PART 6 | The Two Entrances and Four Practices
Bodhidharma’s Zen Path to Awakening
“There is no gate to pass through, only a path to walk—step by step, moment by moment.”
“Trust in your practice—clarity and joy arise when you stop seeking and meet life as it is.”
Introduction: What Is the Erru Sixing Lun?
The Erru Sixing Lun (二入四行論), often translated as The Treatise on the Two Entrances and Four Practices, is one of the earliest texts attributed to Bodhidharma (達摩), the semi-legendary first patriarch of Chan (Zen) Buddhism in China. This concise treatise presents a complete path to awakening through two complementary approaches: entering through principle and entering through practice.
While its authorship remains debated, the text first appears in the Chuan fabao ji (傳法寶紀), a Dunhuang manuscript compiled around 713 CE by Dufei (杜朏), a relatively obscure figure likely associated with early Northern Chan circles. Though little is known about him, Dufei played a key role in preserving early Chan teachings through this compilation.
It was later preserved in the Long Scroll of the Bodhidharma Anthology (達摩大師集), and referenced in other early Chan sources. Because Dunhuang manuscripts were sealed and preserved intact for centuries, scholars consider them reliable witnesses to early Chan transmission. Figures such as John McRae¹ and Jeffrey Broughton² affirm that the text reflects core early Chan views, even if it was not written by Bodhidharma himself.
Its emphasis on accepting suffering, releasing desire, practicing selfless generosity, turning inward to see through illusion, and quieting the thinking mind has shaped Zen for centuries. These themes appear again and again in later figures like Huineng, Mazu, and Linji—and they remain central in contemporary Zen practice.
The Original Text and Translation
Below is the full classical Chinese text of the Erru Sixing Lun, with a line-by-line English translation. The translation retains the structure and style of the original, minimizing interpretation to preserve its contemplative power.
若夫入道多途，要言而語之，不出二種。
Now then, entering the Way has many paths; in essential terms, it can be reduced to two categories.
一是理入，二是行入。
One is entrance through Dharma-nature; the other is entrance through practice.
理入者，說藉教悟宗，深信含生同一真性，但為客塵妄想所覆，不能顯了。
Entrance by Dharma-nature means relying on the teachings to awaken to the essence. Deeply trust that all sentient beings share the same true nature, but it is obscured by dust (guest-dust) and delusive conceptual thoughts, and thus cannot be revealed.
若也捨妄改真，凝心壁觀，無自無他，凡聖等一，堅住不移，更不隨於文教，此即與理冥符，無有分別，庸然無為，名之理入。
If one discards delusion, turns toward truth, and stills the mind in wall-gazing—with no self or other, seeing sage and ordinary as one, abiding firmly and unmoved, not following words or doctrine—then this accords with Dharma-nature beyond knowing³, without discrimination, naturally effortless. This is called entrance by Dharma-nature.
行入者，所說四行。其餘諾行，悉入此行中。
Entrance by practice refers to the four stated practices; all other practices fall under them.
何種為四？
What are the four?
一者報怨行，二者隨緣行，三者無所求行，四者符法行。
The first is the practice of accepting karmic conditions. The second is the practice of being in accord with conditions. The third is the practice of non-seeking. The fourth is the practice of accord with the Dharma.
何為第一報怨行者？修道行人，若受苦時，當自念言：“我從往昨，無數勢中，棄本從末，流浪諾有，起多怨憎，違害無限。”
What is the first practice? The practice of accepting karmic conditions. A practitioner of the Way, when experiencing hardship, should reflect: “From beginningless time, through countless lifetimes, I have abandoned the root and pursued the branches, wandered through conditioned existence, and generated resentment and aversion, causing harm without limit.”
今雖無犯，是我宿臡，惡業果熟，非天非人，所能見與。
Though I have committed no offense in this life, this hardship is the karmic consequence of former lives—harmful deeds whose fruits have ripened. It is not something given or perceived by gods or humans.
甘心忍受，都無怨仇，經電「逢苦不憂」也。
Willingly endure and patiently bear it, without a trace of resentment. As the sutras say: “When encountering hardship, do not grieve.”⁴
何以故？以識達故。此心生時，與理相應，體怨進道，是故說報怨行。
Why? Because of penetrating understanding. When this mind arises, it is in accord with the dharma-nature. In experiencing hardship, one advances on the path. This is called the practice of accepting karmic conditions.
第二隨緣行者，眾生無我，並緣業所轉，苦樂齊受，皆從緣生。
The second is the practice of being in accord with conditions. All beings are without self, and are shaped by karmic conditions. Hardship and pleasure are equally received—all arise from conditions.
若得勝報榮貴等事，是我過去宿因所感，今日方得之，緣盡還無，何喜之有。
If one receives superior rewards, honor, nobility, and such things—it is the result of karmic conditions from the past, only now ripening. When the conditions are exhausted, they return to nothing. What joy is there in that?
得失從緣，心無增減，喜風不動，冥順於道，是故說隨緣行。
Gain and loss arise from conditions. The mind is without increase or decrease, joy does not stir like the wind; it is quietly in accord with the Way. Therefore, it is called the practice of being in accord with conditions.
第三無所求行者，世人長迷，處處貪著，名之為求。
The third is the practice of non-seeking. Ordinary people have long been deluded, craving and clinging in every place. This is called seeking.
智者悟真，理將俗反，安心無為，形隨運轉，萬有於空，無所願樂。
The wise awaken to dharma-nature and walk contrary to the worldly. They still the mind in non-doing, allowing the body move with conditions. All phenomena are empty—there is nothing to long for or delight in.
功德黑暗，常相隨逐，三界久居，猶如火屋。
Merit and ignorance mutually follow and chase each other constantly. To dwell long within the three realms is like remaining in a burning house.
有身皆苦，誰得而安。了達此處，故於諾有，息想無求。
Having a body is suffering—who can be at ease? Fully understanding this, cease thoughts and seek nothing within conditioned existence.
經電「有求皆苦，無求內樂」也。判知無求，真為道行。
As the sutra says: "All seeking is suffering; non-seeking is inner joy."⁵ To clearly discern this is truly to walk the Way.
第四符法行者，性淨之理，目之為法。
The fourth is the practice of accord with the Dharma. The principle of pure nature is what is called Dharma.
此理眾相於空，無染無著，無此無彼。
This principle regards all appearances as empty—without defilement, without attachment, without this and without that.
經電「法無眾生，離眾生粉故。法無有我，離我粉故」。
As the sutra says: “The Dharma has no sentient beings, because it is free from the defilements of beings. The Dharma has no self, because it is free from the defilements of self.”⁶
智者若能信解此理，應當符法而行，法體無憩貪，於身命財，行潘捨施，心無吃色。
If the wise can trust and understand this principle, they should act in accord with the Dharma. The Dharma-body is free from clinging greed. With one’s body, life, and wealth, practice generous giving, with a mind free from reluctance.
達解三空，不倚不著，但爲去粉，攜化眾生，而不取相。
Understand the threefold emptiness—rely on nothing, cling to nothing. Remove defilements, guide beings, but do not grasp at appearances.
此為自利，覆能利他，亦能莊嚴菩提之道。
This benefits oneself and others, and adorns⁷ the path of awakening.
潘施既爾，餘五亦然。為除妄想，修行六度，而無所行，是為符法行。
Just as with the perfection of giving, so too with the other five. To eliminate delusive thoughts, one practices the six perfections without attachment to practice.⁸ This is called the practice of accord with the Dharma.
Contextual Notes on Key Terms
To assist readers in engaging more deeply with the text, the following are brief explanations of important terms:
法 ( fǎ) and 法性 (fǎxìng) — “Dharma” and “Dharma nature”
The term Dharma (法, fǎ) has a wide range of meanings in Buddhist texts, including “teaching,” “truth,” “phenomena,” and “principle.” In this context, it refers to the fundamental principle of reality itself—often described as pure and unconditioned. The related term Dharma-nature (法性, fǎxìng) denotes the inherent nature of all beings and phenomena as it accords with this truth. These terms are not always clearly distinguished in early Chan texts, where both point toward the experiential realization of the non-conceptual ground of mind and reality.⁹
客塵 (kèchén) — “Guest-dust”
The term guest-dust (客塵, kèchén) is a classical metaphor in Chinese Chan texts referring to the defilements that obscure the mind’s original clarity. Guest (客) implies something impermanent or non-intrinsic—an external visitor—while dust (塵) evokes the image of particles settling on a mirror, preventing it from reflecting clearly. Together, they symbolize the adventitious afflictions and delusive thoughts that temporarily obscure the luminous nature of mind. These defilements are not inherent and can be cleared through practice or recognition of the mind’s true nature.¹⁰
無所求 (wúsuǒqiú) — “Non-Seeking or Seeking Nothing”
The phrase 無所求 literally means “nothing sought” or “no object of seeking.” It expresses a foundational principle in both early Chan and Mahāyāna Buddhism: the relinquishment of craving, striving, and attachment to outcomes. In this context, it implies that the practitioner rests in a state of openness, without grasping at results, attainments, or states of mind. Non-seeking does not mean passivity, but rather practicing without clinging to a goal. This aligns with the broader Mahāyāna view that true liberation arises not from acquiring something new, but from releasing the habitual tendency to seek and fixate¹¹.
三界 (sānjiè) — “Three Realms”
In Buddhist cosmology, the Three Realms (三界, sānjiè) describe the total field of conditioned existence in which beings are reborn:
the Realm of Desire (欲界, yùjiè), where beings are driven by sensual craving, including humans, animals, and many gods;
the Realm of Form (色界, sèjiè), inhabited by beings free from sensual desire who exist in subtle bodies and states of deep concentration;
the Formless Realm (無色界, wúsèjiè), consisting of purely mental existence with no bodily form, experienced by beings in refined states of clear awareness without fixation.
Though the latter two realms are associated with states of temporary serenity achieved through contemplative discipline, all three are impermanent and bound by the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra). In Mahāyāna texts and early Chan literature, “dwelling in the Three Realms” is synonymous with clinging to illusion and is often contrasted with liberation through insight and non-attachment.¹²
壁觀 (bìguān) — “Wall-gazing”
The term bìguān (壁觀), literally “wall observation” or “wall-gazing,” refers to a meditative practice closely associated with Bodhidharma and early Chan Buddhism. It traditionally connotes a state of seated meditation marked by radical stillness and undistracted awareness. As scholars have noted, early references to wall-gazing in texts like the Erru Sixing Lun were intended to describe a non-conceptual realization of Dharma-nature—not necessarily a specific posture or act of facing a wall. Although later traditions interpreted bìguān as literal wall-facing meditation—as in Bodhidharma’s legendary nine years at Shaolin—early sources use the phrase metaphorically to suggest a mind so still and empty that no distinction remains between observer and observed. In this context, bìguān expresses a direct realization of Dharma-nature beyond conceptual thought or sensory fixation.¹³
三空 (sānkōng) — “Threefold Emptiness”
The term sānkōng (三空), or “threefold emptiness,” refers to the realization that giver, receiver, and gift are all empty of inherent existence. This concept, rooted in Mahāyāna teachings on selflessness and the perfection of generosity (dāna pāramitā), appears in both Indian and Chinese texts and is often used in Chan contexts to describe the ideal mental attitude in practice. In realizing threefold emptiness, the practitioner gives without attachment to self, other, or the act of giving itself. This teaching emphasizes that true compassion and wisdom arise when actions are performed without clinging to identity, reward, or conceptual distinctions.¹⁴
取相 (qǔ xiàng) — “Grasp at Appearances”
The phrase qǔ xiàng (取相) literally means “to grasp at forms” or “to become attached to appearances.” In Chan and Mahāyāna Buddhism, it refers to the mental fixation on phenomena as inherently real or distinct—mistaking sensory or conceptual appearances for ultimate truth. This attachment to xiàng (相), meaning “marks,” “forms,” or “characteristics,” is viewed as a fundamental obstacle to awakening. Chan texts often caution against qǔ xiàng as it perpetuates dualistic thinking and obscures one’s realization of emptiness and Dharma-nature. The ideal is to act compassionately without grasping any fixed identity, form, or view.¹⁵
稱法行 (chēng fǎ xíng) — “Practice in Accord with the Dharma”
The phrase 稱法行 literally means “to practice in accordance with the Dharma.” In early Chan texts like the Erru Sixing Lun, it refers to aligning one’s conduct with the fundamental truth or nature of reality (法, fǎ). Rather than following external forms or doctrinal rules, this practice arises from direct insight into the unconditioned nature of all things. To practice in accord with the Dharma means to live in a way that is spontaneous, unattached, and free from self-centered intention—manifesting generosity, wisdom, and compassion without fixation or contrivance.¹⁶
法身 (fǎshēn) — “Dharma-body”
In Mahāyāna Buddhism, the Dharma-body (法身, fǎshēn) refers to the ultimate, formless reality or truth-body of a Buddha—beyond birth and death, beyond personal identity. It is not a physical body, but the realization of pure awareness or Dharma-nature itself. In Chan texts, the Dharma-body is described as free from clinging, greed, or conceptual limitations. Practicing in accordance with the Dharma-body means embodying this formless truth in one’s actions, without fixation or dualistic thinking.¹⁷
六度 (liùdù) — “Six Perfections”
The Six Perfections, or pāramitās in Sanskrit, are fundamental practices in Mahāyāna Buddhism for cultivating the path of a bodhisattva. The term 度 (dù) literally means “to cross over” and metaphorically refers to “crossing to the other shore” of awakening. The six are: generosity (布施 dāna), ethical conduct (持戒 śīla), patience (忍辱 kṣānti), diligence (精進 vīrya), meditation (禪定 dhyāna), and wisdom (般若 prajñā). Practicing them without attachment or fixation is seen as essential to realizing Dharma-nature and benefiting both self and others. In early Chan texts like the Erru Sixing Lun, this ideal is expressed as practicing the six perfections while having “no practice”—pointing to action free from clinging or conceptual self-reference.¹⁸
Commentary: The Four Practices in Daily Life
In my own teaching, I often emphasize that suffering is not something we can avoid—it is a fundamental part of the human condition. Rather than resisting it, we learn to understand and accept it with compassion. The first practice—Accepting Suffering (報怨行)—teaches us to accept our karmic conditions without blame. Bearing suffering without resentment becomes the path to insight and wisdom. This is not a moral belief system—it’s a method of liberation.
The second practice—Being in Accord with Conditions (隨緣行)—teaches us to maintain clarity amidst life’s fluctuations. Gain and loss, praise and blame, pleasure and pain—all arise from causes and conditions beyond our control. Can the mind remain clear despite changing circumstances? Every moment demands our full attention. When the mind is clear and focused on every moment, it naturally finds harmony with present conditions.
The third practice—Non-Seeking (無所求行)—may sound passive, but it is one of the most powerful turning points. Most people live in a state of constant pursuit—of status, pleasure, success, even spiritual progress. This teaching urges us to stop. Truly stop. From that stillness, when there is no seeking and no striving, clarity and insight arise on their own. This is practice without fixation—trusting in the practice, fully engaged in each moment, yet free from clinging to any goal.
The fourth practice—Practicing in Accord with the Dharma (稱法行)—teaches that those who awaken to this principle realize the Dharma-body is free from clinging and greed. The Dharma has no self, because it is free from the conceptual boundaries of selfhood. Naturally, the awakened use their body, life, and wealth in service to others—without clinging, and without regret. When we recognize that the giver, receiver, and gift are not separate, we are moved to guide others toward this same insight, without attachment. This benefits both self and others, and it embodies the path of awakening, expressed moment to moment through our actions.
The foundational bodhisattva practices—generosity, morality, patience, effort, concentration, and wisdom—are not duties imposed from outside, but natural expressions that reflect the true nature of an awakened mind. The awakened do not cling to the Dharma—it simply flows through them.
These four practices are not sequential steps to be completed one by one. They are integrated facets of realization itself—mutually reinforcing and ever-present in each moment. Together, they form the wellspring of authentic joy. This joy is not based on external circumstances, achievements, or transient pleasures. It arises from living in harmony with the truth in every moment.
Echoes in Later Zen Teachings
The influence of the Erru Sixing Lun echoes throughout the development of Chan and Zen. Its core principles—accepting suffering, releasing grasping, and practicing without attachment—resonate in the words of major Zen patriarchs.
Dajian Huineng taught the importance of non-abiding and non-duality: “True cultivation is to act at all times with no abiding in things.”¹⁹ This reflects the spirit of non-seeking (無所求行) and accord with conditions (隨緣行).
Mazu Daoyi echoed the text’s critique of striving with his declaration: “Don’t seek a Buddha! Making offerings, keeping precepts, reciting scriptures, and practicing asceticism—none of this is necessary.”²⁰ His words directly parallel the Erru Sixing Lun’s call to stop seeking and trust in what is present.
Linji Yixuan, known for his fierce and iconoclastic methods, emphasized immediacy and turning inward: “Stop seeking something outside yourself, or you’ll run in circles forever.”²¹ This aligns with the treatise’s emphasis on direct realization without attachment.
In this way, the Erru Sixing Lun serves as both a philosophical foundation and a practical compass—the seed of its wisdom flowering through successive generations of Zen expression.
Why This Text Still Matters
In today’s world of distraction, striving, and confusion, these ancient words feel more relevant than ever. Whether we are facing personal hardship or collective uncertainty, the Four Practices offer a clear path: Meet the conditions of your life as they are. Accept challenges as they come. Trust in your practice—profound insight, genuine joy, and lasting wisdom arise when you focus on the process rather than the goal. Living in accord with your true nature naturally aligns your purpose with the well-being of all.
This is not a doctrine, and it does not require belief in any set of rules. It is simply a map of the Zen Way—a guide to deeper awareness drawn from full attention to your lived experience. There is no gate to pass through, only a path to walk—step by step, moment by moment.
May this teaching illuminate your practice, as it continues to illuminate mine.
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Footnotes
John R. McRae, Seeing Through Zen: Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003), 54. McRae affirms the text’s importance, writing: “The Treatise on the Two Entrances and Four Practices presents a number of doctrinal and practical ideas that are quite consistent with other early Chan texts. Regardless of its authorship, it accurately reflects the concerns and tone of the earliest stage of the Chan tradition.”
Jeffrey L. Broughton, The Bodhidharma Anthology: The Earliest Records of Zen (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999), 10–12. Broughton writes: “Though the Treatise may not have been written by Bodhidharma, it is in any case a vital witness to early Chan thought and contains key Mahāyāna ideas adapted to the Chan context.”
On the phrase 與理冥符 ("accords with principle beyond knowing"): The term 冥符 literally means “dark” or “obscure correspondence,” often translated as “mysteriously accords.” “Beyond knowing” better conveys the non-conceptual insight central to early Chan. See John R. McRae, Seeing Through Zen, 54; and Thomas Cleary, trans., Zen Dawn: Early Zen Texts from Tun Huang (Boston: Shambhala, 1986), 13.
“When encountering hardship, do not grieve” is a paraphrase rather than a direct sutra quote, echoing Mahāyāna themes found in texts like the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa Sūtra (Taishō 475). Early Chan often used paraphrased scripture to emphasize experience over strict quotation.
The quote “有求皆苦，無求內樂” (“All seeking is suffering; non-seeking is inner joy”) is not found verbatim in extant sutras but reflects Mahāyāna themes of non-attachment, as in the Dhammapada and Prajñāpāramitā literature. See McRae, Seeing Through Zen, 54.
The quotation “法無眾生，離眾生垢故。法無有我，離我垢故” comes from the Diamond Sūtra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra), T235, 8.749c24. See Edward Conze, The Diamond Sutra and the Prajñāpāramitā Literature (New York: Barnes & Noble, 1973), 99–101.
On the term 莊嚴 (zhuāngyán, “adornment”) as inner beautification of the path through virtue and wisdom, see Paul Williams, Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations (London: Routledge, 2009), 217; and Peter N. Gregory, Tsung-mi and the Sinification of Buddhism (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991), 119.
The phrase 無所行 ("no object of practice") reflects non-abiding practice in Mahāyāna. See Edward Conze, The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines and Its Verse Summary (San Francisco: City Lights, 1975), 116–17; and McRae, Seeing Through Zen, 53–54.
See McRae, Seeing Through Zen, 53–55; and Gregory, Tsung-mi and the Sinification of Buddhism, 95–98.
See Thomas Cleary, trans., Zen Dawn: Early Zen Texts from Tun Huang (Boston: Shambhala, 1986), 10–11; and Yanagida Seizan, “The Two Entrances and Four Practices,” in The Zen Canon: Understanding the Classic Texts, ed. Steven Heine and Dale S. Wright (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 39–41.
See McRae, Seeing Through Zen, 53–54.
See Williams, Mahayana Buddhism, 62–64; Etienne Lamotte, History of Indian Buddhism (Louvain-la-Neuve: Université Catholique de Louvain, 1988), 35–38. See also The Lotus Sūtra, chap. 3, for the “burning house” parable.
McRae, Seeing Through Zen, 50–55. See also Yanagida Seizan, “The Two Entrances and Four Practices of Bodhidharma,” trans. John R. McRae, in Cleary, Zen Dawn, 2–5.
See Williams, Mahayana Buddhism, 2nd ed. (London: Routledge, 2009), 157–158; and Kenneth K. Tanaka, The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Doctrine (Albany: SUNY Press, 1990), 57–58.
See Cleary, Zen Dawn, 9–11; and Burton Watson, trans., The Vimalakirti Sutra (New York: Columbia University Press, 1997), 53–55.
See McRae, Seeing Through Zen, 54–55; and Cleary, Zen Dawn, 13–14.
See Williams, Mahayana Buddhism, 2nd ed., 97–99; and Gregory, Tsung-mi and the Sinification of Buddhism, 112–115.
See Gregory, Tsung-mi and the Sinification of Buddhism, 104–107; and Cleary, Zen Dawn, 14.
Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch, trans. Philip B. Yampolsky (New York: Columbia University Press, 1967), 132.
Sayings of Mazu (Mazu Yulu 馬祖語錄), in Sun-Face Buddha: The Teachings of Ma-Tsu and the Hung-Chou School of Ch’an, trans. Cheng Chien Bhikshu (Berkeley: Asian Humanities Press, 1993), 47.
The Record of Linji (Linji Lu 臨濟錄), in The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-Chi, trans. Burton Watson (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999), 29.
Bodhidharma crossing the Yangzi River on a reed (Yuan dynasty, ca. 1300), Li Yaofu, ink on paper. Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain.
Credit: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Open Access.
