師自黃梅得法 回至曹溪山 又被惡人尋逐 乃於四會 避難獵人隊中 凡經一十五載 時與獵人隨宜說法 獵人常令守網 每見生命 盡放之 每至飯時 以菜寄煮肉鍋 或問 則對曰 但喫肉邊菜 一日思惟 時當弘法 不可終遯 遂出至廣州法性寺 値印宗法師講涅槃經 時有風吹旛動 一僧曰風動 一僧曰旛動 議論不已 惠能進曰 不是風動 不是旛動 仁者心動
Shī zì huáng méi dé fǎ huí zhì cáo xī shān yòu bèi è rén xún zhú nǎi yú sì huì bì nàn liè rén duì zhōng fán jīng yī shí wǔ zǎi shí yǔ liè rén suí yí shuō fǎ liè rén cháng lìng shǒu wǎng měi jiàn shēng mìng jìn fàng zhī měi zhì fàn shí yǐ cài jì zhǔ ròu guō huò wèn zé duì yuē dàn chī ròu biān cài yī rì sī wéi shí dāng hóng fǎ bù kě zhōng dùn suì chū zhì guǎng zhōu fǎ xìng sì zhí yìn zōng fǎ shī jiǎng niè pán jīng shí yǒu fēng chuī fān dòng yī sēng yuē fēng dòng yī sēng yuē fān dòng yì lùn bù yǐ huì néng jìn yuē bú shì fēng dòng bú shì fān dòng rén zhě xīn dòng
Key Message
Neither wind nor banner is moving. Only the mind moves. All discrimination and debate begin in the mind.
▸The Chapter of Circumstances and Encounters records Huineng's journey after receiving the dharma transmission from the Fifth Patriarch, as well as his dialogues with various disciples.
The Chapter of Circumstances and Encounters records Huineng's journey after receiving the dharma transmission from the Fifth Patriarch, as well as his dialogues with various disciples. After leaving Huangmei, Huineng hid among hunters for fifteen years, teaching with skillful means and releasing all living beings he found in the nets. This chapter's most famous episode occurs at Faxing Monastery in Guangzhou, where two monks were arguing about whether the wind or the banner was moving in the breeze. Huineng stepped forward and declared: 'It is neither the wind moving, nor the banner moving — it is your mind that is moving' (仁者心動). This story encapsulates the Chan teaching that all perception and discrimination arise from the mind. The debate about external phenomena was itself the very confusion being pointed out.