798-?, Chinese Chan Master
Action / Effort As long as the mind has not reached supreme quiet, it cannot act. Action caused by momentum is random action, not essential action. Therefore it is said that action influenced by things is human desire, while action uninfluenced by things is the action of Heaven. The Secret of the Golden Flower: The Classic Chinese Book of Life , VIII.27, Thomas Cleary, tr., 1991
Appearance / Form Forms are all conditioned. Cognition is a function of mind, empty silence is the substance of mind. If you fix the mind on anything conditioned, then temperament is in control, so you cannot govern it completely or comprehend it thoroughly. Ibid.The true mind has no form: what has form is ultimately illusory. Ibid.
Attention / Awareness When not a single thought arises, then true mindfulness is born; this is pure attention. When the celestial potential is suddenly activated in the midst of silent trance, is this not spontaneous attention? This is what is meant by acting without striving. Ibid.
Autonomy / Control When you keep presence of mind, only then do you have autonomy. When you have autonomy, only then can you manage affairs. Ibid.
Wisdom for The Soul: Five Millennia of Prescriptions for Spiritual Healing , © 2004