Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (六祖大師法寶壇經)

About 六祖大師法寶壇經

Yuan · by 宗寶編

26,432 · about 88 min

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, commonly known as the Platform Sutra, was compiled by the monk Zongbao of the Yuan Dynasty and is an important scripture of the Chan school in Chinese Buddhism. This sutra records the life and teachings of the Sixth Patriarch of Chan, Huineng. Its core ideas include directly pointing to the mind, seeing one's nature and attaining Buddhahood, and achieving sudden enlightenment. The Platform Sutra emphasizes the innate purity of one's nature and advocates transcending reliance on written texts, asserting that practice should return to the original mind. It has profoundly influenced the development of Chan Buddhism in later generations. As the only work by a Chinese monk honored with the status of a sutra, the Platform Sutra holds a lofty position in Buddhist history and serves as an essential text for studying Chan thought and Chinese Buddhism. Its content is accessible and vivid, integrating Confucian and Daoist ideas, embodying the characteristic features of the sinicization of Buddhism.

Also available in: Chinese · Japanese