient beings can drink this pure milk of such a truly pure cow, they will all attain Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi.

Question: The sutras say that the Buddha told sentient beings to build saṅghārāmas (monasteries), cast images, burn incense, scatter flowers, light lamps, circumambulate the stupa practicing the Way throughout the six periods of the day and night, hold fast (fasting) and bow in worship, and that by these various merits they all accomplish the Buddha Way. If solely contemplating the mind totally encompasses all practices, then speaking of such matters would be empty [talk].

Response: The sutras spoken by the Buddha contain measureless expedient means. Because the roots of all sentient beings are dull and narrow/inferior, and they do not awaken to the profound meaning, he therefore provisionally used the conditioned to illustrate the unconditioned. If one does not practice the inner practice but only seeks outwardly, hoping to obtain blessings, there is no such possibility.

As for "saṅghārāma," it is Sanskrit from the Western Lands; in this land it translates as "Pure Ground." If one eternally removes the Three Poisons, constantly purifies the six sense-roots, and the body and mind are clear and still, inside and outside pure, this is named building a saṅghārāma.

As for "casting images," it simply means all sentient beings seeking the Buddha Way. The "casting" is the practice of various awakening practices; the "image" is the sublime marks of the Tathāgata's true countenance. How could it imply the casting of metal and copper merely to make things? Therefore, those who seek liberation take the body as the furnace, take the Dharma as the fire, take wisdom as the skilled craftsman, and take the Three Cumulative Pure Precepts and Six Pāramitās as the mold. They smelt and refine the Buddha-nature of Suchness within the body, causing it to pervade into the mold of all precepts and disciplines; practicing in accordance with the teaching, without a single omission or defect, they naturally accomplish the image of the true countenance. This refers to the ultimate, constantly abiding, subtle Form Body, not a conditioned dharma of decay and destruction. If someone seeks the Way but does not understand this casting of the true countenance, on what basis can they rashly speak of merit?

As for "burning incense," it is also not the incense of worldly characteristics; it is the incense of the unconditioned True Dharma. It fumigates all stenches, filth, ignorance, and evil karma, causing them all to vanish. There are five kinds of this True Dharma Incense. First is the Incense of Precepts: namely, being able to cut off all evils and practice all good. Second is the Incense of Concentration: namely, deeply believing in the Mahāyāna, with a mind that does not retreat. Third is the Incense of Wisdom: namely, constantly observing one's own body and mind inwardly. Fourth is the Incense of Liberation: namely, being able to cut off all bonds of ignorance. Fifth is the Incense of the Knowledge of Liberation: namely, keeping contemplation constantly bright, penetrating without obstruction. These five kinds of incense are named the supreme incense; nothing in the world compares to them. When the Buddha was in the world, he told all disciples to use the fire of wisdom to burn such priceless precious incense as an offering to the Buddhas of the ten directions. Sentient beings of the present time do not understand the Tathāgata's true meaning; they only use external fire to burn worldly incense of sandalwood and frankincense—which are material obstacles—hoping for blessings. How can this be obtained?

As for "scattering flowers," the meaning is also like this. It refers to constantly speaking the "flowers of merit" of the True Dharma, benefiting sentient beings, scattering and moistening everything, universally bestowing adornment upon the nature of Suchness. These flowers of merit are praised by the Buddha; they ultimately abide constantly and have no time of withering or falling. If there is someone who scatters such flowers, they obtain measureless blessings. If one says the Tathāgata told sentient beings to cut and clip silk brocades or harm plants and trees to serve as "scattering flowers," there is no such possibility. Why is this? Those who uphold pure precepts do not allow the violation of the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth; one who violates them by mistake still incurs a great sin. How much more so for one who now intentionally destroys the pure precepts and harms the ten thousand things seeking a reward of blessings—desiring benefit but conversely causing harm? Can such a thing be?

Furthermore, "eternal lamp" refers to the Mind of Correct Awakening. Because awakening is bright and clear, it is compared to a lamp. Therefore, all those who seek liberation take the body as the lamp-stand and the mind as the lamp-wick; they increase all practices of precepts to serve as the adding of oil; and wisdom, bright and penetrating, is compared to the lamp-flame. One should light such a lamp of true Correct Awakening to shine through and break all darkness of ignorance and delusion. Being able to use this Dharma to explicitly open the way for others in turn—this is one lamp lighting a hundred thousand lamps; the lamps continue to be lit, lighting lamps inexhaustibly, hence it is called "eternal." In the past there was a Buddha named Dīpaṃkara (Burning Lamp); the meaning is also like this. Foolish sentient beings do not understand the Tathāgata's provisional explanation; solely practicing falsehood and attaching to the conditioned, they essentially burn lamps of worldly butter and oil to light up an empty room and call it relying on the teaching. Is this not absurd! Why is this? The Buddha released a single mark of light from between his eyebrows that was able to illuminate eighteen thousand worlds above. How could he borrow such lamps of butter and oil to serve as a benefit? Examine this principle; it should not be so!

Furthermore, "practicing the Way in the six periods" refers to the six sense-roots. Within all times, constantly practicing the Buddha Way, cultivating various awakening practices, and subduing the six sense-roots—never abandoning this for a long time—is named practicing the Way in the six periods.

As for "circumambulating the stupa and practicing the Way": the stupa is the body and mind. One should make awareness and wisdom circumambulate the body and mind, thought after thought without stopping; this is named circumambulating the stupa. All sages of the past practiced this path and attained Nirvana. People of the present generation do not understand this principle; they never practice inwardly but only cling to seeking outwardly. Taking the physical body of material obstacles, they circumambulate worldly stupas, running day and night, tiring themselves in vain, without a single benefit to their true nature.

Furthermore, as for "holding fast" (observing the fast/zhai), one must understand the intent; if one does not reach this principle, one wastes effort in vain. "Fast" (zhai) means "to align" (qi); it refers to aligning the body and mind straightforwardly, not allowing them to be scattered or disordered. "Holding" means "to protect"; it refers to protecting the various practices of precepts in accordance with the Dharma. One must outwardly prohibit the six sense-desires and inwardly control the Three Poisons, diligently observing and scrutinizing, purifying the body and mind. Understanding this meaning is named "holding the fast." Furthermore, for "holding the fast," there are five kinds of food. First is the Food of Dharma-Joy: namely, relying on and upholding the True Dharma, and delighting in practicing it. Second is the Food of the Bliss of Dhyāna: namely, inside and outside being clear and still, with body and mind joyful and happy. Third is the Food of Mindfulness: namely, constantly being mindful of the Buddhas, with mind and mouth corresponding. Fourth is the Food of Vows: namely, while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, constantly seeking wholesome vows. Fifth is the Food of Liberation: namely, the mind being constantly pure and not stained by vulgar dusts. These five kinds of food are named "fasting food." If there is someone who does not eat these five kinds of pure food but says they are "holding the fast," there is no such possibility. Breaking only the food of ignorance—if one touches it even slightly, it is named "breaking the fast." If there is a break, how can one obtain blessings? There are lost people in the world who do not awaken to this principle; their bodies and minds are unrestrained, they commit all evils, indulge their passions in greed and desire, and do not generate shame. They merely cut off external food and call it "holding the fast"; this is certainly not the case.

Furthermore, regarding "worship" (bowing), it should be done according to the Dharma. One must be inwardly clear about the Principle-Essence; affairs follow provisional changes. The Principle has its distinct functioning/manifestation (xingcang); understanding this meaning is then named acting according to Dharma. Now, "worship" (li) means reverence; "bowing" (bai) means subduing. That is, revering the True Nature and subduing ignorance is named "worship." If evil emotions are eternally extinguished and good thoughts are constantly present, even if one does not manifest the [physical] mark, it is named worship. That mark is the mark of the Dharma. The World-Honored One, desiring to make ordinary people express a humble mind, also established [physical] worship; thus one must bend the external body to demonstrate internal reverence. Raising the external elucidates the internal; nature and characteristics correspond. If one does not practice the Principle-Dharma and only clings to seeking outwardly—internally indulging in anger and delusion and constantly creating evil karma, while outwardly vainly laboring the physical form, pretending to manifest an imposing demeanor—one has no shame before the sages and merely deceives ordinary people. One will not escape cyclic existence; how can this accomplish merit!

Question: As the Sutra on the Bathhouse (Wenshi Jing) says, bathing the assembly of monks yields measureless blessings. This relies on a material method for merit to begin to be accomplished; how can viewing the mind correspond to this?

Response: "Bathing the assembly of monks" is not a worldly conditioned matter. When the World-Honored One spoke the Sutra on the Bathhouse for the disciples, he desired to make them receive and uphold the method of washing and bathing. Therefore he provisionally used worldly matters to illustrate the True Principle (Zhēnzōng), implicitly speaking of the merit of the Seven Offerings. The items are seven; what are the seven? First is pure water; second is burning fire; third is bath beans; fourth is willow twigs; fifth is pure ash; sixth is oil/ointment; seventh is inner garments. He raised these seven items to illustrate seven Dharmas. All sentient beings, by means of these seven Dharmas, bathe and adorn themselves, and are able to remove the dirt and filth of the ignorance of the Three Poisonous Minds. The Seven Dharmas are: First, pure precepts washing away transgressions and errors, just as pure water washes away various dusts and dirt. Second, wisdom observing inside and outside, just as burning fire is able to warm the pure water. Third, discrimination selecting and discarding all evils, just as bath beans are able to clean away grime and grease. Fourth, truthfully cutting off all false thinking, just as chewing willow twigs is able to purify breath/mouth odor. Fifth, correct faith that is decisive and without doubt, just as pure ash rubbed on the body can ward off various winds. Sixth, softness and patience, just as oil and ointment penetrate and moisten the skin. Seventh, shame and repentance for various evil deeds, just as inner garments cover the ugly body. The above seven Dharmas are the secret meaning within the sutra; they were all spoken by the Tathāgata specifically for those of the Mahāyāna with sharp roots, not for ordinary beings of shallow wisdom and inferior capacity. Therefore, people today are unable to understand and awaken. That "bathhouse" is simply the body. So one lights the fire of wisdom, warms the soup of pure precepts, and bathes the Buddha-nature of Suchness within the body. Receiving and upholding the seven Dharmas to adorn oneself—at that time, the Bhikshus of keen intelligence and high wisdom all awakened to the Sacred Intent; practicing as it was said, their merit was accomplished and they all ascended to the Sacred Fruit. Sentient beings of the present time cannot fathom the matter; they use worldly water to wash a physical body of material obstacles and call themselves followers of the sutra—is this not erroneous? Furthermore, the Buddha-nature of Suchness is not the dust and filth of common physical affliction; it is originally without characteristics (wúxiàng); how could one use material water to wash an unconditioned body? The matter does not correspond; how can one awaken to the Way? If one desires the body to attain purity, one should contemplate that this body is originally born from the impurity of greed and desire; it is a concretion of stench and filth, full inside and out. If one washes this body seeking purity, it is like washing a moat; only when the moat is exhausted will it be pure. Examining it by this, one clearly knows that washing the external body is not what the Buddha spoke of.

Question: As the sutra says, if one is mindful of the Buddha (niànfó) with a sincere mind, one will necessarily attain rebirth in the Pure Land of the West. Since through this one gate one should accomplish Buddhahood, why borrow "contemplating the mind" to seek liberation?

Response: Regarding "mindfulness of Buddha" (niànfó), one must be mindful correctly (zhèngniàn); understanding the meaning is correct, not understanding the meaning is deviant. With correct mindfulness, one necessarily attains rebirth; with deviant mindfulness, how can one reach the Beyond? "Buddha" means awareness; it refers to being aware and scrutinizing body and mind, not allowing evil to arise. "Nian" (Mindfulness) means recollection; it refers to recollecting and upholding the practice of precepts, not forgetting diligence and diligent practice. Understanding this meaning is named "Nian." Therefore, know that Nian lies in the mind, not in words. Because of the trap one seeks the fish; obtaining the fish, one forgets the trap. Because of words one seeks the meaning; obtaining the meaning, one forgets the words. Since one speaks the name of "Mindfulness of Buddha," one must know the Way of Mindfulness of Buddha. If the mind lacks reality and the mouth recites an empty name, while the Three Poisons gather inside and the self and personhood (rénwǒ) fill the chest, receiving the mind of ignorance and not seeing the Buddha—one wastes effort in vain. Moreover, regarding "reciting" (sòng) and "mindfulness" (niàn), the meanings and principles are widely different. Located in the mouth, it is called reciting. Located in the mind, it is called mindfulness. Therefore, know that mindfulness arises from the mind; it is named the gate of awakening practice. Reciting lies in the mouth; it is simply the characteristic of sound. Clinging to characteristics to seek the Principle is ultimately without possibility. Therefore, know that what the sages of the past practiced was not external speech; they only inferred [everything] to the mind. Mind is instantly the source of all goodness; Mind is instantly the king of ten thousand virtues. The constant bliss of Nirvana is born from the resting of the mind. Cycling through the Three Realms also arises from the mind. Mind is the door of leaving the world; Mind is the ford of liberation. Knowing the door, how can one worry that it is difficult to accomplish? Knowing the ford, why grieve about not arriving? I privately see that those of shallow knowledge in the present time only know service to characteristics as merit. They widely waste wealth and treasure, injure many creatures of water and land, falsely build images and stupas, and vainly employ human labor. Piling wood and layering mud, painting blue and coloring green, they exhaust their minds and empty their strength, harming themselves and misleading others. Not understanding shame, how could they ever awaken? Seeing the conditioned, they are diligently attached; speaking of the signless, they are dull and confused. Greedily desiring the small petty mercies of the present life, how can they realize the great suffering of the future? Cultivating and learning like this, they tire themselves in vain, turning their backs on the correct and returning to the deviant, lying about obtaining blessings. But if one can encompass the mind and illuminate inwardly, with awareness and contemplation clearly bright externally; cutting off the Three Poisons and eternally causing them to perish; closing the Six Thieves and not allowing them to invade and disturb; Then naturally, merits as numerous as Ganges sands and various adornments and countless Dharma-gates will be accomplished one by one. Transcending the ordinary and realizing the sacred is right before one's eyes, not far away. Awakening lies in an instant; why bother with white hair [of old age]? The True Gate is hidden and secret; how can it be fully described? Briefly narrating the contemplation of mind, I detail a small part of it, and speak a verse:

I originally seek the mind, the mind holds itself; Seeking the mind, it is not obtained; one waits for the mind to know. The Buddha-nature is not obtained from outside the mind; The time the mind arises is precisely the time sin arises.

I originally seek the mind, not the Buddha; Understanding that the Three Realms are empty and without things. If one desires to seek the Buddha, one should only seek the mind; Just this mind, this very mind, this mind is the Buddha.

Translator (Soh)'s Commentary

Introduction

The Pò Xiàng Lùn (Treatise on Breaking Through Marks), traditionally attributed to Bodhidharma, is a seminal text of the early Chan tradition (likely associated with the Northern School). Its primary rhetorical strategy is the systematic internalization of Buddhist practice. The interlocutor (Questioner) constantly proposes conventional, external forms of merit-making—building stupas, burning incense, bathing monks, reciting the Buddha's name. The Master (Bodhidharma) consistently deconstructs these "marks" (xiàng / nimitta) and reinterprets them as metaphors for the cultivation of the mind. This text serves as a "breakthrough" guide, shattering the reliance on conditioned phenomena (yǒuwéi) to reveal the unconditioned (wúwéi) nature of awareness.

Translation Choices & Contextual Explanations

1. Characteristics vs. Marks (Xiàng)

The term Xiàng is polysemous. I have translated it primarily as "Marks" in the context of rituals and external forms (e.g., "burning incense is not the incense of worldly marks"), where it corresponds to nimitta (signs of validity, ritual forms, objects of grasping). However, I use "Characteristics" when the text discusses the defining features (lakṣaṇa) of an entity (e.g., "characteristics of the true nature"). The title Breaking Through Marks was chosen because the text explicitly targets the soteriological error of attachment to external signs.

2. Mind (Xīn) and Awareness (Jué)

The text revolves around Guān Xīn (Contemplating the Mind). Xīn here is not the discursive intellect or psychological ego, but the Tǐ (Essence)—the "Adamantine Buddha-nature." I have translated Jué as "Awareness" or "Awakening" depending on context. Where the text states "Buddha-nature is simply the nature of awareness" (Juéxìng), it collapses the distance between the practitioner and the goal. "Awareness" is preferred here to emphasize the immediate, cognitive presence of the nature, rather than a static, distant state of "Enlightenment."

3. The Radical Re-mapping of Cosmology

A distinctive feature of this text is its psychological reductionism. The Three Realms (Desire, Form, Formless) are not physical locations but states of Greed, Anger, and Delusion. The "Three Asaṃkhyeya Kalpas" are not eons of time but the "innumerable" evil thoughts of the Three Poisons. I have maintained the literal force of these assertions. Where the source says "The Three Realms are the Three Poisons," I did not soften it to "correspond to," preserving the text's non-dual impact.

4. Bathing and the "Seven Dharmas"

The section on the Bathhouse Sutra is a masterclass in metaphor. The "bath beans" (ancient soap made from ground beans) become "discrimination" (selecting/discarding), and "inner garments" become "shame/repentance." I have glossed the literal items (willow twigs, bath beans) to ensure the modern reader understands the base metaphor before grasping the Dharma-significance.

5. Niànfó: Mindfulness vs. Recitation

The text rigorously distinguishes between Mindfulness (Niàn - mental recollection) and Recitation (Sòng - oral repetition). This distinction is crucial in early Chan, which viewed oral recitation without mental clarity as "wasting effort." I translated Niàn as "Mindfulness" to preserve the etymological link to memory/keeping in mind (smṛti), and Sòng as "Reciting" to emphasize the physical act of sound production.

Comparative Notes: High-Fidelity vs. Earlier Translations (e.g., Red Pine)

While Red Pine's translation is well-known for its accessibility and "Zen" flavor, this High-Fidelity translation diverges in several key areas to prioritize doctrinal precision and metaphoric integrity:

• Dharma-Milk vs. Dharma-Talk

• Source: Fǎ Rǔ (法乳).

• Red Pine: "Pure Dharma-talk."

• This Translation: "Pure Dharma-milk."

• Rationale: The text relies on an extended metaphor involving a "Cow" (Vairocana Buddha). A cow produces milk, not "talk." Rendering it as "talk" breaks the metaphor and ignores the literal Chinese character Rǔ (Milk).

• Willow Twigs vs. Willow Catkins

• Source: Yáng Zhī (杨枝).

• Red Pine: "Willow catkins."

• This Translation: "Willow twigs."

• Rationale: In ancient Indian and Chinese hygiene, the willow branch (chew-stick) was the standard toothbrush (dantakāṣṭha). "Catkins" (the fuzzy flowers) serve no cleaning function. The metaphor relies on the cleansing action of the twig to represent "cutting off false thinking."

• Aggregates vs. Shades

• Source: Wǔ Yīn (五阴).

• Red Pine: "Five shades."

• This Translation: "Five aggregates."

• Rationale: While "shades" is a poetic rendering of Yīn (Shadow/Yin), "Aggregates" is the standard, recognized English translation for the Buddhist term Skandha. Using "shades" risks obscuring the standard doctrinal framework for the reader.

• Essence vs. Real Self

• Source: Zhēn Rú Tǐ (真如体).

• Red Pine: "Real self."

• This Translation: "Essence of Suchness."

• Rationale: Inserting "Self" (Atman) into a text explicitly teaching Anātman (No-Self) and titled "Breaking Through Marks" is textually inaccurate and doctrinally confusing. Zhēn Rú literally means True Suchness, and Tǐ refers to the fundamental essence or nature of Mind and all phenomena, which is vividly clear and radiant but empty of inherent existence, and not a substantial "Self." "Essence of Suchness" preserves the ontological nuance without injecting Vedantic terminology which is nowhere to be found in the original Chinese text.