[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [六祖大師法寶壇經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008) › 1.5 # 六祖大師法寶壇經 1.5 六祖大師法寶壇經 1.5 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.5) 目錄終 > Empty and mysterious is the wondrous Way and inconceivable, forgetting words and attaining the meaning, in the end enlightened and wise. Therefore, the World-honored One shared his seat before the Stupa of Many Sons and held up the flower at the assembly on Vulture Peak. Like fire gives fire, mind is sealed with mind. > > The four sevens of the western transmission (i.e., the twenty-eight Indian patriarchs) came down to Bodhidharma, who came east to this land to point directly at the minds of human beings \[so that they might\] see the nature and achieve buddhahood (zhi zhi renxin jianxing chengfo). There was Great Master \[Hui\]ke, who in the beginning became enlightened upon \[hearing Bodhidharma’s\] words and at the end bowed three times and attained the marrow \[of Bodhidharma’s teaching\]. Receiving the robe and succeeding to the patriarch \[Bodhidharma\], he opened forth the correct doctrine (zhengzong). > > In three transmissions \[the teaching\] arrived at \[Hongren of\] Huangmei. Although there were seven hundred eminent monks within the assembly, the only one \[appropriate to receive the transmission\] was the layman of the pestle (i.e., Huineng).2 With a single verse the robe was transmitted, and he became the Sixth Patriarch. Escaping south for more than ten years, one morning at the encounter of neither the wind nor the banner moving did he touch and open Yinzong’s correct eye \[of the Dharma\]. Thus did the layman cut his hair and ascend the \[ordination\] platform. This was in response to the prediction of \[Guṇa\]bhadra. \[Huineng\] opened forth the East Mountain teaching, and Lord Wei ordered the Chan monk \[Fa\]hai to record his words. They are titled Platform Sutra of the Dharma Treasure. > > Great Master \[Huineng\] finally went to Caoqi for the first time in the fifth year, and he preached the Dharma for thirty-seven years. Beyond recording is the number of those who were enriched by the taste of the sweet dew \[of his teaching\], who entered the sagely and transcended the ordinary. > > Those who are enlightened to the doctrine of the mind of the Buddha > > (wu foxin zong) and whose practice and understanding are in correspondence > > \[with the truth\] are great spiritual compatriots. They are called carriers and > > transmitters of the lamp. It was Nanyue \[Huairang\] and Qingyuan \[Xingsi\] > > who attended \[upon Huineng\] the longest, completely attaining \[a state of \] > > unconditionality. Therefore it was that Mazu and Shitou proceeded from > > \[Qingyuan and Nanyue\]. The wisdom of these men was perfect and bright, > > like a mysterious wind great in its quaking. And then did appear the tow- > > ering figures of the Linji, Guiyang, Caodong, Yunmen, and Fayan \[lineages\]: > > surpassing all were their Way and their virtue (daode), steep were \[the roads > > to their\] front courtyards. The revelation is of the heroic monk, who aroused > > his ambitions and struck the barrier. By profoundly entering \[any\] single gate > > \[one realizes\] that the five factions share the same source. Passing through- > > out the forge, extensive and great is its scale. Originally the essential teach- > > ings (gangyao) of the five houses all derived from the Platform Sutra. > > The Platform Sutra is simple in words and rich in meaning, brilliant of > > principle and provides all \[that is necessary\]. It is replete in the immeasura- > > ble teachings of the buddhas. Each and every teaching is replete in the immeas- > > urable wondrous meanings; from each and every wondrous meaning emanate > > the immeasurable wondrous principles of the buddhas. It is the interior of > > Maitreya’s pavilion, the interior of Samantabhadra’s pores. He who well does > > enter it is identical to the youth Sudhana, who in a single moment of thought > > \[achieved\] merit perfect and complete. He is equivalent to Samantabhadra; > > he is equivalent to the buddhas. > — John R. McRae 2000, The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch - [Previous: 1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.4) - [Next: 1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.6) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1) ## Translations (2) - [The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-bdk.1.5) — John R. McRae 2000, English - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-mt.1.5) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.5) · Pramāṇa