Zong Jing Lu

Author: (Song) Monk Yanshou
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1994-10-01
Features: The Mirror of the Mind (Zong Jing Lu) is a renowned work on Chan (Zen) Buddhism compiled by the eminent monk Yanshou during the Five Dynasties and Song periods. The entire work comprises 100 volumes, which can be divided into three chapters: the first half of the volume is the Chapter on Establishing the Dharma, the second half to the 93rd volume is the Chapter on Q&A, and the 94th volume to the end of the volume is the Chapter on Citations. The Chapter on Establishing the Dharma is about "establishing the orthodox Dharma as the ultimate goal," the Q&A Chapter primarily focuses on "explaining questions and answers to dispel doubts," and the Citation Chapter aims to "cite the true meaning to complete full faith." Despite the vast scope of the work, which extensively quotes and references various sources, its core message is singular: it promotes idealism and Yogācāra (Consciousness-Only) philosophy, emphasizing the true source of awakening and the ocean of wisdom. It seeks to observe the surrounding world and guide daily conduct through the lens of idealism and Yogācāra.
Monk Yanshou (904–975) was a monk of the early Five Dynasties and Song periods. His secular surname was Wang, and he was known as Chongyuan, originally from Yuhang, Zhejiang. From a young age, he embraced Buddhism, practicing vegetarianism and liberating living beings. He once served as a warehouse official in Yuhang and a military commander in Huating Town. At the age of 30, he entered monastic life under the abbot Cuizhan of Longce Temple. He first established a platform for practicing the Lotus Sutra at Guqing Temple on Mount Tianmu and then spent three years reciting the Lotus Sutra at Tianzhu Peak in Jinhua. Later, he received the Dharma transmission from Deshao, a disciple of the founder of the Fayan School, Wenyi (Fayan Zen Master), thus becoming a lineage holder of the Fayan School. According to The Biographies of Zen Masters of the Jingde Era (Volume 26) and The Records of Jingci Temple (Volume 8), Yanshou served as the abbot of Xueshou Temple in Fenghua during the Guangshun era of the Later Zhou's founding emperor (952), where it is said that he wrote the first draft of The Mirror of the Mind. In the first year of the Jianlong era of the Northern Song (960), the Duke of Wu-Yue, Qian Chu, invited Yanshou to oversee the renovation of Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou,ing over 1,300 halls and restoring the temple to its former glory. The following year, he became the abbot of Yongming Temple (later Jingci Temple), where he was granted the title of "Wisdom-Aware Zen Master" by Qian Chu and attracted over 2,000 students. The Mirror of the Mind was finalized in the preaching hall of the temple. In the third year of the Kaibao era (970), he was ordered to build the Six Harmonies Pagoda on Yuanyin Peak by the Qiantang River.
Yanshou believed that since the late Tang Dynasty, Chan Buddhism had fallen into disarray, with many masters lacking discernment and unable to distinguish right from wrong. Out of frustration, he compiled The Mirror of the Mind to revitalize and correct the teachings. The work comprises 100 volumes, approximately 800,000 words, divided into the Chapter on Establishing the Dharma, the Chapter on Q&A, and the Chapter on Citations. The "Establishing the Dharma" refers to "taking one mind as the essence." This "one-mind" teaching is like "a mirror reflecting all phenomena," and the title The Mirror of the Mind derives from this meaning. The Citation Chapter cites 120 Mahayana scriptures, 120 records of the patriarchs, and 60 collections of sages, totaling 300 sources, some of which preserve valuable texts.