Platform Sutra

Kelly Ong

15308146

PHIL 406

Paper #1

The Platform Sutra

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, attributed to Hui-neng, “is the doctrine of no-thought” (Yampolsky, 116). He taught three major concepts, that of unconsciousness, formlessness, and the non-abiding mind. Formlessness means to be in form and yet be detached from it; unconsciousness is meant to have thoughts and yet not to have them, and non-abiding is to have the primary nature of man. These concepts seem to be pointing to the same thing: the Absolute, which can never be described in words. Thoughts are conceived if as advancing in progression from past to present to future, in an unending chain of successive thoughts. Attachment to one instant of thought leads to attachment to a succession of thoughts, and thus to bondage. But by cutting of attachment to one instant thought, one may, by a process unexplained, cut off attachment to a succession of thoughts and thus attain to no-thought, which is the state of enlightenment. Enlightenment is gained by a meditation not inhibited by a specific formula (Yampolsky, 116).

In reading the Platform Sutra, one of the major themes present is that knowledge of the scriptures without wisdom (prajna) is another source of delusion. Inherent Buddha-nature is the true source of wisdom, but it is obscured in most people because of attachment to thoughts and other mental phenomena. By detaching yourself from these mental phenomenaвЂ"not suppressing them as some taughtвЂ"Buddha-nature reveals itself. Meditation is useless without such detachment, but with detachment all action is meditation (Zundel, 9). The Sixth Patriarch focuses more on wisdom and concentration:

Good friends, people of world originally have the knowledge of bodhi

and prajna within them, but they cannot realize it themselves because

of the wandering of the conditioned mind; that is why they need a teacher to

point it out and guide them to perception of essential nature…

What is freedom from thought? If you see all things without the mind being

affected or attached, this is freedom from thought. Its function pervades everywhere, without being attached anywhere… If you do not think at all,

you will cause thought to be stopped entirely. This is dogmatic bondage,

this is called a biased view.

Good friends, those who realize the state of freedom from thought

penetrate all things. Those who realize that state of freedom from thought

see the realms of the buddhas. Those who realize the state of freedom

from thought arrive at the rank of buddhahood.

Good friends, the Way should be fluid, free-flowing. When then do

you stagnate? When the mind does not dwell on things, then the Way is

fluid. If the mind dwells on things, that is called self-binding…

The nature of worldly people is always drifting, like the clouds in the sky.

Good friends, wisdom is like the sun, insight is like the moon; knowledge

and insight are always light, but when you fixate on objects outside, you

get your own essential nature covered by drifting clouds of errant thoughts,

so you cannot have light and clarity. If you meet a spiritual benefactor

and