Preface to Shimen's Literary Chan

Since the Jin, Song, Qi, and Liang dynasties, those seeking the Way have fought over specks of gold dust that blind the eye. When the First Patriarch came from the East, he prescribed medicine according to the illness, pointing directly to the mind, without establishing words. Later generations who inherited empty echoes and didn't understand the medicine's properties built high walls around Zen and banished words outside it. Thus boundaries were drawn, dividing empty space. Those who studied Zen neglected essential meaning; those who studied words neglected understanding the mind. When meaning isn't refined, even an understood mind lacks radiance. When meaning is refined but the mind isn't understood, words never reach their spiritual depth.

Thus Master Baojue sought to learn non-learning, like hundred rivers flowing to the ocean. Endless Master sighed that the common man from the South China Sea, like a Persian, caught the wind to shore. The examples are here, the model is near. Ah! This can be contemplated!

Zen is like spring, words are like flowers. Spring exists in flowers, and the whole flower is spring. Flowers exist in spring, and the whole spring is flowers. Why say Zen and words are two? Deshan and Linji's shouts and blows were never without words. Qingliang and Tiantai's commentaries and treatises were never without Zen. Why say Zen and words are two?

In recent times, they mocked and blamed each other, more hostile than fire and water. The revered Master Jiyin worried about this, and named his work "Word Zen." When the states of Qi and Qin were at war, invoking the mandate of the Zhou emperor made them lay down arms and yield to transformation—this is what Word Zen does. This old man, standing at the spring terrace gathering all fragrances, perfectly knew that in spring flowers there is no fixed place to cast the eye. Thus he followed his mind's vision, followed his mind's speech, contending with a thousand reds and ten thousand purples under his three-inch dry brush. Grasping tight, not a drop could leak; releasing wide, waves spread vast. Responding to things he intoned, meeting conditions he chanted—all entered this collection. What then are "Zen" and "words"? This is what is called "Word Zen." Why say Zen and words are two?

Ah! This one flower, since Mahakashyapa held it up, for thousands of years was tossed in a dung heap. But when Jiyin held it up once more, it flows now—sparse shadows stirring people, hidden fragrance reaching the nose. Who will be the one to break into a smile?

Written by the monk Daguan on the full moon day of the eighth lunar month, the Dingyou year of the Ming Wanli reign.