Customer Reviews

Hsin-Hsin Ming: Verses on the Faith-Mind

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
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This is absolutely all you need! This little 12 page book that was the first published sayings of a Zen master (Patriarch of China) in English. It is all you need because you already have everything.

A sweet, delightful read, rich in the essence of non-duality. This book is a constant companion, loved for its purely distilled clarity and it amazing succinctness. Who was this guy? Wow! What seeing!

One of the greatest and most unheralded masterpieces of all time, this poem is more concise and elegant even than the Tao Te Ching. It delivers a pure and refreshing teaching literally in every line. Every human being should be given this book at birth. The instruction is bold and undiluted. What it calls for is nearly impossible --to completely let go at every point of attachment-- but without it there is no freedom.
As a readable text, the Clarke translation is superb and the most gratifying I have found. It is full of life, and it is imbued with the gentle spirit and presence of the Third Patriarch.
You can find this translation in several places online for free, but the delightful tiny package and reasonable price makes it a great back pocket companion. Buy 10 and give them away.

This is a gem of great price. The translation in this version really sings to my heart! As a teacher of Advaita, and author of books on Nonduality, I found this text to be of great inspiration. And Richard Clarke was so generous to give me permission to include this profound poetry of the 3rd Patriarch in my book, "No Way Out" - The Gift Of Absolute Freedom ... for which I am very grateful indeed.

Ii is my hope that each reader of this Sage's beautiful work of wisdom and love will find the great light of Eternal Being shining in plain view, and the fact that we already are what we were seeking will become utterly obvious to all.

In my view, this book is, simply, pure Grace.

With great respect and great love,

Charlie

There are few books that say so little and say so much. It has been my companion for 40 years. Read it slowly, digest it even more slowly, and it will last a lifetime.

If you asked me what is the essence of Zen I would hand you this book. The Hsin Hsin Ming is the recipe to get to the essence of Zen. If you asked me what does a fine desert tasted like, it would do no good to describe it to you as nothing would compare to actually tasting it for yourself. Books cannot give you the actual "taste" of Zen, you must taste it for yourself. The best I can do is give you the recipe and let you cook it up yourself. In fact, read books about Zen if you want, just as you could read books about cakes and pies, but all you need to really realize it for yourself is wrapped up in this one recipe. Cook it up and enjoy!

An absolutely delightful Tiny Treasure. The first of all the written jewels of Zen. Have you ever heard: "The great way is not difficult for those who have no preferences"? Or how about: "Do not seek peace, simply cease to cherish opinions."
The journey of a thousand Zen sayings began right here.

. . . then be advised this is not a hardcover. It is a beautiful shirt pocket-size chapbook, which is about what you'd expect for $4, but Amazon is absurdly billing it as a hardcover, and they also got the names of the translator and illustrator wrong. Those would be Richard B. Clarke and Gyokusei Jikihara. The Great Way is not difficult for those not attached to preferences, but when I order a hardcover I must admit I prefer it to actually be a hardcover.