Sincerity (Xin, 信)

[forestofclarity]

Interesting take on sincerity by Chinese poetry translator, David Hinton. After pointing out the character is made of two parts, the side view of a person (to the left) standing by words (right), he states:

 

Quote

The implication here is that if we are sincere, our inner thoughts are the same as our outer thoughts, which take the form of spoken words. This is particular identification of the more fundamental sense of sincerity as an identification of outside and inside. In a fundamental sense, sincerity is the elemental structure of our Cosmos, with its 10,000 things in constant transformation, appearing and disappearing perennially through one another as cycles of birth and death unfurl their generations, inside becoming outside, outside becoming inside. This is the deepest form of belonging, and it extends to consciousness, that mirrored opening in which a heron's flight can become everything I am for a moment, then simply vanish into me as I turn away to set out for the first of my autumn walks up Hunger Mountain. 

 

David Hinton, Hunger Mountain, p 3-4. 

 

It is interesting because this word also translates shradda, or faith in Buddhism. But in this case, it is not a belief that aligns with scripture or institutional givens, but a confidence that comes from trying views as gold is tried by fire. In other words, trust that arises from direct seeing. 

 

There are also notes of non-duality and non-separation, transformation, emptiness, releasing concepts, etc. All notions seem to come into play in the third patriarchs Xin Xin Ming (信心銘).

 

Thought I would leave this up if people want to share their thoughts on sincerity. 

[ChiDragon]

誠懇 is a better translation.

Edited October 8 by ChiDragon

[old3bob]

 

Chapter 21 from the T.T.C.:

IT lies in the nature of Grand Virtue
To follow the Tao and the Tao alone.
Now what is the Tao?
It is Something elusive and evasive.
Evasive and elusive!
And yet It contains within Itself a Form.
Elusive and evasive!
And yet It contains within Itself a Substance.
Shadowy and dim!
And yet It contains within Itself a Core of Vitality.
The Core of Vitality is very real,
It contains within Itself an unfailing Sincerity.
Throughout the ages Its Name has been preserved
In order to recall the Beginning of all things.
How do I know the ways of all things at the Beginning?
By what is within me.

 

Edited October 9 by old3bob

[ChiDragon]

Chapter 21 Manifestation of Tao Te

1. 孔德之容
2. 惟道是從。
3. 道之為物
4. 惟恍惟惚。
5. 惚兮恍兮
6. 其中有象。
7. 恍兮惚兮
8. 其中有物。
9. 窈兮冥兮
10. 其中有精。
11.其精甚真。
12.其中有信。
13.自古及今，
14.其名不去。
15.以閱眾甫。
16.吾何以知眾甫之狀哉！
17.以此。

 

1. The appearance of great virtue;
2. Only trails Tao.
3. This thing, Tao,
4. It's hazy and indistinctive.
5. Amongst the haziness and indistinctive,
6. It has images.
7. Amongst the haziness and indistinctiveness,
8. It has a thing.
9. It’s minute and dim,
10. It’s a minute substance.
11. The minute substance is real,
12. It can be proven.
13. From present to ancient,
14. Its name does not vanish.
15. Using it to observe the origin of all things.
16. I can recognize the original state of all things!
17. From it.

Edited October 9 by ChiDragon

[forestofclarity]

From the Xin Xin Ming:

 

信心不二

Faith in mind is non‑dual.

 

不二信心

Non‑duality is faith in mind.

 

Interesting to read this as "sincere mind is not two, not two is a sincere mind" in light of Hinton's comments. 

 

Richard Clark's translation: 

To live in this faith is the road to non-duality,

Because the non-dual is one with the trusting mind

 

 

 

[ChiDragon]

5 minutes ago, forestofclarity said:

信心不二

Faith in mind is non‑dual.

 

This phrase says: There was no second doubt in one's trust or confidence.

[forestofclarity]

 不二 in Chinese Chan is translated from advaya अद्वय in Sanskrit, which is a term of art meaning "not two." This has a number of meanings, most often referring to the "freedom from extremes" (most commonly, existence and non-existence or subject and object--- both stances taken by Buddhists who are listed as Zen Patriarchs, Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu). So you see, this is a term of art with very rich meaning.

 

[ChiDragon]

16 minutes ago, forestofclarity said:

 不二 in Chinese Chan is translated from advaya अद्वय in Sanskrit, which is a term of art meaning "not two." This has a number of meanings, most often referring to the "freedom from extremes" (most commonly, existence and non-existence or subject and object--- both stances taken by Buddhists who are listed as Zen Patriarchs, Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu). So you see, this is a term of art with very rich meaning.

 

Sorry, you don't speak Chinese like I do. I won't ague with you!

[Sahaja]

My more prosaic view is that if your internal and outer views/behaviors are different it disturbs and depletes qi (affects other two treasures as well). It weakens you as the dichotomy will create more distracting, discursive thought. Shame,  guilt, lying  and rationalizing burn a lot of mental and even physical energy (for non sociopaths!).  This energy is then not available for cultivation and this is limiting. 
 

as far as non duality, seems to me if you are really there its not an issue as there is no choice, no doing, no separation - you are just there. When you are beyond the opposites there is no sincere as there is no insincere. I view things like this as outcome of a path rather than the path itself. 

[Mark Foote]

On 10/9/2024 at 2:37 PM, ChiDragon said:

 

  On 10/9/2024 at 2:29 PM, forestofclarity said:

信心不二

Faith in mind is non‑dual.

 

 

This phrase says: There was no second doubt in one's trust or confidence.
 

 

 

So using your translation, ChiDragon, the two lines are something like:
 

There is no second doubt in one's trust or confidence (faith in mind).

 

One's trust or confidence (faith in mind) is no second doubt.

 

 

Maybe "no second doubt" would be "no second thought"?

 

 

Edited October 12 by Mark Foote

[ChiDragon]

1 minute ago, Mark Foote said:

Maybe "no second doubt" could be "no second thought"?

Perhaps, it could be. However, a doubt is more serious than a thought.

[Mark Foote]

I took a class once on left-hemisphere, right-hemisphere brain science.  Back in the early seventies, so maybe dated, but one of the points the instructor hammered home was that it's possible to understand the big picture with the right hemisphere and yet be totally unable to communicate it in words through the left hemisphere.  The example he gave was of South Pacific native canoeists, who could make their way to an island over the horizon on a starless night but offered up "total junk" when asked to explain how they did it.

At some point, I learned that mathematicians have the most highly developed connections between the hemispheres. That figures, since they are demonstrating relationships that are totally abstract in symbols.

 

Zen "teishos" or lectures are expected to be something alive, not just a recitation of what is dead and in the books.  Live mathematics of the truths about suffering, so to speak. No second thoughts, but not necessarily altogether linear. 

 

Gautama was amazingly linear, but in pieces that require some assembly (results may vary!  ).

 

 

Edited October 12 by Mark Foote