Quotation From Hui Neng

Singapore time 9.53 am 13th April 2008

Chapter 2
Learned Audience, the Wisdom of Enlightenment is inherent in every one of us.

You should know that so far as Buddha-nature is concerned, there is no difference between an enlightened man and an ignorant one.

Learned Audience, those who recite the word 'Prajna' the whole day long do not seem to know that Prajna is inherent in their own nature.

The word 'Mahaprajnaparamita' is Sanskrit, and means great wisdom to reach the opposite shore' (of the sea of existence). What we have to do is to put it into practice with our mind; (purifying the mind or cultivate self is to clear our mind of all thoughts and have faith in the Mark on the forehead; with strong faith on the Mark, you need not have to meditate) whether we recite it or not does not matter. Mere reciting it without mental practice (take note) may be likened to a phantasm, a magical delusion, a flash of lightning or a dewdrop. On the other hand, if we do both, then our mind will be in accord with what we repeat orally. Our very nature is Buddha, and apart from this nature there is no other Buddha. (So why pray to Buddha statues made of paper, cloth, wood, metals, stones etc? Stupid!)

The capacity of the mind is as great as that of space.

All Buddha Ksetras (lands) are as void as space. Intrinsically our transcendental nature is void and not a single Dharma can be attained. (nothing to gain) It is the same with the Essence of Mind, which is a state of 'Absolute Void' (ie the void-ness of non-void).

Learned Audience, the illimitable Void of the universe is capable of holding myriads of things of various shape and form, such as the sun, the moon, stars, mountains, rivers, worlds, springs, rivulets, bushes, woods, good men, bad men, Dharmas pertaining to goodness or badness, Deva planes, hells, great oceans, and all the mountains of the Mahameru. Space takes in all these, and so does the void-ness of our nature. (Just imagine that) We say that the Essence of Mind is great because it embraces all things, since all things are within our nature. When we see the goodness or the badness of other people we are not attracted by it, nor repelled by it, nor attached to it; so that our attitude of mind is as void as space. In this way, we say our mind is great. Therefore we call it 'Maha.'

Learned Audience, if you wish to penetrate the deepest mystery of the Dharmadhatu and the Samadhi of Prajna, you should practice Prajna by reciting and studying the Vajracchedika (The Diamond) Sutra which will enable you to realize the Essence of Mind. You should know that the merit for studying this Sutra, as distinctly set forth in the text, is immeasurable and illimitable, and cannot be enumerated in details. This Sutra belongs to the highest School of Buddhism, and the Lord Buddha delivered it specially for the very wise and quick-witted. If the less wise and the slow-witted should hear about it they would doubt its credibility. Why? For example, if it rained in Jambudvipa (the Southern Continent), through the miracle of the celestial Naga, cities, towns, and villages would be drifted about in the flood, as if they were only leaves of the date tree. But should it rain in the great ocean, the level of the sea as a whole would not be affected by it. When Mahayanists hear about the Vajracchedika their minds become enlightened; they know that Prajna is immanent in their Essence of Mind and that they need not rely on scriptural authority, since they can make use of their own wisdom by constant practice of contemplation. (Meditation, my type)

Prajna does not vary with different persons; what makes the difference is whether one's mind is enlightened or deluded. He who does not know his own Essence of Mind, and is under the delusion that Buddha-hood can be attained by outward religious rites is called the slow-witted. He who knows the teaching of the 'Sudden' School and attaches no importance to rituals, and whose mind functions always under right views, so that he is absolutely free from defilements or contaminations, is said to have known his Essence of Mind.

Learned Audience, without enlightenment there would be no difference between a Buddha and other living beings; while a gleam of enlightenment is enough to make any living being the equal of a Buddha. Since all Dharmas are immanent in our mind there is no reason why we should not realize intuitively the real nature of Tathata (Such-ness). (Tathata is referring to the Mark) The Bodhisattva Sila Sutra says, "Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure, and if we know our mind and realzsed what our nature is, all of us would attain Buddha-hood". (All will be saved) As the Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra says, "At once they become enlightened and regain their own mind".

Within our impure mind the pure one is to be found.

The Kingdom of Buddha is in this world.

Chapter 3
"Listen to me carefully, Sir," replied the Patriarch, "and I will explain. According to the Sutra spoken by the Bhagavat in shravasti City for leading people to the Pure Land of the west, it is quite clear that the Pure Land is not far from here, for the distance in mileage is 108,000, which really represent the 'ten evils' and 'eight errors' within us. To those of inferior mentality certainly it is far away, but to superior men we may say that it is quite near. Although the Dharma is uniform, men vary in their mentality. Because they differ from one another in their degree of enlightenment or ignorance, therefore some understand the Law quicker than others. While ignorant men recite the name of Amitabha and pray to be born in the Pure Land, the enlightened purify their mind, for, as the Buddha said, 'When the mind is pure, the Buddha Land is simultaneously pure.'

"Although you are a native of the East, if your mind is pure you are sinless. On the other hand, even if you were a native of the West an impure mind could not free you from sin. When the people of the East commit a sin, they recite the name of Amitabha and pray to be born in the West; but in the case of sinners who are natives of the West, where should they pray to be born? Ordinary men and ignorant people understand neither the Essence of Mind nor the Pure Land within themselves, (the Pure Land is the Mark on the forehead) so they wish to be born in the East or the West. But to the enlightened everywhere is the same. As the Buddha said, 'No matter where they happen to be, they are always happy and comfortable.'

The Patriarch said, " Sirs, this physical body of ours is a city. Our eyes, ears, nose, and tongue are the gates. There are five external gates, while the internal one is ideation. (sixth gate is the Mark) The mind is the ground. The Essence of Mind is the King who lives in the (Mark) domain of the mind. While the Essence of Mind is in, the King is in, and our body and mind exist. When the Essence of Mind is out, there is no King and our body and mind decay. (Study carefully the above sentences enboldened.) We should work for Buddha-hood within the Essence of Mind, (inside us) and we should not look for it apart from ourselves. (like Buddha made of paper, cloth, metals, stones, wood etc) He who is kept in ignorance of his Essence of Mind is an ordinary being. He who is enlightened in his Essence of Mind is a Buddha. To be merciful is Avalokitesvara (one of the two principal Bodhisattvas of the Pure Land). To take pleasure in almsgiving is Mahasthama (the other Bodhisattva). Competence for a pure life is Sakyamuni (one of the titles of Gautama Buddha). Equality and straight forwardness is Amitabha. The idea of a self (Atma) or that of a being is Mount Meru. A depraved mind is the ocean. Klesa (defilement) is the billow. Wickedness is the evil dragon. Falsehood is the devil. The wearisome sense objects are the aquatic animals. Greed and hatred are the hells. Ignorance and infatuation are the brutes.

"Within the domain of our mind, there is a Tathagata of Enlightenment who sends forth a powerful light which illumines externally the six gates (of sensation) and purifies them. This light is strong enough to piece through the six Kama Heavens (heavens of desire); and when it is turned inwardly (nasal gaze) to the Essence of Mind, it eliminates at once the three poisonous elements, purges away our sins which might lead us to the hells or other evil realms, and enlightens us thoroughly within and without, so that we are no different from those born in the Pure Land of the West. Now, if we do not train ourselves up to this standard, how can we reach the Pure Land?"