Huineng Quotes

• A finger points at the moon, but the moon is not at the tip of the finger. Words points at the truth, but the truth is not in words.

  Huineng

  Moon, Truth Is, Fingers

  92 Copy quote

• To meditate means to realize inwardly the imperturbability of the Essence of Mind.
  The reason why we are perturbed is because we allow ourselves to be carried away by the circumstances we are in. Those who are able to keep their mind unperturbed, irrespective of circumstances, have attained Inner Peace.

  Huineng

  Mean, Essence, Meditation

  95 Copy quote

• The capacity of the mind is broad and huge, like the vast sky. Do not sit with a mind fixed on emptiness. If you do, you will fall into a neutral kind of emptiness. Emptiness includes the sun, moon, stars, and planets, the great earth, mountains and rivers, all trees and grasses, bad people and good people, bad things and good things, heaven and hell; they are all in the midst of emptiness. The emptiness of human nature is also like this.

  Huineng

  Stars, Fall, Moon

  Huineng (1967). “The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch”

  76 Copy quote

• There is no Bodhi tree,
  Nor stand of a mirror bright.
  Since all is void,
  Where can the dust alight

  Huineng

  Mirrors, Dust, Tree

  81 Copy quote

• By amending our mistakes, we get wisdom. By defending our faults, we betray an unsound mind.

  Huineng

  Buddhist, Mistake, Mind

  64 Copy quote

• Confused by thoughts, we experience duality in life. Unencumbered by ideas, the enlightened see the one Reality.

  Huineng

  Confused, Reality, Ideas

  71 Copy quote

• Before you think good or evil, who are you?

  Huineng

  Thinking, Evil

  50 Copy quote

• Look within!... The secret is inside you.

  Huineng

  Inspirational, Reflection, Peaceful

  93 Copy quote

• Truth has nothing to do with words. Truth can be likened to the bright moon in the sky. Words, in this case, can be likened to a finger. The finger can point to the moon's location. However, the finger is not the moon. To look at the moon, it is necessary to gaze beyond the finger, right?

  Huineng

  Moon, Sky, Looks

  66 Copy quote

• The meaning of life is to see.

  Huineng

  Life, Meaning Of Life, Life Is

  64 Copy quote

• As one lamp serves to dispel a thousand years of darkness, so one flash of wisdom destroys ten thousand years of ignorance.

  Huineng

  Ignorance, Years, Darkness

  Huineng (1967). “The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch”

  59 Copy quote

• The truth is to be lived, not just mouthed.

  Huineng

  Truth Is

  65 Copy quote

• When our mind works freely without any hindrance, and is at liberty to 'come' or to 'go', we attain Samadhi of Prajna, or liberation. Such a state is called the function of 'thoughtlessness'. But to refrain from thinking of anything, so that all thoughts are suppressed, is to be Dharma-ridden, and this is an erroneous view.

  Huineng

  Thinking, Views, Mind

  70 Copy quote

• The complete teachings of all Buddhas - past, present, and future - are to be found within the essence of every human being.

  Huineng

  Teaching, Past, Essence

  59 Copy quote

• Zazen is seated meditation-the opposite of contemplation-the emptying of the mind of all thoughts in order simply to be. In the midst of all evil, not a thought is aroused in the mind-this is called za. Seeing into one's Self-nature, not being moved at all-this is called Zen.

  Huineng

  Self, Order, Opposites

  56 Copy quote

• Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure,
  and if we knew our mind and realized what our nature is, all of us would
  attain Buddhahood.

  Huineng

  Essence, Mind, Pure

  50 Copy quote

• To be bigoted & argue with others, is to subject one's essence of mind to the bitterness of mundane existence.

  Huineng

  Essence, Mind, Bitterness

  45 Copy quote

• Words are not truth. Truth is like the moon, and words are like my finger. I can point to the moon with my finger, but my finger is not the moon. Do you need my finger to see the moon?

  Huineng

  Teaching, Moon, Needs

  45 Copy quote

• Within our impure mind the pure one is to be found.

  Huineng

  Mind, Found, Pure

  36 Copy quote

• Sit all together in meditation. Become peacefully calm and quiet, without motion, without stillness, without birth, without destruction, without coming or going, with no judgments of right or wrong, neither staying nor going. This, then, is the Great Way.

  Huineng

  Determination, Meditation, Together

  50 Copy quote

• Good friends, how then are meditation and wisdom alike? They are like the lamp and the light it gives forth. If there is a lamp there is light; if there is no lamp there is no light. The lamp is the substance of light; the light is the function of the lamp. Thus, although they have two names, in substance they are not two. Meditation and wisdom are also like this.

  Huineng

  Good Friend, Light, Names

  Huineng (1967). “The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch”

  49 Copy quote

• The secret is within your self.

  Huineng

  Self, Secret

  42 Copy quote

• Because wisdom is innate, we can all enlighten ourselves.

  Huineng

  Enlightening, Innate

  26 Copy quote

• Since in reality all is void, Whereon can the dust fall?

  Huineng

  Fall, Reality, Dust

  24 Copy quote

• It is your minds that are moving.

  Huineng

  Moving, Mind

  25 Copy quote

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