Quotation From Hui Neng

Singapore time 9.34 am 13th April 2008

Chapter 4
All things---good or bad, beautiful or ugly---should be treated as void. Even in time of disputes and quarrels we should treat our intimates and our enemies alike and never think of retaliation. In the exercise of our thinking faculty, let the past be dead. If we allow our thoughts, past, present, and future, to link up in a series, we put ourselves under restraint. (I write about the past so that those who offended me can have the chance to say sorry. Even if I forgive them, the Mark on their forehead will never forgive them, you understand. Once you have committed a sin, you have to get the One inside you to forgive your sin.) On the other hand, if we never let our mind attach to anything, we shall gain emancipation. For this reason, we take 'Non-attachment' as our fundamental principle.

Chapter 5
Learned Audience, what is sitting for meditation? In our School, to sit means to gain absolute freedom and to be mentally unperturbed in all outward circumstances, be they good or otherwise. To meditate means to realize inwardly the imperturbability of the Essence of Mind. [Essence of Mind is actually our Spiritual Soul or Innate Self. We neglect IT thinking others are greater. Meditation is only looking at the Hsuan Kuan, Mystic Portal or indirectly at our nose tip.]

The Bodhisattva Sila Sutra says, "Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure". [Same like the 2nd line of Sanzijing.]

Chapter 6
Learned Audience, all of us have now declared that we vow to deliver an infinite number of sentient beings; but what does that mean? It does not mean that I, Wei Lang, am going to deliver them. And who are these sentient beings within our mind? They are the delusive mind, the deceitful mind, the evil mind, and such like minds--all these are sentient beings. Each of them has to deliver himself by means of his own Essence of Mind. Then the deliverance is genuine.

Now, what does it mean to deliver oneself by one's own Essence o Mind? It means the deliverance of the ignorant, the delusive, and the vexations beings within our mind by means of Right Views. With the aid of right Views and Prajna Wisdom, the barriers raised by these ignorant and delusive beings may be broken down; so that each of them is in a position to deliver himself by his own efforts. Let the fallacious be delivered by rightness; the deluded by enlightenment; the ignorant by wisdom; and the malevolent by benevolence. Such is genuine deliverance.

Learned Audience, each of you should consider and examine this point for yourself, and let not your energy be misapplied. The Sutra distinctly says that we should take refuge in the Buddha within ourselves; it does not suggest that we should take refuge in other Buddha. (Buddha made of paper, cloth, metals, stones, wood etc) (Moreover), if we do not take refuge in the Buddha within ourselves, there is no other place for us to retreat.

Learned Audience, our physical body may be likened unto an inn, so we cannot take refuge there. Within our Essence of Mind these Trikaya of Buddha are to be found, and they are common to everybody. (two eyes and the Mark) Because the mind labors under delusions, he knows not his own inner nature; and the result is that he ignores the Trikaya within himself, (erroneously believing) that they are to be sought from without. Please listen, and I will show you that within yourself you will find the Trikaya which, being the manifestation of the Essence of Mind, are not to be sought from without. (Here it is very clear we need to seek the Buddha inside our body, not the Buddha outside made of wood, stone, metals etc.)

Now, what is the Pure Dharmakaya? Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure; all things are only its manifestations, and good deeds and evil deeds are only the result of good thoughts and evil thoughts respectively. Thus, within the Essence of Mind all things (are intrinsically pure), like the azure of the sky and the radiance of the sun and the moon which, when obscured by passing clouds, may appear as if their brightness had been dimmed; but as soon as the clouds are blown away, brightness reappears and all objects are fully illuminated

Learned Audience, to take refuge in a true Buddha is to take refuge in our own Essence of Mind.

Now, what is the Myriad Nirmanakaya? When we subject ourselves to the least discrimination or particularization, transformation takes place; otherwise, all things remain as void as space, as they inherently are. By dwelling our mind on evil things, hell arises. By dwelling our mind on good acts, paradise appears. Dragons and snakes are the transformation of venomous hatred, while Bodhisattvas are mercy personified. The upper regions are Prajna crystallized, while the underworld is only another form assumed by ignorance and infatuation. Numerous indeed are the transformations of the Essence of Mind! People under delusion awake not and understand not; always they bend their minds on evil, and as a rule practice evil. But should they turn their minds from evil to righteousness, even for a moment, Prajna would instantly arise. This is what is called the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha of the Essence of Mind.