Chapter 1: On Purifying the Heart

1
Two methods enable us to rectify our heart:
The first is study, enriching our mind through practice and discipline;
training, studying until an inner light begins to grow within.
This seed of consciousness, the sages teach, should be nourished
  and kept in silence.

The second is the cultivation of Virtue.
A sincere student discovers the workings of Tao by overcoming all
  manner of temptation.
Hordes of riches are outweighed in merit by a single word, Virtue.

Cultivating goodness in the heart is like planting spring grass:
While its growth is imperceptible, day by day there is increase.
Evil in the heart is like the working of a rasp:
Daily we sense decrease through its honing.
With a proper heart we master the Way naturally.
Understanding its profundity we may use it effectively in our lives.
The key is discrimination between good and bad, in loyalty
  without desire.

2
The finest of moral integrities?
Sincerity. Square and true.
A sincere, tranquil heart is like a bright shining mirror,
uncontaminated by a single speck of dust.

Millions of secrets evolve from one similar source:
From roots, dust, emptiness.
Therein lies the one principle:
Buddha-nature lives in a pure, empty heart.

3
The gates to the Way are manifold;
each is profound and effective.
But deepest and finer is the sky beyond the sky, that, understood,
corresponds to the Tao of heaven,
For the Way is vast and without favor
and the all-empty Tao is profound.
With an empty heart, its nature is easily learned,
though its power encompasses the cosmos.
With its wisdom one may discern life's great mysteries,
so that the heart may become pure as the throne of the immortals.

4
Like muddy water our heart awaits cleansing;
turbid or clear, its nature is of our choosing.
Black or white, right or wrong—
these things come from the heart and its training:
Destiny is shadowed by the color of our intentions.

With prayers and a calm mind the Way can be understood
  and attained:
The roots of wisdom are heavenly endowed.
With Tao implanted in our heart,
we ourselves may become buddhas.

§

No use fretting over gold, beauty or fame;
nurturing these, how can we calm our fluttering heart?
Non-attachment brings deep truth,
and a truthful nature brings immortality.
Empty your heart.
Sit quietly on a mat.
In meditation we become one with All;
Tao billows like the vapors in a mountain valley,
and its supernatural power wafts into our soul.

5
We must do our best to purify our heart:
Hard work, steady practice, and a clear spirit are necessary.
Purity and emptiness are the elements of the heart-training
  method.
Mastering them is the natural route to Tao.

A heart free of desire is true emptiness:
No holding back, just drift with the untied clouds,
existence and non-existence are one and the same:
Embrace the void.
To the seeker, emptiness is All.

§

The universe overflows with spiritual treasure
yet it is empty and unsentimental.
In its nature there is justice.
Utterly impartial, the Way commands respect:
No greed, no evil; our heart is empowered with Tao.
No brightness, no darkness:
The view remains as it is.