慧能

Huineng

Zen Buddhism · person

Huineng (慧能, traditionally dated 638–713 CE) is remembered in Chan lineages as the sixth patriarch. The Platform Sutra is traditionally associated with him, and his story is used to explain sudden awakening (頓悟 / dunwu) in contrast with gradual cultivation.

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What Are the Key Facts About Huineng?

  • Tradition: Zen Buddhism
  • Chinese: 慧能
  • Category: Person
  • Definition: Huineng (慧能, traditionally dated 638–713 CE) is remembered in Chan lineages as the sixth patriarch.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Huineng

Who was Huineng?

Huineng (638–713) was the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen) and author of the Platform Sutra, champion of 'sudden enlightenment' and the Southern school.

What is the Platform Sutra?

The only Chinese Buddhist text honored as a 'sutra' (Buddha-word) outside India; it records Huineng's teaching that enlightenment is sudden and that the 'mind is Buddha.'

What is Huineng's famous verse?

Against Shenxiu's 'the body is the bodhi tree, keep the mirror bright,' Huineng wrote 'originally there is no tree, the mirror is inherently clear' — pointing to emptiness and no-object meditation.

How did he shape Zen?

His sudden-enlightenment, iconoclastic style became definitive of Zen/Chan, influencing Linji (Rinzai) and Caodong (Soto) lines.

Further Reading