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 phenomena—not suppressing them as some taught—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 ...