— Ta-an (d. 883)Each of you has a priceless jewel in your own body. It radiates light through your eyes, shining through the mountains, rivers, and earth. It radiates light through your ears, taking in all sounds, good and bad. It radiates light through your six senses day and night. This is also called absorption in light. You yourself do not recognize it, but it is in your physical body, supporting it inside and out, not letting it tip over. Even if you are carrying a double load of rocks over a single-log bridge, it still doesn’t let you fall over. What is this? If you seek in the slightest, then it cannot by seen.
— Te-shan (d. 867)If there were any object, any doctrine, that could be given to you to hold on to or understand, it would reduce you to bewilderment and externalism. It’s just a spiritual openness, with nothing that can be grasped; it is pure everywhere, its light clearly penetrating, outwardly and inwardly luminous through and through.
Innate knowledge is vast and great— Qian Dehong (1495-1574)
And lofty and clear.
Originally it has no false thoughts
That can be removed.
As soon as there are false thoughts,
We have already lost the vast and great,
Lofty and clear essence.
Right now just wake up
The fundamental essence,
And the many falsities will
Dissolve away by themselves.
— Nan-ch’uanThe body of truth is not constructed; it does not fall into any category. Truth is unshakeable; it does not depend on the objects of the six senses. Therefore scripture says buddha nature is constant, while mind is inconstant. That is the sense in which knowledge is not the way and mind is not Buddha.
For now, do not say mind is Buddha; do not understand in terms of perception and cognition. This thing originally does not have all those names.
— Pai-chang (720-814)Don’t seek a Buddha, don’t seek a teaching, don’t seek a community. Don’t seek virtue, knowledge, intellectual understanding, and so on. When feelings of defilement and purity are ended, still don’t hold to this nonseeking and consider it right. Don’t dwell at the point of ending, and don’t long for heavens or fear hells. When you are unhindered by bondage or freedom, then this is called liberation of mind and body in all places.