Exegesis of Selected Passages from Chan Master Yongming Yanshou's *Zongjing Lu*

Humbly submit that the true source is profoundly tranquil, the ocean of enlightenment is pure and clear, transcending all names and forms, without any trace of subject or object. Initially, due to non-enlightenment, a stirring mind suddenly arose, becoming the origin of karmic consciousness and the fault of seeking enlightenment. Due to this illumination arising, the perceiving division suddenly emerged; following the illumination, the perceived division was established, and the phenomenal aspect was arranged. Like a mirror reflecting images, the sense faculties and body instantly arose.

Explanation: Humbly submit that the true source is profoundly tranquil, the ocean of enlightenment is pure and clear, transcending all names and forms, without any trace of subject or object. This describes the essence of the Tathagatagarbha. The Tathagatagarbha is true and is the source of all dharmas. It is pure, quiescent, unmoving, and unshaken. It also possesses awareness, capable of perceiving all dharmas, hence called the ocean of enlightenment. The Tathagatagarbha’s essence is without any names or forms: without eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind; without forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, or mental objects; without eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, or mind-consciousness; without the names and forms of any dharmas within the three realms. Its own name is also nominal; whatever it is called is merely a provisional designation established by later generations. It has neither the perceiving nature of the seventh consciousness nor the perceived nature of the six dusts (objects). Without perceiver or perceived, it transcends the subject-object duality of the seventh consciousness.

Initially, due to non-enlightenment, a stirring mind suddenly arose, becoming the origin of karmic consciousness and the fault of seeking enlightenment. Immeasurable kalpas ago, the manas (mind faculty) existed together with the Tathagatagarbha simultaneously. Due to ignorance, the manas was not enlightened to the true reality of the dharma realm and suddenly stirred, generating a mind that craved outwardly. The Tathagatagarbha complied and manifested the sense faculties, body, and the physical world. Thus, karmic actions appeared, the seventh consciousness became karmic consciousness, and all the faults and sufferings of birth and death arose from this. The fault of birth and death lies in the manas generating the desire to perceive and understand the three realms, failing to abide in the original nature of the mind.

Due to this illumination arising, the perceiving division suddenly emerged; following the illumination, the perceived division was established, and the phenomenal aspect was arranged. Like a mirror reflecting images, the sense faculties and body instantly arose.

Because the manas had the mental impulse to seek clarity and understanding, it generated illuminating awareness, desiring to perceive the world. Thus, the perceiving division of the seventh consciousness suddenly arose. Because there was a perceiving division seeking to perceive, there must be a perceived division—the objects of the dust realm—that appears. The Tathagatagarbha complied with the manas and manifested the six dusts as the perceived division. In this way, the perceiver and the perceived were established. Afterwards, the Tathagatagarbha, like a mirror reflecting images, instantly manifested the sense faculties, body, and the physical world. The five aggregates (skandhas) body then appeared, and thus the three realms and the world were established.