Caoxi — Zen Studies (II)

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Features: This verse embodies the thought that is entirely consistent with the later "When deluded, Buddha is the; when enlightened, is Buddha." The latter emphasizes the characteristics of the cultivation and enlightenment method (practice), representing an advancement over the former. "Buddha is the" (Emptiness is form) is an inevitable destiny, the law governing all sentient beings. However, this objective and inevitable destiny only becomes a force that controls people when sentient beings are deluded, i.e., when they cannot understand it. Once delusion turns to enlightenment, then " is Buddha" (Form is Emptiness). When sentient beings understand their true origin, the origin ceases to be the origin, and sentient beings themselves become the origin, becoming fully free beings. The objective and inevitable destiny then becomes the will and choice of sentient beings, something they can freely control—that is, their free will. At this point, the causal relationship and the principal-subordinate relationship between Buddha and sentient beings are dissolved, and thus the distinction between Buddha and sentient beings disappears. At this moment, sentient beings become fully enlightened and all-powerful Buddhas. This is similar to the principle "When enlightened, the Lotus Sutra turns; when deluded, the Lotus Sutra turns." The early thoughts of the Sixth Patriarch were already extremely profound and beyond human reach, but they were still based on the understanding of predecessors. The unique teachings of the Sixth Patriarch emerged only after receiving and being inspired by the transmission from the Fifth Patriarch, which is the "Self-nature is Buddha." When the Sixth Patriarch listened to the Fifth Patriarch the "Diamond Sutra" and reached the line "Give rise to a mind without attachment to anything," he attained great enlightenment and realized that "All Dharma is inseparable from self-nature." He also said, "How could I have expected that self-nature is inherently pure; how could I have expected that self-nature is inherently unborn and undying; how could I have expected that self-nature is inherently complete; how could I have expected that self-nature is inherently un; how could I have expected that self-nature can give rise to all Dharma." He also stated, "The Dharma I teach does not deviate from self-nature," demonstrating his profound understanding of the meaning of "Self-nature is Buddha."
Self-nature originally refers to the inherent true suchness of all Dharma, possessing an unchanging, unborn, undying, and transcendental nature beyond time and space. Therefore, it is said that all Dharma is impermanent and without self, and thus lacks self-nature. Moreover, since all Dharma is the manifestation of true suchness, self-nature, as a characteristic unique to true suchness, evolves into the characteristics of all Dharma, like the wetness of water or the warmth of fire. The self-nature spoken of by the Sixth Patriarch simultaneously encompasses both meanings while resolving and transcending them, entering an inconceivable realm. At this moment, self-nature is also non-self-nature, the dissolution of self-nature itself, while also being the highest realization of self-nature. Thus, the self-nature of the Sixth Patriarch is a true self-nature that is both empty and substantial, merging and annihilating both emptiness and substantiality, becoming a fully enlightened Buddha, the undifferentiated unity of Buddha and sentient beings, heaven and the world.
"Self-nature is Buddha" is the essence of the Sixth Patriarch's teachings and his philosophical. This is most vividly reflected in his teachings at Daxing Temple and is also evident throughout the entire "Platform Sutra." It can be said that everything the Sixth Patriarch taught was an embodiment of "Self-nature is Buddha," and the Chan school that followed him continued to develop and manifest this meaning. To understand "Self-nature is Buddha," one must first "Recognize one's own mind and see one's own nature." Without recognizing self-nature, one cannot attain Buddha even over countless kalpas.
So, how can one recognize self-nature? Without using the mind, without attaching importance, without seeking inwardly, without seeking outwardly, just focus on oneself. At this moment, the mind is free of others, naturally without thoughts of inner or outer. When the mind is free of inner and outer, it naturally transcends space. At this moment, there are no past or future thoughts, and without past or future, there is no birth or death, naturally transcending time. When focusing on oneself, the mind is neither in existence nor non-existence, nor does it have thoughts of form or emptiness. When focusing on oneself, the mind is free of others, naturally also free of the thought of "oneself." In this way, while fully affirming oneself, one also completely dissolves oneself. Such self-nature that transcends time and space, is beyond existence and non-existence, and is non-self-nature is the true self-nature. Recognizing this self-nature naturally leads to enlightenment.
The of "Self-nature is Buddha" revitalized the previous Buddhist scriptures, giving them new meaning and life. For example, when teaching Prajna, the Sixth Patriarch spoke of "Self-nature Prajna," believing that "All wisdom of Prajna arises from self-nature, not from outsiders." He said, "One's own nature inherently possesses the wisdom of Prajna." This "Self-nature Prajna" is the innate, awakened mind of all people. The transmission of the mind in Chan is precisely this mind. "Use one's own wisdom to constantly observe, so no external texts are needed." This innate mind possesses extraordinary wisdom beyond the reach of words, which is the true wisdom of Buddhism, and thus cannot be conveyed through texts. "Self-nature Prajna" is both the basis and the result of sentient beings becoming Buddha, as well as the method and tool for becoming Buddha. Only by returning to recognize self-nature Prajna can one truly become Buddha. If one seeks outwardly, one will only gain worldly knowledge and wisdom, which becomes an obstacle to the path.
When explaining the Dharma of the Pure Land of Merits, the Sixth Patriarch proposed the "Pure Land within the body." This gave the Pure Land Dharma a completely new meaning. He believed that purity or defilement depended not on east or west but on delusion or enlightenment. When the mind is deluded, everything encountered is a defiled land; when the mind is enlightened, everything is a pure land. Deluded people do not recognize the Pure Land within their own bodies, wishing east or west, naturally creating distinctions between purity and defilement in east and west. Their minds have already become defiled, and their bodies are also in defiled lands. How can they then attain the Western Pure Land! If one recognizes "Self-nature Western," purifies oneself, then one's body is free of defilement, and one can reach the Pure Land within the body. The Western Pure Land is right before one's eyes, present in this very moment. Why seek the Western Pure Land externally?
The Sixth Patriarch's "Pure Land within the body" and "Self-nature Western" broke the Chinese of the Western world and the external Amitabha. He guided people to have confidence in themselves, to love themselves, to purify themselves, and to enlighten themselves. Theoretically, this deepened and embodied the meaning of "Self-nature is Buddha," and practically, it benefited the liberation and enlightenment of people at the time.
When speaking of precepts, concentration, and wisdom, the Sixth Patriarch also connected them to self-nature. He believed that "A pure mind is self-nature precepts; a mind free of chaos is self-nature concentration; a mind free of delusion is self-nature wisdom." In this way, precepts, concentration, and wisdom became the internal will and state of oneself, no longer external constraints or goals. At this moment, precepts, concentration, and wisdom all return to the functioning of the mind, naturally without temporal sequence or meaningful distinctions. "Concentration is the body of wisdom, and wisdom is the function of concentration. When wisdom arises, concentration is in wisdom; when concentration arises, wisdom is in concentration." Thus, concentration and wisdom are one and the same, naturally without distinction of priority. When wisdom arises, the mind is free of movement and birth and death, naturally always concentrated. When concentration arises, the mind is free of discrimination and defilement, naturally always wise. He also said, "The essence is non-thought, the form is non-phenomena, and the foundation is non-attachment." "Non-thought" means having thought without thought," and "non-phenomena" means having phenomena without attachment to phenomena." In all circumstances, if one does not cling to anything, it is non-attachment.
Thus, the non-thought of the Sixth Patriarch was not simply calming the mind, making it motionless, and not thinking of anything. It was not detachment from thought without thought, but having thought without thought, understanding that thought itself is not thought. This is self-nature non-thought. Non-phenomena and non-attachment are the same in meaning.
When teaching Chan and concentration, the Sixth Patriarch also said, "To be free of phenomena externally is Chan; to be free of chaos internally is concentration. Free of phenomena externally and free of chaos internally—this is Chan and concentration." He believed that "Self-nature's stillness is Chan," and "A mind free of chaos is self-nature concentration." When self-nature is still, it is naturally always concentrated, without entering or exiting. This is true Chan and concentration—most natural, most simple, most effortless, requiring no effort to observe purity or still the mind. At the same time, it is also most difficult to grasp. At this moment, there is no distinction between defilement and purity, no appearance of movement or stillness, and no effort of the mind. Thus, one is not bound by purity, not deluded by the mind, naturally light and at ease, naturally attaining the true wisdom of self-nature Prajna.
But when one thinks of self-nature, there is no movement or stillness. When there is no movement or stillness, one attains true concentration. This is self-nature Chan and concentration.
The Sixth Patriarch also clarified in the transmission of incense and repentance that learners should "purify their minds, cultivate their actions, see their own Dharma-body, and see the Buddha of their own mind," directly revealing the of "Self-nature is Buddha." He also instructed learners to rely on the Three Jewels of self-nature, to save themselves, to discipline themselves, and to become Buddha on their own. He believed that self-nature contains the Three Bodies of Buddha: the inherent purity of oneself is the pure Dharma-body, the thoughts of oneself that give rise to phenomena is the self-nature embodiment, and self-nature, free of good and evil, is the true suchness, which is also the complete. Self-nature is inherently Buddha, so becoming Buddha cannot be sought externally; it can only be sought inwardly. The way to become Buddha can only rely on self-power, self-enlightenment, self-cultivation, and self-realization, not on external Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. "Self-nature saves oneself is called true salvation."
In this way, the Sixth Patriarch completely entrusted the responsibility and right to become Buddha to all sentient beings. Destiny became one's own choice. When the mind is upright, one naturally attains the path of people and Buddha, and the Pure Land of heaven. When the mind is crooked, one naturally falls into evil paths and the defiled lands of hell.
Chan is renowned for its method of transmitting the mind, but the Sixth Patriarch did not systematically explain the meaning of "the mind." However, he mentioned self-mind many times and said, "Self-mind is Buddha." The self-mind is the original mind of self-nature. This is the mind transmitted by the Sixth Patriarch. The mind has defilement and purity, delusion and enlightenment, good and evil. All these distinctions are deluded minds. Chan transmits the true, undifferentiated mind, vast and boundless, pervading the void, formless and indescribable.
All Buddhist schools teach the true mind, but what is the true mind and how can one recognize it are difficult to clarify. The Sixth Patriarch provided a simple and direct explanation: the true mind is the original mind of self-nature, the mind inherent in all people. When one thinks of self-nature, the mind is nature, and nature is the mind. The unity of mind and nature leads to the realm of all Buddhas. This mind is the mind of Buddha. When the self-mind is deluded, nature is the mind; when the self-mind is enlightened, the mind is nature. When one constantly thinks of self-nature, self-nature is the self-mind. In this way, the self-mind naturally attains self-nature Prajna and becomes awakened. Therefore, it is said, "Self-mind is Buddha."
The method of transmitting the mind of the Sixth Patriarch is also known as the Southern School's sudden method. This sudden enlightenment method was later vigorously promoted by Shenhui and became a fundamental characteristic of Huineng's transmission. However, the sudden method of teaching began with the Sixth Patriarch's lifetime, and there was originally a saying of the "sudden teaching method." But the Sixth Patriarch did not overly emphasize the distinction between sudden and gradual. He believed that "The Dharma has no sudden or gradual, only people who are sharp or dull." It is because of the sharpness or dullness of people's roots that there are sudden or gradual methods. Sharp-rooted people see nature quickly, so there is the sudden enlightenment method; dull-rooted people see nature slowly, so there is the gradual enlightenment method. Thus, sudden and gradual are not superior or inferior, only suitable for those with sharp roots to learn the sudden method, and those with dull roots to learn the gradual method. Sudden and gradual are methods of seeing nature, and the Dharma itself has no sudden or gradual.