Chinese Chan masters in the earlier periods did not possess a unified definition of Tathāgata Chan and Patriarchal Chan—instead, they wrote with rather ambiguous meanings and loose definitions…
Shen-hui
Illusion and truth are not two different things, by Shen Hui
‘All efforts to reach salvation are inadequate, are moves inside samsara’, if only the beings would recognize their own true face as that of the Tathagata whom they so eagerly seek…
A taste of Zen: Heze Shenhui
Shenhui thus founded what became known as the Heze (in Japanese, Kataku) school of Zen. The branch largely died out during the early ninth century and is not remembered as a major school. Nevertheless, the doctrine of sudden enlightenment remained a central characteristic that defined the teaching styles and cultural flavour of later Chinese Zen…
No Longer Foolish, by Shen Hui
Shen Hui answered, ‘”The absence of thought” is a method for the wise, but if the foolish were to cultivate it, they would no longer be foolish.’
Birth and Death, by Shen Hui
However hard I practise seeing my true nature, I am always brought back into birth and death. What method must be practised in order to obtain the birthless and the deathless?
Form is Void by Shen Hui
Form exists because the mind produces it; void exists because of that which cannot be perceived. It is also said…
Absence of Thought, by Shen-Hui
To see the absence of thought is to master all the dharmas. To see the absence of thought is to embrace all the dharmas…
Son master Chinul
Sentient beings deceive themselves through their own actions. They themselves perceive that “this is an ordinary man,” “this is a saint,” “this is oneself,” “this is someone else,”…