The foundation of Chinese Zen rests upon the intrinsic purity of mind and the inherent presence of Buddha-nature.
Thus, Zen practice does not seek an external, objective purity or emptiness, nor does it pursue an internal, subjective purity or emptiness. Rather, it is the restoration and manifestation of the original purity and emptiness—the essence and function of the mind as it truly is.
This notion of "returning to the source" may, if misunderstood through the lens of self-nature, lead to philosophical concepts of an absolute substance, religious notions of a divine Self (Brahman), or mystical ideas of a greater "I."
Zen does indeed raise such concerns, and many practitioners may fall into these conceptual traps.
However, since Zen is ultimately a practice rooted in the Dharma, the ultimate truth of emptiness (śūnyatā), non-self (anātman), and lack of inherent nature (niḥsvabhāva) serves as its definitive basis. This allows Zen practitioners to transcend the confines of philosophy and mysticism during their cultivation.
Yet, in Zen practice, whether through koan introspection to "see one's original face" or silent illumination (mozhao) observing all phenomena with the inherently pure mind, if any trace of self-nature remains, the practitioner may still perceive a unifying agent—whether in the unity of body and mind, subject and object, or silent illumination itself—and thus fall back into concepts of an absolute substance or divine Self.
Therefore, it is essential to dismantle even this "true Self" or self-nature function through the unique Dharma teaching of non-self and lack of inherent nature. Only then can one truly realize non-self and absolute emptiness, dissolving all subject-object distinctions. Yet, one must not linger in the negation of self or in emptiness alone but must re-emerge from emptiness to adorn the Buddha-land and guide sentient beings to maturity.
In realizing non-self and absolute emptiness, one truly awakens to the fact that the pure mind and empty nature are neither externally sought nor internally discovered—they are naturally so (dharmatā). The practitioner merely uncovers or attains this truth; thus, there is neither increase nor decrease, neither birth nor cessation. Even when acting in accordance with conditions to benefit sentient beings, one is not performing any grand deed but simply revealing this inherent nature so that others may likewise cultivate, realize, and awaken to it.
The nature of reality is as it is; the mind is inherently pure. Hence, Zen practice is nothing more than manifesting the essence and function of the originally pure mind—not seeking, not grasping, not eliminating, not adding. Yet, it is also not a return to an original substance or divine Self. All this is simply the unique characteristic of the Dharma: non-self and lack of inherent nature—nothing more.
(Note: This content has been translated by AI. In case of any discrepancies, please refer to the original Chinese text as the authoritative source).