Author: Chan Master Miao-Tien, Forty-eighth Patriarch of the lineage of the Linji Order of Chan, the Fifty-eighth Patriarch since Master Bodhidharma, and the Eighty-fifth Patriarch since Shakyamuni Buddha.
Translated to English by Dr Jerome
The Chan lineage of Buddhadharma is also called Buddha Heart lineage. Using the methodology of “Buddha heart-to-heart imprint”, it reaches the depths of one’s heart and allow one to realise his buddhanature and become a Buddha. The greatest highlight of the Chan lineage is that the teaching is “ Not found in words or language. Do not transmit outside of the teaching.”
Since that which is taught is not found in words or language, the teaching does not have the characteristics (form) of words or language and does not have the characteristics (form) of sound. This is because these existing forms are delusive and does not show the truth. Therefore, Master Bodhi-dharma and Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara expounded for practitioners to break “forms”. Similarly, the main exposition of the Heart Sutra is to break through all forms.
The most famous verse of the Heart Sutra is, “Form itself is emptiness, emptiness itself is form. Form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness does not differ from form.” Actually, this verse already stated clearly that form and emptiness belongs to one entity. However, most practitioners see emptiness and form as two separate entities and hence they are unable to liberate themselves.
The mental conceptions of humans, the sense organs and thoughts are delusive. If we want to see the truth that is free from delusion, one must first be free from delusion. If one is not free from delusion, one’s body and mind will not be empty. Only when one is free from delusion, one can liberate himself, and transcend the sensual realm, realm of form and formless realms and enter the state of “true emptiness, ultimate true forms”.
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