encounters with nondual awareness

The meaning of life is to see.
Hui Neng

The Platform Sutra
Of The Sixth Patriarch
Hui-neng

 

The Zen Doctrine of No Mind:
the significance of the
Sutra of Hui-neng
D T Suzuki

Before the thirty-third Buddha-ancestor Ta-chien (Hui-neng) became a full-fledged monk, he was staying at the Fa-shih Temple of Kuang-chou, when two monks crossed words with each other.

One of them said, "A flag is fluttering."

The other said, "No, the wind is blowing."

There seemed to be no end to their discussion.

Then Ta-chien (Hui-neng) said, '"Neither of them is moving. Your minds are moving."

On hearing this, they agreed with him.

~

When I first heard this story it sent a hurricane through my brain. I didn't agree with Hui-neng, nor did I disagree. It was as though a new universe opened up for scrutiny; a koan had fallen into my grey matter. How could it be said that neither the flag nor the wind moved and yet the mind - just another conceptual label like flag and wind - did move?

After decades of koan-chewing, I'd say:

no wind moving
no banner moving
no mind moving

And I would bow deeply to the master for the gift of the koan.

It's my view that Hui-neng has probably been misquoted down the centuries, that he probably didn't give "mind" personal attributes. He'd know better than that! Probably he simply said, "Mind moves." And that's another story.

~

awakening

chuang-tzu

dogen

frederick franck