六祖大師法寶壇經 1.36

1.36

"One day I reflected: 'The time has come to propagate the Dharma; I cannot remain in hiding forever.' Thereupon I set out and reached Faxing Monastery in Guangzhou, arriving just as Dharma Master Yinzong was lecturing on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra. At that time the wind was blowing and a banner was moving. One monk said: 'The wind is moving.' Another monk said: 'The banner is moving.' Their debate went on endlessly. Huineng stepped forward and said: 'It is not the wind moving, nor is it the banner moving; it is the benevolent ones' minds moving.' The whole assembly was astonished. Yinzong invited me to the seat of honor and questioned me on subtle and profound meanings. Seeing that Huineng's words were concise, the principles fitting, and not derived from texts, Yinzong said: 'The practitioner is certainly no ordinary person. For a long time I have heard that Huangmei's robe and Dharma came south; could it be the practitioner?' Huineng said: 'I would not dare [claim it].' Yinzong thereupon made prostrations and requested that the transmitted robe and bowl be brought out and shown to the great assembly. Yinzong asked again, saying: 'When Huangmei conferred the entrustment, how did he give instruction?' Huineng said: 'There was no instruction given; we discussed only seeing into one's nature, not dhyāna-concentration or liberation.' Yinzong said: 'Why did you not discuss dhyāna-concentration or liberation?' Huineng said: 'Because these are dualistic dharmas, not the Buddha Dharma. The Buddha Dharma is a non-dual Dharma.' Yinzong asked again: 'What is the non-dual Dharma of the Buddha Dharma?' Huineng said: 'The Dharma Master's lecturing on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra clarifies the Buddha-nature, which is the non-dual Dharma of the Buddha Dharma. As the Bodhisattva Gaoqui Dewang addressed the Buddha, saying: "If someone commits the four grave prohibitions, perpetrates the five heinous crimes, or is an icchantika, do they sever their good roots and Buddha-nature?" The Buddha said: "Good roots are of two kinds: the first is permanent, and the second is impermanent. The Buddha-nature is neither permanent nor impermanent; therefore it is not severed, and is called non-dual. The first is good, and the second is not good. The Buddha-nature is neither good nor not good; this is called non-dual. As for the aggregates and the realms, ordinary people see them as dual, but the wise thoroughly understand that their nature is non-dual. The non-dual nature is itself the Buddha-nature."' Hearing this explanation, Yinzong rejoiced and joined his palms, saying: 'My lecturing on the sūtra is like broken tiles and gravel; the benevolent one's discussion of the meaning is like genuine gold.' Thereupon he shaved Huineng's head and wished to serve him as his master. Huineng then opened the East Mountain Dharma gate beneath the bodhi tree.