The Heart of Eastern Philosophy in 4 Clauses
- Xing Shen
- Dec 27, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 4
Have you ever wondered what lies at the heart of Eastern philosophy? It's all about understanding the human mind and how to awaken a deeper, more connected way of thinking.
In Chapter 3, Tao Lineage (道統), in a book called "Profound Truths of Heaven's Tao (天道奧義)," there are four important ideas that are key to understanding this philosophy. These ideas are written in 16 Chinese characters:
人心惟危，道心惟微，惟精惟一，允執厥中.
The human mind (人心) is full of potential dangers, while the awake mind (道心) is subtle and hard to grasp. But, through constant self-refinement and sincerity, we can embrace the center of our being and be in one with the cosmos.
To help explain these ideas, I've made the following video series to give a short introduction to each clause. Please find the videos at the bottom of the page.
Think of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism as different branches of this core teaching. They all share the same roots, but each has its own unique way of understanding and practicing these ideas.
Over the years, many great thinkers have added their own insights to this philosophy. Laozi, Confucius, Mencius, Buddha, the Sixth Patriarch, and Bodhidharma are just a few examples. Each of them has offered different ways to overcome the limitations of the human mind and connect with the awakened mind. Their teachings are written in classic texts that have helped people understand Eastern philosophy for centuries. Here are some examples:
Dao De Jing (道德經), Scripture of Dao and Virtues,
Qing Jing Jing (清靜經), Scripture of Purity and Tranquility,
Da Xue (大學), The Great Learning,
Zhong Yong (中庸), Doctrine of Mean,
Mengzi (孟子), Mencius
Yi Jing (易經), I Ching or Book of Changes
Jin Gang Jing (金剛經), Diamond Sutra
Xin Jing (心經), Heart Sutra
Liuzhu Tanjing (六祖壇經), Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
Even though these teachings are important, many people struggle to understand them fully. That is why Bodhidharma, a famous Zen Master, wrote a poem (which I will paraphrase) that explains it simply:
Bodhidharma came from the West and did not preach a single word. Instead, he showed how to transform the mind through practice.
If you wanted to find the true meaning of Buddhism from the pages, it would need a ton of water, more than what's in Dongting Lake, to make enough ink. Even then, you would still end up with a dried brush!
達摩西來一字無，全憑心意用功夫，
若要紙上尋佛法，筆尖醮乾洞庭湖。
In other words, it is basically impossible to fully explain this core teaching through words. Even a little understanding of this core philosophy can inspire us to start practicing these ideas. This is where real learning begins. The core teaching tells us that we must start with our minds. This is the real work, and it requires our full commitment and dedication. But the rewards of this practice are amazing and can change our lives.
Here is the video of the translation about practice over knowledge.
Video Series on the Heart of Eastern Philosophy:
Click on the video image to watch. If you open it through YouTube, you can turn on the caption.
