Hui Neng
Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen) Buddhism
Hui Neng
Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen) Buddhism
One day, Hong Ren (Hung-jen), the fifth patriarch, called his disciples together
and instructed them: "Each of you write a verse and bring it to me. I will
read your verses, and if there is one who is awakened to the cardinal
meaning, I will give him the robe and the Dhama and make him the
Sixth Patriarch. Hurry, Hurry!"
The disciples returned to their cells, overwhelmed by the master's
request. They agreed to let the first among them, Shen Xiu (Shen-hsiu), take on
the task of composing a verse.
Though well-instructed in the sutras, Shen Xiu was still far
from enlightenment and the master's instructions threw him into a deep
anxiety. At length he produced his verses and at midnight wrote on
the middle wall of the south hall:
The body is the Bondhi tree,
Master Hong Ren was the first to see the verses the next morning.
Assembling of the monks, he burned incense before the inscription on the
wall. The disciples were filled with wonder and consider the question
of succession settled.
The master, however, called Shen Xiu aside. Having confirmed his
suspicion that Shen Xiu had written the verses, the master said to
him: "The verse you wrote shows that you still have not reached
true understanding. You have merely arrived at the front of the
gate but have yet to be able to enter it." As the verses make evident,
practice can help ordinary persons, but it cannot bring them to
perfect enlightenment. "You must enter the gate and see your own
original nature..."
He left Shen Xiu to compose further verses. Days passes, but the first monk
of the community could not produce a sign of his enlightenment.
Hui Neng, a young monk, heard about the verse and immediately realized
that it did not express enlightenment. He formulated a new verse
and have it posted on the wall of the west hall:
Originally there is no tree of enlightnment, From "Zen Buddhism: A History vol.1" by Heinrich Dumoulin, 1994
The mind is like a clear mirror.
At all times we must strive to polish it.
And must not let the dust collect.
Nor is there a stand with a clear mirror.
From the beginning not one thing exists;
Where, then, is a grain of dust to cling?
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