The , or "Mind Inscription" (), also rendered in the Wade-Giles romanization as Hsin ming, is a Chan Buddhist text attributed to Niutou Farong (; 594âÂÂ657), whom the Oxhead School regarded as its founder. The can be found in chapter thirty of the . It is not to be confused with the famous , or "Faith-Mind Inscription" (also found in chapter thirty of the ), which is a related but separate text.
Although attributed to Niutou Farong (; 594âÂÂ657), the can be grouped together with a number of early Chan texts which were probably composed sometime during the eighth or ninth century. These texts exhibit a similarity of lexical terms and doctrinal content, and include: the (), the (), the (), and the ().
John McRae doubts that the Xin Ming can be attributed to Niutou Farong. According to Henrik Sorensen, although no definitive proof exists that the was authored by Niutou Farong, a number of points, as well as style and content, allow for the text to be associated with Farong and the Oxhead School. Sorensen also observes the similarity between it and the , and says, "there seems to be little doubt that they are both the product, if not by the same author, then at least by followers of the same type of Ch'an doctrine." According to Yanagida Seizan, the is either by Farong or one of his close disciples.
Sorensen further notes the close affinity, both in content and style, between the and the famous (Faith-Mind Inscription). Additionally, Robert Sharf points out that the well-known closely resembles the and it has been suggested by some scholars that the was intended as an "improvement" on the earlier . Although the famous is traditionally attributed to the third Chan patriarch Sengcan, this is not taken seriously by scholarship, and both it and the earlier are considered to be associated with the Oxhead School.
Sharf observes that the Xin Ming and the slightly later, and more famous, Xinxin Ming (Faith-Mind Inscription), bear a close resemblance to each other, and points to the Oxhead School associations of both texts. A term that occurs in both works is self-illumination (èª砧, zizhao), and in the Xin Ming one finds the following: <blockquote>Bodhi exists originally<br />It has no need of being preserved<br />Afflictions have no intrinsic existence<br />They do not need to be eradicated<br />Numinous knowing is self-illuminated [èª砧, zizhao]<br />The myriad dharmas return to Thusness<br />There is no return, no receiving<br />Cut off contemplation, forget preservation</blockquote> One can also find in this passage a rejection of the notion of "maintaining" or "preserving" (). According to Kuno, the exhibits opposition to "maintaining mind" (), a contemplative practice of the Northern School. Henrik Sorensen likewise observes that the contains references to, and rejections of, the practice of . For example: "By grasping the mind and maintaining [] stillness, one will still not be able to leave behind the sickness (of clinging)." Commenting on the points in common between the Xin Ming and the Xinxin Ming, Dusan Pajin observes the similarity between the Xin Ming's admonition against using the mind to maintain tranquility and a stanza in the Xinxin Ming in which one finds: "To use the mind to hold the mind / Is it not a great mistake?"
Sorensen notes the presence of terms commonly associated with Daoism in the , such as wuwei ():<blockquote>Enjoying the Dao is calming<br />Wandering at ease in the truly real<br />Nothing to do [], nothing to attain<br />Relying on nothing, appearing naturally</blockquote> Sorensen also observes the appearance in the Xin Ming of the Daoist term (). This term occurs twice in the text, both times in connection with brightness (æÂÂ, mÃÂng):<blockquote>Without unifying, without dispersing<br />Neither quick nor slow<br />Bright, peaceful and naturally so [æÂÂå¯Âèªç¶, mÃÂng jì zìrán]<br />It cannot be reached by words</blockquote> And also:<blockquote>Do not extinguish ordinary feeling<br />Only teach putting opinions to rest<br />When opinions are no more, the heart ceases<br />When heart is no more, practice is cut off<br />There is no need to prove the Void<br />It is naturally bright and penetrating [èªç¶æÂÂå¾¹, zìrán mÃÂng chè]</blockquote>
The has been translated into English by Henrik H. Sorensen in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy Vol.13, 1986, pp. 101âÂÂ120; and also by Chan Master Sheng Yen in Song of Mind: Wisdom from the Zen Classic Xin Ming, Shambhala Publications 2004. See also Sheng Yen, The Poetry of Enlightenment, Poems by Ancient Chan Masters, pages 31âÂÂ43, Shambhala Publications, 2006. Most recently, it has been translated into English by Randolph S. Whitfield in Records of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume 8, Chan Poetry and Inscriptions, pages 89âÂÂ95, Books on Demand, 2020.