The Supreme Inner Secret True Collection Sutra

The Supreme Inner Secret, the True Treasure Sutra. It is called "Zhenzang Sutra" for short. Author unknown. It belongs to the Yuanshi series of metaphysical works, but its influence is not significant. Although the "Zhenzang Jing" is also a classic of metaphysics, it has no special insights into metaphysics. Its point of view is nothing more than: all things are neither existence nor emptiness, but only one true reality. The true Tao neither dwells in nor is separated from all things. Those who are not separated from all things but dwell in all things are sentient beings. Those who are not separated from all things but do not dwell in all things are those who have attained the Tao. Dunhuang manuscript P2467 excerpts eight volumes of this sutra, and Volume 95 of "Yunji Qizhuan" also excerpts a small section. The book is divided into thirteen grades: the grade of manifesting the Tao, the grade of discerning the three treasures, the grade of discerning the four true qualities, the grade of benefiting, the grade of liberation, the grade of discerning the clear parts of the body, the grade of universal clarity, the grade of manifesting merits and virtues, the grade of manifesting commandments and conduct, the grade of wonderful virtues, the grade of gathering immortals, the grade of clear conduct, and the ultimate grade. The text contains questions and answers between Yuanshi Tianzun and the immortals at Lingjie Mountain, comprehensively and systematically expounding the theory of Taoism. His explanation is roughly based on the Taoist thought of tranquility and inaction, and he repeatedly talks about the mysteries of "True Tibet" and the wonderful method of Mahayana. Zhenzang, like Benji and Haikong, are all aliases referring to the Tao. The sutra says: "The nature of all sentient beings is pure and pure, and the true righteous way of heaven is hidden in it, which is called true treasure." This true treasure means that there is no inside and no outside, no birth and no death, and it means peace and tranquility. All living beings have this true treasure, so they have the true Tao nature, have immeasurable Dharma, and have the three pure realms. However, sentient beings are confused and do not believe that they have true treasures, so they suffer endless sufferings and cannot be liberated; or they seek Taoism and Dharma from outside and fall into Hinayana, which ultimately makes it difficult to achieve Taoism. Therefore, when all living beings seek the Tao, they should seek the true treasure in their bodies, so that they can be liberated physically and mentally. This is the path of the Mahayana. This Mahayana wonderful method is not only "detached from all appearances, from all actions, from all views, from all wisdom, from emptiness and mind, and from the true reality"; it also leads to the state of "no separation, no separation; no action, no action; no view, no view; no emptiness, no emptiness; no truth, no truth", so that "the true path is annihilated, annihilated and annihilated". It is the core theory of the Taoist Chongxuan philosophy "You Wushuang Qi".