Chapter Two: The Dharma Transmission Verses of the Twenty-Eight Patriarchs of the Western Heavens

I. Mahākāśyapa’s Dharma Transmission Verse to Ānanda

Original Text: All dharmas are originally Dharma, neither existent nor non-existent Dharma;

　　　　Why, within this single Dharma, posit existent and non-existent dharmas?

Explanation: Worldly dharmas and supramundane dharmas are all ultimately pointing to the Dharma of Suchness (Tathatā). The Dharma of Suchness is the originally existing Dharma, not a Dharma born later. Within the Dharma of Suchness, there is not a single dharma characteristic; it is without any characteristic whatsoever. Nevertheless, among all the dharma characteristics manifested by Suchness, there is not a single dharma that is not the Dharma of Suchness; every dharma is Suchness. Why then, within this Suchness Dharma devoid of duality, forcibly divide into emptiness and existence, right and wrong? Why insist on saying which dharma is Suchness and which is not?

II. Ānanda’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Originally, the Dharma transmitted is existent, yet after transmission, it is said to be non-existent;

　　　Each must awaken by themselves; once awakened, there is no non-existence.

Explanation: All Buddhas and Patriarchs throughout the ages have transmitted to their disciples this Dharma of Suchness. Although the Dharma of Suchness is without characteristics, it is truly existent—its characteristics are empty, yet its essence is real. Although disciples receive the Dharma and awaken to the Way, they actually gain nothing; they attain no dharma whatsoever. Suchness is originally one's own family jewel, not obtained from outside; it is merely discovered. After discovering it, one knows that not a single dharma among the five aggregates (skandhas) of the world truly exists; all are manifestations of Suchness. The mind will gradually cease clinging to the Dharma of Suchness. It is both all dharmas and yet no dharma at all; it is both precious and utterly worthless. Beings with great resolve must each strive diligently, cultivating and awakening by themselves. Once awakened, they know that neither the mundane nor the supramundane is utterly devoid of dharmas; it is not entirely illusory. There is one Dharma that is not illusory, truly existent, and thus one can be at ease, knowing it is not the nihilistic void.

III. The Third Patriarch Śaṇavāsa’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Neither dharmas nor mind, without mind and without dharmas;

　　　When speaking of mind-dharma, this Dharma is not mind-dharma.

Explanation: The Dharma of Suchness transmitted by all Buddhas and Patriarchs is not a worldly dharma; it lacks worldly dharma characteristics. It is not the mind of the seventh consciousness (manas) and lacks the dharma characteristics of the seventh consciousness. Suchness has no mind regarding the six dusts (objects) of the world; it does not differentiate the six dusts, does not dwell in the six dusts, does not differentiate based on the characteristics of the six dusts. Yet, the self-mind is also empty, without a single characteristic; it does not possess the five aggregates dharma, the eighteen elements (dhātus) dharma, the four noble truths dharma, the twelve links of dependent origination dharma, or the six pāramitās dharma—it is empty of any dharma. The mind used by the Patriarchs when discussing and transmitting the Dharma of Suchness is precisely the deluded mind of the worldly seventh consciousness, possessing the dharma characteristics of the seventh consciousness. It is not the Suchness Dharma itself that is transmitted. The transmitted Dharma of Suchness lacks the differentiating nature of the seventh consciousness; it is not the dharma of the seventh consciousness. These two have utterly distinct natures, vastly different.

IV. The Fourth Patriarch Upagupta’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: The mind is originally the fundamental mind, the fundamental mind is not an existent dharma;

　　　Existent dharmas have the fundamental mind, yet it is not mind nor the fundamental Dharma.

Explanation: The self-nature pure mind of sentient beings is originally existent; it is not born later, not a dharma produced by causes and conditions. There are no causes or conditions in the world capable of producing it. This originally existing mind is not like other dharmas of the three realms, possessing form and color that sentient beings can contact with their six sense faculties and perceive with their six consciousnesses. This mind is empty of any characteristic, without a single dharma; it fundamentally does not belong to the dharmas of the three realms. Yet, within any existent dharma of the three realms, it is present, upholding, manifesting, and functioning. The consciousness aggregate (vijñāna skandha) of the six consciousnesses, distinct from the fundamental mind, is produced by the fundamental mind combining with various conditions; it is not originally existent.

V. The Fifth Patriarch Dhītika

Original Text: Penetrating the fundamental mind-dharma, there is no dharma, no non-dharma;

　　　Awakened is the same as unawakened, without mind and without dharmas.

Explanation: If, through cultivation, one enters the first Bodhisattva ground (bhūmi) and penetrates this fundamental mind-dharma of the self-nature Suchness, then all dharmas have no right or wrong. One then knows that among all dharmas of the threefold world, not a single dharma is not the fundamental mind Tathāgatagarbha; all are born, manifested, and upheld by Tathāgatagarbha. There is no truly existent "all dharmas." After awakening to the fundamental mind Tathāgatagarbha Dharma, one knows this mind is not obtained from outside; the five aggregates themselves have not increased anything, they are still the self of the five aggregates before awakening, only the mental activities have transformed, gradually becoming purified. After the mind-ground transfers its reliance to the fundamental mind Tathāgatagarbha, one gradually becomes pure and non-active regarding the myriad dharmas of the world, mindless of all people, affairs, and things. In the mind, there is not a single dharma that can be grasped; not a single dharma is seen as truly existent.

VI. The Sixth Patriarch Miccaka’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Without mind, nothing can be attained; what is spoken is not called Dharma;

　　　If one understands mind is not mind, then one begins to comprehend the mind-mind Dharma.

Explanation: After awakening to the fundamental mind, one gradually discovers that this fundamental mind is different in nature from the deluded mind of the previous seven consciousnesses; it is not the mental activity within the three realms. This mind cannot be attained; it is not obtained from outside. It is the family jewel originally possessed by the five aggregates themselves; it is merely discovered through the guidance of others. If one says awakening means attaining a certain mind, non-existent before and existent now, born later, then that is certainly a mistaken awakening, an awakening to the realm of the consciousness mind that can be born and extinguished. When the consciousness mind, through cultivating concentration (samādhi), occasionally perceives emptiness and mistakes this empty state for the fundamental mind, this "fundamental mind" is obtained from outside—it is attained through cultivating concentration. When concentration disperses, the emptiness vanishes, the "fundamental mind" disappears. Then one cultivates concentration again to preserve it, keeping the emptiness constantly present. This method of awakening is non-Dharma, a mistaken practice. If one understands that the fundamental mind is not the mental activity of the worldly seven consciousnesses, that it differs from the previous seven consciousnesses, and knows all eight consciousnesses, then sentient beings begin to understand the various dharma characteristics and functional roles of the fundamental mind, gradually possessing the wisdom of differentiation (pratisaṃvid) and the wisdom of the path (mārgajñāna).

VII. The Seventh Patriarch Vasumitra’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Mind is like the realm of space, revealing the Dharma equal to space;

　　　When space is realized, there is no right nor wrong.

Explanation: The eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) of sentient beings is like space—formless, without characteristics, non-active, non-doing, without volition, without seeking, without speaking, without revealing. The Buddhas, for this one great matter of cause and condition, appear in the world, revealing to sentient beings the Tathāgatagarbha mind-dharma that is like space. Sentient beings, hearing the Buddha's teachings and instructions, diligently cultivate, and upon realizing the Tathāgatagarbha with a mind as vast as space, gradually discover that all dharmas of the world have no independent existence; all arise, abide, change, and cease dependent on conditions by Tathāgatagarbha. All are the result of the function, nature, and action of Tathāgatagarbha. Thus, every dharma is empty in itself; every dharma is itself the empty-nature mind Tathāgatagarbha. The relationship with Tathāgatagarbha is neither identical nor different—there are identical aspects, yet different natures and functions. There is no dichotomy of "is" and "is not."

VIII. The Eighth Patriarch Buddhanandi’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Space has no inside or outside; the mind-dharma is also like this;

　　　If space is understood, then the principle of Suchness is penetrated.

Explanation: Space is not truly existent; it is an illusory, false appearance manifested by the mind. Therefore, space has no inside or outside; it has no boundary, length, shortness, size, or shape. The Tathāgatagarbha mind is also like this—no inside or outside, formless, without characteristics, without boundaries. If one can recognize the nature of Tathāgatagarbha as being like space—not coming, not going, not increasing, not decreasing, thusness unmoving, without volition, without seeking, non-active, non-doing—then one penetrates the principle of Tathāgatagarbha Suchness.

IX. The Ninth Patriarch Puṇyamitra’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Truth is originally nameless; names are used to reveal truth;

　　　When the true Dharma is received, it is neither true nor false.

Explanation: The true mind Tathāgatagarbha has been nameless throughout kalpas; it does not speak or reveal, yet it exists serenely. Sages appear in the world and, for the expedient teaching of sentient beings, assign the true mind various provisional names—countless in number—merely to express the essence, characteristics, and functions of the true mind, facilitating sentient beings' discernment and understanding. Sentient beings then, based on the various names of the true mind, discern and understand its various natures and functions. Sentient beings, relying on the various natures of the true mind, find the true Suchness mind-essence. After realizing the truth in this way, one knows the true mind is not like the dharmas of the five-aggregate world—it has no form or characteristics that can be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or touched by sentient beings, nor does it have the functional utility that makes sentient beings feel the world's dharmas are truly existent. Nevertheless, the true mind is also not illusory; it has a true principle-essence that exists and possesses true functions and actions. It is not merely nominal designation or just a name.

X. The Tenth Patriarch Pārśva’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: The true essence is naturally true; because it is true, principles are spoken;

　　　When the truly true Dharma is grasped, there is no movement nor cessation.

Explanation: The true principle-essence of Tathāgatagarbha is originally true and not illusory; it is not a true dharma attained through cultivation. Because this true principle-essence exists, the existence of the myriad dharmas of the threefold world is spoken of, and the operating principles of the five-aggregate world are spoken of. When we awaken to Tathāgatagarbha and grasp this true Dharma, we know there is neither the operation nor the cessation of the myriad dharmas of the threefold world; there is neither birth nor death of the myriad dharmas. All dharmas of birth and death, all movements and cessations of dharmas, are deceptive, illusory, and unreal dharmas that delude the mind; they do not truly exist. All are merely numerous false appearances manifested dependent on this truly existing principle-essence of Tathāgatagarbha.

XI. The Eleventh Patriarch Puṇyayaśas’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Delusion and awakening are like concealment and manifestation; light and darkness do not part;

　　　Now I transmit this Dharma of concealment and manifestation; it is neither one nor two.

Explanation: When sentient beings are deluded and inverted, they do not recognize Tathāgatagarbha; it is as if Tathāgatagarbha is concealed and not manifesting. When sentient beings break through ignorance and awaken to Tathāgatagarbha, they can discover their own Tathāgatagarbha operating ceaselessly within themselves and within all sentient beings, manifesting moment by moment, instant by instant, as if Tathāgatagarbha will never conceal itself again. In truth, regardless of whether sentient beings are deluded or awakened, whether their minds are dark or bright, Tathāgatagarbha has never left sentient beings; it is always with sentient beings, always present and manifesting. It has never intentionally concealed itself; it is merely that sentient beings' ignorance obscures their minds, preventing them from recognizing Tathāgatagarbha. Now I transmit this Tathāgatagarbha Dharma. After sentient beings receive this Dharma, they will know the relationship between delusion/awakening, light/darkness and Tathāgatagarbha is neither one nor two. Delusion/awakening and light/darkness arise dependent on Tathāgatagarbha; they are part of Tathāgatagarbha, yet not entirely identical to it. They share similarities with Tathāgatagarbha yet also have differences; therefore, it is neither one nor two.

XII. The Twelfth Patriarch Mahāsattva Aśvaghoṣa’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Concealment and manifestation are the fundamental Dharma; light and darkness are entirely non-dual;

　　　Now I transmit the Dharma of awakening; it neither grasps nor rejects.

Explanation: Regarding sentient beings, whether Tathāgatagarbha is concealed or manifested, it possesses its fundamental functions and actions; it is the originally existing Dharma, never disappearing or perishing. The light and darkness in sentient beings' minds are not entirely separate dharmas from Tathāgatagarbha; light/darkness and delusion/awakening exist because of Tathāgatagarbha, arise dependent on it, and are fundamentally of the nature of Tathāgatagarbha. Now I transmit the Dharma of realizing Tathāgatagarbha. The self-mind Tathāgatagarbha never grasps at any dharma of the world, nor does it reject or abandon anything; it neither clings to nor separates from anything. It has no mental activities of the three realms; it is supremely pure.

XIII. The Thirteenth Patriarch Kapimala’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: The Dharma neither concealed nor manifested is called the true reality;

　　　Awakening to this Dharma of concealment and manifestation, it is neither foolish nor wise.

Explanation: Tathāgatagarbha itself does not intentionally conceal itself to prevent sentient beings from knowing it, nor does it intentionally manifest to make sentient beings awaken; it has no such mental activities. Rather, sentient beings have foolishness and wisdom; the foolish do not recognize it, the wise clearly perceive it. Regardless of whether sentient beings see it or not, recognize it or not, Tathāgatagarbha is truly existent, never born nor extinguished, never changing, the only true Dharma of the mundane and supramundane. Upon realizing Tathāgatagarbha, this Dharma that is both concealed and manifested, one knows Tathāgatagarbha is neither foolish nor does it belong to the category of worldly wisdom. It has no ignorance, no greed, hatred, or delusion; it is not foolish regarding the myriad dharmas. Yet, it also lacks the wisdom of the threefold world; it does not know all dharmas, does not differentiate all dharmas, does not calculate, analyze, think, or reason, nor does it act as a controller. It merely manifests dharmas according to conditions without grasping them.

XIV. The Fourteenth Patriarch Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: To illuminate the Dharma of concealment and manifestation, the principle of liberation is spoken;

　　　Regarding dharmas, the mind does not realize; there is no anger nor joy.

Explanation: The Buddhas, in order to make sentient beings understand the Tathāgatagarbha Dharma that is both concealed and manifested, appear and proclaim the principles of the four kinds of Nirvāṇa liberation to sentient beings. From the three seals of the Dharma (impermanence of all conditioned things, non-self of all dharmas, Nirvāṇa as peace), to the twelve links of dependent origination based on the self-mind Tathāgatagarbha, and finally the true Tathāgatagarbha Dharma cultivated by Bodhisattvas—all invariably reveal the principle of non-self liberation to sentient beings. However, the self-mind Tathāgatagarbha is originally unbound; it does not dwell in or act upon the dharmas of the three realms. It has no greed or aversion, thusness unmoving. Therefore, it is not bound by the dharmas of the three realms; it has no birth, death, or rebirth, and thus needs not seek liberation, realize liberation, or escape birth and death.

It itself is already on the shore beyond birth and death, without afflictions, without birth or death, eternally abiding in the state of Nirvāṇa's stillness. What need is there to further eradicate afflictions and ignorance, seeking to attain liberation? The mind does not dwell in dharmas; what need is there to depart from dharmas to realize Nirvāṇa? It is this "I" of the five aggregates that has birth and death, that is bound, that needs to cultivate and realize liberation, eradicate afflictions, remove ignorance, to go from this shore of birth and death to the other shore of Nirvāṇa. In truth, the five aggregates are also within Nirvāṇa, dependent on the self-mind Tathāgatagarbha. Birth and death are non-birth and non-death. Sentient beings, not knowing this, feel the need to cultivate and realize it.

XV. The Fifteenth Patriarch Kāṇadeva’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Originally addressing the Dharma transmitter, the principle of liberation is spoken;

　　　Regarding dharmas, there is truly no realization; there is no end nor beginning.

Explanation: The principle of liberation spoken by the Buddhas is addressed to the five-aggregate bodies of sentient beings; it is not for the Tathāgatagarbha of sentient beings to seek liberation. Therefore, it is the five aggregates and seven consciousnesses that are cultivated, not the true mind Tathāgatagarbha. After sentient beings' five aggregates, relying on the Buddha's spoken principle of liberation, realize liberation, they use their own realization to transmit and show other sentient beings, passing it on generation after generation, so that all sentient beings may attain liberation. However, whether it is the Dharma transmitter or the Dharma receiver, it is their five aggregates that cultivate and realize the principle of liberation. The self-mind Tathāgatagarbha does not need to cultivate or realize the liberation principle because it is originally liberated; it has never been within birth and death, was never born, and will never die. That is to say, Tathāgatagarbha has no beginning and will never perish; it exists eternally without end, without lifespan, not bound by any dharma.

XVI. The Sixteenth Patriarch Rāhulata’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Regarding dharmas, there is truly no realization; it neither grasps nor separates;

　　　Dharma has no characteristic of existence or non-existence; how do inside and outside arise?

Explanation: The self-mind Suchness does not cultivate or realize any Buddhist Dharma because, having no ignorance, there is no need to cultivate further to attain liberation. Regarding all dharmas of the three realms and itself, it never grasps nor has any intention to separate. The characteristic of Suchness is neither existence nor non-existence. If you say it exists, it is formless, invisible, intangible. If you say it does not exist, it has real functional utility, truly gives birth to all dharmas, and contains immeasurable dharma seeds. Therefore, it cannot be said to be non-existent. It is the True Reality (dharmatā); True Reality means truly existent. Only it is truly existent; all else is emptiness and illusion. Because Suchness is formless and without characteristics, it has no inside or outside. Its interior is void, its exterior formless, yet it contains the myriad dharmas. If one does not realize it, no matter how exhaustively one thinks or measures, it remains unfathomable.

XVII. The Seventeenth Patriarch Sanghanandi’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: The mind-ground is originally unborn; phenomena arise from conditions based on the ground;

　　　Conditions and seeds do not hinder each other; flowers and fruits are also like this.

Explanation: The eighth consciousness (mind-ground) as the mind-essence is originally existent; it is not born later. The dharmas of the threefold world, however, are born and manifested by the eighth consciousness relying on various karmic conditions. The karmic seeds contained within the eighth consciousness and the external karmic conditions do not hinder each other. When the external karmic conditions ripen, the eighth consciousness outputs the sentient beings' karmic seeds, producing their karmic retribution. If the karmic seeds do not encounter conditions, or the conditions are not ripe, the sentient beings' karmic seeds do not bear fruit; they do not receive karmic retribution. It is like flowers and fruits not hindering each other. After flowers grow, they bear fruits, which are stored as seeds. When seeds are planted in the ground and encounter conditions, they again bloom and bear fruit, continuing life endlessly. The karmic actions of sentient beings' body, speech, and mind are like flowers. After creation, they exist as seeds stored in the eighth consciousness. When the karmic conditions ripen, the eighth consciousness outputs the seeds, and sentient beings experience the karmic retribution, bearing the karmic fruit.

XVIII. The Eighteenth Patriarch Gayāśata’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Seeds exist, born from the mind-ground; causes and conditions can sprout ignorance;

　　　Conditions do not hinder each other; when born, birth is non-birth.

Explanation: As long as seeds exist within the mind-ground, with the eighth consciousness as the cause of birth plus various external conditions, the seeds sprout, germinate, and bear fruit. Seeds and external conditions do not hinder each other; they depend on each other, enabling the eighth consciousness to bear fruit and produce the karmic retribution of sentient beings. When the conditions for sentient beings to receive retribution are complete and it is time for birth, the eighth consciousness gives birth to the sentient beings' five-aggregate world. Although born, it is also not truly born; it is all illusory appearances.

XIX. The Nineteenth Patriarch Kumāralāta’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: On the nature, originally there is no birth; spoken for the sake of seekers;

　　　Regarding dharmas, since there is no hindrance, why harbor decision or indecision?

Explanation: The self-mind nature is originally unborn. These principles are only spoken to Dharma seekers. The deluded mind of the seventh consciousness has seeking; after hearing the Dharma, it can believe, understand, accept, and uphold. Suchness has no seeking; speaking to it is useless. Because Suchness gains nothing from any dharma, it does not cultivate. Within its mind, it does not give rise to a decisive mind or an indecisive mind regarding dharmas; it does not believe, understand, accept, or uphold. It is the deluded mind of the seventh consciousness that seeks, that needs to cultivate, that gains something, that can become a Buddha. Suchness has nothing to do with any of this.

XX. The Twentieth Patriarch Śayata’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Within words is contained the unborn, identical to the nature of the Dharma Realm;

　　　If one can understand thus, then phenomena and principle are thoroughly penetrated.

Explanation: The language of sentient beings is a dharma of birth and death. Before being spoken, it has no abode; after being spoken, it immediately ceases. Therefore, it is illusory and not to be grasped. Yet, within language, there is the principle of the Mahāyāna Unborn. Without this principle-essence, there would be no production of language. This unborn, unceasing true mind-essence is the One True Dharma Realm (ekadharmadhātu). Thus, language relies on this true mind, which is the unborn, unceasing nature of the Dharma Realm. If one can understand the relationship between all dharmas and Suchness in this way, then one has thoroughly penetrated all phenomena of the world and the principle of Suchness.

XXI. The Twenty-First Patriarch Vasubandhu’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Bubbles and illusions are unimpeded; why not awaken?

　　　The Dharma is penetrated within them; it is neither present nor past.

Explanation: The threefold world is like a dream, illusion, bubble, or shadow, utterly unobtainable. Nevertheless, this does not hinder the eternal existence, manifestation, and operation of the one true essence. Why still not awaken clearly? These illusory dharmas exist due to the function of the true mind-essence; their essence is also part of Suchness. If one can penetrate that the illusory dharmas of the world are, in essence, all Suchness, all the One True Dharma Realm, then one also understands that Suchness is not divided into ancient or present; it has no new or old, no age; it was never born, will never perish, eternal yet ever fresh.

XXII. The Twenty-Second Patriarch Manorhita’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Mind follows the myriad realms, turning; at the turning place, it is truly subtle;

　　　Following the flow, recognize the nature; without joy, without sorrow.

Explanation: The self-mind Suchness follows the mental states of sentient beings and the various realms of the world, operating ceaselessly without interruption. In the process of Suchness following the myriad dharmas and flowing along, it is truly subtle and hidden, difficult to find. Sentient beings whose conditions are not ripe can only recognize various illusory dharmas as real, unaware that within them exists the true self-nature, let alone how it operates all dharmas or that all dharmas are born and upheld by the self-mind Suchness. When sentient beings' conditions ripen, they can follow the various karmic streams and recognize that self-mind nature which has no karmic conditions and no birth or death.

Although the self-mind follows the flow of birth, death, and karma, it is pure, non-active, eternally unchanging, forever undefiled. That is the true self, also the true essence for becoming a Buddha. Although it follows the flow of birth, death, karma, and ignorance, it has no joy nor sorrow, no change in mental state, no feelings or sentiments; it is spontaneously free according to conditions. Then the "I" of the five aggregates, after gradually conforming to the nature of Suchness, will also, regarding all appearing realms, have no joy nor sorrow, no afflictions nor troubles, spontaneously free according to conditions.

XXIII. The Twenty-Third Patriarch Haklenayaśas Mahāsattva’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: When the mind-nature is recognized, it can be called inconceivable;

　　　Clearly, nothing is attained; when attained, it is not spoken as known.

Explanation: When we, through cultivation, clarify the mind and realize awakening, recognizing our own fundamental mind-nature, then we know this mind-nature is truly inconceivable. Sentient beings, no matter how they use the conscious mind, emotional understanding, or intellectual measuring, cannot fathom it; its nature is so subtle and difficult to know. Although one recognizes one's own mind-nature, this mind-nature is also unobtainable. It is one's own family jewel, an ancient heirloom. Only when conditions are sufficient can it be excavated from within oneself; it is not obtained from outside, not given by others. When we recognize it, we also cannot say we have fully known all its nature; it is merely knowing the general characteristic. The remaining, more numerous and deeper characteristics must be explored and excavated bit by bit in the future process of cultivating the Way. Only then can one finally attain the Wisdom of All Modes (sarvākārajñatā) and perfect the Buddha Way.

XXIV. The Twenty-Fourth Patriarch Āryasiṃha’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: When rightly speaking of knowledge and views, knowledge and views are all mind;

　　　When mind is knowledge and views, knowledge and views are mind.

Explanation: When we express speech, knowledge, views, or opinions, these words, knowledge, and views all flow out from within the self-mind; they are all manifestations of the merit and function of the self-mind; entirely, they are the self-mind—neither different from nor identical to the self-mind. Just as knowledge and views are formed, part of the seed function within the self-mind forms the differentiating function of knowledge and views. It is like a piece of gold forged into a ring, not losing the intrinsic nature of the gold, yet having the function of a ring. The self-mind is likewise: it transforms into knowledge and views without losing its fundamental essence. The ring is made from gold; knowledge and views are born from the self-mind. The ring is entirely gold, yet gold is not entirely rings. Knowledge and views are entirely the self-mind nature, yet the self-mind does not entirely transform into knowledge and views.

XXV. The Twenty-Fifth Patriarch Basiasita’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: Sages speak of knowledge and views; the present realm has no right or wrong;

　　　I now awaken to its nature; there is no path nor principle.

Explanation: So-called sages have no trace of an ordinary person's nature. The sage Suchness and the ordinary person of the seven consciousnesses combine to produce all dharmas. When they together produce various knowledges and views, describing them with language, these linguistic realms, actions, words, knowledges, and views have no correctness or error, no right nor wrong. If you say it is right, it is the activity of the seventh consciousness. If you say it is wrong, it is manifested by Suchness; entirely, it is Suchness. Now that I have awakened to the nature of Suchness, I know that within Suchness, originally there is no path or principle. It is like Suchness described in the Heart Sutra: no five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness), no six sense bases, no six sense objects, no six consciousnesses, no twelve links of dependent origination, no four noble truths, no six pāramitās of Bodhisattvas, no wisdom nor attainment. Within this empty characteristic of Suchness, there truly are no such paths or principles, yet it effortlessly manifests all these principles without the slightest difficulty.

XXVI. The Twenty-Sixth Patriarch Puṇyamitra’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: The true nature is the treasury of the mind-ground, without head nor tail;

　　　Responding to conditions, it transforms things; expediently, it is called wisdom.

Explanation: Tathāgatagarbha is the treasury of the sentient beings' mind-ground. Its self-nature is empty, yet it contains immeasurable meritorious qualities and functions, able to perfectly accomplish all dharmas, harmonize all dharmas, without obstruction. Its essence is formless, without characteristics, without head or tail, without length, shortness, squareness, roundness, size, blue, yellow, red, or white. Responding to myriad conditions, it can transform and give birth to all things and events. It is endowed with immeasurable wisdom, yet it is not the worldly wisdom of the seventh consciousness mind. To distinguish it from worldly wisdom, from the discriminating nature of the conscious mind's cleverness and sharpness, the Buddhas can only give the Tathāgatagarbha self-nature pure mind an alternative name, calling it "Wisdom" (Jñāna). Then sentient beings can distinguish between the seventh consciousness's conscious mind discriminating wisdom and Tathāgatagarbha's non-discriminating Wisdom. These two have utterly different natures—one is the worldly conscious mind, the other is the Suchness mind transcending the mundane world.

XXVII. The Twenty-Seventh Patriarch Prajñātāra’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: The mind-ground gives birth to various seeds; from events, principles again arise;

　　　Fruits become full, Bodhi becomes perfect; flowers bloom, worlds arise.

Explanation: The self-mind pure treasure-ground contains the seeds of the six great elements: earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness. It also contains the karmic seeds of sentient beings' wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral actions. When these karmic seeds ripen, the self-mind Tathāgatagarbha, based on the karmic seeds, separately outputs the great elements of earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness, producing all dharmas, and all phenomena appear. The operation and results of these phenomena are then stored as seeds back into the self-mind treasure-ground, to give birth to new phenomena in the future. Sentient beings are all sowing, sprouting, blooming, and bearing fruit within their own mind-field; each event is different, each fruit is different. Practitioners, through life after life of cultivation, bear fruits that become increasingly superior, increasingly close to the Buddha fruit. When these cultivation fruits reach perfection, the cultivation of the Bodhi path is also perfectly completed. The Bodhi seeds will then be born, sprout, bloom, and bear fruit from the mind-ground, and the three-thousandfold great thousand worlds' Buddha lands can be truly established.

XXVIII. The Twenty-Eighth Patriarch Bodhidharma’s Dharma Transmission Verse

Original Text: I originally came to this land to transmit the Dharma and save deluded beings;

　　　One flower opens with five petals; the fruit naturally forms.

Explanation: I originally came to the Eastern Land of China (Zhendan) to transmit the seal of the Buddha's One True Reality Mind-Dharma, thereby saving sentient beings still deluded and inverted, not recognizing their fundamental mind. When the Chan (Zen) lineage is transmitted to the Sixth Patriarch, the Dharma will naturally form into five branches.

Patriarch Bodhidharma's verse "One flower opens with five petals" means that this single lineage of Chan, after being transmitted to the Sixth Patriarch, divides into five schools: Linji (Rinzai), Yunmen (Ummon), Weiyang (Guiyang), Fayan (Hogen), and Caodong (Soto). "The fruit naturally forms" means that because Chan continues to be transmitted, naturally, in later times, countless people will attain the Way. These five Dharma lineages will naturally transmit the Chan Dharma continuously to future generations, never ceasing, causing the Mahāyāna True Reality Dharma to spread widely, with immeasurable numbers of beings saved. Those who secretly penetrate the Mind-Dharma and realize the True Reality Mind will number in the tens of thousands and more.