as before," it is referring to the rime after the hundred days' work of
setting up the foundation, during which the power of introspective
concentration is stabilized. Investigating the locus of thought, where it
arises and passes away, is a method of turning the light around
commonly practiced in later Chan Buddhism.
Here and following; Wilhelm translates "need not" as "must not,3' and
"cannot be grasped" as "cannot be done." These misconstructions
thoroughly skew the meaning, because they miss the effective thrust of
the text. The point of the exercise is to experience the ungraspability of
mind in itself. Where the text says "Push this inquiry on and on over and
over until you realize it cannot be grasped," Wilhelm translates, "Nothing
is gained by pushing reflection further," which is completely off the
mark; it would be impossible to attain the true effect of the practice
following Wilhelm's version. What he renders as "nothing is gained" is a
very common Buddhist expression meaning "ungraspable."
When the text says, “’Having looked for my mind, I realize it cannot
be grasped.’ ‘I have pacified your mind for you,'”
it alludes to one of the most famous of Chan Buddhist stories. A seeker
asked the founder of Chan to pacify his mind. The Chan founder said,
"Bring me your mind and I will pacify it for you." The seeker said,
"Having looked for my mind, I realize it cannot be grasped." The
founder said, "I have pacified your mind for you." This illustrates the
