Path to Clear Mind (ePub)

Description:

Jianzhi Sengcan, also known as Seng-ts'an, is considered the Third Chinese Patriarch of Chan, also known as Zen Buddhism, after Bodhidharma and the thirtieth Patriarch after Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. He is credited with writing the "Xinmin Ming" or "Faith in Mind," a poem that serves as a guide to the path of clear mind in Zen Buddhism.

The "Xinmin Ming" is a well-known text in Zen Buddhism and is considered a classic in Chinese spiritual literature. It consists of 146 verses that describe the nature of the mind and its relationship to the world. The poem emphasizes the importance of having faith in one's own inherent Buddha-nature, which is present in all beings and can be realized through meditation and self-awareness. Enclosed are 33 versus of those 146 either culminated or thought of in random. The 33 verses are a study format by Buddhist teacher Gelongma Karma Kechog Palmo. The commentary is a study project by Ronald Allen for the advancement of the script. After her passing.

Sengcan's teachings emphasize the importance of mindfulness, self-reflection, and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. He believed that the key to achieving a clear mind was to let go of attachment and desires, and to cultivate a sense of detachment from the world around us.

In addition to the "Xinmin Ming," Sengcan wrote several other works that have been influential in the development of Zen Buddhism. These include "Path to Clear Mind," a collection of teachings and practices for achieving enlightenment, "Three examples from Transmission of The Lamp Volume Three," which describes the transmission of the Zen lineage from Bodhidharma to Sengcan, and "The Dharma Transmission from Hui-k'o to Seng-ts'an," which describes the passing of the Zen lineage from Hui-k'o to Sengcan.