The , or "Mind Inscription" (), also rendered in the Wade-Giles romanization as Hsin ming, is a Chan Buddhist text attributed to Niutou Farong (; 594–657), whom the Oxhead School regarded as its founder. The can be found in chapter thirty of the . It is not to be confused with the famous , or "Faith-Mind Inscription" (also found in chapter thirty of the ), which is a related but separate text.
Question of authorship and relationship to other texts Although attributed to Niutou Farong (; 594–657), the can be grouped together with a number of early Chan texts which were probably composed sometime during the eighth or ninth century. These texts exhibit a similarity of lexical terms and doctrinal content, and include: the (), the (), the (), and the ().Robert Sharf. Coming to Terms with Chinese Buddhism, A Reading of the Treasure Store Treatise, page 47, University of Hawai'i Press, 2002
John McRae doubts that the Xin Ming can be attributed to Niutou Farong.John McRae. The Ox-head School of Chinese Ch'an Buddhism: From Early Ch'an to the Golden Age, in Studies in Ch'an and Hua-yen, edited by Robert M. Gimello and Peter Gregory, page 208, University of Hawai'i Press, 1983 According to Henrik Sorensen, although no definitive proof exists that the was authored by Niutou Farong, a number of points, as well as style and content, allow for the text to be associated with Farong and the Oxhead School.The "Hsin-Ming" Attributed to Niu-t'ou Fa-jung, translated into English by Henrik H. Sorensen, in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Vol.13, 1986, page 105 Sorensen also observes the similarity between it and the , and says, "there seems to be little doubt that they are both the product, if not by the same author, then at least by followers of the same type of Ch'an doctrine."The "Hsin-Ming" Attributed to Niu-t'ou Fa-jung, translated into English by Henrik H. Sorensen, in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Vol.13, 1986, page 104 According to Yanagida Seizan, the is either by Farong or one of his close disciples.The "Hsin-Ming" Attributed to Niu-t'ou Fa-jung, translated into English by Henrik H. Sorensen, in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Vol.13, 1986, page 104
Sorensen further notes the close affinity, both in content and style, between the and the famous (Faith-Mind Inscription).The "Hsin-Ming" Attributed to Niu-t'ou Fa-jung, translated into English by Henrik H. Sorensen, in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Vol.13, 1986, page 105 Additionally, Robert Sharf points out that the well-known closely resembles the and it has been suggested by some scholars that the was intended as an "improvement" on the earlier .Robert Sharf. Coming to Terms with Chinese Buddhism, A Reading of the Treasure Store Treatise, page 48, University of Hawai'i Press, 2002 Although the famous is traditionally attributed to the third Chan patriarch Sengcan, this is not taken seriously by scholarship, and both it and the earlier are considered to be associated with the Oxhead School.Robert Sharf. Coming to Terms with Chinese Buddhism, A Reading of the Treasure Store Treatise, page 48, University of Hawai'i Press, 2002 Excerpts and analysis of contents Sharf observes that the Xin Ming and the slightly later, and more famous, Xinxin Ming (Faith-Mind Inscription), bear a close resemblance to each other, and points to the Oxhead School associations of both texts.Robert Sharf. Coming to Terms with Chinese Buddhism: A Reading of the Treasure Store Treatise, page 48, University of Hawai'i Press, 2002 A term that occurs in both works is self-illumination (自照, zizhao), and in the Xin Ming one finds the following: Bodhi exists originallyIt has no need of being preservedAfflictions have no intrinsic existenceThey do not need to be eradicatedNuminous knowing is self-illuminated [自照, zizhao]The myriad dharmas return to ThusnessThere is no return, no receivingCut off contemplation, forget preservationRecords of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume 8, Chan Poetry and Inscriptions, translated by Randolph S. Whitfield, page 91 (for the Chinese, see page 240, note 370), Books on Demand, 2020 One can also find in this passage a rejection of the notion of "maintaining" or "preserving" (). According to Kuno, the exhibits opposition to "maintaining mind" (), a contemplative practice of the Northern School.John McRae. The Ox-head School of Chinese Ch'an Buddhism: From Early Ch'an to the Golden Age, in Studies in Ch'an and Hua-yen, edited by Robert M. Gimello and Peter Gregory, page 208, University of Hawai'i Press, 1983 Henrik Sorensen likewise observes that the contains references to, and rejections of, the practice of .The "Hsin-Ming" Attributed to Niu-t'ou Fa-jung, translated into English by Henrik H. Sorensen, in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Vol.13, 1986, page 116, note 57; page 117, note 69 For example: "By grasping the mind and maintaining [] stillness, one will still not be able to leave behind the sickness (of clinging)."The "Hsin-Ming" Attributed to Niu-t'ou Fa-jung, translated into English by Henrik H. Sorensen, in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Vol.13, 1986, page 106 Commenting on the points in common between the Xin Ming and the Xinxin Ming, Dusan Pajin observes the similarity between the Xin Ming's admonition against using the mind to maintain tranquility and a stanza in the Xinxin Ming in which one finds: "To use the mind to hold the mind / Is it not a great mistake?"
Sorensen notes the presence of terms commonly associated with Daoism in the , such as wuwei ():The "Hsin-Ming" Attributed to Niu-t'ou Fa-jung, translated into English by Henrik H. Sorensen, in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Vol.13, 1986, page 104Enjoying the Dao is calmingWandering at ease in the truly realNothing to do [], nothing to attainRelying on nothing, appearing naturallyRecords of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume 8, Chan Poetry and Inscriptions, translated by Randolph S. Whitfield, page 95 (for the Chinese, see page 241, note 384), Books on Demand, 2020 Sorensen also observes the appearance in the Xin Ming of the Daoist term ().The "Hsin-Ming" Attributed to Niu-t'ou Fa-jung, translated into English by Henrik H. Sorensen, in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Vol.13, 1986, page 104 This term occurs twice in the text, both times in connection with brightness (明, míng):Without unifying, without dispersingNeither quick nor slowBright, peaceful and naturally so [明寂自然, míng jì zìrán]It cannot be reached by wordsRecords of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume 8, Chan Poetry and Inscriptions, translated by Randolph S. Whitfield, page 91 (for the Chinese, see page 240, note 368), Books on Demand, 2020 And also:Do not extinguish ordinary feelingOnly teach putting opinions to restWhen opinions are no more, the heart ceasesWhen heart is no more, practice is cut offThere is no need to prove the VoidIt is naturally bright and penetrating [自然明徹, zìrán míng chè]Records of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume 8, Chan Poetry and Inscriptions, translated by Randolph S. Whitfield, page 92 (for the Chinese see page 241, note 375), Books on Demand, 2020
English translations The has been translated into English by Henrik H. Sorensen in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy Vol.13, 1986, pp. 101–120; and also by Chan Master Sheng Yen in Song of Mind: Wisdom from the Zen Classic Xin Ming, Shambhala Publications 2004. See also Sheng Yen, The Poetry of Enlightenment, Poems by Ancient Chan Masters, pages 31–43, Shambhala Publications, 2006. Most recently, it has been translated into English by Randolph S. Whitfield in Records of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume 8, Chan Poetry and Inscriptions, pages 89–95, Books on Demand, 2020.
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