Thank you Ralph!
The initial excerpt by Seng Tsan
The Great Way is not difficult
for those who are unattached to preferences.
When love and hate are both absent,
everything becomes clear and undisguised.
Make the smallest distinction, however,
and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.
If you wish to see the Truth,
then hold no opinions for or against anything.
To set up what you like against what you dislike
is the disease of the mind.
When the deep meaning of things is not understood,
the mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail.
The Way is perfect like vast space
where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess.
Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject
that we do not see the true nature of things.
Live neither in the entanglements of outer things
nor in inner feelings of emptiness.
Be serene in the oneness of things
and such erroneous views will disappear by themselves.
When you try to stop activity to achieve passivity,
your very effort fills you with activity.
As long as you remain in one extreme or the other,
you will never know oneness.
Those who do not live in the single Way
fail in both activity and passivity, assertion and denial.
To deny the reality of things is to miss their Reality.
To assert the emptiness of things is to miss their Reality.
The more you talk and think about It,
the further astray you wander from Truth.
Stop talking and thinking
and there is nothing you will not be able to know.
To return to the root is to find the meaning,
but to pursue appearances is to miss the Source.
At the moment of inner enlightenment
there is a going beyond appearance and emptiness.
The changes that appear to occur in the empty world
we call “real” only because of our ignorance.
Do not search for the Truth.
Only cease to cherish opinions.
Do not remain in the dualistic state.
Avoid such pursuits carefully.
If there is even a trace of this and that, of right and wrong,
the mind-essence will be lost in confusion.
Although all dualities come from the One,
do not be attached even to this One.
When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way,
nothing in the world can offend,
and when a thing can no longer offend,
it ceases to exist in the old way.
When no discriminating thoughts arise,
the old mind ceases to exist.
When thought objects vanish,
the thinking subject vanishes,
as when the mind vanishes, objects vanish.
Things are objects because of the subject [mind].
The mind [subject] is such because of things [objects].
Understand the relativity of these two
and the basic Reality, the Unity of emptiness.
In this emptiness the two are indistinguishable,
and each contains in itself the whole world.
If you do not discriminate between coarse and fine,
you will not be tempted to prejudice and opinion.
To live in the Great Way is neither easy nor difficult,
but those with limited views are fearful and irresolute.
The faster they hurry, the slower they go,
and clinging [attachment] cannot be limited.
Even to be attached to the idea of enlightenment is to go astray.
Just let things be in their own way
and there will be neither coming nor going.
Obey the nature of things, your own nature,
and you will walk freely and undisturbed.
When thought is in bondage, the Truth is hidden,
for everything is murky and unclear,
and the burdensome practice of judging
brings annoyance and weariness.
What benefit can be derived from distinctions and separations?
If you wish to move in the one Way,
do not dislike even the world of senses and ideas.
Indeed, to accept them fully
is identical with true enlightenment.
The wise man strives to no goals,
but the foolish man fetters himself.
There’s one dharma, not many.
Distinctions arise from the clinging needs of the ignorant.
To seek mind with the mind is the greatest of all mistakes.
Rest and unrest derive from illusion.
With enlightenment there is no liking or disliking.
All dualities come from ignorant inference.
They are like dreams or flowers in air:
foolish to try to grasp them.
Gain and loss, right and wrong,
such thoughts must finally be abolished at once.
If the eye never sleeps, all dreams will naturally cease.
If the mind makes no discriminations,
the ten thousand things are as they are, of single essence.
To understand the mystery of this One-essence
is to be released from all entanglements.
When all things are seen equally,
the timeless Self-essence is reached.
No comparisons or analogies are possible
in this causeless, relationless state.
Consider movement stationary and the stationary in motion.
Both movement and rest disappear.
When such dualities cease to exist,
oneness itself cannot exist.
To this Ultimate Finality no law or description applies.
For the unified mind in accord with the Way
all self-centred striving ceases.
Doubts and irresolutions vanish,
and life in true faith is possible.
With a single stroke we are freed from bondage.
Nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing.
All is empty, clear, self-illuminating,
with no exertion of the mind’s power.
Here thought, feeling, knowledge and imagination are of no value.
In this world of suchness
there is neither self nor other-than-self.
To come directly into harmony with this reality
just simply say when doubts arise, “Not two”.
In this “not two” nothing is separate,
nothing is excluded.
No matter when or where,
enlightenment means entering this Truth,
and this Truth is beyond extension or diminution in time or space.
In it a single thought is ten thousand years.
Emptiness here, emptiness there,
but the infinite universe stands,
always before your eyes,
infinitely large and infinitely small:
no difference, for definitions have vanished
and no boundaries are seen.
So too with being and non-being.
Don’t waste time in doubts and arguments
that have nothing to do with enlightenment.
One thing, all things:
move among and intermingle
without distinction.
To live in this realisation
is to be without anxiety about non-perfecton.
To live in this faith is the road to non-duality
because the non-dual is one with the trusting mind.
Words!.
The Way is beyond language,
for in it there is
no yesterday,
no tomorrow,
no today.
Seng Tsan
Disclaimer: The following content has been generated by ai.
Okay, here’s a briefing document summarizing the key themes and ideas from the provided text by Seng Tsan:
Briefing Document: “The Great Way is Not Difficult” by Seng Tsan
Analysis of core principles and teachings Author: AI Assistant
Executive Summary:
This text presents a profound exploration of non-dualistic philosophy, often associated with Zen Buddhism, emphasizing the path to enlightenment through transcending dualistic thinking and attachments. The central theme revolves around achieving a state of mental clarity and peace by abandoning preferences, opinions, and the illusion of separation between self and other, subject and object. It advocates for living in the “Great Way” by embracing the true nature of reality which is beyond conceptualization.
Key Themes and Ideas:
- Non-Duality: The core message of the text is the importance of abandoning dualistic thinking. This is illustrated through various examples including the rejection of preference, hate and love (“When love and hate are both absent, everything becomes clear and undisguised”) and the distinction of right and wrong (“If there is even a trace of this and that, of right and wrong, the mind-essence will be lost in confusion”). The text asserts that all dualities arise from a misunderstanding of the fundamental unity of existence, and enlightenment is achieved when the mind transcends these divisions.
- Attachment as the Source of Suffering: Attachment, in all its forms, is presented as the primary obstacle to enlightenment. This includes attachment to opinions (“Do not search for the Truth. Only cease to cherish opinions.”), to the idea of enlightenment itself (“Even to be attached to the idea of enlightenment is to go astray.”), to activity and passivity, and even to the idea of unity (“Although all dualities come from the One, do not be attached even to this One.”). The text argues that clinging to these creates internal conflict and obscures one’s understanding of reality.
- The Nature of Reality as Emptiness: The text frequently uses “emptiness” not as a void but as a state of non-differentiation, where all things are interconnected and inseparable. This “emptiness” encompasses the absence of inherent existence of the ego (“Here thought, feeling, knowledge and imagination are of no value.”), but also contains the entirety of the cosmos. This is illustrated in the quote, “In this emptiness the two are indistinguishable, and each contains in itself the whole world.”
- Transcending Conceptual Thought: Conceptual thinking and language are depicted as limitations that lead us further away from truth (“The more you talk and think about It, the further astray you wander from Truth.”). The text advocates for a state beyond thought, a state of pure awareness in the present moment, (“Stop talking and thinking and there is nothing you will not be able to know.”). The goal is to move past intellectual understanding and directly experience the reality of oneness.
- The “Great Way” as effortless being: The text indicates that the Great Way is not a difficult or arduous task but “not difficult for those who are unattached to preferences.” Instead, it is a natural state of being when the mind is freed of dualistic thinking and attachment. This state leads to a life of freedom and peace.
- The Interdependence of Subject and Object: The text highlights the interdependent nature of mind and object, subject and object stating: “Things are objects because of the subject [mind]. The mind [subject] is such because of things [objects].” By understanding this relativity, one can begin to comprehend the non-dualistic nature of reality.
- Impermanence and the Illusion of Reality: The text posits that the changes that appear to occur are illusions based on ignorance. “The changes that appear to occur in the empty world we call “real” only because of our ignorance.” This highlights the notion that our perception of time and reality is based on limited dualistic thinking.
Key Quotes:
- “The Great Way is not difficult for those who are unattached to preferences.”
- “When love and hate are both absent, everything becomes clear and undisguised.”
- “To set up what you like against what you dislike is the disease of the mind.”
- “Do not remain in the dualistic state. Avoid such pursuits carefully.”
- “When thought objects vanish, the thinking subject vanishes, as when the mind vanishes, objects vanish.”
- “In this emptiness the two are indistinguishable, and each contains in itself the whole world.”
- “Just let things be in their own way and there will be neither coming nor going.”
- “If the eye never sleeps, all dreams will naturally cease.”
- “In this world of suchness there is neither self nor other-than-self.”
- “The Way is beyond language, for in it there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today.”
Conclusion:
Seng Tsan’s “The Great Way is Not Difficult” provides a guide for achieving liberation by understanding the illusory nature of our perceived reality. It advocates for a radical shift in perspective by letting go of preferences, opinions, attachments and the duality of the mind. The path outlined is one of embracing emptiness, living in the present moment, and realizing the fundamental oneness of all existence. The document is meant as a guide towards a non-dual understanding of the world.
This document should serve as a starting point for further contemplation and study of the text.
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