Faith in Mind, the Xinxinming, a Dozen Translations of a Central Zen Text

The Xinxin Ming

Attributed to Sengcan

Xinxin Ming (alternate spellings Xin Xin Ming or Xinxinming) (Chinese: 信心銘; Pīnyīn: Xìnxīn Míng; Wade–Giles: Hsin Hsin Ming; Romanji: Shinjinmei), meaning “Faith in Mind”, is a poem attributed to the Third Chinese Chán Patriarch Jianzhi Sengcan (Chinese: 鑑智僧璨; Pīnyīn: Jiànzhì Sēngcàn; Wade–Giles: Chien-chih Seng-ts’an; Romaji: Kanchi Sōsan) and one of the earliest Chinese Chan expressions of the Buddhist mind training practice.

The Zen teacher Dosho Port suggests “If anyone finds a dozen to be a bit too many, I’d recommend the Stan Lombardo translation. If you really like to dance, try the Rochester version too.”

On Trust in the Heart Translated by Arthur Waley
Inscribed on the Believing Mind Translated by R. H. Blyth > with commentaries
Verses on the Faith Mind Translated by Richard B. Clarke
Inscription on Trust in the Mind Translated by Burton Watson
Trusting In Mind Translated by Hae Kwang
Trusting In Mind Translated by Stanley Lombardo
Hsin Hsin Ming Chant version used by the Rochester Zen Center
Faith in Mind Translated by Master Sheng-yen > with commentaries
Have Faith in Your Mind Translated by Lu Kuan Yu (Charles Luk)
Trust in Mind Translated by the Chung Tai Translation Committee
Inscribed On the Believing Mind Translated by D. T. Suzuki (Essays in Zen Buddhism)
Faith in Mind Translated by Andy Ferguson