Dharma Wheel

Bojo Jinul's seminal work, the Secrets on Cultivating the Mind (Susimkyeol), contains the essential teachings of Zen that everyone eager to liberate all beings should study carefully. It answers many questions that people who learn about Zen find difficult to answer. It shows the actual nature of mind and advises on how to go on from the initial enlightenment.

Buswell's translation
Cleary's translation (PDF)

"Since all dharmas are like dreams or conjuring tricks, deluded thoughts are originally calm and the dusty sense-spheres are originally empty. At the point where all dharmas are empty, the numinous awareness is unobscured. That is, this mind of void and calm, numinous awareness is your original face. It is also the dharma-seal transmitted without a break by all the buddhas of the three time-periods, the successive generations of patriarchs and teachers, and the spiritual advisors of this world. If you awaken to this mind, then this is truly what is called not climbing the rungs of a ladder: you ascend straight to the stage of buddhahood and each step transcends the three realms of existence. Returning home, your doubts will be instantly resolved, and you will become the teacher of humans and divinities. Endowed with both compassion and wisdom and fully endowed with the twofold benefit, you will be worthy of receiving the offerings of humans and divinities. Each day you can use ten-thousand taels of gold. If you can do this, you will be a great man who will have indeed finished the tasks of this life."
(Moguja’s Secrets on Cultivating the Mind in Collected Works of Korean Buddhism, Vol. 2, p. 219)

Astus wrote:Bojo Jinul's seminal work, the Secrets on Cultivating the Mind (Susimkyeol), contains the essential teachings of Zen that everyone eager to liberate all beings should study carefully. It answers many questions that people who learn about Zen find difficult to answer. It shows the actual nature of mind and advises on how to go on from the initial enlightenment.

Buswell's translation
Cleary's translation (PDF)

"Since all dharmas are like dreams or conjuring tricks, deluded thoughts are originally calm and the dusty sense-spheres are originally empty. At the point where all dharmas are empty, the numinous awareness is unobscured. That is, this mind of void and calm, numinous awareness is your original face. It is also the dharma-seal transmitted without a break by all the buddhas of the three time-periods, the successive generations of patriarchs and teachers, and the spiritual advisors of this world. If you awaken to this mind, then this is truly what is called not climbing the rungs of a ladder: you ascend straight to the stage of buddhahood and each step transcends the three realms of existence. Returning home, your doubts will be instantly resolved, and you will become the teacher of humans and divinities. Endowed with both compassion and wisdom and fully endowed with the twofold benefit, you will be worthy of receiving the offerings of humans and divinities. Each day you can use ten-thousand taels of gold. If you can do this, you will be a great man who will have indeed finished the tasks of this life."
(Moguja’s Secrets on Cultivating the Mind in Collected Works of Korean Buddhism, Vol. 2, p. 219)

Thank you Astus. I found that a clear and uplifting description of what the essence of Zen is.
I think anyone interested in Zen should read and meditate on it.

Bonko

Chinul is wonderful. Words that point directly, stopping monkey mind dead in his tracks. Thank you for sharing.

Cleary's translation link don't work. Please, fix it.

Here is Cleary's translation.

Genuine, it made me get couple works from seon.

cleary is wonderful, beyond. thread title alone gets a sincere well done from me, madam/sir.
peace.

Astus wrote: "Since all dharmas are like dreams or conjuring tricks, deluded thoughts are originally calm and the dusty sense-spheres are originally empty. At the point where all dharmas are empty, the numinous awareness is unobscured. That is, this mind of void and calm, numinous awareness is your original face. It is also the dharma-seal transmitted without a break by all the buddhas of the three time-periods, the successive generations of patriarchs and teachers, and the spiritual advisors of this world. If you awaken to this mind, then this is truly what is called not climbing the rungs of a ladder: you ascend straight to the stage of buddhahood and each step transcends the three realms of existence. Returning home, your doubts will be instantly resolved, and you will become the teacher of humans and divinities. Endowed with both compassion and wisdom and fully endowed with the twofold benefit, you will be worthy of receiving the offerings of humans and divinities. Each day you can use ten-thousand taels of gold. If you can do this, you will be a great man who will have indeed finished the tasks of this life."
(Moguja’s Secrets on Cultivating the Mind in Collected Works of Korean Buddhism, Vol. 2, p. 219)

Lovely.

Also, a bit of a comment on the the emptiness of the Bhumis perhaps, Astus? How did Chinul otherwise comment on the Bhumis?

If you awaken to this mind, then this is truly what is called not climbing the rungs of a ladder: you ascend straight to the stage of buddhahood and each step transcends the three realms of existence.

Gassho, Jundo

jundo cohen wrote:Also, a bit of a comment on the the emptiness of the Bhumis perhaps, Astus? How did Chinul otherwise comment on the Bhumis?

From Cleary's translation:

"If you can practice this moment to moment, not neglecting to be attentive, seeing to it that concentration and insight are equally sustained, then love and hate will naturally lighten and thin out, while compassion and wisdom will naturally increase in clarity, sinful deeds will naturally end, while meritorious actions will naturally progress."

Jinul accords with the Hwaeom teachings of the first arousal of bodhicitta, the attainment of the first level of faith, includes all the attainments through the entire path of the 52 levels, so in terms of wisdom one is equal to the buddhas, but then one must gradually manifest the buddha qualities until perfection. This goes back to Guifeng Zongmi, who clarified this teaching of sudden enlightenment with gradual cultivation as the meaning.

"As for gradual practice, having suddenly realized fundamental essence, no different from Buddha, beginningless mental habits are hard to get rid of all at once. Therefore one cultivates practice based on enlightenment, gradually cultivating the attainment to perfection, nurturing the embryo of sagehood to maturity. Eventually, after a long time, one becomes a sage; therefore it is called gradual practice. It is like an infant, which has all the normal faculties at birth, but as yet undeveloped; only with the passage of years does it become an adult."

Thank you, Astus.

Yes, sudden enlightenment-gradual cultivation.

Gassho, Jundo

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Astus wrote:Bojo Jinul's seminal work, the Secrets on Cultivating the Mind (Susimkyeol), contains the essential teachings of Zen that everyone eager to liberate all beings should study carefully. It answers many questions that people who learn about Zen find difficult to answer. It shows the actual nature of mind and advises on how to go on from the initial enlightenment.

Buswell's translation
Cleary's translation (PDF)

"Since all dharmas are like dreams or conjuring tricks, deluded thoughts are originally calm and the dusty sense-spheres are originally empty. At the point where all dharmas are empty, the numinous awareness is unobscured. That is, this mind of void and calm, numinous awareness is your original face. It is also the dharma-seal transmitted without a break by all the buddhas of the three time-periods, the successive generations of patriarchs and teachers, and the spiritual advisors of this world. If you awaken to this mind, then this is truly what is called not climbing the rungs of a ladder: you ascend straight to the stage of buddhahood and each step transcends the three realms of existence. Returning home, your doubts will be instantly resolved, and you will become the teacher of humans and divinities. Endowed with both compassion and wisdom and fully endowed with the twofold benefit, you will be worthy of receiving the offerings of humans and divinities. Each day you can use ten-thousand taels of gold. If you can do this, you will be a great man who will have indeed finished the tasks of this life."
(Moguja’s Secrets on Cultivating the Mind in Collected Works of Korean Buddhism, Vol. 2, p. 219)

There is a resemblance to the intrinsic awareness of Dzogchen.

Chinul is such a great recent discovery of mine. I am currently sinking my teeth into Tracing Back The Radiance.

Thank you, Astus.