Audio 0020 English
Amituofo! Hello everyone, welcome to Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada. The sight in front of you is the Clear and Cool Zen Monastery and the statue of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. Here, you can not only witness the multitude of pilgrims coming to Wutai Shan but also behold the dignified appearance of Manjushri Bodhisattva on the Northern Platform!
The Great Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, had the secular name Lu, and his ancestral hometown was Fanyang. He was born in the twelfth year of the Zhenguan era, in Xin Prefecture, and entered Nirvana on the third day of the eighth month in the first year of Xiantian. Huineng is the 33rd Patriarch of the Zen school of Buddhism and the sixth ancestral master of Chinese Zen Buddhism. His teachings have been compiled into “the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" and have been transmitted through the ages.
In Buddhism, only the words of the Buddha are referred to as "sutra." However, “the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" is the only exception in China, demonstrating its exceptional position in Buddhism. This sutra was compiled based on the core teachings of Huineng, as recorded by his disciples, including Fahai. It is the only Zen Buddhist work authored by Chinese monks that is recognized both within the Buddhist community and by scholars as a sutra. The Sixth Patriarch laid a solid theoretical foundation for the development of Chinese Zen Buddhism, profoundly influencing later generations of Zen masters.
The most direct reason Huineng was able to receive the Dharma transmission from the Fifth Patriarch, inherit the ancestral robe and bowl, and become the Sixth Patriarch of the Zen school was because of a single verse. In the Fifth Patriarch's Monastery in Huangmei, Hubei, China, Huineng diligently pounded rice for eight months. The Fifth Patriarch, Master Hongren, gathered his disciples and asked each of them to compose a verse based on their understanding of their own practice. These verses would be used to determine the recipient of the robe and bowl, signifying the continuation of the Zen school's lineage.
At that time, the highly respected and renowned Zen Master Shenxiu composed a verse that many expected to be the winning entry:
"The body is like a Bodhi tree, The mind is like clear mirror bright. Time and again brush it clean, Let not a speck of dust alight."
However, Huineng, who had not yet become a monk or ordained, heard someone reciting Shenxiu's verse. Although he recognized the merit in Shenxiu's verse, he did not think that Shenxiu comprehended the profound meaning of Buddha-nature and emptiness within his own heart and mind. So, he composed his own verse and asked someone to write it down on the wall:
"Fundamentally there is no Bodhi tree, Nor is the mind a standing mirror bright. Since all is originally empty, Where does the dust alight?"
Shenxiu's verse affirmed the existence of the body and mind and suggested that through diligent practice, one could attain enlightenment. In contrast, Huineng's verse emphasized the inherent emptiness of all phenomena and the Buddha-nature present in everyone, without relying on external factors. In the end, Huineng's profound insight, as expressed in his verse, earned him the appreciation of the Fifth Patriarch, who recognized him as the rightful heir to the robe and bowl and the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism.
After receiving the Dharma from the Fifth Patriarch in Huangmei, Huineng resided at the Nanhua Monastery for thirty years, teaching the Dharma. Even after his passing, his body remained incorruptible, and his true body has been preserved at the Nanhua Monastery for over 1300 years. The teachings he expounded throughout his life were collected by his disciples into "the Treasury of the Dharma Jewel Sutra", which is a unique treasure in the history of Chinese Buddhism. This continuity of Dharma transmission from Huineng to his disciples, along with his profound understanding of Buddhist principles, connects his teachings directly with those of Shakyamuni Buddha. The thoughts of the Sixth Patriarch have had a profound influence on the development of Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism.
What are the unique aspects of the statue of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng in Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden? In 1983, Ven. Dayi Shi, the president of the Canadian Buddhist Association and the abbot of Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada, received his ordination at the Nanhua Monastery in Shaoguan, China. This monastery is the ancestral home of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. Since then, Ven. Dayi has had a deep connection with the Sixth Patriarch. Later, Ven. Dayi studied and lectured on "the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" at the Buddhist College of Minnan, China, in New York, and in Toronto. As a result, he has a deep affinity with the teachings of the Sixth Patriarch.
So, when did the statue of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng arrive at Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada? On July 1, 2017, in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary, Ven. Mingsheng, the president of the Guangdong Buddhist Association and the abbot of Guangxiao Monastery, and Ven. Chuanzheng, the abbot of Nanhua Monastery in Guangdong, generously donated two bronze statues of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. These statues were respectively enshrined at Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden and Cham Shan Temple in Toronto. Currently, plans are underway to build a Huineng Zen Hall at Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada, with the hope of spreading the wisdom and compassion of Huineng to North America and promoting Chinese Buddhism worldwide. This can be described as a historic occasion, bringing auspiciousness from the heavens and joy to all Buddhas!
The statues of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng are now stationed in Canada, and it’s believed that the master's teachings will surely flourish in Canada, North America, and around the world!
Amituofo! Hello everyone, welcome to Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada. The sight in front of you is the Clear and Cool Zen Monastery and the statue of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. Here, you can not only witness the multitude of pilgrims coming to Wutai Shan but also behold the dignified appearance of Manjushri Bodhisattva on the Northern Platform!
The Great Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, had the secular name Lu, and his ancestral hometown was Fanyang. He was born in the twelfth year of the Zhenguan era, in Xin Prefecture, and entered Nirvana on the third day of the eighth month in the first year of Xiantian. Huineng is the 33rd Patriarch of the Zen school of Buddhism and the sixth ancestral master of Chinese Zen Buddhism. His teachings have been compiled into “the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" and have been transmitted through the ages.
In Buddhism, only the words of the Buddha are referred to as "sutra." However, “the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" is the only exception in China, demonstrating its exceptional position in Buddhism. This sutra was compiled based on the core teachings of Huineng, as recorded by his disciples, including Fahai. It is the only Zen Buddhist work authored by Chinese monks that is recognized both within the Buddhist community and by scholars as a sutra. The Sixth Patriarch laid a solid theoretical foundation for the development of Chinese Zen Buddhism, profoundly influencing later generations of Zen masters.
The most direct reason Huineng was able to receive the Dharma transmission from the Fifth Patriarch, inherit the ancestral robe and bowl, and become the Sixth Patriarch of the Zen school was because of a single verse. In the Fifth Patriarch's Monastery in Huangmei, Hubei, China, Huineng diligently pounded rice for eight months. The Fifth Patriarch, Master Hongren, gathered his disciples and asked each of them to compose a verse based on their understanding of their own practice. These verses would be used to determine the recipient of the robe and bowl, signifying the continuation of the Zen school's lineage.
At that time, the highly respected and renowned Zen Master Shenxiu composed a verse that many expected to be the winning entry:
"The body is like a Bodhi tree, The mind is like clear mirror bright. Time and again brush it clean, Let not a speck of dust alight."
However, Huineng, who had not yet become a monk or ordained, heard someone reciting Shenxiu's verse. Although he recognized the merit in Shenxiu's verse, he did not think that Shenxiu comprehended the profound meaning of Buddha-nature and emptiness within his own heart and mind. So, he composed his own verse and asked someone to write it down on the wall:
"Fundamentally there is no Bodhi tree, Nor is the mind a standing mirror bright. Since all is originally empty, Where does the dust alight?"
Shenxiu's verse affirmed the existence of the body and mind and suggested that through diligent practice, one could attain enlightenment. In contrast, Huineng's verse emphasized the inherent emptiness of all phenomena and the Buddha-nature present in everyone, without relying on external factors. In the end, Huineng's profound insight, as expressed in his verse, earned him the appreciation of the Fifth Patriarch, who recognized him as the rightful heir to the robe and bowl and the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism.
After receiving the Dharma from the Fifth Patriarch in Huangmei, Huineng resided at the Nanhua Monastery for thirty years, teaching the Dharma. Even after his passing, his body remained incorruptible, and his true body has been preserved at the Nanhua Monastery for over 1300 years. The teachings he expounded throughout his life were collected by his disciples into "the Treasury of the Dharma Jewel Sutra", which is a unique treasure in the history of Chinese Buddhism. This continuity of Dharma transmission from Huineng to his disciples, along with his profound understanding of Buddhist principles, connects his teachings directly with those of Shakyamuni Buddha. The thoughts of the Sixth Patriarch have had a profound influence on the development of Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism.
What are the unique aspects of the statue of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng in Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden? In 1983, Ven. Dayi Shi, the president of the Canadian Buddhist Association and the abbot of Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada, received his ordination at the Nanhua Monastery in Shaoguan, China. This monastery is the ancestral home of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. Since then, Ven. Dayi has had a deep connection with the Sixth Patriarch. Later, Ven. Dayi studied and lectured on "the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" at the Buddhist College of Minnan, China, in New York, and in Toronto. As a result, he has a deep affinity with the teachings of the Sixth Patriarch.
So, when did the statue of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng arrive at Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada? On July 1, 2017, in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary, Ven. Mingsheng, the president of the Guangdong Buddhist Association and the abbot of Guangxiao Monastery, and Ven. Chuanzheng, the abbot of Nanhua Monastery in Guangdong, generously donated two bronze statues of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. These statues were respectively enshrined at Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden and Cham Shan Temple in Toronto. Currently, plans are underway to build a Huineng Zen Hall at Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada, with the hope of spreading the wisdom and compassion of Huineng to North America and promoting Chinese Buddhism worldwide. This can be described as a historic occasion, bringing auspiciousness from the heavens and joy to all Buddhas!
The statues of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng are now stationed in Canada, and it’s believed that the master's teachings will surely flourish in Canada, North America, and around the world!