Platform Sūtra of Hui Neng: Hui Neng’s Exposition of Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā)

By Wong Weng Hon

Hui-neng’s (638-713 C.E) Platform Sūtra of Sixth Patriarch(六祖壇經) was clearly the product of his instantaneous enlightenment after he had been exposed to the teaching of Diamond Sūtra. It was also the highest fruit (paramārthaphala) of his Supreme Enlightenment after he was instructed on the Diamond Sūtra expounded by his Chan Master, Hong-jen (弘忍601-674 C.E). Hong-jen was the 5th Chinese Chan Patriarch. Hui-nneg was recognized as the father of the Chan or Zen Buddhist tradition which had spread from China to Korea, Vietnam, Japan, United States and Europe widely hitherto. The Platform Sūtra embodies the most profound teaching of Chan or Zen Buddhism (禪宗). The most prominent and significant expression of the Diamond Sūtra, which had evoked the sudden awakening of Hui-neng, is the affirmation ‘Without dwelling (grasping) on anything and produce the (pure) mind.’ (應無所住而生其心). In fact, this celebrated phrase embraces the most profound message of Śākyamuni Buddha.

Latent Wisdom

According to Hui-neng’s exposition of the Perfection of Wisdom( Prajñāpāramitā 般若波羅蜜多), the perfection of Wisdom is the latent wisdom(自性般若) in Man. It exists intrinsically in all sentient beings. It ensues from the original Buddha-nature(佛性) of Man. It is also known as the Original Pure Nature of the mind or the Essence of the human mind (真如本性). It is unmanifest (不顯) because it is veiled (遮) by the human defilements or cankers (染著) due to ignorance of the Ultimate or Absolute Truth. When the human mind is purified by Insight (徹見;看破) into the true nature of multiplicity of the empirical world (諸法實相), the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) will be manifested. The manifestation of Perfection of Wisdom( Prajñāpāramitā) is characterized by the perfect knowledge of the Dharma (真知真見), liberation (解脫), Nirvāṇa(涅槃), eternal bliss (常樂) and manifest of the Dharmabody (法身).

Mental Purity

Hui-neng expounds in the Platform Sūtra that the Perfection of Wisdom arises when the human consciousness or mind has been purified(淨心) through the annihilation of illusive self or ego. The mental consciousness is purified by the elimination of mental diffusions and obsessions (戲論) which corrupt the mind driven by the superimposed false self or ego. Substantial or non-empty view (自性論) corresponding to I-ness or Mine-ness must be destroyed before the mind can be purified. Self-awakening or self-realization of the Insubstantiality (無我) or Emptiness of self and others (我空法空) purifies the mind. Mental purification gives rise to the arising of Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) popularly known the Wisdom of Chan/Zen (禪). Chan or Zen is the enlightened state of No-mind. No-mind is purified mind without any notion of ego or self falsely constructed by the mind of an ordinary worldling.

Beyond the Shore

Hui-neng expounds that the Perfection of Wisdom ( Prajñāpāramitā) is traversing from this shore to the other shore (此岸彼岸). This shore is transmigration (saṃsāra 生死) and the other shore is Nirvāṇa (涅槃). The transformation of transmigration (Saṃ̣sāra) into the cessation of transmigration (Nirvāṇa) is the self-development from illusion or delusion(迷) to self-enlightenment or self-awakening (悟). It is also the transformation from ordinary mundane defiled consciousness (世間意識) into supramundane or pure consciousness (出世間智). Going beyond the shore connotes attainment of Nirvāṇa or cessation of suffering or vexation. Hui-neng’s also admonishes that mere utterance of Wisdom (口說般若) is illusive and theoretical (如幻如化). It must be put into actual practice (心行) of the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā). There should be a unity between theory and practice (心行相應).

Sentient Being and Buddha

According to Hui-neng, a sentient being (眾生), experiencing a moment of self-realization (一念覺), becomes a Buddha (enlightened one 佛). Buddha is characterized by the fruit of self-development which is Perfection of Wisdom (prajñāpāramitā). A sentient being, experiencing a moment of illusion or delusion, remains a sentient being. If the preceding moment of consciousness grasps upon any thought (前念著境), one is a sentient being. If the subsequent thought moment does not grasp upon any thought (後念離境), one is a Buddha. A Buddha, deluded for a moment (一念不悟), becomes a sentient being. A sentient being, enlightened for a moment (一念悟時), is a Buddha. Buddha is the enlightened state of emptiness or annihilation of the illusive self or ego.

Empty of Thoughts or Signs

Hui-neng teaches that Emptiness of illusive or substantial thoughts (妄念) is the manifest of Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā). The Enlightened One is unperturbed by any environmental stimulus (境不動心). No environmental stimulus can perturb or sully his or her liberated mind or consciousness. This is the true state of equanimity (舍心) of neither attachment nor aversion (不取不舍). When the mind is empty of illusive, substantial thoughts or the signs of all phenomena , the equanimous mind does not cling upon anything in the world (不執境). This is called the non-dwelling state (無住) of the mind supported by the perception of signlessness. This is the genuine state of Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) which is the true or genuine manifest of Chan or Zen. 

Emptiness

Hui-neng promulgates that Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) is the self-realization (自覺) of the Emptiness (空) of all phenomena including the innate Buddha-nature of all sentient beings. The original nature of Man is empty of inherent existence (空無自性). There is no substantial entity in anywhere. Seeking Dhamma exoterically or outwardly is heretical (心外求法是外道). Whoever seeks Dhamma outside the inner mind - the Centre of the human heart, could not see the Buddha. The Enlightened mind of the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) is akin to the metaphor of the infinite empty space (無盡虛空) which contains myriad things or beings without sullied by them. The liberated person is akin to the metaphor of a lotus flower - the lotus flower is never sullied by the sullied mud and water in its immediate surroundings. Likewise, the liberated person can also be likened to the metaphor of a swan : A swan is moving freely in the pond of water which never wets its feathers. The liberated mind does not dwell in anything and produces a pure consciousness. Such a pure mind is known as the Buddha-mind – the mind of Chan or Zen.

Not Grasping Upon Emptiness

According to Hui-neng, Prajñāpāramitā is non-grasping (不執) upon the concept or notion of Emptiness. If a yogi or meditator reifies nothingness (執無) to be Emptiness, it is merely non-grasping upon neither wholesome nor unwholesome state of mind. It is merely attachment to absolute non-existence (無). According to Śākyamuni Buddha, one should not be attached to either Existence (有) nor Non-existence (無). This Middle View (中觀) is the manifest of the Prajñāpāramitā. Attachment to nothingness or annihilation is still the false mind of saṃsāric existence. Many mediators make the mistake that the experience of nothingness(斷滅空) equals Emptiness or True Mind (真心). This is not really the state of prajñāpāramitā or Chan or Zen. Chan or Zen is the utility of human mind activity everywhere at al times without defilement (住而不染).

Equanimity

Hui-neng expounds that Prajñāpāramitā is the self-actualization of Equanimity. Equanimity is the enlightenment state of neither attachment nor aversion. When one self-actualizes Equanimity, it is considered as non-discriminative wisdom (無別智) which is synonymous with the Prajñāpāramitā. Prajñāpāramitā is the true state of Chan or Zen. When the wise confronts all environmental stimuli, he or she is fully mindful and clearly aware of safe-guarding the six sense doors to prevent mental defilements or corruptions. Non-discriminative wisdom is the intuitive discernment of the Oneness of the all phenomena thereby relinquishing all signs, marks or characteristics (見一真法界者見無相).

Conclusion

The development of Prajñāpāramitā engenders the practice of Chan or Zen in daily life activities or business transactions. Elimination of illusive, substantial thoughts (無念), non-dwelling or non-grasping (無住), and signlessness (無相) are the conditions to generate Prajñāpāramitā which liberate all sentient beings from suffering and the bondage of saṃsāra. A maximally excellent Man of Perfection called Bodhisattva (菩薩) is produced by Prajñāpāramitā. Prajñāpāramitā is the mother of Bodhisattva or Buddha (般若波羅蜜多是菩薩或佛之母). Discerning internally the Emptiness of self and externally the Emptiness of phenomena is true realization of Perfection of Wisdom. One thus becomes a man of maximal excellence called Bodhisattva. A Bodhisttava is a Wisdom Being (覺悟的眾生) who is capable of liberating sentient beings without reifying them. He is indeed the Prophet, Messenger or Messiah of Śākyamuni Buddha and all other Buddhas, past and future. A Bodhisattva is characterized by both the Perfection of Wisdom and great compassion (大悲). He is supreme in both knowledge (wisdom) and conduct like all the Buddhas of the tri-temporal existence and in all directions (三世十方一切佛). A Bodhisattva is to be venerated by all Buddhist adherents even though he or she is a lay person. The ultimate goal of being a Mahāyāna Buddhist adherent is to become a Bodhisattva – the Man of Perfection in wisdom and in great compassion.

Editor’s Note:

The Platform Sūtra of 6th Patriarch of Hui-neng paved for the development of Chan or Zen Buddhism hitherto. This Sūtra of Hui-neng, developed from the Perfection of Wisdom of the Diamond Sūtra, expounds the genuine Chan or Zen wisdom. Three universal characteristics of genuine Chan or Zen, which should not deviate from the fundamental doctrine of Śākyamuni Buddha, are expounded emphatically in the Platform Sūtra. There are Signlenesss, No mind and Non-dwelling. Signlessness is the notion of Emptiness of inherent existence which is synonymous with Anattā (Insubstantiality or selflessness); No-mind refers to the cessation of false conceptualization (prapañca) which is synonymous with pure consciousness; non-dwelling refers to non-grasping which is synonymous with equanimity of neither attachment nor aversion. Succinctly put, Chan or Zen is the complete Silence of the Mind known as Nirvāṇ̣a. Nirvāṇ̣a is the complete appeasement of human mind due to the complete annihilation of illusive self or ego.