Abstract
Huineng who is the Sixth Patriarch of Chinese Ch’an, had constructed Xinxue system of Ch’an. He emphasized the central role of Xin(mind or heart), and regarded the Xin as the source and origin of the world in everyone’s Xin, and put the Xin in ontological and fundamental place of human existence. In his view, the world and all things in it are created by Xin. Huineng’s ideas of this Xinxue includes extremely important life wisdom and has great practice value in the present age, which is able to continue to provide guidance for today’s people to liberate various afflictions of life and to live the better and better life. It tells us the importance of cultivating Xin for everyone’s existence, which is to say that everyone should “find one’s true self”, which is to know his own Xin or self-nature and to enhance self-cultivation and self-practice so as to become a Buddha by himself. In other word, everyone should be responsible for his own life. In addition to it, Huineng’s ideas of Xinxue provides the ways for us to deal with life pressure and problems, specifically, to adopt a positive mentality toward the living circumstances, especially the difficult plight, setbacks and failures. We should cultivate the right within the deviant, and give up all evils and practice the mind by Ch'an concentration and meditation.
Highlights
The meaning of Ch’an is “contemplation”, “meditation”, “concentration” and so on, which is to make thought into the hierarchical meditation (Vipassana) process by the concentration
Huineng’s Xinxue has very important positive significance and value for people who live in today's fast-paced impetuous society, which is helpful for today’s people to decompress various stresses and to correct and even cure psychological problems and to prevent the occurrence of psychological problems and to do a good job in mental health care and to elevate their mental realm
Considered to be the true founder of Chinese Ch’an (Zen) tradition [2,3,4], The core themes discussed by Huineng include Xin, Kong ( 空 : empty), meditation and wisdom, self-nature, sudden enlightenment, innate pure and luminance, and inherent Buddha-nature
Summary
The meaning of Ch’an is “contemplation”, “meditation”, “concentration” and so on, which is to make thought into the hierarchical meditation (Vipassana) process by the concentration. Huineng’s thoughts are summarized as “understanding one’s own mind and seeing one’s own nature”, which includes the follow meaning: that the self-nature and mind-nature are originally clear and pure, and that everyone originally possesses the Buddha-nature, so that people should straightly direct to their own Xin, and see their nature straightaway accomplishing Buddhahood. All these thoughts are inherently related to his essential understanding of the true nature of the Xin and its revelation in Buddhahood. Chinese Ch’an founded by Huineng is “a cultural ideal, a unique cultivating method to pursue the ideal of life, or a philosophy of life, art of life, spiritual transcendence” [7], and the practical way to constantly improve people’s mental state and realize the constant transcendence of life
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