— Foyan (1067–1120)One who is not a companion of myriad things has departed the toils of materialism. The mind does not recognize the mind, the eye does not see the eye; since there is no opposition, when you see forms there are no forms there to be seen, and when you hear sounds there are no sounds there to be heard. Is this not departing from the toils of materialism?
Calm, activity— Soen (1859-1919)
Each has its use.
At times this worldly dust
Piles mountains high.
Now the neighbor's asleep,
I chant a sutra.
The incense burnt away,
I sing before the moon.
If you turn your light inwardly,— Hui neng
you will find
what is esoteric
within you.
All phenomena are intrinsically void— Huang po
and yet this Mind
with which they are identical
is no mere nothingness.
— Hsueh-feng (822-908)The whole universe, the whole world, is you; do you think there is any other? This is why the Heroic Progress Scripture says, “People lose themselves, pursuing things; if they could turn things around, they would be the same as Buddha.”