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Tag Archives: Tsung-mi
The Sutra of Primordial Enlightenment
After years of gathering dust on a table full of books, awaiting its birth as a series here one day, The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment was dusted-off and examined for possible entry this February. It was pleasantly satisfying to find … Continue reading
Karma’s Repository
The advent of Mahāyāna Buddhism that coincided with the beginning of the Christian-era gave birth to the most sublime innovations in Buddhist-thought that have not been surpassed even to this day. Colorful, dynamic and transcendent in scope, resplendent with rich … Continue reading
Posted in Karma and Rebirth
Tagged Alaya vijnana, Awakening of Faith, Cittapada, Cittidhatu, Fa-shang, John of the Cross, Lankavatarian Book of the Dead, Mahāyāna Buddhism, paramartha, paravrtti, ritambharā, saṃcintyabhavopapatti, Seedless Contemplation, Tsung-mi, turn-about, Yogacara
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Eunuch Power and the Two Entrances
The Sweet-Dew Incident It may sound hard to hear for modern ears that the great Tsung-mi’s downfall was at the hands of Eunuchs. However, these were no namby-pamby fellows that appear in some Mel Brook’s comedy, but rather fierce-warriors that … Continue reading
Posted in Tsung-mi: An Intimate Study
Tagged Bodhidharma, Bodhidharma Anthology, Tsung-mi, two entrances
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Tsung-mi: An Intimate Study
Tsung-mi (780-841) A good subtitle for this series would be, “The Spiritual Knowing that knows no darkness.” With brilliant erudition Tsung-mi (pronounced Zongmi—preferred spelling by modern-day scholars) set out to define Bodhidharma’s Mind Transmission as a silent knowing of Mind’s … Continue reading
Posted in Tsung-mi: An Intimate Study
Tagged Chan Prolegomenon, Mind, Mind transmission, Tsung-mi
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(5) The Black Dragon
When the birdcage is open and the illusion of the false bird dies the virtuous one recollects the unborn essence. Transcending the sensory addicted mind, finding the gateless gate to its original source of perfection. This is a black dragon’s … Continue reading
Posted in The Dragon Mind of Zen Tarot
Tagged Black Dragon, Bodhidharma, desire, form, sage, Tathagatas, Tsung-mi
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Sudden Anointment
The eminent Tsung-mi holds the key to deciphering the enlightenment equation. Here is his assessment to Shen-hsiu’s verse: “Sentient beings originally have an enlightened nature just as a mirror a luminous nature, but defilements cover it from view just as … Continue reading
Posted in The Platform Sutra, Zen
Tagged Peter N. Gregory, Sudden and Gradual Awakening, Tozen, Tsung-mi
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The Platform Sutra: Setting the Stage
The Platform Sutra of Hui-neng is quite unlike any other; usually a sutra has as its basis a teaching directly from the Tathagata, i.e., speaking Ex Tathata. Here we have elements, directly at the beginning, of a formalized autobiographical account … Continue reading
Posted in The Platform Sutra, Zen
Tagged Ch’an Buddhism, Dogen, Hui Neng, Northern School, Platform Sutra, Shen Hsiu, Shen-hui, Southern School, True Suchness, Tsung-mi, Wong Mou-Lam, Yampolsky
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The Genius of Tsung-Mi
Tsung-mi (781-841) was a truly a singular spirit most erudite in both historical and Mahayana-spiritual development. In terms of the latter he once formulated a marvelous systematized analysis revolving around the intertwining ten-fold paths of delusion and awakening. The following … Continue reading