惠能嚴父 本貫范陽 左降流於嶺南 新州百姓 父早亡 老母孤遺 移來南海 艱辛貧乏 於市賣柴 時有一客買柴 使令送至客店 客收去 惠能得錢 卻出門外 見一客誦經 惠能一聞經語 心即開悟 遂問客誦何經 客曰 金剛經 復問從何所來持此經典 客云 我從蘄州黃梅縣東禪寺來 其寺是五祖忍大師在彼主化 門人一千有餘 我到彼中禮拜 聽受此經 大師常勸僧俗 但持金剛經 即自見性 直了成佛
Huì néng yán fù běn guàn fàn yáng zuǒ jiàng liú yú lǐng nán xīn zhōu bǎi xìng fù zǎo wáng lǎo mǔ gū yí yí lái nán hǎi jiān xīn pín fá yú shì mài chái shí yǒu yī kè mǎi chái shǐ lìng sòng zhì kè diàn kè shōu qù huì néng dé qián què chū mén wài jiàn yī kè sòng jīng huì néng yī wén jīng yǔ xīn jí kāi wù suì wèn kè sòng hé jīng kè yuē jīn gāng jīng fù wèn cóng hé suǒ lái chí cǐ jīng diǎn kè yún wǒ cóng qí zhōu huáng méi xiàn dōng chán sì lái qí sì shì wǔ zǔ rěn dà shī zài bǐ zhǔ huà mén rén yī qiān yǒu yú wǒ dào bǐ zhōng lǐ bài tīng shòu cǐ jīng dà shī cháng quàn sēng sú dàn chí jīn gāng jīng jí zì jiàn xìng zhí liǎo chéng fó
Key Message
Enlightenment does not depend on knowledge or social rank. Just as a woodcutter like Huineng could have his mind opened by a single phrase of the Dharma, anyone can see their own nature.
▸The opening chapter of the Platform Sutra, known as the 'Chapter of Origins' (行由品), presents the autobiographical account of Huineng (慧能, 638–713) — his birth, upbringing in poverty, and eventual encounter with the Fifth Patriarch Hongren (弘忍).
The opening chapter of the Platform Sutra, known as the 'Chapter of Origins' (行由品), presents the autobiographical account of Huineng (慧能, 638–713) — his birth, upbringing in poverty, and eventual encounter with the Fifth Patriarch Hongren (弘忍). Huineng's father was an official from Fanyang (范陽) who was demoted and exiled to Lingnan, where he died young. Huineng supported his aging mother by selling firewood in the marketplace. One day, after delivering firewood, he heard a passerby reciting the Diamond Sutra. A single phrase — 'Awaken the mind without abiding anywhere' (應無所住而生其心) — caused his mind to suddenly open. This led him to journey to the East Chan Monastery at Huangmei, where the Fifth Patriarch Hongren was teaching over a thousand students. This chapter demonstrates that true awakening does not depend on learning or social status, but on directly seeing one's own nature (自性, zìxìng).