All-sans, last week I provided the formation for individual study of The Platform Sutra. Each of you decides how deep you wish to dive…
I will ask during Dokusan how you are doing and there will be time for 1:1 with me. You also may wish to drop me questions or talk about particular points of interest. Again, this is up to you. Please schedule your November Dokusan this week.
In short, the time of Huineng was an inflection point in the development of Zen as it offered another way to enlightenment, dealt with practitioners without education and from a low position, and set-up an intriguing relationship between a master and student. I find this time period a good place to pause as we in Soto Zen begin to see the seeds of our school taking root.
So what were the conditions and variables that fostered the Huineng insidence?
The Tang dynasty (618-907) was considered a golden-age of Chinese Buddhism. It began with stability from constant warring with tribes and invaders from the North.
Huineng’s father was said to have been caught-up in court politics and banished to the South where he died and the son had to care for his aging mother.
The religious emphases of the time were split among Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. D.T Susuki spoke of this time as the formation of Chinese Buddhism. These variations in thought were experienced in the hierarchy of Chinese life wherein melding occurred shaping Caodong schools of Buddhism including Chan- see lineage map.
- What was Hongren getting-at when questioning Huineng’s lineage and home town?
- How did Hongren come to take a chance in transmitting the robe and bow to Huineng?
108 Bows
Sangaku