Sixth Patriarch Huineng (Hui-Neng)

About the Author

Sixth Patriarch Huineng (Hui-Neng), revered as a foundational figure in Zen Buddhism, was a humble woodcutter from Lingnan who rose to become the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen) in the 7th century during China's Tang Dynasty. Born into poverty and illiterate, Huineng's profound spiritual insight was ignited by hearing the Diamond Sutra, leading him to seek enlightenment under the Fifth Patriarch, Hongren. Despite initial skepticism due to his unlettered background, he attained sudden enlightenment and succeeded as patriarch, emphasizing direct realization of one's Buddha-nature over ritualistic practices. His teachings, preserved in The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra (English and Chinese Edition), advocate the inherent purity of mind and the practice of no-thought, influencing Zen traditions across East Asia and beyond for over a millennium.