[1] The full sentence is: The mad mind does not halt; if it halts, it is Bodhi, i.e. enlightenment.
[2] In Ch'an terminology, "to lay down causes or thoughts" is to lay down the heavy load of causes or thoughts to free the mind from defilement.
[3] Underlying principle: theory, noumenon.
[4] Facts: activity, practice, phenomenon.
[5] Klesa: distress, worry, trouble and whatever causes them.
[6] This is the state described in Han Shan's "Song of the Board-bearer".
[7] Even attachment to the self-nature is also an impurity which should be cast aside.
[8] Literally 'during the two six-hour periods of the day'. Each day is divided into two six-hour periods. one for day-time and one for night-time.
[9] Birth from eggs, wombs and humidity, and by transformation.
[10] Worlds of gods (devas), men, spirits (asuras), animals, hungry ghosts and hells.
[11] The four transcendental realities in Nirvana expounded in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra.
[12] i.e. 'self-so'. so of itself, natural, of course, se1f-existing, the self-existent.
[13] The digits 8 and 4 symbolize respectively the eighth Vijnana or Consciousness and the four basic elements of the physical body, and mean the deluded self-nature (8) held in bondage in the illusory body (4), i.e. Space. The three following zeros symbolize Time, and so long as one remains under delusion, it will be immaterial to add 10, 100, or 1,000 zeros at the end of the number. However, when one attains enlightenment in one finger-snap. the digits 8 and 4 or Space will disappear and the line of zeros, or Time, will have no meaning.
[14] i.e. freeing his disdples from restraint caused by delusion.
[15] Kung an, or koan in Japanese = A dossier, or case-record; a cause, public laws, regulations; case-law. Problems set by Ch'an masters upon which thought is concentrated as a means to attain inner unity and illumination. The meaning of a kung an is irrevocable and kung an is as valid as the Law.
[16] Hua t'ou = ante-word, or ante-thought, i.e. the mind before it is stirred by a thought. It is the mind in its undisturbed condition. The holding of a hua t'ou in the mind is the looking into the self-mind until its realization. It is also the turning inward of the faculty of hearing to hear the self-nature, for the disentanglement of mind (subject) from external objects.
[17] i.e. who is dragging here this physical body of yours?
[18] The essence of the rnind is still and its function is shining.
[19] The 5 skandhas: form, feeling, ideation, reaction and consciousness.
[20] Kao Feng was the teacher of Chung Feng whose 'Sayings of Chung Feng' (Chung Feng Kuang Lu) were read by Han Shan before the latter began his Ch'an training. (See Han Shan's Autobiography.)
[21] Chang: a measure of ten Chinese feet.
[22] when the sentence 'who repeats the Buddha's name?' is merely repeated by a practicer who only grasps its meaning, he thinks of the 'tail' of the hua t'ou, instead of its head or ante-word, that is the mind. Thus he wrongly applies his mind to 'tall' instead of 'head'.
[23] The master means that these people fail because they set their discriminating minds on grasping the meaning of these sentences, whereas in the training, their minds should first be disentangled from all discriminations.
[24] If an evil thought is allowed to slip into the concentration of mind while holding a hua t'ou, this thought will replace the hua t'ou and may grow out of proportion and become difficult to subdue. If it be a strong desire which cannot be satisfied, the resultant frustration may cause insanity. One's breath should never be interfered with, and concentration of mind should never be on the chest as it may affect the lungs and cause the vomiting of blood.
[25] View of dualism which should be wiped out.
[26] Sila= precept, command, prohibition, discipline, rule, morality.
[27] Master Kuei Shan(Wei Shan) and his dssciple Yang Shan were founders of the Kuei Yang(Wei Yang) Sect (Ikyo in Japanese), one of the five Ch'an Sects in China.
[28] i.e. free from all attachments, which are likened to a burden which one should lay down.
[29] This state of stillness is fully described in Han Shan's 'Song of the Board-bearer' (see Han Shan's Autobiography) and in Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's 'Complete Enlightenment' when he said: 'Both the hearing and its object came to an end but I did not stay where they ended.'
[30] Mind-nature: immutable mind-body, the existing fundamental pure mind, the all, the Tathagata-garba
[31] Mean: between the two extremes.
[32] Ts'an(Can): to inquire, investigate, look into. Usually at the end of a meeting, a master mutters this word to urge his disciples to inquire into or ponder over the real meaning.
