Faith in Mind A Commentary on Seng Ts'an's Classic

The Supreme Way is not difficultIf only you do not pick and choose.Neither love nor hate,And you will clearly understand.Be off by a hair,And you are as far from it as heaven and earth. These vivid lines begin one of the most beloved and commented upon of all Zen texts, the Hsin Hsin Ming ("Faith in Mind"), a sixth-century poem by the third Chan patriarch, Seng Ts'an. The Hsin Hsin Ming is a masterpiece of economy, expressing the profoundest truth of the enlightened mind in only a few short pages. Master Sheng Yen's approach is unique among commentaries on the text: he views it as a supremely useful and practical guide to meditation practice. "I do not adopt a scholarly point of view or analytical approach," he says. "Rather, I use the poem as a taking-off point to inspire the practitioner and deal with issues that arise during the course of practice. True faith in mind is the belief grounded in realization that we have a fundamental, unmoving, and unchanging mind. This mind is precisely Buddha mind."

Master Sheng Yen is the best-known Chan (Chinese Zen) master in America, having taught in the U.S. since 1976. His Dharma Drum Buddhist Association has twenty-one centers throughout North America, as well as dozens of others throughout the world. He has co-led retreats with the Dalai Lama and is the author of numerous books.