At the age of either seven or twelve, Hongren left home to become a monk and began his studies under Daoxin, who, according to tradition, immediately recognized his insight:
Daoxin met Hongren on a road in Huangmei. Daoxin asked his name. Hongren replied, "I have essence but it is not a common name." The Chan master asked, "What name is it?" Hongren said, "It is the essence of Buddhahood." Daoxin replied, "Have you no name?" Hongren said, "None, because essence is empty." With this, Daoxin passed on the teaching and the robe (making Hongren the next Patriarch of Chan)
Q: Please point out true mind.
A: You need to have complete confidence and effective determination. Gently quiet your mind; make you own body and mind unfettered and serene, not entangled in any objects at all. Sit straight, accurately aware, and tune your breathing so that it is properly adjusted. Examine your mind to see it as not being inside, not being outside, and not being in between. Observe it calmly, carefully, and objectively; when you master this, you will clearly see that the mind’s consciousness moves in a flow, like a current of water, like heat waves rising endlessly.
Hongren (Chinese: 弘忍; pinyin: Hóngrěn; Japanese pronunciation: Konin; Korean pronunciation: Hong'in, 601–674), posthumous name Daman, was the 5th Patriarch of Chan Buddhism.
Hongren is said to have received Dharma transmission from Dayi Daoxin and passed on the symbolic bowl and robe of transmission to Huineng, the Sixth and last Chan Patriarch.
As with all the early Chan patriarchs, many of the details of Hongrens life are uncertain and much of his biography is layered with legend added well after his death. Although Hongren's students included Vinaya specialists, sutra translators, and Huayan and Pure Land devotees, Hongren's teaching focused on meditation practice. According to the Treatise on the Essentials of Cultivating the Mind, Hongren's basic teaching was that the Pure Mind was obscured by "discriminating thinking, false thoughts, and ascriptive views." Eliminating false thoughts and maintaining a constant awareness of one’s natural enlightenment ensures Nirvana naturally arises. [Source: Wikipedia]
Wandering Ronin Commentary: It doesn't seem like it is so easy to find more specific information on the 5th Chan Patriarch Hongren. Has anyone here read a biography or any other works on Hongren, and if so could you share anything that may be of interest about him?
Submitted March 14, 2018 at 01:36AM by WanderingRonin77 http://ift.tt/2tKX1Ud
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