Zen Masters essentially say Zen IS practice. Huineng is the father of the Ch'an tradition, and his sutra is filled with his talks asking his disciples, students, and followers of the way to practice. Below is but one of such instances.
From the Sutra of Huineng:
One day Chi-ch'ang asked the patriarch, "Buddha preached the doctrine of the three vehicles and also that of the supreme vehicle. As I do not understand this, will you please explain?
The patriarch replied, "In trying to understand these, you should introspect your own mind and act independently of things and phenomena. The distinction of these four vehicles does not exist in the dharma itself but in the differentiation of people's minds. To see, to hear, and to recite the sutra is the small vehicle. To know the dharma and to understand its meaning is the middle vehicle. To put the dharma into actual practice is the great vehicle. To understand thoroughly all dharmas, to have absorbed them completely, to be free from all attachments, to be above phenomena, and to be in possession of nothing, is the supreme vehicle.
"Since the word yana [vehicle] implies motion [i.e., putting into practice], argument on this point is quite unnecessary. All depends on self-practice, so you need not ask me any more. [But I may remind you that] at all times the essence of mind is in a state of thusness."
Chi-ch'ang made obeisance and thanked the patriarch. Henceforth, he acted as his attendant until the death of the master.
Note:
There has been mixed messages on this point on the forum in the past. I hope this makes matters as clear as a mirror!
Submitted February 10, 2019 at 08:29AM by Dillon123 http://bit.ly/2I4rtzN
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