Fall Practice Period 2024: The Dustless Practice of Hui-neng
Oct 27, 2024
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Sensei Kozan delves into Hui-neng's enlightening journey, illustrating his awakening from a chance encounter and a poetry challenge. The teachings of the Platform Sutra highlight the importance of understanding one’s nature for enlightenment. A wood collector’s transformation challenges societal norms, emphasizing that enlightenment transcends status. The concept of 'abiding nowhere' reveals how letting go of attachments unlocks our inherent Buddha nature and wisdom, guiding practitioners toward a deeper awareness.
Hui-neng's teachings emphasize recognizing one's true nature to achieve Buddhahood, transcending social status and doctrinal disputes.
The practice of 'abiding nowhere' fosters liberation from attachments and encourages a direct experience of one’s inherent purity and clarity.
Deep dives
The Essence of Huinang's Teachings
Huinang's primary message emphasizes recognizing one's true nature to attain Buddhahood. He articulates that the essence of the Dharma boils down to seeing and realizing one's inherent nature, which is already pure. This concept is encapsulated in his teachings about the 'Maha Prajna Paramita,' which discusses the importance of purification through wisdom and meditation. In the Platform Sutra, he distinctly asserts that teaching should not be caught up in doctrinal disputes but should speak to transcending duality and experiencing the reality of existence directly.
Huinang's Journey to Enlightenment
Huinang's transformative journey begins when he overhears a line from the Diamond Sutra that catalyzes his quest for the Dharma. Inspired, he travels to seek the teachings of the Fifth Ancestor, Hongren, demonstrating determination despite his humble background as a woodcutter. Despite initial skepticism regarding his potential to achieve enlightenment, Huinang articulates that Buddha nature transcends social status, asserting that everyone's inherent nature is the same. His outreach to knowledge is marked by profound experiences that culminate in his eventual recognition as the sixth patriarch of Zen.
Abiding Nowhere: The Practice of Letting Go
Huinang stresses the significance of 'abiding nowhere,' a practice that allows the mind to remain free and aware, rather than getting entangled in concepts or attachments. He highlights the need to observe thoughts without clinging to them, which leads to the liberation from the cycle of samsara. This practice leads practitioners to recognize the true nature of their mind, promoting a state of inherent purity and clarity. Ultimately, Huinang encourages embracing experiences fully while letting go of dualistic views, fostering a state of unwavering awareness and presence.
In this Zazenkai day Dharma talk during the Fall Practice Period, Sensei Kozan introduces us to the teachings of the sixth Chinese ancestor, Hui-neng. He focuses on Hui-neng’s written work, the Platform Sutra, […]
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