Hui Neng

Singapore time 7.51 am 25th August 2007

Sutra of Hui Neng
Chapter 1--Autobiography
Once, when the Patriach had arrived at Pao Lam Monastery, Prefect Wai of Shiu Chow and other officials went there to ask him to deliver public lectures on Buddhism in the hall of Tai Fan Temple in the City (of Canton).
In due course, there were assembled (in the lecture hall) Prefect Wai, government officials and Confucian scholars, about thirty each, and Bhikkhus, Bhikkhunis, Taoist and laymen, to the number of about one thousand. After the Patriarch had taken his seat, the congregation in a body paid him homage and asked him to preach on the fundamental laws of Buddhism. Whereupon, His Holiness delivered the following address:--
Learned Audience, our Essence of Mind (literally, self-nature) which is the seed or kernel of enlightenment (Bodhi) is pure by nature, and by making use of this mind alone we can reach Buddha-hood directly. [(Compare this with Visualizing Sutra's - Because the body of the Buddha is the Body of the Universe, and it is within the mind of all beings. Therefore, when you think of that Buddha, your mind is the One who has the thirty-two Magnificent Figures and the eighty Virtues. It is the mind that is to become a Buddha; and it is the mind that is a Buddha. Buddhist term for the One is our mind. It is a bit confusing when explaining this Buddhist reasoning. Even in Bhagavad Gita there are more terms to confuse readers. If we stick to one let say our soul or spirit, then we can understand all scriptures. The statement said Mind is a Buddha, so why must the Buddhists pray to Buddha made of paper, cloth, wood, metals, stones etc? Is not this stupid of you?)]
Now let me tell you something about my own life and how I came into possession of the esoteric teaching of the Dhyana (or the Zen) School.
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My stanza read:-- 'There is no Bodhi-tree, nor stand of a mirror bright. Since all is void, where can the dust alight?' (The mark on the forehead is a void, so everything is void. What there to think about?.)
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Knowing that I had realized the Essence of Mind, the Patriarch said, "For him who does not know his own mind, there is no use learning Buddhism. On the other hand, if he knows his own mind and see intuitively his own nature, he is a Hero, a 'Teacher of gods and men,' 'Buddha'." (Hui Neng was a lay man and had no Buddhist teaching from any one and he cannot read or write. A person who is fated to be an enlightened person will achieve his goal no matter how. Gautama Buddha was predicted to be a holy man when he was just born as a baby and some wrote that he pointed one index to the sky and the other index to the earth. Also Jesus when still a baby wealthy merchants visited him. This is a PLAN by the mysterious One. We are only actors and actresses. Once you are handed a role of a beggar, you have to act a beggar, a king, act as a king and an enlightened man as a Buddha, Saint, prophet etc. act as one of them.)
Thus, to the knowledge of no one, the Dharma was transmitted to me at midnight (sealing the mark on the forehead), and consequently I became the inheritor of the teaching of the 'Sudden' School as well as of the robe and the begging bowl.
"You are now the Sixth Patriarch," said he. "Take good care of yourself, and deliver as many sentient beings as possible. Spread and preserve the teaching, and don't let it come to an end. Take note of my stanza:-- 'Sentient beings who sow the seeds of enlightenment, in the field of Causation will reap the fruit of Buddha-hood. Inanimate objects void of Buddha-nature, sow not and reap not.'
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Whereupon I came out from my hiding place and squatted on the rock. He made obeisance and said "Lay Brother, preach to me, please."
"Since the object of your coming is the Dharma," said I, "refrain from thinking of anything and keep your mind blank. I will then teach you." When he had done this for a considerable time, I said "When you are thinking of neither good nor evil what is at that particular moment, Venerable Sir, your real nature (literally, original face)?" (When you think of nothing, your mind is a void, that is the true self.)
As soon as he heard this he at once became enlightened. But he further asked, "Apart from those esoteric sayings and esoteric ideas handed down by the Patriarch from generation to generation, are there any other esoteric teaching?" "What I can tell you is not esoteric," I replied. "If you turn your light inwardly, you will find what is esoteric within you." [Turning your light inwardly by turning the eye-balls inward (like nasal gaze), the mark on the forehead will gives you certain sensations.]
"In spite of my staying in Wong Mui," said he, "I did not realize my self-nature. Now, thanks to your guidance, I know it as a water-drinker knows how hot or how cold the water is. Lay Brother, you are now my teacher."

Essence of Mind in Buddhism should be Tathagata. In Chinese text in this sutra, it is self nature. For laymen, it can be called spiritual soul. This is the One that can save us. Praying to all others outside will not save us.