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Quote by Huineng

“Zazen is seated meditation-the opposite of contemplation-the emptying of the mind of all thoughts in order simply to be. In the midst of all evil, not a thought is aroused in the mind-this is called za. Seeing into one's Self-nature, not being moved at all-this is called Zen.”

Quote by Huineng

Author

Huineng
Huineng

Huineng (638-713), also known as the Sixth Ancestor of Chan Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, was a native of Xinhui, Guangdong. He was a highly influential figure in the history of Chan Buddhism and was revered as the Sixth Ancestor. His life was full of legends, and it is said that he received the robe and bowl from the Fifth Ancestor Hongren under his guidance, becoming the successor of Chan Buddhism. Huineng advocated 'not establishing texts, transmitting outside the teachings', emphasizing 'enlightenment through seeing one's nature'. This thought had a profound impact on the development of Chan Buddhism in later generations. more

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“For the ordinary man, whose mind is a checkerboard of crisscrossing reflections, opinions, and prejudices, bare attention is virtually impossible; his life is thus centered not in reality itself but in his ideas of it. By focusing the mind wholly on each objects and every action, zazen strips it of extraneous thoughts and allows us to enter into a full rapport with life.”

“It was a morning in early summer. A silver haze shimmered and trembled over the lime trees. The air was laden with their fragrance. The temperature was like a caress. I remember - I need not recall - that I climbed up a tree stump and felt suddenly immersed in Itness. I did not call it by that name. I had no need for words. It and I were one.”

“Essentially Satori is a sudden experience, and it is often described as a "turning over" of the mind, just as a pair of scales will suddenly turn over when a sufficient amount of material has been poured into one pan to overbalance the weight in the other. Hence it is an experience which generally occurs after a long and concentrated effort to discover the meaning of Zen.”