Wonhyo Quotes
Wonhyo was a Korean Buddhist philosopher, monk, and one of the most important figures in the history of East Asian Buddhism. Famed in legend for an awakening attained when, in the dark, he drank from what he took to be a pure spring and discovered in the morning that it had been a skull, he renounced his journey to study in Tang China and dedicated his life to teaching among ordinary Koreans. The quotes below are attributed to Wonhyo, organized by topic.
Wonhyo on Knowledge
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Attributed to Wonhyo:
“Wisdom is the song one sings in the marketplace as well as in the monastery.”
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“晉譯華嚴經疏序 Hwaeomgyeong so seo (Preface to the Commentary on the Jin Translation of the Flower Ornament Sutra )”
Now, in the unhindered and unobstructed dharma-opening of the dharma-realm there is no dharma, and yet no non-dharma; no opening, and yet no non-opening. Thus it is neither large nor small, neither in a hurry nor taking its time; neither moving nor still, neither one nor many. Since it its not large, it can become an atom, leaving nothing behind. Since it is not small, it can contain all of space -
“Translated by A. Charles Muller.”
Now, in the unhindered and unobstructed dharma-opening of the dharma-realm there is no dharma, and yet no non-dharma; no opening, and yet no non-opening. Thus it is neither large nor small, neither in a hurry nor taking its time; neither moving nor still, neither one nor many. Since it its not large, it can become an atom, leaving nothing behind. Since it is not small, it can contain all of space -
“佛說阿彌陀經疏 Bulseol Amitagyeong so (prolegomenon to the Commentary on the Amitabha Sutra Spoken by the Buddha )”
The mind of sentient beings as it is in itself has neither marks nor nature. It is like the ocean, like space. Since it is like space, there are no marks that are not subsumed within it. How could it contain a direction such as east or west? Since it is like the ocean, there is no nature that is preserved. -
“Translated by A. Charles Muller”
The mind of sentient beings as it is in itself has neither marks nor nature. It is like the ocean, like space. Since it is like space, there are no marks that are not subsumed within it. How could it contain a direction such as east or west? Since it is like the ocean, there is no nature that is preserved. -
“晉譯華嚴經疏序 Hwaeomgyeong so seo (Preface to the Commentary on the Jin Translation of the Flower Ornament Sutra )”
Now, in the unhindered and unobstructed dharma-opening of the dharma-realm there is no dharma, and yet no non-dharma; no opening, and yet no non-opening. Thus it is neither large nor small, neither in a hurry nor taking its time; neither moving nor still, neither one nor many. Since it its not large, it can become an atom, leaving nothing behind. Since it is not small, it can contain all of space -
“Translated by A. Charles Muller.”
Now, in the unhindered and unobstructed dharma-opening of the dharma-realm there is no dharma, and yet no non-dharma; no opening, and yet no non-opening. Thus it is neither large nor small, neither in a hurry nor taking its time; neither moving nor still, neither one nor many. Since it its not large, it can become an atom, leaving nothing behind. Since it is not small, it can contain all of space -
“佛說阿彌陀經疏 Bulseol Amitagyeong so (prolegomenon to the Commentary on the Amitabha Sutra Spoken by the Buddha )”
The mind of sentient beings as it is in itself has neither marks nor nature. It is like the ocean, like space. Since it is like space, there are no marks that are not subsumed within it. How could it contain a direction such as east or west? Since it is like the ocean, there is no nature that is preserved. -
“Translated by A. Charles Muller”
The mind of sentient beings as it is in itself has neither marks nor nature. It is like the ocean, like space. Since it is like space, there are no marks that are not subsumed within it. How could it contain a direction such as east or west? Since it is like the ocean, there is no nature that is preserved.
Wonhyo on Mind
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Attributed to Wonhyo:
“When mind arises, all things arise; when mind ceases, all things cease.”
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Attributed to Wonhyo:
“All things flow from the One Mind.”
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Attributed to Wonhyo:
“Skull water taught me that all is mind.”
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Attributed to Wonhyo:
“There is no path apart from mind; mind itself is the path.”
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Attributed to Wonhyo:
“All things are made by the mind alone; outside the mind there is nothing to be sought.”
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Attributed to Wonhyo:
“The Buddha and the ordinary mind are not two; only the recognition of this is two.”
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Attributed to Wonhyo:
“What you take for a pure spring in the dark may be a skull in the morning; the spring is in your mind.”
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“The mind of sentient beings as it is in itself has neither marks nor nature. It is like the ocean, like space. Since it is like space, there are no marks that are not subsumed within it. How could it contain a direction such as east or west? Since it is like the ocean, there is no nature that is preserved.”
佛說阿彌陀經疏 Bulseol Amitagyeong so (prolegomenon to the Commentary on the Amitabha Sutra Spoken by the Buddha ) | Translated by A. Charles Muller -
“The mind of sentient beings as it is in itself has neither marks nor nature. It is like the ocean, like space. Since it is like space, there are no marks that are not subsumed within it. How could it contain a direction such as east or west? Since it is like the ocean, there is no nature that is preserved.”
佛說阿彌陀經疏 Bulseol Amitagyeong so (prolegomenon to the Commentary on the Amitabha Sutra Spoken by the Buddha ) | Translated by A. Charles Muller
Wonhyo on Time
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“Now, in the unhindered and unobstructed dharma-opening of the dharma-realm there is no dharma, and yet no non-dharma; no opening, and yet no non-opening. Thus it is neither large nor small, neither in a hurry nor taking its time; neither moving nor still, neither one nor many. Since it its not large, it can become an atom, leaving nothing behind. Since it is not small, it can contain all of space with room left over. Unhurried, it can include all the kalpas in the three time periods; not taking its time, it can enter fully into an instant.”
晉譯華嚴經疏序 Hwaeomgyeong so seo (Preface to the Commentary on the Jin Translation of the Flower Ornament Sutra ) | Translated by A. Charles Muller. -
“Now, in the unhindered and unobstructed dharma-opening of the dharma-realm there is no dharma, and yet no non-dharma; no opening, and yet no non-opening. Thus it is neither large nor small, neither in a hurry nor taking its time; neither moving nor still, neither one nor many. Since it its not large, it can become an atom, leaving nothing behind. Since it is not small, it can contain all of space with room left over. Unhurried, it can include all the kalpas in the three time periods; not taking its time, it can enter fully into an instant.”
晉譯華嚴經疏序 Hwaeomgyeong so seo (Preface to the Commentary on the Jin Translation of the Flower Ornament Sutra ) | Translated by A. Charles Muller.
Wonhyo on Truth
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Attributed to Wonhyo:
“Quarrels among the schools of Buddhism arise from the limits of language, not from the truth itself.”
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Attributed to Wonhyo:
“Doctrines fight only when their followers do not yet understand.”