Affirming Faith In Mind

Affirming Faith In Mind by Hsin Hsin Ming

The Great Way is not difficult

for those who do not pick and choose

When preferences are cast aside

the Way stands clear and undisguised

But even slight distinctions made

set earth and heaven apart

If you would clearly see the truth,

discard opinions pro and con

To founder in dislike and like

is nothing but the mind's disease

And not to see the Way's deep truth

disturbs the mind's essential peace

The Way is perfect like vast space

where there's no lack and no excess

Our choice to choose and to reject

prevents our seeing this simple truth

Both striving for the outer world

as well as for the inner void

condemn us to entangled lives.

Just calmly see that all is One

and by themselves false views will go.

Attempts to stop activity

will fill you with activity

Remaining in duality

you'll never know of unity

And not to know this unity

lets conflict lead you far astray

When you assert that things are real

you miss their true reality

But to assert that things are void

also misses reality

The more you talk and think on this

the further from the truth you'll be

Cut off all useless thoughts and words

and there's nowhere you cannot go

Returning to the root itself

you'll find the meaning of all things

If you pursue appearances

you overlook the primal source

Awaking is to go beyond

both emptiness as well as form

All changes in this empty world

seem real because of ignorance

Do not go searching for the truth

just let those fond opinions go

Abide not in duality

refrain from all pursuit of it

Just let go now of clinging mind

and all things are just as they are

in essence nothing goes or stays

See into the true self of things,

and you're in step with the Great Way

thus walking freely, undisturbed

But live in bondage to your thoughts

and you will be confused, unclear

This heavy burden weighs you down

so why keep judging good and bad?

If you would walk the highest Way

do not reject the sense domain.

For as it is, whole and complete

this sense world is enlightenment

The wise do not strive after goals

but fools themselves in bondage put

The One Way knows no differences

The foolish cling to this and that.

To seek Great Mind with thinking mind

is certainly a grave mistake

From small mind comes rest and unrest

but mind awakened transcends both

Delusion spawns dualities –

these dreams are merely flow'rs of air-

why work so hard at grasping them?

If there's a trace of right and wrong

True-mind is lost, confused, distraught.

From One mind comes duality

but cling not even to this One.

When this One-mind rests undisturbed

then nothing in the world offends

And when no thing can give offense

then all obstructions cease to be.

If all thought-objects disappear

the thinking subject drops away.

For things are things because of mind

As mind is mind because of things.

These two are merely relative

And both at source are Emptiness

In Emptiness these are not two

yet in each are contained all forms

Once coarse & fine are seen no more

then how can there be taking sides?

The Great Way is without limit

Beyond the easy and the hard

But those who hold to narrow views

are fearful and irresolute

their frantic haste just slows them down

If you're attached to anything

you surely will go far astray

Both gain and loss, and right and wrong -

once and for all get rid of them

When you no longer are asleep

all dreams will vanish by themselves

If mind does not discriminate

all things are as they are, as One

To go to this mysterious Source

frees us from all entanglements

When all is seen with "equal mind",

to our Self-nature we return

This single mind goes right beyond

all reasons and comparison

Seek movement and there is no movement

see rest and no-rest comes instead

When rest and no –rest cease to be

then even oneness disappears

The ultimate finality's

beyond all laws, can't be described

With single mind one with the Way

all ego-centered strivings cease

Doubts and confusion disappear

and so true faith pervades our life

There is no thing that clings to us,

and nothing that is left behind

All's self revealing void and clear,

without exerting power of mind

Thought cannot reach this state of truth,

here feelings are of no avail

In this true world of Emptiness

both self and other are no more

To enter this true empty world

immediately affirm "not-two"

In this "not-two" all is the same

with nothing separate or outside

The wise in all time and places

awaken to this primal truth

The Way's beyond all space, all time

one instant is ten thousand years

Not only here, not only there

truth's right before your very eyes

Distinctions such as large and small

have relevance for you no more

The largest is the smallest too

here limitations have no place

What is is not, what is not is

If this is not yet clear to you

you're still far from the inner truth

One thing is all, all things are one –

know this and all's whole and complete

[RECITE TOGETHER]

When faith and Mind are not separate

and not separate are Mind and faith

this is beyond all words, all thoughts

For here there is no yesterday

no tomorrow

no today