Zen Stone No.13

31*40cm

Mixmedia Print

Zen Stone - Echoes of Hongren's Original Mind

The entire artwork is predominantly set against a pure off-white background, which can symbolize Master Hongren's emphasis on the "original mind" (真心) or "pure self-nature" (清净自性) — it is the source of all dharmas, unborn and unceasing, undefiled and unstained, inherently complete. This pure backdrop reminds us that our mind-nature is intrinsically pure, requiring no artificial embellishment.

The topmost black oval shape in the painting is filled with rough ink marks, mottled textures, and some fragmented white lines and circles. This can be seen as the manifestation of our ordinary "deluded mind" (妄心) — that is, the original mind contaminated and obscured by worldly defilements. Black symbolizes ignorance and vexations, while the chaotic textures represent the arising of "clinging to the six dusts" (攀缘六尘) and "delusive thoughts" (妄念), as described by the Fifth Patriarch. These "marks" (相) are precisely what need to be identified and eliminated through "contemplating the mind to observe its purity" (看心观净). The appearance of white lines and circles, however, suggests that although the original mind is obscured, it is never truly lost; its potential for brightness and perfection still remains.

The two abstract beige forms in the middle, with their soft, rounded transitions, symbolize the practitioner's gradual purification of mind as delusive thoughts recede during the process of following teachings and contemplating the mind to observe its purity. They have no distinct boundaries, and their colors are harmonious, hinting at the gradual cultivation from defilement to purity, just as Master Hongren taught: "Do not look at other things, only look at your original mind." This smooth stone represents the state of a practitioner "abiding in their original mind," where the mind has no fixed abode, being pure and at peace.

The lowermost form is half soft beige and half filled with abstract black and white textures. This precisely embodies Master Hongren's emphasis on the state of "this mind is Buddha" (即心即佛) and "constant purity" (常清净). The beige part symbolizes the pure self-nature that has been realized, while the adjacent black and white textures represent the myriad dharmas that manifest within the pure mind. It is no longer a symbol of vexation but an embodiment of "all dharmas are equal, all are Buddha-dharma." This means that when the mind is pure, even when facing all the complexities and changes of the world, one can contemplate them with an equal mind, free from attachment. This is the perfect state of "realizing the mind and seeing one's nature, instantaneously awakening to the fundamental truth" as spoken by the Fifth Patriarch, where one can see pure self-nature in all phenomena.

The minimalist composition and color usage of this artwork subtly echo the Dharma teachings of "abiding in the original mind," "contemplating the mind to observe its purity," and "constant purity" as expounded by Zen's Fifth Patriarch Hongren in his Treatise on the Supreme Vehicle. The abstract stone forms in the painting symbolize the practitioner's return to the pure self-mind through successive layers of contemplation.