The Non-dual Teaching from the Platform Sutra of Great Master Huineng

Here are some sections about the teaching of non-duality that I have translated from the
Platform Sutra of the Dharma Treasure of the Great Master Sixth Ancestor
六祖大師法寶壇經  (Liu Zu Dai Shi Fa Bao Tan Jing)

The 6th Ancestor is Dajian Huineng (638–713).who is the common Zen Ancestor of all the extant Zen lineages of today.  His teachings are so highly regarded in China that he is the only Buddhist teacher, other that the Buddha himself, whose teachings are given the title of "sutra" or "classic text" (經, jing).

From the first chapter: "The Causes Of My Travels"

[In this chapter, Huineng relates how he had an initial awakening, came to the 5th Ancestor and under his guidance was fully awakened, and then went into hiding to be later recognized as the 6th Ancestor.  In this section, Huineng describes his secret meeting with his teacher Zen Master Daman Hongren, the 5th Ancestor, with his great awakening. There is some ambiguity in the text because Huineng refers to himself in the third person by his own name. The Chinese language of this period seldom used the pronouns and expected them to be known by implicatin.  So I have inserted pronouns within brackets, such as [I], when implied for English syntax.]  

"In the third watch of the night [I] entered the room.The ancestor used his monk’s robe to enclose and conceal us, so people were not allowed to see as he articulated the Diamond Sutra. On reaching [the phrase] ‘[bodhisattvas] should reside nowhere and give birth to that mind’ [I] Huineng had great awakening as the words fell, and every one of the 10,000 things were not separate from my own nature.  [I] proceeded to inform the ancestor, declaring. 'How could it be expected that one’s own nature at the root itself is clear and pure?  How could it be expected that one’s own nature at the root is not born or dying?  How could it be expected that one’s own nature at the root itself is fully sufficient?  How could it be expected that one’s own nature at the root is without moving or shaking?  How could it be expected that one’s own nature is able to give birth to the 10,000 things?'

            "The ancestor knew [I] had awakened to the root nature, and designating [me] Huineng [he] stated, 'If one is unconscious of the root mind, studying the Dharma is without benefits.  If conscious of one’s own root mind, one sees one’s own root nature, and immediately is called a doyen, a teacher of humans and heavenly beings, a Buddha.'"

[At the end of the first chapter, Huineng relates how he was was discovered when he made his famous comment, "It is not the wind moving; it is nor the flag moving; the kind sirs' mind is moving." This was stated at an assembly where Dharma Master Yinzong was lecturing on the Mahaparinirvana Sutra. Master Zong questioned Huineng and got him to admit that he was the Dharma heir of the 5th Ancestor who had been in hiding.]

           Zong replied with the question stating, "Huangmei (Yellow Plum, another name for the 5th Ancestor from the area where he was born and raised and discovered by the 4^th Ancestor) handed over the entrustment. So, what did he point at in bestowing it?"

            Huineng stated, “In bestowing it he pointed at exactly nothing (wu). He only discoursed on seeing nature (kensho) and did not discourse on zen-samadhi or liberation (moksha).”

            Zong stated, “Why did he not discourse on zen-samadhi or liberation?”

            Neng stated, “Since it is a dualistic Dharma, it is not the Buddha Dharma. The Buddha Dharma is the Dharma of Nonduality.”

            Zong again asked, “So what is the Buddha Dharma’s Dharma of Nonduality?”

            Huineng stated, “The Dharma Master (i.e., you Zong) expounds The Nirvana Sutra that illumines Buddha Nature and is the Buddha Dharma’s Dharma of Nonduality.  It is like when the Bodhisattva Lofty-precious-virtue-king addressed the Buddha and declared, ‘Do those in the ranks of the violators of the four grave prohibitions, doers of the five adverse crimes, as well as the ones lost in desires (icchantika) necessarily cut off their good roots and Buddha Nature or don’t they?’  Buddha declared, 'Of good roots there are two: that which is first is permanent and that which is second is impermanent. As Buddha Nature is neither permanent nor impermanent, it is therefore not cut off and is called the nondual.  That which is first is the good, and that which is second is the non-good.  Buddha Nature is neither good nor non-good and is called the nondual.  In the participatory realm of the skandhas, the common man sees duality. Those of knowing (jnana) completely understand their nature has no duality.  The nature of having no duality exactly is Buddha Nature.’”

            On hearing the articulation, Yinzong joyfully united his palms (Skt. anjali mudra, J. gassho) and declared, “When just anyone expounds the sutra it is tantamount to tiles and gravel.   When those who are virtuous discourse on the meaning it is tantamount to true gold.”

[In Chapter 4, "Samadhi and Prajna", Huineng discusses the Samadhi of One Act (alt. Samadhi of the Practice of Oneness, Samadhi of One Practice, One Doing),  and the nature and function of Prajna. He uses the term "this Dharma Gate" to mean his Zen teaching that he also calls the East Mountain teaching that he received from Hongren on East Mountain. Here he articulates the meaning of "no thought".

            The root of one’s own nature is without a single thing that may be attained. If there is that which is to be attained, then it is foolish articulation of good fortune and misfortune and is exactly the dust of troublesome wrong views.  Therefore this Dharma Gate establishes no-thought as the lineage.

            Virtuous companions.  That which is “no”, is “no” what?  That which is “thought” is “thought” of what object?  That which is “no” has no characteristic of duality and has no various dusts and troubles of the heart-mind.  That which is ‘thought’ is thought of the original nature of True Suchness.  True Suchness is exactly the essence of thought; thought is exactly the function of True Suchness. One's nature of True Suchness gives rise to thought.  Neither the eye, ear, nose, nor tongue is capable of thought. True Suchness has the nature, therefore it can give rise to thought.  If one is without True Suchness, what is regarded as seeing and hearing, color and sound at that time exactly are destroyed.

            Virtuous companions.  When one's nature of True Suchness gives rise to thought, even if the six organs have seeing and hearing, perceiving and knowing, they are not contaminated by the myriad objective phenomena, and the true nature is always autonomous.  For this reason the [Vimalakirti Nirdesa] sutra says, "Being able to properly differentiate the various characteristics of things (dharmalaksana) is being at the primary meaning and immovable."

[In Chapter 5, "Sitting Meditation" (Zazen) Huineng discusses zen as meditation.]

     The master taught the assembly and said, “Virtuous companions. What is called sitting meditation (zazen)?  Within this Dharma Gate, it is being without barriers and without hindrances.  Outwardly, when, out of every good or evil state, thoughts do not arise in the mind, this is called doing ‘sitting.’  Inwardly, to see one’s own nature and not be stirred up is called doing ‘meditation.’"

[In the last Chapter 10, "Handing Down Instructions", Huineng gives a summation of how to teach the Buddha Dharma. In this section, he discusses how to see the opposites in a non-dual manner.]

            “The ability of one’s own nature to contain the 10,000 things is called the containing Storehouse Consciousness (alayavijnana).  If considering and measuring arise, then consciousness evolves and comes into being as the six consciousnesses (vijnanas, i.e., the five senses seeing to touching plus thinking) emerging through the six gates (the six organs of sense, eye to brain) viewing the six dusts (the  six kinds of sense data, sights to thoughts).  Thus are the 18 Realms in all cases following from the function of the arising of one’s own nature.  If one’s own nature is wrong, then 18 wrongs arise.   If one’s own nature is right, then 18 rights arise.  If it is the function of evil, then it is the function of the multitude of beings; if the function of virtue, then it is the function of Buddha.  What category is the cause of the functioning?   The cause is that one’s own nature has the things (dharmas) of paired-opposites.  

            “In external phenomena of the insentient, the five paired-opposites are:

the pair of heaven (sky) and earth;

the pair of the sun and moon;

the pair of the bright and the dark;

the pair of the shady and the sunny (yin and yang, negative and positive); and

the pair of water and fire.

These are the five paired opposites.

            “In the language of the characteristics of things (dharmalaksana), the twelve paired-opposites are:

the pair of language and things (words and thingness);

the pair of existence and non-existence (having and being without);

the pair of having form and being without form;

the pair of having characteristics and being without characteristics;

the pair of having leakage and being without leakage;

the pair of form and emptiness;

the pair of motion and stillness;

the pair of clean and muddy;

the pair of the worldly and the sacred;

the pair of monastics and laity;

the pair of old and young; and

the pair of great and small.

These are the twelve paired opposites.

            “In the arising and functioning of one’s own-nature, the nineteen paired-opposites are:

the pair of long and short;

the pair of wrong and right;

the pair of stupidity and wisdom;

the pair of foolishness and intelligence;

the pair of disturbance and samadhi;

the pair of kindness and malice;

the pair of morality (sila) and wrongdoings;

the pair of straight and crooked;

the pair of true and false;

the pair of rugged and even;

the pair of afflictions (klesa) and enlightenment (bodhi);

the pair of permanence and impermanence;

the pair of compassion and cruelty;

the pair of happiness and anger;

the pair of giving and stinginess;

the pair of advance and retreat;

the pair of birth and cessation;

the pair of the Dharma body (Dharmakaya) and the physical body (Rupuakaya); and

the pair of the transforming body (Nirmanakaya) and the reward body (Sambhogakaya).  These are the 19 paired-opposites.”

            In the words of the master, “If one can be free and use this Dharma of the 36 paired-opposites, then it is the Way that threads though the Dharma of every sutra, and entering and leaving are then free from both extremes. 

            "In the active functioning of your own nature and in conversations with people, while outwardly in appearances, be free from appearances; while inwardly in emptiness, be free from emptiness.  If you wholly attach to appearances (i.e., the view of materialism), then your perverted views broaden. If you wholly grasp emptiness (i.e., the view of nihilism), then your ignorance broadens." 

 

 

[This is a taste of the non-dual teachings of Zen Master Huineng.  He always focused on the necessity of having one's own personal realization and said, "if you awaken in accord with this explanation; in accord with this functioning; in accord with this practice; and in accord with these doings; then you do not lose the root of the lineage."]