Harmony of Difference and Sameness

Harmony of Difference and Sameness

Ts'an-t'ung-ch'i

By Ch'an Master Shih-t'ou Hsi-ch'ien

Contents

Title of the Text

Author of the Text

The Ts'an-t'ung-ch'i

The Original Chinese Text

Translation of the Text

Bibliography

Title of the Text

參同契

Ts'an-t'ung-ch'i (Wade-Giles)

Cantongqi (Pinyin) Can¹tong²qi⁴

Sandõkai (Japanese)

Literally, Coming [together and] Sameness Vow

Various Translations of the Title

1. Harmony of Difference and Sameness

2. Harmony of Difference and Equality

3. Merging of Difference and Sameness (Thomas Cleary)

4. Identity of Relative and Absolute (Dennis Genpo Merzel)

5. Ode on Identity (Daisetsu Teitarõ Suzuki)

Author of the Text

石頭希遷

Shih-t'ou Hsi-ch'ien (Wade-Giles)

Shitou Xiqian (Pinyin) Shi⁴tou⁵ Xi¹qian¹

Sekitõ Kisen (Japanese)

(700-790)

"Shih-t'ou was still a boy while the Sixth Patriarch, Hui-nêng, was yet alive; he was only thirteen years old when Hui-nêng died. Later, he studied Zen under Hsing-szu and became one of the great teachers of the day." (Essays in Zen Buddhism – Third Series 116-7)

"When I was with Shih-t'ou, he used to say whenever anybody asked him a question, 'Close your mouth, no barking like a dog!' " (Essays in Zen Buddhism – Third Series 45)

"While scholars of the Avatamsaka School¹ were making use of the intuitions of Zen in their own way, the Zen masters were drawn towards the philosophy of Indentity and Interpenetration advocated by the Avatamsaka, and attempted to incorporate it into their own discourses. For instance, Shih-t'ou in his 'Ode on Identity' depicts the mutuality of Light and Dark as restricting each other and at the same time being fused in each other; Tung-shan² in his metrical composition called 'Sacred Mirror Samadhi'³ discourses on the mutuality of P'ien⁴, 'one-sided', and Chêng⁵, 'correct', much to the same effect as Shih-t'ou in his Ode, for both Shih-t'ou and Tung-shan belong to the school of Hsing-szu known as the Ts'ao-tung⁶ branch of Zen Buddhism. This idea of Mutuality and Indentity is no doubt derived from Avatamsaka philosophy, so ably formulated by Fa-tsang. As both Shih-t'ou and Tung-shan are Zen masters, their way of presenting it is not at all like that of the metaphysician." (Essays in Zen Buddhism – Third Series 19)

"Sekitõ Kisen carried on the line of transmission of Seigen Gyõshi⁷. He lived in a hut which he had built for himself in the vicinity of a Buddhist monastery. The writings ascribed to him are Sõanka⁸ and Sandõkai."

(The Development of Chinese Zen After the Sixth Patriarch 6)

Notes

¹ Hua-yen-tsung (Kegonshû華嚴宗)

² Tung-shan Liang-chieh (Tõsan Ryõkai, 807-869 洞山良价)

³ Pao-ching San-mei-ko (Hõkyõ Zanmaika寶鏡三昧歌、宝鏡三昧歌)

⁴ One-sided (p'ien, hen偏)

⁵ Correct (cheng, shõ正)

⁶ Ts'ao-tung (Sõtõ曹洞)

⁷ Ch'ing-yüan Hsing-ssu (d. 740) 青原行思

⁸ Ts'ao-an-ko草庵歌

The Ts'an-t'ung-ch'i

"Identity of Relative and Absolute (Jap. Sandokai) One of the most important Zen poems, this profound sutra is chanted daily in Soto Zen services." (The Eye That Never Sleeps 135)

"Shitou, whose lifetime spanned nearly the entire eighth century, is particularly well known for his remarkable didactic poem entitled 'Merging of Difference and Sameness.' This is one of the most compact statements of Buddhism on record, written at a high level of concentration. Many attempts have been made to elucidate its inner meanings, with commentaries dating all the way back to the late classical period of Zen, only a few generations removed from the original composition.

In the typical manner of the texts written in a concentrated Zen style, Shitou's work says a great deal about the fundamental premises of Zen right in the opening statement: 'The mind of the great immortal of India is intimately communicated East and West.' The great immortal of India¹ refers to Buddha, and that mind refers to the enlightened mind. The term used for immortal here is a Taoist term, and the characters in the title of the work are identical to an early Taoist classic of spiritual alchemy. Here Shitou is not just using literary embellishment or approximation of concepts; the message is that the enlightened mind cuts through and goes beyond distinctions of religious format, is deeper than and unimpeded by cultural differences such as those between East and West."

(Zen Essence 96)

"In the latter work² Sekitõ speaks of Buddha as the "Great Hermit" (daisen³); the meaning and foundation of all things he calls the "spiritual source" (reigen⁴). The dialectical resolution of the dualistic pairs of opposites ji⁵ and ri⁶ and light (myõ⁷) and darkness (an⁸) into a higher unity, developed by Sekitõ in the Sandõkai, can be regarded as the foundation of, or first step toward, the later doctrine of the "Five Ranks" (goi⁹) in the Sõtõ Sect." (The Development of Chinese Zen After the Sixth Patriarch 6-7)

"The two principle terms of the Five Ranks are shõ (the "erect," the "upright") and hen (the "bent," the "inclined"). For the meaning of shõ, Ryõkai's explanatory words will serve: "There is one thing: Heaven is suspended from it and Earth rests upon it. It is black like lacquer, perpetually in movement and activity." Shõ is also the One, the Absolute, the foundation of Heaven and Earth and all being. But this Absolute is dynamic, constantly in motion. The cognizing mind (Geist) cannot fix it or get a firm hold on it. This Absolute corresponds to ri or an ("darkness") in the speculation of Sekitõ Kisen. It is symbolically represented by a solid black circle. In the terminology of Buddhist philosophy it is True Emptiness (shinkû¹⁰).

In hen the Absolute enters into appearances. It completely penetrates the phenomenal world, becomes the All and all things. With Sekitõ Kisen this is ji or myõ ("brightness"). The white circle is its corresponding symbol. But the two, the Absolute and relative-phenomenal, are not separate, are not two, but one. The Absolute is the Absolute with regard to the relative. The relative, however, is relative with reference to the Absolute. Therefore the relative-phenomenal in Buddhist philosophical terminology is "marvelous existence" (myõu¹¹), which is inseparable from True Emptiness. The expression is shinkû myõu¹²."

(The Development of Chinese Zen After the Sixth Patriarch 26)

有一物上拄天下拄地。黒似漆。常在動用中。

"There is one thing: above, it supports Heaven; below, it upholds Earth. It is black like lacquer, always actively functioning." Tung-shan Ling-chia (Tõsan Ryõkai) (The Development of Chinese Zen After the Sixth Patriarch 74)

Shõ represents the absolute the fundamental emptiness sameness one true nature

Hen represents

the relative

the phenomenal

form and color

difference

many

attributes

(The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen 69 Five degrees (of enlightenment))

Notes

¹Tu-tu ta-hsien (Chikudo daisen竺土大仙)

²Ts'an-t'ung-ch'i (Sandõkai)

³Ta-hsien大仙

⁴Ling-yüan靈源、靈原

⁵Shih事

⁶Li理

⁷Ming明

⁸An暗

⁹Wu-wei五位

¹⁰ Chen-kung眞空

¹¹ Miao-yu妙有

¹² Chen-kung miao-yu眞空妙有

The Original Chinese Text

謹進觸承事萬明當當本然眼火四闇色迴門執靈人竺　石

白歩目言存物暗暗明未於色熱大合本而門事源根土　頭

參非不須函自各中中須一耳風性上殊更一元明有大　參

玄近會會蓋有相有有歸一音動自中質相切是皎利仙　同

人遠道宗合功對明暗宗法聲搖復言像涉境迷潔鈍心　契

光迷運勿理當比勿勿尊依鼻水如明聲不迴契枝道東

陰隔足自應言如以以卑根香濕子明元爾互理派無西

莫山焉立箭用前明暗用葉舌地得清異依不亦暗南密

虚河知規鋒及後相相其分鹹堅其濁樂位迴非流北相

度故路矩拄處歩睹遇語布醋固母句苦住互悟注祖付

Translation of the Text

參同契

Harmony of Difference and Sameness

竺土大仙心The mind of the great sage of India

東西密相付is intimately transmitted from west to east.

人根有利鈍While human faculties are sharp or dull,

道無南北祖the Way has no northern or southern ancestors.

靈源明皎潔The spiritual source shines clear in the light;

枝派暗流注the branching streams flow on in the dark.

執事元是迷Grasping at things is surely delusion;

契理亦非悟according with sameness is still not enlightenment.

門門一切境All the objects of the senses

迴互不迴互interact and yet do not.

迴而更相涉Interacting brings involvement.

不爾依位住Otherwise, each keeps its place.

色本殊質像Sights vary in quality and form,

聲元異樂苦sounds differ as pleasing or harsh.

闇合上中言Refined and common speech come together in the dark,

明明清濁句clear and murky phrases are distinguished in the light.

四大性自復The four elements return to their natures

如子得其母just as a child turns to its mother;

火熱風動搖Fire heats, wind moves,

水濕地堅固water wets, earth is solid.

眼色耳音聲Eye and sights, ear and sounds,

鼻香舌鹹醋nose and smells, tongue and tastes;

然於一一法Thus with each and every thing,

依根葉分布depending on these roots, the leaves spread forth.

本未須歸宗Trunk and branches share the essence;

尊卑用其語revered and common, each has its speech.

當明中有暗In the light there is darkness,

勿以暗相遇but don't take it as darkness;

當暗中有明In the dark there is light,

勿以明相睹but don't see it as light.

明暗各相對Light and dark oppose one another

比如前後歩like the front and back foot in walking.

萬物自有功Each of the myriad things has its merit,

當言用及處expressed according to function and place.

事存函蓋合Phenomena exist; box and lid fit;

理應箭鋒拄principle responds; arrow points meet.

承言須會宗Hearing the words, understand the meaning;

勿自立規矩don't set up standards of your own.

觸目不會道If you don't understand the Way right before you,

運足焉知路how will you know the path as you walk?

進歩非近遠Progress is not a matter of far or near,

迷隔山河故but if you are confused, mountains and rivers block your way.

謹白參玄人I respectfully urge you who study the mystery,

光陰莫虚度do not pass your days and nights in vain.

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Bibliography

The Development of Chinese Zen After the Sixth Patriarch. Heinrich Dumoulin. SMC Publishing, Inc. Taipei, n.d..

Essays in Zen Buddhism, 3 vols. Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki. Rider and Company. London, 1949-53.

The Eye That Never Sleeps. Dennis Genpo Merzel. Shambhala Publications. Boston, 1991.

The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen. Shambhala Publications. New York, 1994.

Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom. Ed. and trans. by Thomas Cleary. Shambhala Publications. New York, 1989.