Here is a Dunhuang document composed by Zen master Sengcan entitled Details of the Mysterious Transmission (his poem Faith in Mind is what he is remembered by). It is taken from J.C. Cleary’s excellent book, Zen Dawn. Because I am a struggling typist I have omitted Cleary’s notes. I would also encourage The Zennist reader to purchase this book. It has some great material in it that helps to cast a bright light on original Zen.

There is only the vast depths of the One Reality. Ah, for the profuse diversity of the myriad forms. True and conventional differ, but their essential body is the same. Ordinary and sage are divided, but the Path joins them. If we look for a shore, it is vast and boundless, stretching out of sight to infinity. It takes its source in the beginningless reaches its limits in the endless. This runs through both liberation and delusion alike: both defiled and pure are fused in this. It includes emptiness and existence with perception still: it embraces space and time with pervasive sameness. It is like the pure gold that is not apart from the rings [made of it]. It is like a mass of water that does not fear surface ripples.

It is like water making waves, like gold making vessels. The gold is the substance of the vessel, so no vessel is not gold. The waves are the functioning of water. We observe nonobstruction amid causal origination and are certain about the inconceivability of the nature of things. It is like pearls hanging down from a jeweled palace, like mirrors hung from an agate pedestal. This and that differ, but they enter into each other. Red and purple are separate, but they reflect each other. With things we are not stuck on self and others; with events we do not weigh crooked and straight.

An infinitesimally small space contains all the phenomena of the great thousand-world system. An instant of time includes all the times of past, present, and future. Fearing that few will believe such words, we use Indra’s Net to remove doubts. The universal eye can see this, but how can deluded consciousness come to know it?

Though large and small differ, they are like images in a mirror that enter into each other. Though this and that differ, they are like the mutually reflected shapes of the jewels [in Indra’s Net]. One thing is everything, everything is one thing. Causal origination has no obstructions: inner truth is clear in each and every thing. Thus we know that however broad the cosmos, it can fit into an atom of dust without being cramped. However, long past, present, and future are, they can be contained in a brief moment. Thus we can see through metal walls, observing that there is nothing to be measured; we can pass through stone walls without any obstructions.

Thereby do the sages find inner truth and perfect their functioning. If inner truth did not let them be so, the sages would not have such power. Liberation is penetration through inner truth. Obstruction is due to blockage by sentiments. The wisdom of the universal eye can see things as they really are.

When the monkey wears chains, he stops his restless movement. When the snake enters a tube, he straightens out his curves. Cross the vast sea with the boat of discipline. Illuminate the thick darkness with the lamp of wisdom.