One of the most top-voted threads on Reddit's streamentry subreddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/streamentry/comments/igored/insight_buddhism_a_reconsideration_of_the_meaning/

[9:07 PM, 8/27/2020] John Tan: Yes pretty much agree with what he said.
[9:40 PM, 8/27/2020] John Tan: But the same insight of anatta must be applied to object, characteristics, cause and effect, production and cessation...which is a more slippery issue. Nevertheless, experientially seeing through self/Self is still most crucial.

John Tan
Friday, January 23, 2015 at 6:13pm UTC+08

You cannot choose and pick what you like about liberation and enlightenment. Saying one has actualized anatta and uprooted self and attained arahatship is not what you see people declaring here and there. I have told you many times what [these people] realized is only at most stream entry. You are talking about liberation and freedom from cyclical existence (Note by Soh: Do read this article  for clarifications, Why Overcome Cyclic Rebirths?) and therefore you are referring to arahatship.

......

John Tan: http://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2020/08/insight-buddhism-reconsideration-of.html
(Note: Based on previous context, I've assumed this is the link for "insight-buddhism...")

[6:11 am, 19/04/2022] John Tan: This article is written myriad object?
[6:14 am, 19/04/2022] John Tan: Should put geoff and myriad objects article in main link, I think it clears a lot of misconceptions.
Soh: Yeah.. ok
Main link as in the stickied posts in atr blog?
John Tan: Yes
Soh: Ok
[9:58 am, 19/04/2022] John Tan: Any links to insightful articles?
[9:58 am, 19/04/2022] John Tan: I think a section on that is good
Soh: Ok.. later i think how to create
John Tan: Otherwise many ppl might missed all these good articles
[9:59 am, 19/04/2022] John Tan: Otherwise many ppl might miss all these good articles
[9:59 am, 19/04/2022] John Tan: And its really difficult to search through the whole blog other than u
[10:00 am, 19/04/2022] John Tan: Nafis is another one that probably went through the whole blog... Lol
Soh: yeah im surprise he is becoming like me.. many of the posts he pasted was what i wanted to pasted but lazy lol

….

Update, 2024:

I recently wrote on reddit:

What Krodha said in this thread is right:

 “The streamentry subreddit is full of people who overvalue their own meditation experiences. Most who claim stream-entry aren’t stream-entrants.”

“There are probably no srotapannas there. From reading that sub over a decade it is essentially just full of people deluding themselves.

Some nice meditation experiences, sure. But actual stream entrants? Definitely not.”

"It is quite rare to attain stream entry, I’ve been involved with dharma for over a decade and can count those who are tried and true stream entrants on one hand. That said, contemplate the Bahiya and Kalakarama suttas and cultivate the first dhyāna."

I would add that many people have misunderstood what stream entry is. Maybe 99% on reddit. The only thread on the streamentry subreddit that correctly presents stream entry can be found in https://www.reddit.com/r/streamentry/comments/igored/insight_buddhism_a_reconsideration_of_the_meaning/ , it is a good read and highly recommended reading.

——

Glad you liked it. If that interests you, I think this should interest you too. On nondual awareness and its nature and the subtleties of insight:

• https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2007/03/thusnesss-six-stages-of-experience.html
• https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2009/03/on-anatta-emptiness-and-spontaneous.html
• https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2007/03/mistaken-reality-of-amness.html

🙏 :) p.s. I'm Soh, and Thusness (John Tan) is my mentor... I've been through similar stages in my journey

——

Self-view is well defined, for example, as I quoted in my article:

“The contemplation of neti neti, or dissociation, the separation of the witness from the witnessed, Self from not-self and so on, is done to 'support' a position of a true Self. So with regards to the phenomenal world of everchanging things, I reject as not me and mine, for I am the ultimate Witness that is perceiving all these.

This is the false View no. 4 described in Sabbasava Sutta: "...As he attends inappropriately in this way, one of six kinds of view arises in him: The view I have a self arises in him as true & established, or the view I have no self... or the view It is precisely by means of self that I perceive self... or the view It is precisely by means of self that I perceive not-self... or the view It is precisely by means of not-self that I perceive self arises in him as true & established, or else he has a view like this: This very self of mine — the knower that is sensitive here & there to the ripening of good & bad actions — is the self of mine that is constant, everlasting, eternal, not subject to change, and will stay just as it is for eternity. This is called a thicket of views, a wilderness of views, a contortion of views, a writhing of views, a fetter of views. Bound by a fetter of views, the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person is not freed from birth, aging, & death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair. He is not freed, I tell you, from suffering & stress." - the commentary of 'Middle Length Discourses' book explains, "of these six views, the first two represent the simple antinomy of eternalism and annihilationism; the view that ‘no self exists for me’ is not the non-self doctrine of the Buddha, but the materialist view that identifies the individual with the body and thus holds that there is no personal continuity beyond death. The next three views may be understood to arise out of the philosophically more sophisticated observation that experience has a built-in reflexive structure that allows for self-consciousness, the capacity of the mind to become cognizant of itself, its contents, and the body with which it is inter-connected. Engaged in a search for his 'true nature,' the untaught ordinary person will identify self either with both aspects of the experience (view 3), or with the observer alone (view 4), or with the observed alone (view 5). The last view is a full-blown version of eternalism in which all reservations have been discarded.”

• https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2011/10/anatta-not-self-or-no-self_1.html

The insight and realisation of anatman puts an end to all views of self.

——

Since self view is well defined by Buddha in several suttas, that is a very clear indication of when stream entry occurs. Most people however misunderstand that point and have a watered down version of “ending self view”.

So yes what you said is right it is not arbitrary

On a related note, i wrote an article about the different degrees of no self. Only the true anatman insight can end self view, not mere non doership, impersonality or even nondual: https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2020/04/different-degress-of-no-self-non.html

….

A crucial criteria in Buddha's teachings on stream entry is the ending of self-view. This ending of self-view marks the attainment of stream entry.
Krodha/Kyle Dixon explained well what that entails: https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/15m6m36/explain_like_im_five_what_is_selfview_how_to/

krodha · 6 mo. ago

What's an easy way to identify self view in daily life?

Self-view is the nonconceptual feeling of being an inner subjective knower of external phenomena that feel separate from you. If you feel that you are the seer of sights, hearer of sounds, feeler of feelings, knower of the known, that is self-view.

Overcoming self-view looks like this:

With the recognition of selflessness there is an emptying out of both the “subject” and “object” aspects of experience. We come to understand that “I-making” and “mine-making” with regard to the mind and body as well as all external representations is deluded. When the recognition of selflessness is fully developed there is no longer any reification of substantial referents to be experienced in relation to subjective grasping. Whatever is seen is merely the seen (diṭṭhamatta). Whatever is heard or sensed is merely the heard (sutamatta) and merely the sensed (mutamatta). Whatever is known is merely the known (viññātamatta). This is explained in Ud 1.10 Bāhiya Sutta:

"Then, Bāhiya, you should train yourself thus: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Bāhiya, there is no you in connection with that. When there is no you in connection with that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress."

When there is no self to be found one’s experience becomes very simple, direct, and uncluttered. When seeing, there is the coming together of visible form, the eye, and visual consciousness, that’s all. There is no separate “seer.” The seer is entirely dependent upon the seen. There can be no seer independent of the seen. There is no separate, independent subject or self.

This is also the case for the sensory object. The “seen” is entirely dependent upon the eye faculty and visual consciousness. There can be no object seen independent of the eye faculty and cognition. This is the case for all possible sensory objects. There is no separate, independent sensory object.

The same holds true for sensory consciousness as well. “Seeing” is entirely dependent upon the eye and visible form. There can be no seeing independent of the eye and cognition. This is the case for all possible sensory cognitions. There is no separate, independent sensory consciousness.

It’s important to understand this experientially. Let’s take the straightforward empirical experience of you looking at this screen right now as an example. Conventionally speaking, you could describe the experience as “I see the computer screen.” Another way of describing this is that there’s a “seer” who “sees” the “seen.” But look at the screen: are there really three independent and separate parts to your experience? Or are “seer,” “sees,” and “seen,” just three conceptual labels applied to this experience in which the three parts are entirely interdependent?

The “seer,” “seen,” and “seeing” are all empty and insubstantial. The eye faculty, visible form, and visual consciousness are all interdependent aspects of the same experience. You can’t peel one away and still have a sensory experience — there is no separation. AN 4.24 Kāḷakārāma Sutta:

Thus, monks, the Tathāgata does not conceive an [object] seen when seeing what is to be seen. He does not conceive an unseen. He does not conceive a to-be-seen. He does not conceive a seer.

He does not conceive an [object] heard when hearing what is to be heard. He does not conceive an unheard. He does not conceive a to-be-heard. He does not conceive a hearer.

He does not conceive an [object] sensed when sensing what is to be sensed. He does not conceive an unsensed. He does not conceive a to-be-sensed. He does not conceive a senser.

He does not conceive an [object] known when knowing what is to be known. He does not conceive an unknown. He does not conceive a to-be-known. He does not conceive a knower.

Sensory consciousness can’t be isolated as separate and independent. Nor can any of these other interdependent phenomena. Even the designations that we apply to these various phenomena are entirely conventional, dependent designations. But this doesn’t mean that we should now interpret our experience as being some sort of cosmic oneness or unity consciousness or whatever one may want to call it. That's just another empty, dependent label isn’t it? The whole point of this analysis is to see the emptiness of all referents, and thereby stop constructing and defining a “self.”

— Geoff/Jnana

(Note: The "15 Share" part from Reddit is omitted as it's interaction metadata)

Note by Soh: For the full chapter and article by Geoff/Jnana which is very highly recommended, "required reading", please read in full: Great Resource of Buddha's Teachings

Update, 2022:

Someone wrote:

>the first five looks fairly easy, even somebody trained in Adaita Vendanta could do most of them

Soh:

Actually what triggers stream entry would be a direct experiential realization of anatman and conditionality. This is different from the realization of atman-brahman in Hinduism or Advaita Vedanta.

Anatman could be summarised as the realization that in truth, always already, in seeing, there is just the seen, no seer, in hearing, there is just sound, no hearer, and so on. Read Bahiya Sutta and Kalaka Sutta for example. Also check out the chapters on selflessness and cessation in this well compiled PDF: https://app.box.com/s/nxby5606lbaei9oudiz6xsyrdasacqph

Also, you should read this well written article explaining what stream entry is, what the realization entails, for example: https://www.reddit.com/r/streamentry/comments/igored/insight_buddhism_a_reconsideration_of_the_meaning/

When the direct realization of anatman manifests and you attain stream entry, you instantly cut off the first three fetters all at once. You will no longer have skeptical doubt about the Buddhadharma because now you have direct experiential realization of it and have ascertained the Buddha's words to be true.

Edit and update on my first point: When you experience impersonality and even nondual even in Advaita Vedanta, it is certainly not the overcoming of self view of the first fetter. There can still be the view of an unchanging self or awareness like vedanta. It is very clear by reading all the suttas that overcoming of self view covers even eternal witness and substantialist nondual views, so impersonality and nondual does not reach the elimination of self view that a stream enterer has attained.

I wrote an article before with citations from Buddha on how all these self views are refuted, including an eternal witness or an unchanging infinite consciousness as self and so on http://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2011/10/anatta-not-self-or-no-self_1.html — stream entry realization covers the dissolution of all these subtle views of self and inherent existence.

Further Reading & Resources

Someone asked, “Hi Soh, do you know anything about the Wu Xiang Mi Xin Zhong Xin Fa that Yuan Yin Lao Ren is a lineage holder of?”

I translated this article https://www.dharmazen.org/X2GB/D22Method/M401CurrentMWM.htm for him:

Clean Copy — Part 1/3 (SegID 01–08)

A casual discussion of the origins and present situation of the “Heart of Mind” method

Composed by Bhikṣu Shanxiang of Fa’er Chan Meditation Center (lay name Zhang Xuanxiang)

Within the esoteric gate of the Heart-Mystery Dharma, the “Heart of Mind” method belongs to the supreme, highest vehicle, the fourth true-suchness gate of Esotericism. Its practice takes illuminating the mind and seeing the nature as the foremost aim, accomplishing the siddhi of signlessness. According to the patriarchs: this Dharma neither clings to appearances nor departs from appearances; two parts in three rely on the Buddha’s power, and one part on one’s own power. One begins from the eighth consciousness, first breaks ignorance, then subdues the coverings and obstructions, and within a short time can open one’s original nature, eliminate habits and sever delusions, and finally realize fundamental wisdom. In terms of classification, it belongs to the higher section of the esoteric division; it alone enables practitioners to directly realize the source of mind while also communicating with Chan and Pure Land, breaking all views of dharmas to the utmost ultimate, and is therefore worthy to be called the great Dharma that sums up the various schools. Its ritual procedure is simple: one need not cultivate the auxiliary practices or various preliminaries, nor set out manifold offerings. Regardless of gender, age, wealth, or status, so long as one arouses the unsurpassed resolve for the path and can sit two hours daily, one can cultivate it. In this degenerate age it is the most fitting Dharma for illuminating mind and seeing nature, realizing the wisdom of Buddhahood, leaving suffering and attaining happiness, and gaining liberation from birth and death.

In the reign of Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty, the Indian high monk, the Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci, came to Chang’an and, by imperial command, translated in two fascicles the scripture titled The Buddha Heart Chapter and the Great Suiqiu Dhāraṇī. This scripture is precisely the root text of the Heart of Mind method. At the beginning of this scripture, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni tells the assembled: “Good men, well done! Well done! Do you fully know that beings are drowning without end? Now these many beings do not understand my Dharma, do not know my mind, do not reach my limit; they are held by Māra. How can they be saved? Who has a method to protect beings? Who has a method to subdue this poison?” At that time, various bodhisattvas, adamantine secret guardians, and Maheśvara (the Great Īśvara, Śiva) and others came forward in turn, wishing respectively to subdue beings by compassion, by miraculous power, or by sovereign transformations. The World-Honored One told them all that these were not what would subdue them. Then, at the request of the Bodhisattva of True Virtue in the assembly, he revealed the means of rescue and protection: “Only the Tathāgata’s Heart of Mind—none of the rest can equal it. Why? Because it can cause all Māras to give rise to great compassion; can cause all dharmas to appear in accordance with what is fitting; can cause all Buddhas to be constantly inseparable; can cause all bodhisattvas to be one’s retinue; can cause all vajras to bestow their might; can cause all the hosts of gods to constantly protect; can cause the great yakṣas and rākṣasas to become an assisting Dharma assembly; can cause all the great ghosts and spirits to give rise to joy; can cause those who uphold and recite it to be equal to the Buddha’s power, equal to the Buddha’s mind, equal to the Buddha’s wisdom, equal to the Buddha’s majesty; can cause, in what the upholder’s mind undertakes to do, nothing not accomplished; can cause all obstacles and difficulties to be entirely cut off; can cause Śakra and Brahmā to constantly support; can cause all to proceed straight to bodhi without retrogression; and can cause worldly enterprises to be self-illuminating. Thus, across all past, future, and present worlds—whether penetrative or not, whether wise or not, whether virtuous or not—all are brought into submission.” He also taught the method of cultivating the Heart of Mind. Through these conditions the World-Honored One expounded an unsurpassed Dharma-treasure to the assembly, and later innumerable beings, relying on it for cultivation, left the sea of suffering and accomplished the bodhi path and fruit.

The Sinitic land originally had its own esoteric transmission. In the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang, the Indian great masters Śubhakarasiṃha, Vajrabodhi, and Amoghavajra successively came east and translated the Mahāvairocana Sūtra, the Vajraśekhara Tantra (《金刚顶经》), and other purely esoteric scriptures, spreading esoteric Dharma in China. History calls them the “Three Great Masters of the Kaiyuan Era,” and the later esoteric school of this period was called “Tang Esotericism.” Subsequently, in the Zhenyuan era, the patriarch Huiguo transmitted the pure esoteric Dharma to Japan’s Kōbō Daishi, Kūkai (774–835, founder of Shingon, who propagated at Tō-ji), and the Tiantai school transmitted esoteric Dharma to Saichō (767–822, founder of Japanese Tendai, a naturalized Chinese in Japan). From then on Japan had esoteric Dharma, called “Eastern Esotericism” and “Tendai Esotericism.” Because the ritual procedures of pure Esotericism are complex, requiring the establishment of maṇḍalas and the expansive arrangement of offerings, it suffered the most severe blows during Emperor Wuzong’s Huichang persecution of Buddhism, and later again faced persecution under Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. The esoteric tradition handed down in the Tang basically became extinct in China. The Heart of Mind and other esoteric methods, having flowed to Japan, were preserved to this day; however, because they pertain to the siddhi of signlessness and can be transmitted only when one has reached a very profound level, those who obtained them were very few.

After Esotericism entered the inland, the great master Padma-saṃbhava (Padmasambhava) transmitted another lineage of Esotericism into Tibet; later generations called it the Nyingma school (commonly called the Red School). Within its teachings there has always been a transmission of the Heart of Mind method. In former years when Master Nona (Nona Rinpoche) spread Esotericism in China, he mentioned the Heart of Mind, but because it belongs to the unsurpassed esoteric class, it could not be lightly transmitted to ordinary people and was therefore given only in Shanghai to the great layman Yuan Xilian. According to the Third Patriarch Yuan Yin, some years ago there was a Dharma master Huai Ze in Taiwan (a disciple of Venerable Shangqin Yin of Taiwan’s Fuhui Monastery; this name was bestowed by Venerable Shangqin Yin. He was also a disciple supported by Venerable Xuanguang, the present abbot of Dongchan Monastery in Taitung and the son of my refuge master. Thus, he is also my Dharma nephew; together with Mr. Ding, who carves Buddha images, he visited me some time ago, and I then learned of this nephew relationship). When he was young, he went to Japan’s Mount Kōya (the root dōjō of Eastern Esotericism) to study Esotericism; after six years of practice he saw the Heart of Mind root text and requested to learn it. His master told him that his present conditions were not yet sufficient; only when he had the qualification of ācārya could it be transmitted. Lacking the patience to wait, he went to Tibet, sought a Red School master to learn this method; the Red School master told him: since you already practiced Esotericism for six years in Japan, you can shorten the time somewhat; reside with me another ten years, first cultivate some other esoteric methods, and only then can I transmit this to you. Thus the Heart of Mind in both Japan and Tibet is a method not transmitted lightly; without a stretch of arduous cultivation and without a considerable foundation in esoteric Dharma, it is very difficult to obtain.

The “Heart of Mind” now taught by the Heart-Mystery (xinmi) is neither from Eastern Esotericism nor from Tibetan Esotericism, but our Sinitic land’s own unique transmission, which already existed within Tang Esotericism and then re-emerged in the 1920s as the signless esoteric Heart of Mind. Its founding patriarch (First Patriarch) was Ācārya Dayu (Great Fool).

Great Fool (Dayu) Patriarch was a son of the Li family in Wuhan, Hubei. In the early Republic he took part in politics and served as a Hubei provincial assemblyman. At that time warlords were dividing the land, with years of warfare; the people suffered slaughter, living creatures were trampled, and the people had no means to live. Seeing this misery, the Patriarch was pained to the marrow and gave rise to the mind of renunciation. He abandoned office and departed, going forth at Baohua Vinaya Monastery in Nanjing, later traveling to Donglin Monastery on Mount Lu to temper his resolve and cultivate intensively. He first cultivated the Pure Land gate, though repeatedly facing adversity without the least slackening; then he resolved to cultivate the Pratyutpanna samādhi, enduring all hardships without regret. After an exceedingly arduous struggle, at last the thievish mind died utterly; he merged deeply into great concentration and experienced Samantabhadra Bodhisattva appearing in person, who bestowed the Heart of Mind method and told him that this method already exists in the Tripiṭaka, extremely skillful and expedient, and could be sought and cultivated. By relying on the empowering force of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, this method can, for opening one’s original nature, achieve twice the result with half the effort, supplementing the insufficiency of Chan’s reliance solely on self-power, and is most suited to the faculties of beings today. Following the Bodhisattva’s indication, the old man of foolishness sought out the Buddha Heart Sūtra in the Tripiṭaka, examined the essentials in detail, and after seven years of bitter cultivation completely realized the original truth and accomplished siddhi. In the mid-1920s he came down the mountain to transmit the Dharma and opened the “Seal-the-Heart” gate.

The Heart-Mystery gate was then transmitted to Layman Wang Xianglu, personal name Zaiji, courtesy name Xianglu (Xiangliu), style “Layman Ren-zhi,” ancestral home in Haiyan County, Zhejiang; his father moved to Haining County (today’s Yanguan Town, Haining, Zhejiang). The master-grandfather was born in the hour of the dog on the second day of the third month, 1885, and entered parinirvāṇa in the hour of the dog on December 16, 1958. He was the sixth son of Wang Xinfu of Haining’s illustrious Wang clan “Youhuai Hall.” His father was upright his whole life and resigned office to keep his integrity. His mother, of the Jiang clan, came from a prominent family in Xiashi, Haining; she had deep faith in Buddhism, loved to give charity, and was exceedingly wise. It is said that at his birth he presented in a “gourd womb,” regarded as an auspicious omen. Endowed with heavenly intelligence, surpassing his peers, as a child he could recite the Diamond Sūtra and fluently memorize the Heart Sūtra. In his youth he made repeated pilgrimages with his mother to Mount Putuo; the great compassionate vows of Holy Avalokiteśvara deeply impressed his heart, and the bodhicitta-root was firmly planted. Later, receiving transmission from the Patriarch, he became the second-generation transmitter of the signless esoteric Heart of Mind of the “Seal-the-Heart School.” In earlier years Master Le Chonghui of the Mahāyāna Hermitage published his Yihai Lectures; now his granddaughter Zhao Xiaomei has compiled them into The Complete Works of Wang Xianglu, and by this condition, Laywoman Zhao Xiaomei (now called Master Mingzhen) often confers empowerments and teachings to Taiwanese at the Mahāyāna Hermitage.

Clean Copy — Part 2/3 (SegID 09–16)

The third-generation transmitting vajra master of the Seal-the-Heart School was Elder Yuan Yin, my own master who conferred empowerment on me in 1995. His lay name was Li Zhongding, the great Chan worthy. Born November 22, 1905, in Hefei, Anhui; entered parinirvāṇa in the hour of the dog on February 5, 2000 (lunar New Year’s Day) at the Unity Flower Hermitage in Xinzhuang, Shanghai; he lived ninety-six years.

Elder Yuan Yin left no formal successor. The Master said: those who receive the Heart-Mystery Heart of Mind transmission must possess five qualifications: first, one who has genuinely awakened; second, one with cultural level, that is, a high level of education; third, one whose observance of precepts and virtue is outstanding, who does not seek fame or profit; fourth, one who can expound the sūtras and both exoteric and esoteric dharmas; fifth, one who can elucidate kōans. Regrettably, during the Elder’s lifetime, among the disciples in mainland China, although some had awakened, none fully possessed the five qualifications, and so the Heart-Mystery finally had no one to inherit the transmission. The Heart of Mind method has much of the style of Chan after the Sixth Patriarch: there is no genuine succession of robe and bowl, yet each disciple transmits according to what was received. Whether this Heart-Mystery gate of Heart of Mind can, like Chan after the Sixth Patriarch, unfold in the same manner remains unknown; this depends on whether later great worthies have the selflessness and dedication of the patriarchs, do not seek fame or profit, but value cultivation of virtue and think purely for the sake of beings leaving suffering and attaining happiness. According to a reliable great worthy: he solemnly asked Elder Yuan Yin Ācārya three times, “If someone, without obtaining your permission, confers empowerment and teaches the method to others, does that count as stealing the Dharma?” Three times asked, three times answered: Elder Yuan Yin directly replied, “It counts as stealing the Dharma!” Therefore in the Seal-the-Heart School—Heart of Mind—there are now many who confer empowerment for students; according to online or private reports there are over a dozen to twenty such people. Whether these people received the patriarchs’ permission certificate and lineage transmission to teach is a very important basic virtue for those who cultivate esoteric Dharma. If virtue is not genuine, how can good disciples be taught and transformed? Thus whether the signless esoteric Heart of Mind can develop normally in the future, whether it will be blessing or calamity, cannot yet be known.

A collateral third-generation transmitting vajra master and ācārya of the Seal-the-Heart School was Master Xu Hengzhi, my root master for the “transmission of empowerment.” Root Master Dingzhen was born in 1915, originally from Zhenhai, Zhejiang. As a youth he was influenced by his father to trust in Buddhism. Later he worked in the hardware trade, undergoing much tempering. Then, led by an elder cousin, at twenty-five he determinedly began formal Buddhist study and went to Master Nenghai to take the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts, receiving the Dharma name Dingzhen. At the same time he corresponded with Master Wang Xianglu, then expounding the Dharma in Tianjin, who revealed to him the essentials of prajñā and instructed him by mail in methods of observing mind. After the victory over Japan in 1945, Master Wang came to Shanghai to expound the Dharma; following him he learned the signless esoteric Heart of Mind, and, relying on the “Buddha Heart Sūtra of Secret Rituals” in the Taishō Canon, persisted in cultivating four to five hundred sessions of “six seals and one mantra,” each session two hours, directly entering the gate of signlessness and cutting off entanglements. In the 1950s he received the Yogācāra Bodhisattva Precepts under Elder Qingding. The Yogācāra Bodhisattva Precepts have four grave transgressions: (1) Greed: attachment to existence and to what one possesses, with the nature of defilement; it obstructs non-greed and has the karma of producing suffering; it is the foremost of the fundamental afflictions. (2) Stinginess: clinging to wealth and Dharma, unable to grant and give, with the nature of secretive jealousy; it obstructs non-stinginess and has the karma of base hoarding. (3) Anger: in dependence on a presently appearing disagreeable condition, with the nature of blazing resentment; it obstructs non-anger and has the karma of taking up the staff. (4) Hatred: following on anger, harboring evil without letting go, with the nature of holding grudges; it obstructs non-hatred and has the karma of burning vexation.

The Root Master strictly upheld the precepts. Under the perfuming of these four Yogācāra grave precepts, he truly cultivated such that his mind-ground became gentle, mild, and harmonious. For example, as a great worthy approaching ninety, when receiving Bhikṣu Sheng Dengjue (Chengyi), who had only recently left home and then retreated for three years to cultivate Heart of Mind, he greeted the monk with a full prostration. One can see that his realization of “no-self” was not something ordinary people could match. I also heard that before Elder Yuan Yin’s parinirvāṇa, when some sought empowerment and the cultivation of Heart of Mind from him, he would always say to those who came: the present transmitter of Heart-Mystery is Elder Yuan Yin; you should seek empowerment and cultivation from the Elder; do not come to me. One can see his respect for his elder Dharma-brother and for the proper transmitter of the Heart-Mystery gate—far beyond those today who seek name and profit and delight in conferring empowerments.

Both Elder Yuan Yin, the third-generation transmitting vajra master of the Seal-the-Heart School, and his junior Dharma-brother, the transmitting vajra master and ācārya Master Xu Hengzhi, both undertook retreat practice at Wolong Mountain. According to Bhikṣu Changji Chengyi’s essay “Correctly Recognizing Heart of Mind,” he says that after Elder Yuan Yin’s parinirvāṇa (February 5, 2000, Spring Festival), he completed his retreat of three years, three months, and three days and emerged from retreat, learned that Elder Yuan Yin had already entered parinirvāṇa, and then went to pay respects to the vajra master and ācārya Master Xu Hengzhi. Let us see his account—

“In Shanghai there is an elder Mr. Xu Hengzhi—he is Elder Yuan Yin’s Dharma-brother. When I went to visit, he came to open the door; as soon as he opened the door, he knelt down and bowed, saying, ‘Oh! Dharma Master, you are so majestic.’ I had never thought myself so majestic; he, at such an advanced age, bowed down to me. This was not my majesty, but the height of Elder Xu’s virtue. His virtue was so humble that words cannot express it; yet we are the next generation, and he is of the upper generation, an elder uncle in the Dharma, is he not? Our Elder Yuan Yin is the teacher; he is the teacher’s younger brother—so as soon as he opened the door he bowed down, seeing such a dignified Dharma appearance. I was startled; never before had such an elder bowed to me. I quickly helped him up and said: ‘Elder Uncle in the Dharma! Please sit.’ I supported him to the sofa, then said: ‘Let me bow to you.’ As soon as I bowed down, he bowed back; that is how it was—when I bowed down, he bowed down. That very day he handed over the ‘Heart of Mind’ Dharma scroll (that is, the small lineage manual). At that time we ate lunch—noodles—and after eating he said: ‘Your future work is to spread the Heart of Mind, but this cannot be done in haste; it must proceed gradually. Take this Dharma scroll with you.’ I said: ‘No, I cannot. I have just come out of retreat and know nothing; you ask me to do this—I cannot.’ He said: ‘This is our teacher’s intention; you have this karmic condition.’”

This episode occurred around October 2000. Thus it appears that Bhikṣu Changji Chengyi’s true master for the Heart of Mind was Elder Yuan Yin, while the empowerment authority of lineage transmission came from the vajra master and ācārya Master Xu Hengzhi. This is quite similar to my situation: with permission from the vajra master and ācārya Master Xu Hengzhi, on November 22, 2005, introduced and accompanied by the great layman Chen Baihua, I went to Shanghai to pay respects to the elder uncle (at that time I had not received the lineage and thus called him “elder uncle”), and received from the Master’s own hand a small booklet—the “Empowerment Manual” (the very Dharma scroll mentioned by Bhikṣu Chengyi). He personally instructed me in how to perform the empowerment ritual. Having formally studied this empowerment Dharma, I could then confer empowerment and teach cultivation to those who wished to learn Heart-Mystery. This experiential process was exactly the same as that of Bhikṣu Chengyi. However, after receiving the Dharma, I held that because this is a signless esoteric, unsurpassed esoteric method, one must carefully choose those to be empowered according to their root capacity. If there is no basis in sitting meditation, or no long-term Buddhist study, then one should not be given empowerment, for after cultivation there will be no accomplishment. Otherwise one should first cultivate the preliminary practices: especially learning the “linked clasps” so that the practitioner’s fingers become supple, in order to form the six mudrās of the Heart of Mind in the orthodox esoteric way. Then learn sitting meditation, or the repentance mudrā, or the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra, and so on.

Buddhist learners in Taiwan may not be very familiar with Bhikṣu Chengyi; here is a brief introduction. His Dharma name is Changji, style Dengjue, lay surname Mei. In 1994 he cultivated Chan, Pure Land, and Esotericism under Shanghai’s vajra master Elder Yuan Yin. In 1996 he left home under Elder Mingshan and received the complete threefold ordination at Guanghua Monastery in Putian. In 1997 he undertook a retreat of three years, three months, and three days at Wanshou Monastery in Fuan. In 2000 he received the Seal-the-Heart lineage and, on behalf of the Patriarch, conferred empowerment and transmitted the Dharma. In 2007 he received the forty-fifth generation Linji orthodox Chan lineage from Elder Benhuan of Hongfa Monastery in Shenzhen. He is now the abbot of Sanfo Chan Monastery on Chongming Island, Shanghai.

Speaking to this point: there are many great worthies who confer empowerment and teach the Heart of Mind. According to my knowledge, among the ordained on the mainland there are Bhikṣu Changji Dengjue (Chengyi), Bhikṣu Wude, and Bhikṣu Dazhao; in Taiwan there is Bhikṣu Wuben. Among laymen on the mainland there are the great laymen Qi Zhijun, Chen Ning, Shen Zengfu, Shen Hong, and others; as for others, either I am ignorant or, having heard, did not remember the names. In total there are over a dozen.

The master explains that the Heart of Mind method has six mudrās and one mantra. The practice is simple and easy to learn: there is no need to cultivate auxiliary practices or preliminaries, and still less to contemplate forms or perform visualizations. Because, like Chan, upon awakening one begins from the eighth consciousness and, furthermore, because there is empowerment from the Buddha’s power, one can easily and directly illuminate one’s own nature. Mantric speech is the secret language formed by Buddhas and bodhisattvas in meditative absorption from their own hearts, like the ciphers used when sending telegrams; the mudrās are like seals stamped on documents, or like the antenna on a television. By forming mudrās and intoning the mantra, the practitioner communicates heart-to-heart with the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, becoming one with them; therefore the empowerment is great and the path is quickly realized. The six mudrās of the Heart of Mind each have a different function; by cultivating them in sequence, one can purify karmic habits, consolidate the basis for entering the path, and then realize essence and let function arise.

Clean Copy — Part 3/3 (SegID 17–23)

The six mudrās of the Heart of Mind: 

The first mudrā is the Bodhicitta Mudrā. It teaches the practitioner to set a great resolve and make great vows—above, to seek the Buddha’s path; below, to transform beings—thus consolidating the initial resolve for the path. It is like erecting a hundred-zhang-high building: one must first lay a solid foundation; if the foundation is not firm, the building will collapse. If one learning the path does not establish great resolve and make great vows, one will surely retreat when encountering difficulty, stopping at the first setback, and will never persevere with indomitable spirit to the end to realize the holy fruit. Therefore this mudrā is the most important. Among the more than sixteen thousand mudrās of Esotericism, this mudrā is the king of mudrās.

The second mudrā is the Bodhicitta Accomplishment Mudrā. Cultivating this mudrā can eliminate past obstructions and cure illnesses; it is the prelude to the opening of wisdom. The Buddha Heart Sūtra says: “If good men and women obtain and uphold this seal, they will turn their karma and eliminate obstructions, and quickly realize unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Constantly upholding this seal, they will attain retention and never forget; for the essentials of the Dharma they will naturally be thoroughly proficient. What they have not retained from long past will all correspond to the mind; whatever they undertake will all be in accord.” Those who cultivate this mudrā often experience diarrhea, for by the empowering force of this mudrā, the defilements and filth accumulated from past lives are expelled through the stool.

The third mudrā is the Correct Bestowal of Bodhi Mudrā. It is the essential mudrā by which Buddhas and bodhisattvas emit light and empower the practitioner, pushing him forward to quickly enter concentration. If during the period of practice one encounters vexations and a chaotic mind, cultivating this mudrā can swiftly change the situation and deepen meditative absorption. If relatives or friends in the distance fall ill, or if there is some unsatisfactory affair, one can add cultivation of this mudrā for them; after the practice they may recover or improve.

The fourth mudrā is the Tathāgata Mother Mudrā. It is the essential mudrā for opening wisdom, accomplishing the path, and being reborn in pure lands. The Buddha Heart Sūtra says that those who cultivate this mudrā “As the Buddhas are long-lived, I too am long-lived; as the Buddhas realize the path, I too realize the path; as the Buddhas save beings, I too save beings; as the Buddhas are unobstructed, I too am unobstructed; as the Buddhas manifest transformation-bodies, I too manifest transformation-bodies; as the Buddhas emit light, I too emit light; as the Buddhas dwell in quiescent concentration, I too dwell in quiescent concentration; as the Buddhas abide in samādhi, I too abide in samādhi; as the Buddhas preach the Dharma, I too preach the Dharma; as the Buddhas do not eat, I too do not eat; and so on—whatever the Buddhas do, I am all able to do.” Therefore when the six mudrās have been completed and one begins to specialize in cultivating the second and fourth mudrās, the second is cultivated for only one day, while the fourth must be cultivated for six days; hence its importance. Many students open their original nature and see true nature during the period of cultivating this mudrā.

The fifth mudrā is the Tathāgata Well-Gathered Dhāraṇī Mudrā. It gathers into one the merits, powers, and marvelous functions of the mantras of all Buddhas. Its power is supremely great; its momentum is fiercely swift; it can subdue demonic obstructions and break the heterodox and evil dharmas. It can even move mountains and fill seas, and eliminate vexations such as the overturning of seeds. Therefore those who cultivate the Heart of Mind have no fear of falling into demonic states and no affliction from heterodox evils.

The sixth mudrā is the Tathāgata Speech Mudrā. If a practitioner cultivates this mudrā, all the sūtras spoken by the Buddhas and the treatises composed by the bodhisattvas can be understood at a glance, comprehended thoroughly, without a trace of doubt. By upholding this seal one can also summon the empowerment of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, fulfilling all vows. When we have transformed greed, anger, delusion, pride, doubt, and all sorts of desires into emptiness, then by relying on the empowerment of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, our innate spiritual powers will swiftly manifest.

Because the six mudrās of the Heart of Mind respectively possess the various functions of arousing resolve, eliminating karma, attaining concentration, opening wisdom, subduing demons, and removing obstructions, those who learn this method need not pass through the cultivation of auxiliary practices and the stages of generation and completion, but can directly enter the stage of great perfect completeness.

The cultivation method of Heart of Mind is a dual cultivation of concentration and wisdom. While seated, with the mind attentive and the ear listening, the emphasis is on cultivating concentration, with wisdom residing within concentration—this is “nourishing wisdom with concentration.” After rising from the seat, one engages situations and trains the mind, using the light of wisdom to awaken and break all delusive thoughts—this is “gathering concentration with wisdom.” Because concentration and wisdom resource each other, then harmonize, and then are in equipoise as equal, the effect of cultivating this method is obvious and the results astonishingly rapid; it is not rare to open one’s original nature within a few dozen sessions.

The Heart of Mind method is also neither empty nor existent. Call it empty—there are mantra and mudrā. Call it existent—the mantra and mudrā have no meaning that can be discoursed, and there is no thought to be moved. It teaches you to keep to single-minded mantra recitation and pushes you forward; when the mind is emptied to a certain point, faculties and objects naturally fall away, and then the original is seen.

What is further remarkable in the Heart of Mind is its ability to fuse myriad dharmas in a single crucible. The Buddha Heart Sūtra says that cultivating Heart of Mind and forming the fourth mudrā leads to rebirth in the Western Pure Land, and further to rebirth in the pure lands of the ten directions—this is the Pure Land school. Opening one’s original nature and seeing the fundamental nature—this is the Chan school. Accomplishing to the end such that mind communicates with the ten-direction worlds, the ten-direction worlds are within my mind, the Buddhas are within my mind, I am within the Buddhas’ minds, light inter-embraces light, layer upon layer without end, interpenetrating without obstruction—this accords with Huayan. This method is different from ordinary Esotericism; it is the very heart-blood of the Buddhas, the jewel on the king’s crown. To say that it contains all dharmas and sums up the various schools is truly no exaggeration.

Method of applied cultivation:

It may roughly be divided into the following stages:

1. The period of cultivating the six mudrās. The six mudrās of this method must be cultivated in sequence and not jumped over. Each mudrā is cultivated for eight days; forty-eight days form one cycle; two cycles are cultivated in all. This is the period of laying the foundation. Once the six mudrās are complete, the doors of the three evil destinies can be closed and the cause of saṃsāra cut off. This is precisely the excellence peculiar to the esoteric Dharma.

2. The period of specialized cultivation of the second and fourth mudrās. After the six mudrās, one enters the specialized cultivation stage of the Heart of Mind. During this period one uses a seven-day cycle: the first day cultivates the second mudrā; the next six days cultivate the fourth mudrā; cycle in this way, repeating until one has great thorough awakening. So long as the practitioner cultivates in accordance with the method, without arbitrarily missing sessions, within a thousand sessions there will be good news. As for those who do not open within a thousand sessions but continue to exert themselves without slackening and respond only after seven or eight years, there are such people as well.

3. The period of “striking sevens.” In the period of specialized cultivation of the second and fourth mudrās, one can insert the method of “striking a seven.” The Heart of Mind’s seven-day retreat is conducted in winter; the time does not exceed four “sevens.” A good-knowing-friend must lead. There are three sessions each day, each session four hours. In the first two sessions one practices the fourth mudrā; in the last session, the second mudrā. On the final day one practices three times—nine sessions in all—only the fourth mudrā.

“Striking a seven” is a method of special exertion. Because one applies oneself continuously each day, the empowering force is extremely strong, and the practitioner has no leisure for anything else, the thievish mind easily dies and the mind-flower easily opens; the effect is even more remarkable than the ordinary, perfunctory daily cultivation. Because striking a seven requires dedicated time and place and also places certain demands on the body, it is not something everyone can or must do. The main thrust of cultivation is in ordinary times; when one’s skill is accomplished, response will naturally come. Those with the conditions to apply the seven-day method to exert themselves for realization—so much the better.

4. The period of preserving and maintaining and removing habits after seeing nature. The purpose of cultivation is to see the Buddha-nature possessed by everyone. If one truly sees nature, one’s mind-nature is already clear, the eye of the path is opened; one truly contemplates that Buddhas and sentient beings are equal in essence, the same perfect wisdom encompasses both the sentient and the insentient; every arousal of mind and thought is none other than prajñā; every lift of hand and step of foot is marvelous function. After seeing nature, because beginningless delusive habits remain, one still must repeatedly temper oneself in the mind-ground; yet because one has realized the empty nature of non-abiding and the unconditioned, though constantly applying effort, the mind does not cling anywhere. At this point, to say “to cultivate” or “not to cultivate” is to speak from two ends. For those newly awakened, because delusive habits are many and because they have not completed a thousand sessions, they should still continue to sit; although their root has been clarified, their power of concentration is not full. When encountering circumstances, delusive thoughts will still arise frequently; they must rely on sitting to nurture concentration. After a thousand sessions, if habits are weak, one can abandon sitting and temper mind-nature within affairs, cultivating the sacred embryo. If habits are still deep, one may continue to sit and rely on the strength of the method gradually to polish habits; but one must not become attached to sitting—otherwise the view of Dharma will not be removed and it will be difficult to enter the realm of ease.

Although the Heart of Mind can help practitioners quickly open one’s original nature and see Buddha-nature, due to differences in one’s foundation and degree of exertion, not everyone can realize. For those who have not seen nature, is there still value in continuing to cultivate the Heart of Mind? The conclusion is affirmative. Earlier we have said that the fourth mudrā of Heart of Mind can lead to rebirth in the Western Pure Land; therefore those who have completed a thousand sessions of Heart of Mind, so long as they do not retreat from their initial resolve, can, at the end of life, be reborn according to vow. Fearing that people may not accomplish by practice, Great Fool Patriarch also specially transmitted the Maitreya Mantra and the Extensive Rebirth Mantra; by upholding them in accordance with the method, one can certainly be reborn in Tuṣita’s inner court or the Western Pure Land. Those who cultivate the Heart of Mind and are willing to apply effort can all obtain benefit. Many people, after not a long time of cultivation, clearly feel changes begin in body and mind: habits, after repeated churning, gradually lighten; the grasping mind shifts from initially firm to increasingly thin; the mood transforms from distressed and repressed to open and enthusiastic; the body, without one’s noticing, also turns toward the good. The speed of its accomplishment and the quickness of its effect are truly beyond ordinary imagination—only those who cultivate can know its marvel.

The patriarchs’ accounts of the origins of the Heart of Mind

When Great Fool Patriarch descended the mountain to spread the Dharma, Esotericism had long been extinct in the inland; the unsurpassed Dharma-treasure was unknown to people. To make the world know this skillful method, the Patriarch slightly displayed spiritual powers wherever he went, and there was uproar north and south of the Great River; for a time those who sought the Dharma were no fewer than fifty to sixty thousand. At first, because each day was occupied with conferring empowerments and transmitting the method, there was not time to speak in detail about the essentials; thus people regarded it as ordinary Esotericism and valued spiritual powers rather than the path. Therefore in 1930 he convened nine prajñā Dharma assemblies in succession, beginning to reveal the esoteric intent to people; soon thereafter he transmitted the Dharma to his heart-marrow disciple Wang Xianglu, changed his clothing and retired into the Sichuan–Shu region. Great Fool Patriarch left in his life only one piece, the “Song of Liberation,” and one “Farewell Poem,” and no other written works.

The Second Patriarch of Heart of Mind, Master Wang Xianglu, style “Layman Ren-zhi,” of Haiyan, Zhejiang, was endowed from childhood with keen intelligence, innately possessed a wisdom-root, and loved the scriptures. In his youth he served as an interpreter for the Imperial Commissioner, went to India and the South Seas to investigate, venerated the Buddha’s relics, and his heart for the path grew ever firmer. At first he widely sought the essentials of various schools, reciting the Buddha-name and investigating Chan for more than a decade, yet did not dare to presume he had a handle on it. Later, following Great Fool Patriarch in cultivating the Heart of Mind, he finally entered deep samādhi, saw the true aspect, and revealed the mind-ground. Receiving the patriarchal seat, he established the Seal-the-Heart Hermitage in Tianjin and Shanghai, widely propagated the great Dharma of Heart of Mind, and spared no effort in guiding later learners. He taught not less than ten thousand people; those who believed and had evidence, who cultivated and had attainment, numbered in the hundreds. The master’s instructions guided students gently and skillfully; his words were concise, penetrating deeply while speaking shallowly, and those who heard all received benefit. In his life his writings were plentiful, not less than several million words; most, unfortunately, were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The surviving parts were collected and edited by his granddaughter Laywoman Mingzhen into The Complete Works of Layman Wang Xianglu, now printed and in circulation. The Complete Works are divided into three parts: the first consists of the revealing of hidden meanings, explanations of purpose, and vernacular expositions of various scriptures; the second consists of Yihai Lectures, Questions and Answers on Entering the Bright Meaning of Buddhism, and other lecture manuscripts; the third consists of the essentials of the Seal-the-Heart and associated records. All of the master’s writings were composed after awakening, flowing forth from the luminous essence-body; they carry the patriarch’s heart-marrow and deeply accord with the unsurpassed esoteric intent. He defined the aim of the Seal-the-Heart School thus: to take prajñā as the pivot, to take dhāraṇī (total retention) as the method, and to take Pure Land as the return. Truly, every word is a pearl and each phrase precious jade. He fused Chan, Pure Land, and Esotericism in a single crucible, swept away the narrow views of sectarianism, united doctrine and discipline, and opened the eyes of beings. For later learners it is the guide-rope to clarify canonical outlines, the course to pass through the mind-ground, and the compass of the principle of the sea of nature—truly an outstanding work of modern Buddhist studies. The theoretical structure of the Heart of Mind method was only fully established in the Second Patriarch’s time.

In 1958 the master exhibited the appearance of illness at his residence in Shanghai. Knowing that his karmic connection in this world was coming to an end, he transmitted the Dharma to his great disciple Li Zhongding and exhorted him again and again: “You must widely propagate this great Dharma to save the world and ferry beings.” When the illness became grave, he formed the Suixin Dhāraṇī mudrā for several days and passed away peacefully.

The Third Patriarch of Heart of Mind, Mr. Li Zhongding, style “Elder Yuan Yin,” of Hefei, Anhui, read in his youth the legacy of Confucius and Mencius and was at a loss regarding birth and death; as a youth he read the Diamond Sūtra with his father and felt it strangely familiar. Later he moved with his father to Zhenjiang, played in temples, and upon hearing the bell his clamoring mind ceased at once. At that time on Jinshan there was an enlightened high monk whom all reverenced as a living Buddha; seeing that the master as a child possessed a wisdom-root and was a vessel for Dharma, he knocked his head with a wooden mallet and said: “Apply yourself well to study and practice; future blessings will be inexhaustible!” As a young man he moved with his father to Shanghai and entered Hujiang University; at twenty his father died of illness. To support and provide for his mother, he sought work and studied half-time while working. As he got deeper into worldly affairs he felt ever more keenly the brevity of life; his mind of renunciation intensified, and he resolved to study Buddhism, not marrying and not taking a family. In his spare time from study and work he followed in succession the Tiantai great virtue Xingci, the Huayan chair Yingci, and the layman Fan Gunong, studying Tiantai, Huayan, and Yogācāra doctrine. In winter he joined the assembly to investigate Chan and strike Pure Land seven-day retreats; suddenly he felt the human body vanish and luminous clarity standing forth, but in the last step he still lacked a bit. After this, introduced by a friend, he met the Second Patriarch of Heart of Mind, Master Ren-zhi, and cultivated Heart of Mind; at last he realized “smashing the void and leveling the great earth.” Blessed by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, auspicious signs repeatedly appeared; in question-and-answer with Great Fool Patriarch, marvelous words sprang like pearls.

The Master’s learning was broad and his talent extraordinary; he knew the common return of the Three Teachings and recognized the arcana of the Tripiṭaka; his mind for saving beings was especially earnest. He took prajñā as the eye to lead the many dull into the Buddha’s wisdom; he borrowed the various vehicles as expedients to bring the ordinary to return to the sea of nature. In both view and realization he did not yield to the ancients. Though his preaching bore the name “esoteric,” it in fact encompassed Chan and Pure Land, and he was especially adept at explaining Esotericism by means of Chan and uniting Esotericism with Chan. The various kōans and anecdotes of the Chan lineage were on his lips as he pleased, all opening the gate of prajñā; he spoke gently and at length, marvelously revealing the aim of Seal-the-Heart.

For decades the Master’s Dharma propagation footprints spread north and south of the Great River; beyond the four assemblies of disciples domestically, many students from Europe, America, and Japan also came by reputation. His works include: Essentials of Buddhist Cultivation and Realization, The Hidden Meanings of the Heart Sūtra, Lectures on the Ganges Mahāmudrā, and Secret Instructions for Accomplishment in the Intermediate State; since publication they have been warmly received by the faithful, and even after repeated reprints supply could not meet demand.

In the year of Gengchen (2000), on the first day of the first lunar month, the Master knew beforehand that his karmic connection was complete, and he cast off the body and passed away. At cremation not only did his body produce innumerable relics, but marvelous, inconceivable auspicious signs repeatedly appeared in the sky. This is the sign that the Master’s lifelong intensive cultivation had reached complete accomplishment—bright enough to illuminate sun and moon and forever serve as a model for later generations!

In his will the Master did not appoint a successor, but said, “Where there is the Way, it will naturally spread.” All the colleagues of Heart of Mind have continuously labored unremittingly for spreading the Dharma and benefiting beings. We believe that the Heart of Mind will surely, as the Elder predicted, be widely propagated between heaven and earth and spread throughout the entire world!

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Here's another translation, of the article https://yinxinzong.com/yin_xin_zong/guan_yu_xin_mi.html：

Clean Copy — Part 1/2 (SegID 01–15)

1. The Heart of Mind method is the highest signless esoteric vehicle; unless one possesses great fearlessness, one does not dare to believe in it or cultivate it…

2. The Heart of Mind method is the highest signless esoteric vehicle; unless one possesses great fearlessness, one does not dare to believe in it or cultivate it. In Tibet one must first practice the esotericism of signs, and only after twenty full years—or after twenty years have passed—may one cultivate this; people of the eastern land have different faculties, therefore one may proceed directly to deeper training. In the initial phase of this method the responsibility lies with the teacher; without examination one does not transmit it rashly. In the seventeenth and eighteenth years of the Republic, Ācārya Dayu established the teaching in Beijing and Shanghai; at that time those who sought the Dharma numbered fifty to sixty thousand, and hundreds received transmission each day. There was no time to speak in detail of the essentials, and the world consequently regarded it as ordinary Esotericism; most abandoned their cultivation halfway, or gave rise to doubt and slander. Those who deeply believed without doubt, received personal guidance nearby, and gained a little of the heart-essentials—up to now they have not reached two hundred. At present my foolish teacher lives in seclusion at Hankou (Wuhan), temporarily setting aside worldly ties, and has entrusted fellow students, each according to his share, to spread and transform in various places. Dull as I am and with only a half-understanding, I have nonetheless dared to take the high seat and, together with you good sirs, form this unsurpassed auspicious connection; I feel deep shame. Fortunately, over the past two years, all who have cultivated have obtained benefit; the Dharma connection grows daily; Chan and Esotericism interpenetrate; this land is pure. Thus, as for the Heart of Mind method, the various doubts and slanders of the past have, thanks to your personal realization, melted away without debate. Concerning future cultivators, how could the merit be conceivable? The method of cultivating Heart of Mind itself need not be repeated; yet for the sake of convenience for those who come and as a kindness to later learners, an explanation cannot but be detailed.

3. As to its doctrinal category, the Heart of Mind method belongs to the esoteric division; yet it enables the practitioner to directly realize the field of mind and also communicates with Chan and Pure Land—it fuses Chan, Pure Land, and Esoteric in a single crucible. It breaks through all views of dharmas to the utmost ultimate. All its ritual procedures are extremely simple: one need not prepare various offerings; regardless of gender, age, noble or base, so long as one can sit for two hours, one can cultivate it, and one can fix a time to attain concentration. When there is concentration, wisdom naturally arises; therefore one who has not sat more than a hundred sessions cannot be spoken to about the heart-essentials and enabled to let essence open to function. What is wondrous in this method is that, amid utter dullness and darkness, there is a sudden opening and clarity, a personal seeing of the real aspect, and the attainment of samādhi. Moreover, because people differ in habitual tendencies, the swiftness of response and the imagery of reactions likewise differ; therefore while cultivating one should often stay close to teacher and companions so as to ask and consult. Otherwise, just as one has begun to gain concentration on the seat and experiences a state, one suddenly harbors doubt and refuses to sit—this illness is extremely common.

4. In cultivating the Heart of Mind method, the emphasis is after rising from the seat: meeting situations and training the mind; with the power of the light of wisdom, seeing that all is illusory; then the mind is naturally without attachment. Without attachment is non-abiding; non-abiding is called non-thought—not that “not seeing and not hearing” constitutes non-thought. This method is the unsurpassed wondrous method for collecting the mind: from illuminating the mind, one empties appearances; from emptying appearances, one empties mind; from emptying mind, one empties emptiness; from emptying emptiness, one’s nature appears; from the appearing of nature, one’s illumination becomes complete; from complete illumination, one becomes profoundly quiescent—thus one enters the subtlest ultimate realm of the Heart of Mind.

5. The cultivation of the Heart of Mind method can be roughly divided into five periods: first, the period of completing the six seals; second, the period of continuing to cultivate further; third, the period of “striking sevens”; fourth, the period of completing one thousand sessions; fifth, the period of giving it up and no longer cultivating. This method has at most one thousand sessions. If one refuses to give it up then, it becomes the illness of attachment to Dharma. Conversely, after completing the six seals, some refuse to continue sitting—these two types are the most numerous, and deeply regrettable.

6. The root of beings’ illness lies solely in habitual tendencies. If one does not uproot the root, there is no thoroughness. This root lies latent within nature; the “Heart of Mind” expresses that nature. In the initial phase of this method one seeks concentration; attaining concentration is essence; from concentration, wisdom is born; the arising of wisdom is function. While seated, one cultivates stopping—this is essence; after rising from the seat, one cultivates insight—this is function. Stopping and insight advance together; concentration and wisdom resource each other; essence and function become one: when essence is great, function is great; when essence is small, function is small. Yet practitioners often fail to set function in motion; they devote only two hours a day to sitting and refuse at ordinary times to investigate the arising of function and to practice contemplative illumination. Therefore the effect obtained is very little, and they then suspect that the Dharma is not ultimate. It is like sharpening a knife but never testing it—one never knows whether the blade is keen or dull—yet one blames the method of sharpening and rashly gives rise to self-view. Is this not to be lamented?

7. The Heart of Mind method differs entirely from other gates. In the beginning it is easy to obtain concentration; yet midway one instead feels turmoil. This is precisely the time of great advance; the practitioner must not doubt or retreat. It is like two bowls of muddy water. In the first, one keeps it still and unmoving, so the silt settles and the water becomes clear; though the result seems quick, it is not ultimate—for with the least agitation it becomes turbid again. In the second, one gradually removes the silt; there is much stirring and overturning; the more one stirs, the more the mud is removed; when one has turned it over to the point of thorough purity, one will no longer fear agitation and inversion. Or again, when a sick person takes medicine, he must undergo the reactions of sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea; then the illness is removed.

8. People in the world seek concentration and often take a rigid, unmoving guarding to be concentration. This is stillness, not concentration. Concentration means that movement and stillness are one suchness, order and confusion not two. Whatever situations appear before one—gain and loss, honor and disgrace, praise and blame, pleasure and pain—the eight winds come; one receives them without being stained, unchanging and unshaken; this is right concentration. The Heart of Mind method can indeed be cultivated to such a state. Yet those of poorer wisdom will surely stare and stick out their tongues, saying: “This is the Buddha’s state; how could we ordinary folk accomplish it? This must be crazed delusion, not knowing one’s measure,” and so on. Those who hear this will surely doubt and retreat and not study, and by sitting thus they harm themselves. This is a normal human response; one must by no means do this. Practitioners should have a spirit of courage and daring, an explorer’s heart. Under heaven there is no cheap advantage of gaining without toil—how much less in learning the Buddha’s way!

9. Eastern Esotericism and Tibetan Esotericism place weight on signs; the rituals are extremely strict; the Buddha images are magnificent; the expense is incalculable. Only the Heart of Mind method is unconstrained by all of this and does not choose a particular place; as long as one cultivates in accordance with the method and fulfills the time, one can accomplish. Be patient and settle the breath—there is no other way. First: seeking spiritual powers is not permitted. Second: seeing lights and seeing Buddhas is not permitted. If various states appear, do not allow joy, do not allow fear; take them to be the work of illusion and ignore them all. While sitting, do not be hasty; if someone disturbs you or a child cries, you are not permitted to get angry or resentful. Whatever goes against your wishes, borrow it to train the mind and transform accumulated habits; whenever annoyance or resentment arises, give rise to joy. After a long time, becoming practiced and natural, the light of equality-wisdom appears.

10. In cultivating the Dharma, the highest is reverence with urgency: if reverent, one is not careless; if urgent, one can endure; concentration will not be hard to obtain. After rising from the seat, the highest is lively contemplative illumination: liveliness can transform stubborn habits; contemplative illumination can examine the depth or shallowness of one’s daily practice; then function will not be hard to arise. Later, when observing others’ capacities, one too will, through this, mature and advance; the eye of wisdom will open without one’s noticing. To attain concentration and realize essence, one can rely on the Dharma, for there are mantra and seals. But to open wisdom and set function in motion depends entirely on oneself; one must at all times practice contemplative illumination and training; do not be negligent. In recent times, although practitioners have cultivated for many years, their afflictions are as before; this is because they are unwilling to practice the arising of function. They mistakenly take worldly Dharma and the Buddha-Dharma to be completely separate matters. The Sixth Patriarch said: “The Buddha-Dharma is in the world and is not apart from worldly awakening.” If one does not rely on external conditions to train the mind, one goes far astray.

11. Those who cultivate this method take non-heedlessness of mind as foremost, not the destruction of the body and the acceptance of suffering. Thus the precepts take the precept of mind as highest. Forming the seal with the hands is the esotericism of body; then one does not raise bodily karma, and killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct cease. Reciting the mantra with the mouth is the esotericism of speech; then one does not raise verbal karma, and double-tongue and the other evils cease. Clarifying and emptying the mind is the esotericism of intention; then one does not raise mental karma, and greed, anger, and delusion cease. This is the “precept of no-precept,” a precept applied to what is not yet noticed. The contemplative illumination after rising from the seat, which realizes emptiness, belongs to preventing suspicion and blocking evil at the causal stage—to taking precepts before the fact. For killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct are the fruit; at the causal stage they belong to greed, anger, and delusion; and greed, anger, and delusion are in turn the fruit, while at the causal stage they belong to not illuminating mind. Thus the Heart of Mind method can directly realize the adamantine prajñā; it is the unsurpassed wondrous gate for awakening mind and for uprooting fundamental karmic obstructions.

12. In the gate of cultivation, actual doing is primary; exclusively expounding doctrine is entirely useless. In Esotericism one not only practices oneself, but also relies on the Buddha’s power; therefore there is a definite assurance: one cultivates the three virtues of precepts, concentration, and wisdom, entering them without self-awareness. From of old, the two schools of Chan and Esoteric differ from other schools in that they begin from the eighth consciousness, seeking the cause by relying on the result; one first realizes the Great Mirror Wisdom—that is, fundamental wisdom, namely non-discriminating wisdom—also called the siddhi of signlessness. The Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch has also briefly discussed this. The Heart of Mind method does not rely on the depth or shallowness of years previously cultivated; one must undergo examination by the empowerer of practitioners. Even one who does not know a single character, or has never cultivated before, may be entrusted with the Dharma. Moreover, during cultivation one does not ask about place; anywhere one may sit and cultivate; one need not necessarily enter a consecrated hall or prepare various offerings. If one relies on the ritual instruments and regulations of Tibetan Esotericism, common people would be unable to manage them—this is merely a skillful means.

13. While cultivating the Heart of Mind method, one is temporarily not permitted to consult sūtras and treatises, lest the mind be divided; even sūtras previously read may for the time be set aside. Wait until after one hundred sessions, when samādhi is realized and the heart-essentials are touched and opened; then the intent and realm are naturally different; rising to read the sūtras again, one will certainly enter another realm. At this time one should constantly draw near a good-knowing-friend to arouse and correct; only after thorough awakening may one read sūtras, so that one is not turned by the sūtras.

14. Originally in Tibetan Esotericism there were no Red and Yellow divisions. The Red School’s esoteric methods were renowned as most complete; because their efficacy was too great and close to the mysterious, when transmitted to those who were not the proper vessels, many abuses arose. The Yellow School patriarch Tsongkhapa had no choice but to emerge and reform the teachings. Yet although the old ills were removed, new illnesses arose: because what is learned must be followed in a fixed sequence and one may not overstep the allotted years, it seems too rigid and in fact prevents those of sharp faculties from quickly accomplishing—most regrettable.

15. For example, in cultivating signless esotericism such as the Heart of Mind, in Tibet one must wait twelve to twenty years; though this is fixed in the Dharma, people’s faculties are keen or dull and differ; time may be wasted, and one cannot proceed directly to deeper training. For although the lamas’ own practice is deep, they have not fully understood the dispositions of people of the eastern land. Teachers are too few; therefore the Esotericism obtained in the east has only the forms and has not reached the profound essentials. Only recently did Master Nona open and reveal the signless esoteric, gradually leading and guiding. Among the lamas, the one who understood the Heart of Mind method was only this one. They do not know that the Heart of Mind method originally exists in both Eastern and Tibetan Esotericism, the true transmission of the Buddha and not some private invention.

Clean Copy — Part 2/2 (SegID 16–29)

16. Therefore in cultivation one should first clarify the intent of the Dharma and never forget the root in every respect; do not be misled by Dharma. Esotericism receives the empowerment of all Buddhas; the assisting power is great—like an airplane is an assisting power for a traveler; but in the end the traveler must operate it himself. If one were to say that the Buddhas can make a person become a Buddha, this would be no different from a person sitting in an airplane and the airplane ascending to the sky of itself—how could there be such a principle? The foremost habit of those who cultivate Esotericism is to seek the mysterious: they rely on the Buddhas for everything while they themselves neither start nor move; they become partial to ritual and do not understand the heart-essentials; their own mind-ground being unclear, their habits are ultimately hard to remove; the airplane never flies; after ten years of learning Esotericism, afflictions are as before; methods sought are without number; suffering is as yesterday. Speaking fairly: is this the fault of the Dharma? What are the three mysteries? Body, speech, and mind. Where do the mysteries return? To purity. When the mind-ground is pure, the benefit is clear and evident. A sick person taking medicine prizes spiritual efficacy; who argues about the high or low of the medicine? Furthermore, in cultivating esoteric methods there are several points that should be attended to:

17. First: in mantra recitation, accuracy of sound is the foremost principle. Whenever one takes up a mantra, when one has recited it to the point of being half-familiar, one should ask the empowering master to correct the tones and prosody. Within the words and phrases there are methods of heavy and light, of sections, of linking and separating; one must investigate each one. It is not enough that the sound merely seem similar: one must also gain similarity in spirit. When familiar, it will become natural.

18. Second: offerings of incense, flowers, water, and lamps are all symbolic. The aim is to make one’s Vairocana buddha-nature correspond with the Buddha: incense symbolizes the absence of filth; flowers symbolize marvelous function; water symbolizes limpid purity; lamps symbolize luminosity—all are symbols of the tathāgata-store nature of oneself and all beings, endowed with marvelous virtues and adorned, not two with the Buddha. One contemplates oneself also as a Buddha; the emphasis lies in the mind-ground. Therefore it is said: “Mind, Buddha, and beings—these three are without difference.” In cultivation, one may borrow these form-based methods for a time—nothing more than to collect the mind.

19. Third: ritual has definite methods; one must never, by oneself, do as one pleases. Here the transmission from master to disciple is weighty. According to the set number of years, cultivate the number of sessions; focus exclusively on a single gate and enter deeply; then there will surely be attainment. If one loves loftiness and chases afar, constantly shifting at the sight of something new, one will inevitably accomplish nothing.

20. Fourth: in cultivating Esotericism, one must avoid discussing Dharma with those who cultivate the exoteric, for the standpoints differ and misunderstandings are many; therefore it leads to much wavering and harms one’s vigor. For Esotericism and Chan mostly begin from the eighth consciousness: first breaking ignorance, later removing the coverings and obstructions—fundamentally different. Exoteric teachings regard the breaking of ignorance as extremely difficult and say that one must pass through three great asaṅkhyeya eons. They do not know that “asaṅkhyeya” means a time that cannot be spoken. In studying the Buddha-Dharma one cannot measure by this present life, and speed is not fixed in time. Those who cling to the marks of words cannot be spoken to about this.

21. In today’s world, because the environment is unfavorable, people’s minds become ever more restless; in dealing with worldly affairs one feels increasing difficulty. People often suffer three kinds of insufficiency: first, a weak body and many illnesses; second, a lack of the power of concentration; third, a weakness of discriminative knowing. Because the body is weak, there are many illnesses: all progress retreats; lifespan recedes; one dies early in middle age, or becomes disabled by illness—most lamentable. The means of remedy lies only in cultivation and nourishment: cultivation is to collect the mind and apprehend nature; nourishment is to regulate the breath and pacify the spirit. When the mind has a master, the qi is naturally sufficient; when essence is firm and spirit flourishing, one can remove illness and extend years. A lack of concentration power mostly comes from a weak body; only when the body is strong can one endure toil and piously cultivate; when concentration power is strong, wisdom power is sufficient, and discriminative knowing naturally far-reaching. The Buddha-Dharma is active in saving beings, not passive self-deliverance.

22. For elders, as the road of return is near, it is most urgent to cultivate quickly and leave the paths of suffering early. The fourth seal of the Heart of Mind method can lead to rebirth in the Western Land and assist the conditions for rebirth by reciting the Buddha’s name.

23. Those in middle age are engaged in purposeful activity; if they feel a lack of vigor or insufficient concentration power, and when encountering affairs the heart palpitates and courage is small, often spoiling matters, then the Heart of Mind method can enable one to attain concentration within a set period; concentration and wisdom resource each other; as it concerns one’s lifetime career, it is extremely great.

24. For the young, whose discriminative knowing is insufficient and whose minds are easily shaken, the allure of external things leads immediately to downfall; if they cultivate the Heart of Mind method, their foundation can be made firm; and what comes first takes mastery, so the unfolding of enterprise will be beyond measure. Therefore this method can be cultivated by everyone. For women at home with nothing pressing, who wish for less illness and anger, this method is the supreme secret recipe. Alas, people’s merit is thin; obtaining the Dharma is already extremely difficult; how much more those who obtain it and do not cultivate—how much more to be pitied!

25. Those who cultivate the Heart of Mind method, after one hundred sessions, will find their complexion and bodily strength gradually full; the various benefits are beyond recounting. Below I will again speak of the essentials of cultivation; I too only describe one ten-thousandth of it. As for the utmost subtleties, those who have not realized them will not know. Before long you good sirs can personally draw near my foolish teacher to seek further certification; what is obtained will be more complete. The conditions lie ahead; those with resolve will surely accomplish; rest easy a little.

26. From The Complete Works of Layman Wang Xianglu—Yihai Lectures.

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The intricate workings of the law of karma, of which the Buddha gained knowledge on the momentous night of his enlightenment some 2,500 years ago, underlie the course of our lives in subtle and profound ways. Although we’re typically unaware of it, there are times we may start to notice. For instance, when something radically unexpected occurs and we try to understand – why did this happen to me? Or, when we question our fortune in life – good or bad – in comparison to that of others.

Dharma Master Cheng Yen teaches that there’s another way we can come to recognize the play of karma: By observing our relationships and becoming aware of the karmic affinities that influence their quality.

In life, there are people who we feel drawn to and those it seems we can’t help but dislike. Even though someone may be a nice and good person, somehow, when we see them, a feeling of strong dislike arises, unbidden. Just seeing them causes a change in our mood, but we don’t know why we’re reacting this way. As if beyond our control, our attitude turns negative, our tone sharp, our words unkind. Why? 

The reason lies in our having formed negative relations with this person in a past life; in Buddhism, we call these negative karmic affinities. But, just as we can form negative karmic affinities, positive karmic affinities can also be formed.

When we share positive karmic affinities with people from a past life, we’ll naturally take a liking to them in this life. Everything they say will sound right and sensible and we’ll readily agree. Even when their views are actually distorted or wrong, we’ll place our faith in them and believe them to be in the right. So even when they lead us astray, we’ll follow along, believing they’re good people doing the right thing.

Meanwhile, when we have negative karmic affinities with people, we won’t be able to accept anything they have to say. Even if, in fact, they’re sincere and good, we won’t feel that way about them.

One of the ways Dharma Master Cheng Yen teaches about the powerful influence of karmic affinities, is by citing a story about the Buddha, Ananda – the Buddha’s primary attendant and one of his principle disciples – and a poor village woman.

When the Buddha came into her village, the impoverished woman couldn’t stand the sight of the Buddha. Immediately upon seeing him, she disliked him and couldn’t take in any of his teachings. When she saw Ananda, however, she liked him a lot and was drawn to him. When he shared the Buddha’s teachings with her, she was very happy to listen and found the teachings to be quite beneficial. 

The situation was due to the karmic affinities the three had formed in a former life, when the woman had lost a child and was consumed by grief. A spiritual cultivator passing her on the side of the road saw her crying, and stopped to ask why. But after learning that her tears were over the death of her child, he stoically explained that there was no need to grieve, for death was a natural law of life. His detached manner and direct words felt very harsh and cold, making her feel angry and hurt.

Later, another cultivator happened along the same road and likewise stopped to ask the reason for her tears. Upon learning of her child’s death, he compassionately comforted her while sharing the Buddhist perspective on life and death.

The first cultivator was Shakyamuni Buddha in that life; the second was Ananda. Because of the karmic affinities they’d formed then, in this lifetime, the woman disliked the Buddha on sight, despite his being a Buddha. Such is the impact of karmic affinities.

The making of karmic affinities has much to do with our attitude and behavior. The tiniest of comments or a moment’s harshness in tone could mean the forming of negative karmic affinities. Therefore, we need to be very mindful and aware in our daily life. 

We must also understand that the good and bad feelings we have toward people in our lives are in fact due to the karmic affinities formed in past lives. These karmic affinities color our perception of them as good or bad people. If we can realize this, then even if we feel a strong dislike toward someone, we can start to change our perception of them and become successful in overcoming our negative feelings.

In this way,  we can begin to transform the karmic affinities between us – for at every moment, we in fact have the chance to create new karmic affinities. But, if we continue to hold on to the belief that the other person is truly a bad person and refuse to consider that our perception is influenced by karmic affinities, we’ll just continue to perpetuate the negative karmic affinities.

If we can truly understand the existence and impact of karmic affinities, we can transform our relationships with others. This is the kind of mindful practice that we need to bring into our daily life.

(The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation is a global humanitarian NGO founded in 1966 by the Taiwanese Buddhist nun, Dharma Master Cheng Yen, who is recognized as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Taiwanese Buddhism. )