Posts
Chinese Original: https://book.bfnn.org/books/0849.htm
Note: The translator's commentary and notes (by Soh) are provided at the end of the text.
Bodhidharma's Treatise on the Awakening of Nature
Authored by the (First Ch'an/Zen) Patriarch Bodhidharma
Edited and Carved by Śramaṇa Shi Zongjing of Huayan Monastery in Yuzhou
As for the Way, Quiescent Extinction is its Essence. As for Practice, detachment from characteristics is the central principle. Therefore, the sūtra says: "Quiescent Extinction is Bodhi, because it extinguishes all characteristics." Buddha means "Awakening." Because people possess an awakened mind and attain the Way of Bodhi, they are called Buddhas. The sūtra says: "To be detached from all characteristics is called 'all Buddhas'."
You should know that "having characteristics" is the characteristic of "no-characteristics." It cannot be seen by the eye; it can only be known by wisdom. If one hears this Dharma and gives rise to a single thought of faith, this person transcends the Three Realms by means of the Great Vehicle. The Three Realms are: Greed, Anger, and Delusion. Turning back Greed, Anger, and Delusion into Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom is called transcending the Three Realms. However, Greed, Anger, and Delusion also have no real nature; they are only spoken of in relation to sentient beings.
If one can turn the illumination inward, one clearly sees that the nature of Greed, Anger, and Delusion is precisely the Buddha-nature. Apart from Greed, Anger, and Delusion, there is no other Buddha-nature. The sūtra says: "All Buddhas, from the very beginning, constantly dwell within the Three Poisons, nourishing the pure dharmas, and thus become World-Honored Ones." The Three Poisons are: Greed, Anger, and Delusion. When we speak of the Great Vehicle or the Supreme Vehicle, this is entirely the place where Bodhisattvas walk. There is nothing not ridden, yet nothing is ridden; all day long one rides, yet one has never ridden—this is the Buddha Vehicle.
The sūtra says: "No vehicle is the Buddha Vehicle." If a person knows that the six sense faculties are not real and the five aggregates are provisional names, and seeks for them throughout the entire body, they will certainly find no fixed location—one should know that this person understands the Buddha's words. The sūtra says: "The cave-dwelling of the five aggregates is called the meditation hall." To illuminate inward and open up understanding is the gate of the Great Vehicle. Is this not clear? Not recollecting any dharmas is called meditation [dhyāna-samādhi].
If one understands these words, then walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are all meditation. Knowing that the mind is empty is called seeing the Buddha. Why is this? The Buddhas of the ten directions are all free of mind; because they do not see [a fixed] mind, this is called seeing the Buddha. Relinquishing the body without stinginess is called Great Giving. Being separate from all motion and stillness is called Great Sitting Meditation. Why is this? Ordinary beings purely move; the Small Vehicle purely settles. That which transcends the sitting meditation of both ordinary beings and the Small Vehicle is called Great Sitting Meditation. If one comprehends this, all characteristics are naturally released without being sought, and all sicknesses are naturally cured without being treated; this is entirely the power of Great Meditation.
Generally, seeking Dharma by using the mind is delusion; not seeking Dharma by using the mind is awakening. Not attaching to written words is called liberation. Not being dyed by the six dusts is called protecting the Dharma. Departing from birth and death is called leaving home. Not receiving further existence is called attaining the Way. Not giving rise to false thoughts is called Nirvāṇa. Not dwelling in ignorance is Great Wisdom.
The place without afflictions is called Parinirvāṇa. The place without mental characteristics is called the Other Shore. When deluded, there is "this shore"; when awakened, there is no "this shore." Why is this? Because ordinary beings purely dwell in "this." If one awakens to the Supreme Vehicle, the mind does not dwell in "this," nor does it dwell in "that"; therefore, one can depart from both this and that shore. If one sees the Other Shore as different from this shore, this person's mind has not yet attained Zen stability. Afflictions are called "sentient beings"; awakening and understanding are called "Bodhi." They are neither one nor different; they are only separated by whether one is deluded or awakened. When deluded, there is a world to exit; when awakened, there is no world to exit. In the Dharma of equality, one does not see ordinary beings as different from sages.
The sūtra says: "As for the Dharma of equality, ordinary beings cannot enter it, and sages cannot practice it." The Dharma of equality is practiced only by Great Bodhisattvas and all Buddhas and Tathāgatas. If one sees life as different from death, or motion as different from stillness, these are all called inequality. To not see afflictions as different from Nirvāṇa is called equality. Why is this? Because afflictions and Nirvāṇa are of the same empty nature.
Therefore, people of the Small Vehicle falsely cut off afflictions and falsely enter Nirvāṇa, becoming stagnated by Nirvāṇa. The Bodhisattva knows that the nature of afflictions is empty; thus, without departing from emptiness, he is constantly in Nirvāṇa. As for Nirvāṇa: "Nir" means not arising; "Vāṇa" means not dying. Departing from birth and death is emerging into Parinirvāṇa. When the mind has no coming or going, one enters Nirvāṇa. You should know that Nirvāṇa is simply the Empty Mind. The reason Buddhas enter Nirvāṇa is that they abide in the place without false thoughts.
Bodhisattvas entering the site of the Way refers to the place without afflictions. The "empty leisure place" refers to the absence of Greed, Anger, and Delusion. Greed is the Desire Realm, Anger is the Form Realm, and Delusion is the Formless Realm. If a single thought arises in the mind, one enters the Three Realms; if a single thought is extinguished in the mind, one exits the Three Realms. Thus, knowing the arising and extinguishing of the Three Realms, and the existence or non-existence of the myriad dharmas, all depends on the One Mind. Whenever we speak of "one dharma," it resembles insentient things like broken tiles, stones, bamboo, or wood. If one knows that the mind is a provisional name and has no substantial essence, one immediately knows that one's own mind is explicitly neither existing nor non-existing. Why is this?
Ordinary beings purely give rise to mind; this is called "existence." The Small Vehicle purely extinguishes mind; this is called "non-existence." Bodhisattvas and Buddhas have never given rise to mind, nor have they ever extinguished mind; this is called "neither existing nor non-existing mind." This "neither existing nor non-existing mind" is called the Middle Way. Know that if one holds onto the mind to learn the Dharma, then both mind and Dharma are deluded. If one does not hold onto the mind to learn the Dharma, then both mind and Dharma are awakened. Generally, the deluded are deluded within awakening; the awakened are awakened within delusion. A person of Right View knows that the mind is empty and void, thus transcending both delusion and awakening. Only when there is no delusion or awakening is it called Right Understanding and Right View.
Form is not form of itself; it is form because of the mind. Mind is not mind of itself; it is mind because of form. Hence, we know that the two characteristics of mind and form arise and perish together. Existing implies existence within non-existence; non-existing implies non-existence within existence—this is called True View. As for True View: there is nothing it does not see, yet nothing is seen. It sees completely throughout the ten directions, yet it has never seen anything.
Why is this? Because there is nothing to be seen; because seeing is non-seeing; because seeing is not seeing. What ordinary beings see is all called false thought. If there is quiescence and no seeing, only then is it called True View. When mind and object face each other, seeing arises in the middle. If the mind does not rise internally, then the object is not born externally; when both object and mind are pure, this is called True View. When one understands like this, it is called Right View. Not seeing any dharmas is called attaining the Way; not understanding any dharmas is called understanding the Dharma. Why is this? Because seeing and not seeing are both not seen. Because understanding and not understanding are both not understood. The seeing of no-seeing is called True View. The understanding of no-understanding is called Great Understanding. As for Right View: it is not merely seeing the seeing, but also seeing the non-seeing. As for True Understanding: it is not merely understanding the understanding, but also understanding the non-understanding. Whenever there is something understood, it is all called non-understanding; only when there is nothing understood is it called Right Understanding.
Understanding and not understanding are both not understanding. The sūtra says: "Not discarding wisdom is called delusion." If one takes the mind as empty, both understanding and not understanding are true. If one takes the mind as existent, both understanding and not understanding are false. If one understands, the Dharma follows the person; if one does not understand, the person follows the Dharma. If the Dharma follows the person, then non-Dharma becomes Dharma. If the person follows the Dharma, then Dharma becomes non-Dharma. If the person follows the Dharma, then all dharmas are false; if the Dharma follows the person, then all dharmas are true. Therefore, the sage does not use the mind to seek the Dharma, nor does he use the Dharma to seek the mind; he does not use the mind to seek the mind, nor does he use the Dharma to seek the Dharma. Thus, mind does not generate Dharma, and Dharma does not generate mind; mind and Dharma are both quiescent, therefore he is constantly in concentration [samādhi]. When the sentient being's mind arises, the Buddha Dharma is extinguished; when the sentient being's mind is extinguished, the Buddha Dharma is born. When the mind arises, the True Dharma is extinguished; when the mind is extinguished, the True Dharma is born. One who knows that all dharmas do not belong to each other is called a person who has attained the Way.
Knowing that the mind does not belong to any dharma, this person is constantly in the site of the Way. When deluded, there is sin; when one understands, there is no sin. Why is this? Because the nature of sin is empty. If deluded, one sees sin where there is no sin; if one understands, then sin is not sin. Why is this? Because sin has no location. The sūtra says: "All dharmas have no nature; do not doubt the true function; doubting creates sin." Why is this? Sin is born from doubt and confusion. If one makes this understanding, the sinful karma of previous lives is immediately extinguished. When deluded, the six consciousnesses and five aggregates are all the dharma of afflictions and birth-and-death; when awakened, the six consciousnesses and five aggregates are all the dharma of Nirvāṇa and non-birth-and-death.
A practitioner of the Way does not seek the Way externally. Why is this? One knows that the mind is the Way. If one attains the mind, there is no mind to be attained; if one attains the Way, there is no Way to be attained. If one says the Way can be attained by using the mind to seek it, this is all called Wrong View. When deluded, there is Buddha and there is Dharma; when awakened, there is no Buddha and no Dharma. Why is this? Awakening itself is the Buddha Dharma. As for the practitioner of the Way: when the self is extinguished, the Way is accomplished. It is like a shell breaking the tree. This body of karmic retribution is born; thought after thought is impermanent; there is no fixed dharma. One only practices in accordance with thoughts; one must not loathe birth and death, nor love birth and death. But within every thought, one must not give rise to false thinking. Then, while living, one realizes the Nirvāṇa with Remainder; and at death, one enters the Patience of the Non-arising of Dharmas. When the eyes see form, do not be dyed by form; when the ears hear sound, do not be dyed by sound—this is all liberation. If the eyes do not attach to form, the eyes are a gate to Zen; if the ears do not attach to sound, the ears are a gate to Zen.
In summary, seeing form but not attaching to the nature of form is constant liberation. Those who see the characteristics of form are constantly bound. Not being bound by afflictions is called liberation; there is no other liberation. Those who observe form well—form does not give rise to mind, and mind does not give rise to form. Thus, both form and mind are pure.
When there are no false thoughts, one mind is one Buddha-land. When there are false thoughts, one mind is one hell. Sentient beings create false thoughts, generating mind from mind, thus they are constantly in hell. Bodhisattvas observe false thoughts and do not generate mind from mind, thus they are constantly in the Buddha-land. If one does not generate mind from mind, then every mind enters emptiness, and every thought returns to stillness. One goes from one Buddha-land to another Buddha-land. If one generates mind from mind, then every mind is not still, and every thought returns to motion. One goes from one hell, passing through another hell. If a single thought arises, there are the two karmas of good and evil, and there are heaven and hell. If a single thought does not arise, there are no two karmas of good and evil, nor are there heaven and hell.
As for the Essence, it is neither existing nor non-existing. In the ordinary, it exists; in the sage, it does not. The sage is without that mind; therefore, his chest is empty and open, equal in measure to the sky. What follows is all verification within the Great Way; it is not the realm of the Small Vehicle or ordinary beings.
When the mind attains Nirvāṇa, it does not see that there is a Nirvāṇa. Why? The mind is Nirvāṇa. If one sees Nirvāṇa outside the mind, this is called holding a Wrong View. All afflictions are the seed-mind of the Tathāgata. It is because of afflictions that one attains wisdom. One can only say afflictions give birth to the Tathāgata; one cannot say afflictions are the Tathāgata. Therefore, body and mind are the field; afflictions are the seeds; wisdom is the sprout; the Tathāgata is metaphorically the grain. The Buddha is in the mind like fragrance is in a tree. If afflictions are exhausted, the Buddha emerges from the mind; if decay is exhausted, fragrance emerges from the tree. Thus know that outside the tree there is no fragrance; outside the mind there is no Buddha. If there is fragrance outside the tree, it is another's fragrance; if there is a Buddha outside the mind, it is another's Buddha.
Having the Three Poisons in the mind is called a land of filth and evil. Being without the Three Poisons in the mind is called a land of purity. The sūtra says: "If the land is impure and filled with filth and evil, that the Buddhas and World-Honored Ones would appear within it—there is no such thing." "Impure, filth and evil" refers to ignorance and the Three Poisons. "Buddhas and World-Honored Ones" refers to the pure, awakened mind.
All speech is nothing other than Buddha Dharma. If one can be without "that which is spoken," then speaking all day is the Way. If one holds onto "that which is spoken," then being silent all day is not the Way. Therefore, the Tathāgata's speech does not rely on silence; silence does not rely on speech; yet speech does not depart from silence. Those who awaken to this speech and silence are all in Samādhi. If one speaks knowing the time, speech is also liberation. If one is silent not knowing the time, silence is also bondage. Therefore, if speech is detached from characteristics, speech is called liberation. If silence attaches to characteristics, silence is bondage. As for written words, their fundamental nature is liberation. Written words cannot create bondage; bondage itself has never been in written words.
The Dharma has no high or low. If one sees high or low, it is not the Dharma. Non-Dharma is the raft; the Dharma is the raft for people. When a person rides the raft, they cross over non-Dharma, and that is the Dharma.
In worldly terms, there are men and women, rich and poor. In terms of the Way, there are no men or women, rich or poor. Thus, when the Heavenly Maiden awakened to the Way, she did not change her female form. When Channa understood the Truth, did he change his lowly title? This is because it is not about male or female, rich or poor; all come from the One Appearance (Phenomenal One Mark/Aspect). The Heavenly Maiden sought the female characteristic for twelve years and ultimately could not obtain it. Thus, know that seeking the male characteristic for twelve years is also unobtainable. "Twelve years" refers to the Twelve Entrances.
Apart from mind there is no Buddha; apart from Buddha there is no mind. It is like apart from water there is no ice; apart from ice there is no water. Generally, "departing from mind" does not mean staying far away from the mind; it only means not attaching to the characteristics of the mind. The sūtra says: "Not seeing characteristics is called seeing the Buddha." This is precisely departing from the characteristics of the mind. "Apart from Buddha there is no mind" means the Buddha emerges from the mind; the mind can generate the Buddha. However, while the Buddha is born from the mind, the mind has never been born from the Buddha. It is also like fish being born in water; water is not born from fish. Wishing to observe fish, before seeing the fish, one first sees the water. Wishing to observe the Buddha, before seeing the Buddha, one first sees the mind. Thus know that once one has seen the fish, one forgets the water; once one has seen the Buddha, one forgets the mind. If one does not forget the mind, one is still confused by the mind; if one does not forget the water, one is still deluded by the water.
Sentient beings and Bodhi are also like ice and water. Being burned by the Three Poisons is called "sentient being." Being purified by the Three Liberations is called "Bodhi." Being frozen by the Three Winters is called "ice." Being melted by the Three Summers is called "water." If one discards ice, there is no other water. If one discards sentient beings, there is no other Bodhi. Clearly know that the nature of ice is the nature of water; the nature of water is the nature of ice. The nature of sentient beings is the nature of Bodhi. Sentient beings and Bodhi are of the same nature. It is like Wutou (Monkshood) and Fuzi (Aconite)—they share a common root, but the seasons are different. Because of delusion regarding different states, there are the two names "sentient being" and "Bodhi." Therefore, when a snake transforms into a dragon, it does not change its scales; when an ordinary being changes into a sage, he does not change his face. One only knows the mind—wisdom illuminates internally. As for the body—precepts are true externally.
Sentient beings liberate the Buddha; the Buddha liberates sentient beings. This is called equality. "Sentient beings liberate the Buddha" means afflictions generate awakening. "The Buddha liberates sentient beings" means awakening extinguishes afflictions. Thus know: it is not that there are no afflictions, and not that there is no awakening. Thus know: without afflictions, there is no means to generate awakening; without awakening, there is no means to extinguish afflictions. When deluded, the Buddha liberates sentient beings. When awakened, sentient beings liberate the Buddha. Why? Buddhas do not become Buddhas by themselves; it is entirely because of sentient beings that they are liberated. All Buddhas take Ignorance as their father and Greed-Love as their mother. Ignorance and Greed-Love are just other names for sentient beings. Sentient beings and Ignorance are like the left palm and the right palm; there is no difference.
When deluded, one is on this shore. When awakened, one is on the other shore. If one knows the mind is empty and does not see characteristics, then one departs from delusion and awakening. Since one departs from delusion and awakening, there is also no other shore. The Tathāgata is not on this shore, nor on the other shore, nor in the middle stream. The middle stream refers to people of the Small Vehicle. This shore refers to ordinary beings. The other shore is Bodhi.
The Buddha has Three Bodies: Transformation Body (Nirmāṇakāya), Reward Body (Saṃbhogakāya), and Dharma Body (Dharmakāya). The Transformation Body is also called the Response Body. If sentient beings constantly perform good deeds, that is the Transformation Body. When they manifest the practice of wisdom, that is the Reward Body. When they manifest awakening to the Unconditioned, that is the Dharma Body. Constantly manifesting flying through the ten directions and rescuing beings as appropriate is the Transformation Body Buddha. Cutting off confusion, which is attaining the Way in the Snowy Mountains, is the Reward Body Buddha. No speech, no talk, no doing, no attaining, clearly and eternally abiding, is the Dharma Body Buddha.
If we discuss the Ultimate Principle, there is not even one Buddha, how can there be three? These "Three Bodies" are spoken of only based on human wisdom. People have high, middle, and low capacities. People of low wisdom falsely seek merit power, and falsely see the Transformation Body Buddha. People of middle wisdom falsely cut off afflictions, and falsely see the Reward Body Buddha. People of high wisdom falsely witness Bodhi, and falsely see the Dharma Body Buddha. People of supreme wisdom internally illuminate perfect quiescence. They understand the mind is the Buddha. They do not depend on the mind to attain Buddha-wisdom. They know the Three Bodies and the myriad dharmas are all ungraspable and unspeakable. This is the liberated mind, accomplishing the Great Way. The sūtra says: "The Buddha does not preach the Dharma, does not liberate sentient beings, and does not witness Bodhi." This is what it means.
Sentient beings create karma; karma does not create sentient beings. Creating karma in this life, receiving retribution in the next life—there is no time of escape. Only the Perfected Person does not create any karma within this body, therefore he does not receive retribution. The sūtra says: "Creating no karma, one naturally attains the Way." How could these be empty words? People can create karma; karma cannot create people. If a person creates karma, karma and the person are born together. If a person does not create karma, karma and the person are extinguished together. Thus know that karma is created by people; people are born from karma. If people do not create karma, then karma has no means to generate people. It is also like "A person can expand the Way; the Way cannot expand the person."
Ordinary beings of today often create karma and falsely say there is no retribution. How can they not suffer greatly? If one ignores the great suffering and arranges the former mind to create the retribution of the later mind, when will there be a time of escape? If the former mind does not create, then the later mind has no retribution. How then could one falsely see karmic retribution?
The sūtra says: "Although one believes there is a Buddha, if one says the Buddha practices austerities, this is called Wrong View. Although one believes there is a Buddha, if one says the Buddha has the retribution of 'metal spear' or 'horse wheat' (karmic debts), this is called incomplete faith. This is called an Icchantika." Understanding the Sage Dharma is called a Sage. Understanding the ordinary dharma is called an ordinary being. If one can simply discard ordinary dharma and approach Sage Dharma, then the ordinary being becomes a Sage.
Fools of the world only desire to seek the Sage far away; they do not believe that the mind of wisdom-understanding is the Sage. The sūtra says: "Among people of no wisdom, do not speak this sūtra." The sūtra says: "Mind is the Dharma." People of no wisdom do not believe that this mind understanding the Dharma constitutes the Sage. They only desire to seek learning far outside, admiring things like Buddha images, light, fragrance, and colors in the sky. They all fall into Wrong Views, lose their minds, and become insane.
The sūtra says: "If one sees all characteristics are not characteristics, one immediately sees the Tathāgata." The 84,000 Dharma gates all arise from the One Mind. If the characteristics of the mind are internally pure, like the empty space, one immediately departs from the 84,000 afflictions within the body and mind, which are the root of sickness. Ordinary beings worry about death while alive, and worry about hunger when full; all these are called Great Confusions. Therefore, the Sage does not plan for the past, does not worry about the future, and has no attachment to the present. Thought after thought returns to the Way. If one has not yet awakened to this Great Principle, one must quickly seek the goodness of humans and heavens, so as not to lose both.
The Verse of Night Sitting says:
In the first watch, sitting upright in the lotus posture,
Spirit harmonious, solitary illumination, merging with the void.
For vast kalpas it has never been born or extinguished;
What need is there to extinguish arising and extinguishing until nothing remains?
All dharmas are entirely like illusions;
The fundamental nature is self-empty—what use is there in eliminating them?
If one recognizes that the nature of mind is not a form or image,
It is quiescent and unmoving, naturally Thusness.
In the second watch, condensing the spirit, it turns bright and pure;
Not giving rise to memories or thoughts, it is identical to the True Nature.
The myriad forest of appearances all return to emptiness;
Yet grasping at "existence" or "emptiness" is still a sickness.
All dharmas are fundamentally neither empty nor existing;
Ordinary beings falsely think, discussing wrong and right.
If one can keep the mind without duality,
Who would say that the immediate ordinary is not the sage?
In the third watch, the mind is pure, equal to the void;
Pervading the ten directions, nowhere does it not penetrate.
Mountains, rivers, and stone walls cannot obstruct it;
Worlds as numerous as Ganges sands are all within it.
The fundamental nature of the world is the nature of Thusness;
It is also not "no nature," for it contains and integrates all.
Not only can all Buddhas be like this;
All categories of sentient beings are exactly the same.
In the fourth watch, there is neither extinguishing nor arising;
Its measure is level with the void and the Dharma-realm.
No going, no coming, no rising, no extinguishing;
Neither existing nor non-existing, neither dark nor bright.
Not giving rise to any views is the Tathāgata's view;
With no name that can be named, this is the true Buddha Name.
Only the awakened ones should be able to recognize this;
Sentient beings who have not realized are just like the blind.
In the fifth watch, Prajñā illuminates without boundaries;
Without giving rise to a single thought, it passes through the three thousand worlds.
If you wish to see the equal nature of Thusness,
Be careful not to give rise to the mind—it is right before your eyes.
The marvelous principle is profound and mysterious, not fathomed by the mind;
No need to seek or chase it, causing extreme fatigue.
If you can be without thought, that is the true seeking;
If there is any further seeking, you still do not recognize it.
End of Great Master Bodhidharma's Treatise on the Awakening of Nature.
Translator's Commentary
Introduction: The Significance of the Wuxing Lun
The Wuxing Lun (Treatise on the Awakening of Nature) is a seminal text in the early Chan (Zen) canon. While tradition attributes this treatise to the First Patriarch, Bodhidharma, many modern scholars regard the Wuxing Lun as a later Tang-period Chan composition attributed to Bodhidharma to authorize a particular doctrinal idiom. Regardless of its precise authorship, the text captures the quintessential "Wall-Gazing" (壁觀) spirit of the Patriarchs: a direct, diamond-like cutting through of ontological concepts. The text systematically deconstructs dualities—delusion vs. awakening, sin vs. merit, and ordinary being vs. sage—pointing directly to the nature of reality here and now.
This translation adheres to a rigorous, doctrinal fidelity, treating the text not merely as poetic philosophy, but as a precise technical manual for the realization of the nature of Mind.
Philosophical Core: The Meaning of "Mind" vs. "Substance"
A common modern misreading—especially in popular Western "Zen" discourse—is to reify "Mind" (Xin, 心) as a metaphysical substrate: a "Universal Consciousness," a "Cosmic Soul," or an absolute ground akin to the Vedantic Brahman. The present treatise works against that move. Its Xin (Mind/Heart) points to the lived immediacy of unfabricated pristine consciousness, yet repeatedly denies any inherently existing entity called "Mind."
Consistent with the teaching of anātman (no-self), Bodhidharma’s "Mind" does not point to a universal substratum that merges all beings into a single, reified metaphysical One reality. Rather, it points to the fundamental nature (本性) of awareness itself—a primordial, empty, and unborn gnosis (jñāna) that is the essential quality of each instance of consciousness.
Crucially, this "Mind" is not a standalone entity. It is empty of inherent existence (wú zìxìng). The text explicitly dismantles the substantialist view with this relational formulation:
"Form is not form of itself; it is form because of the mind. Mind is not mind of itself; it is mind because of form."
This passage highlights that Mind and form are dependently originated and dependently designated; they are neither the same nor different. Mind is not a background container serving as the context, substratum, or source for phenomena, nor does it "interact" with them as a separate agent. Rather, there is no mind apart from phenomena, and no phenomena apart from mind. As my dharma mentor John Tan noted regarding the realization of Anatta (No-Self):
"One must lose all mind and body by feeling with entire mind and body this essence which is Mind (心). Yet Mind too is unobtainable/unfindable (不可得).. The purpose is not to deny Mind but rather not to place any limitations or duality so that Mind can fully manifest. Therefore without understanding 缘 (conditions)，is to limit 心 (Mind). without understanding 缘 (conditions)，is to place limitation in its manifestations. You must fully experience 心 (Mind) by realizing 无心 (No-Mind) and fully embrace the wisdom of 不可得 (ungraspable/unobtainable/unfindable)."
Bodhidharma echoes this precise insight throughout the text, stating: "If one attains the mind, there is no mind to be attained," and further clarifying the non-dual nature of this realization: "Existing implies existence within non-existence; non-existing implies non-existence within existence—this is called True View."
The Doctrine of "No-Mind" (Wuxin): A Dharma Seal, Not a State
The text famously states: "The Buddhas of the ten directions are all free of mind (wuxin); because they do not see [a fixed] mind, this is called seeing the Buddha."
It is vital to understand that "No-Mind" (Wuxin) is not a meditative state to be attained, nor is it a psychological "flow" state (like an artist "in the zone") that one enters and exits. Rather, it is the realization of Anatta (No-Self) as a Dharma Seal—a truth that is always already so.
As my dharma mentor John Tan distinguishes regarding the nature of this wisdom:
"This 'Originally there never was any I' is wisdom and the dharma seal of anatta. It is neither an art like an artist in zone where self is dissolved into the flow of action nor is it a state to be achieved in the case of the taoist 'sit and forget' (坐忘) -- a state of no-mind... For example in cooking, there is no self that cooks, only the activity of cooking... Whether one appears clumsy or smooth in act of cooking doesn't matter... still there never was any 'I' in any moment of the activity. There is no entry or exit point in the wisdom of anatta."
Bodhidharma’s teaching of Wuxin points precisely to this seal: Mind has no existence of its own. It is not that we make the mind empty; it is that we realize it is empty and has always been so. There is no "Mind" apart from the phenomena. Thus, "No-Mind" describes the reality that there is no background Knower, no "steersman," and no substantial Self behind experience. This truth applies equally to the sage and the ordinary being; the sage simply recognizes the seal, while the ordinary being assumes a "self" where there is none.
Translation Choices for Key Terminology
1. Quiescent Extinction (寂滅 - Jīmiè)
I have translated Jīmiè as "Quiescent Extinction" (or sometimes simply Quiescence). It should not be read as mere quietude, trance-like blankness, or the annihilation of things. In Mahāyāna usage, Jīmiè names the Nirvanic "mark" of dharmas: when seen with prajñā, phenomena are understood as unborn (anutpāda) and empty of self-nature, so their "marks" or "characteristics" are already stilled—not because something has been smashed or erased, but because reification has ceased, and this is the true stilling of characteristics/marks.
This is why the Lotus Sutra (Expedient Means Chapter) can say that "All phenomena from the very beginning has always had the mark of quiescence" (諸法從本来，常自寂滅相). The mark of quiescence is not a later-produced state but the dharmas' real nature. In the same spirit, the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna warns that if one takes the five aggregates as truly arising-and-perishing, one becomes afraid of birth-and-death and falsely grasps Nirvana; the cure is seeing that the aggregates are by nature unborn, hence "originally Nirvana" (本来涅槃). In other words, Jīmiè is not ‘the stopping of something that truly began’ but the wisdom-recognition that what is grasped as arising and perishing is, in its self-nature, unborn—hence ‘originally nirvāṇa’.
Thus, when Bodhidharma says "Quiescence is the Essence," he is describing the reality that phenomena are always already quiescent in their real aspect (while appearing functionally). This is not a denial of conventional appearance and causal efficacy, but a denial of inherent 'marks' grasped as self-existent.
2. Appearances/Characteristics (相 - Xiàng)
Following the strict protocol:
Appearances: Used when referring to the phenomenological display (e.g., "detachment from appearances").
Characteristics: Used in ontological contexts (e.g., "extinguishes all characteristics").
Signless: Used for the specific Animitta samādhi (e.g., "having appearances is the appearance of no-appearance").
3. Spirit (神 - Shén) vs. Mind (心 - Xīn)
In the prose, Xin is consistently "Mind." In the "Night Sitting Verses," the term Shen appears (e.g., "Spirit harmonious, solitary illumination"). I have translated this as "Spirit" in the sense of the mental faculty's radiant energy or functional awareness, distinguishing it from the ontological "Mind" (Xin).
4. The Three Realms & Three Poisons
The text proposes a psychological interpretation of cosmology: the Three Realms (Desire, Form, Formless) are identified directly with the Three Poisons (Greed, Anger, Delusion). The treatise shifts the focus from geography to the immediate dynamics of affliction and release in lived experience, placing liberation entirely within the immediate awareness of the practitioner.
Comparative Notes: High-Fidelity vs. Earlier Translations (e.g., Red Pine)
While Red Pine's translation ("Wake-up Sermon") is well-known for its accessibility and "Zen" flavor, this High-Fidelity translation diverges in several key areas to prioritize doctrinal precision over interpretive smoothing.
Quiescent Extinction vs. Detachment
Source: Jīmiè wéi tǐ (寂滅為體).
Red Pine: "The essence of the Way is detachment."
This Translation: "As for the Way, Quiescent Extinction is its Essence."
Rationale: Jīmiè (Skt. Vyupaśama or Nirvāṇa) refers to the extinction of reifications/characteristics/suffering. "Detachment" is a psychological attitude or method (Lí). Translating Jīmiè as "Detachment" confuses the Fruit (Nirvana) with the Path (Practice), and psychologizes a profound truth into the nature of mind and phenomena—unborn (anutpāda) and empty nature.
Dharma Body vs. Real Body
Source: Fǎshēn (法身).
Red Pine: "Real body."
This Translation: "Dharma Body (Dharmakāya)."
Rationale: Dharmakāya is a specific technical term referring to the Buddha's complete knowledge of emptiness. Red Pine’s choice of "Real Body" implies a substantial, inherent substrate (a "Real Self"), which risks sneaking a non-Buddhist Atman-view (Self-view) back into a text explicitly teaching No-Self or No-Mind.
Female Characteristic vs. Sex
Source: Nǚ xiàng (女相).
Red Pine: "She didn't change her sex."
This Translation: "She did not change her female form... sought the female characteristic."
Rationale: The Goddess in the sutras does not change her biology ("sex"); she realizes that "femaleness" is merely a mark or characteristic (xiàng) with no inherent existence. Using the modern term "sex" biologicalizes the text; using "characteristic" preserves the core Mahāyāna insight that gender is a conceptual imputation, not an ultimate reality.
Aggregates vs. Shades
Source: Wǔ Yīn (五陰).
Red Pine: "Five shades."
This Translation: "Five aggregates."
Rationale: Yīn (Shadow/Covering) is an old Chinese translation for the Sanskrit Skandha (Heap/Aggregate). While "Shades" is poetic, "Aggregates" is the standard, recognized English terminology essential for understanding Buddhist psychology.
Note on "Sin" (Zuì): The character Zuì (罪) is translated here as "Sin" to capture the text's gravity regarding karmic retribution and the potential for hellish rebirth. However, it should not be read in the Abrahamic sense of a transgression against a deity. In this context, "Sin" refers to karmic transgression (unwholesome action) arising from the Three Poisons, which binds the sentient being to Samsara.
Conclusion
Master Bodhidharma’s teaching in the Wuxing Lun challenges the practitioner to stop seeking externally. It demands a direct recognition that the "sinner" and the "sage" are both empty labels, and that the luminous, ungraspable nature of one's own awareness—right here, right now—is the only Buddha there is.
One stops seeking not because one has successfully suppressed thinking, but because one clearly sees the truth of one's nature so vividly that seeking becomes obsolete. There is nothing beyond the immediacy and directness of this Truth shining in plain view as all vivid appearances. As the verse declares: "If you wish to see the equal nature of Thusness, be careful not to give rise to the mind—it is right before your eyes."
Seeking ceases because the "marvelous principle" is already fully apparent. Thus, the text concludes: "If you can be without thought, that is the true seeking; If there is any further seeking, you still do not recognize it."
