The Sutra of Hui-neng, Grand Master of Zen: With Hui-neng's Commentary on the Diamond SutraHui-neng (638–713) is perhaps the most beloved and respected figure in Zen Buddhism. An illiterate woodcutter who attained enlightenment in a flash, he became the Sixth Patriarch of Chinese Zen, and is regarded as the founder of the "Sudden Enlightenment" school. He is the supreme exemplar of the fact that neither education nor social background has any bearing on the attainment of enlightenment. This collection of his talks, also known as the Platform or Altar Sutra, is the only Zen record of its kind to be generally honored with the appellation sutra, or scripture. The Sutra of Hui-neng is here accompanied by Hui-neng's verse-by-verse commentary on the Diamond Sutra—in its very first published English translation ever. |
Contents
| 5 | |
PRAJNA | 16 |
QUESTIONS | 25 |
STABILIZATION AND INSIGHT | 31 |
SITTING MEDITATION | 35 |
REPENTANCE | 37 |
KEY EVENTS | 44 |
IMMEDIATE AND GRADUAL | 60 |
THE SUPERIORITY OF UNCREATED BLESSINGS | 109 |
HONORING TRUE TEACHING | 110 |
ACCEPTING AND HOLDING THE TEACHING ACCURATELY | 111 |
ABSOLUTE PEACE BEYOND FORMS | 114 |
THE VIRTUES OF HOLDING THE SUTRA | 120 |
THE CAPACITY TO CLEAR AWAY KARMIC OBSTRUCTIONS | 123 |
ULTIMATE SELFLESSNESS | 125 |
IMPARTIAL VIEW OF ONENESS | 129 |
THE IMPERIAL SUMMONS | 68 |
HUINENGS COMMENTARY ON THE DIAMOND SUTRA | 83 |
PREFACE BY HUINENG | 85 |
THE CAUSE AND REASON OF THE TEACHING ASSEMBLY | 88 |
SUBHUTI INITIATES QUESTIONING | 90 |
THE TRUE SOURCE OF THE GREAT VEHICLE | 91 |
SUBTLE PRACTICE WITHOUT DWELLING | 95 |
REAL SEEING IN ACCORD WITH TRUTH | 97 |
THE RARITY OF TRUE FAITH | 98 |
NO ATTAINMENT AND NO PREACHING | 101 |
EMERGENCE INTO LIFE THROUGH THE TRUTH | 103 |
ONENESS WITHOUT FORMS | 105 |
ADORNING A PURE LAND | 107 |
THE TEACHING PERVADING THE COSMOS OF REALITIES | 131 |
DETACHMENT FROM FORMS AND APPEARANCES | 132 |
NOT PREACHING A DOCTRINE | 133 |
THERE IS NOTHING TO ATTAIN | 134 |
PURIFYING THE MIND AND DOING GOOD | 135 |
BLESSINGS AND WISDOM WITHOUT COMPARE | 136 |
THE EMBODIMENT OF REALITY IS NOT EXTERNAL APPEARANCES | 137 |
NO ANNIHILATION OR EXTINCTION | 139 |
SERENITY OF CONDUCT | 140 |
VIEWS DO NOT OCCUR | 142 |
THE REWARD AND THE EMANATION ARE NOT THE REAL | 143 |
NOTES ON THE SUTRA OF HUINENG | 145 |
Other editions - View all
The Sutra of Hui-neng, Grand Master of Zen: With Hui-neng's Commentary on ... Huineng No preview available - 1998 |
The Sutra of Hui-neng, Grand Master of Zen: With Hui-neng's Commentary on ... Thomas Cleary No preview available - 1998 |
Common terms and phrases
accept and hold afflictions asked awakened benefit birth and death blessings bodhi Bodhidharma bodhisattvas Buddha says buddha-nature buddhahood Buddhism called Ch’an Master Chinese complete perfect enlightenment confused cultivate detached Diamond Sutra Dipankara disciples doctrine dwelling on appearances emptiness essential nature expound Fa-ta Fifth Grand Master final first five hundred fixated fixation formless four images freedom from thought friends fulfilled Ganges River grasped hear Hui-neng infinite knowledge and vision liberation liver living Lotus Sutra means meditation mentally monk myriad nirvana nondual notion once-returning ordinary original mind original nature paramita perfection of wisdom practice charity prajna prajnaparamita Pure Land Pure Land Buddhism purity reality body Realized One says robe Sanskrit scripture seek Shariputra Shen-hsiu Shen-hui sitting Sravasti stability and insight Subhuti subject and object substance sutra follows Sutra says teacher things thirty-two marks three embodiments true truth Ts’ao understand unexcelled complete perfect verse virtue wisdom World Honored