In his The Life of Wisdom in Chinese Buddhism (A lecture presented in “A Dialogue on Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism” by H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama and Venerable Chan Patriarch Sheng Yen), Patriarch Sheng Yen discoursed as follows: “In Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, the Sanlun (Three-Treatise) Sect based its main tenets on the Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka Teaching, the Weishi (Consciousness-Only) Sect on the Asanga and Vasubandhu’s Yogacara Teaching, the Tiantai Sect on the Lotus Sutra and Nagarjuna’s Treatise of the Middle Way, and the Huayan Sect on the Avatamsaka Sutra. The abve four sects, pointing at the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, have extremely meticulous analysis and elucidation on the systematic sequences of its doctrines and the cultivating steps of its Chan-contemplation. And finally the Chan Sect, which based its main tenets on the Diamond Sutra and the Vimalakirti Sutra etc., has harmonized and converged all other sectarian teachings of orderly steps into the highest, the supreme, the most complete and the most ultimate Supreme Dharma, that is the Patriarch/Matriarch Chan whose principle is summarized as “not relying on words and languages, directly pointing at the Mind, not falling into levels and stages, and suddenly seeing into the self-nature and attaining Buddhahood.” … Buddhist practitioners are able to attain the Buddha Wisdom by way of two approaches:
- The first approach requires cultivation of precepts and samadhi so as to manifest wisdom.
- The second approach emphasizes not seeking outwards but instead merely letting go of all self-centered attachments, which is at the very moment the realization of “this mind is Buddha”.
The former approach belongs to the “Gradualness Chan” of “gradual single-practice with gradual enlightenment” (or “gradual multiple-practice with sudden enlightenment”), while the latter belongs to the transcendental “Suddenness Chan” of “sudden no-practice / complete-practice with sudden ultimate-enlightenment”. The Chinese Chan Sect pertains to the second category, and comprises the following two methodless methods: One is the Huatou Chan of the Linji School, and the other is the Silent Illumination Chan of the Caodong School.”
The Patriarch/Matriarch Chan of the Chinese Chan Sect is the Supreme Dharma of One Vehicle. Therefore, the prominent characteristic of Chinese Patriarch/Matriarch Chan lies in the so-called non-dualistic Dharma Gate of “sudden no-practice / complete-practice with sudden ultimate-enlightenment” and “sudden ultimate-enlightenment with sudden no-practice ”, that is elucidated in the Platform Sutra. At the time of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, the particular Chinese thought pattern favored simplicity, directness and inclusiveness, and the wisdom of the Sixth Patriarch reflected this particular pattern of thought, which harmonized and unified all of the main tenets of Chinese Buddhism. Furthermore, the spontaneous manifestation of Huineng’s wisdom is extraordinary in this regard. One day, upon hearing the words from the Diamond Sutra, “Without abiding in anything, the Mind arises”, this single line revealed to him the marrow of Patriarch/Matriarch Chan – the ultimate true-emptiness and non-abiding compassion. Chan Patriarch Sheng Yen has said, “The sectarian style of Sixth Patriarch Huineng rests with the One-Act Samadhi, which advocates ‘always acting with a straightforward mind (the Ordinary Mind) on all occasions – no matter whether we are walking, standing, sitting, or reclining.’ That is to apply the Chan Dharma to the daily life instead of being confined to sitting meditation only, and also to apply the Buddhadharma animatedly and commonly to worldly society. In spite of its essential and profound contents, its application is simplicity itself. Therefore, this Patriarch/Matriarch Chan is the exact Chan Dharma which is willingly accepted and easily practiced by people of all trades and professions.”
It is said in the Vimalakirti Sutra: “The mind of straightforwardness is the Site of (attaining) the Way, the Pure Land.” Therefore, while investigating Chan with straightforwardness in a thought, that one thought is the pure land; while investigating Chan with straightforwardness in every thought, every thought is the pure land. Also while one person is investigating Chan with straightforwardness, that one person is the pure land; while every person is investigating Chan with straightforwardness, every person is the pure land. Likewise, while people in one place are investigating Chan with straightforwardness, that one place is the pure land; while people in every place are investigating Chan with straightforwardness, every place is the pure land. Chan Patriarch Sheng Yen designated the Patriarch/Matriarch Chan Dharma transmitted through him as the Dharma Gate of the Mind Ground, based on the above-mentioned Sutra that says “Once the minds of human beings are pure, then their behaviors are pure, and the environment and the world they see are also pure.” Moreover, Patriarch Sheng Yen has popularized the Pure Land on Earth Movement all over the world, and said, “Although this Dharma Gate of the Mind Ground is the Dharma of the Supreme Vehicle in Buddhadharma, yet it is still not too high to be reached. In fact, this “gateless gate” is flexible in altitude and changeable in profundity, and is applicable to all practitioners with different capacities. In other words, this “doorless door” is approachable by every practitioner through sudden practice and direct realization.
