Huineng, a great sage like Lao Tzu and Confucius in ancient China, every sentence he said went straight to the hearts of the people, and enlightened his words, of course, we will feel comfortable.
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng is an outstanding figure in Chinese Zen studies, and he is known as the "father of Zen learning" along with Bodhidharma.
Bodhidharma once said: "Aurora (China) has a Mahayana atmosphere. So he went to China. However, when he arrived in China, he was disappointed by everything he saw.
This feeling was even stronger when he saw Emperor Wu of Liang. Emperor Wu of Liang heard that Bodhidharma was an Indian monk who had attained enlightenment, so he eagerly invited him into the palace.
Emperor Wu of Liang felt that his merits were immeasurable, and he proudly said to Bodhidharma"I have built monasteries for the whole country and raised countless monks, and my credit cannot be underestimated. "I hoped to be praised by the master, but I didn't expect to get an unexpected answer.
Bodhidharma simply said, "You can't do good deeds at all." 」
When Emperor Wu of Liang heard this, he was immediately angry, and simply stopped talking to Bodhidharma.
Bodhidharma saw that Emperor Wu of Liang was puzzled and did not explain much, so he quietly left, went to Chongyue Shaolin Temple, and thought about it behind closed doors.
Later people went to find the Sixth Ancestor Huineng, and in a few words, he explained why Bodhidharma felt that Emperor Wu of Liang had no merit at all.
Huineng said: Seeing nature is achievement, and equality is virtue. It means that we are born wise, but we are often blinded into showing true intelligence. Therefore, we must first recognize our own essence so that we can look at others and things with the same attitude.
Secondly, Hui Neng also said: Always be aware of one's own nature, without thinking or worrying, that is, merit. This shows that as long as we see our own nature and are not confused by distracting thoughts, then we will have enough wisdom to solve all problems.
Emperor Wu of Liang built many monasteries, but he cared too much about those external merits, so he was greatly affected. Huineng also believes that inner humility is the same as external etiquette, and only when we are no longer attached to external things will we have wisdom and know how to deal with the situation appropriately.
Huineng concluded: Truth and goodness should come from the heart, and do not seek external things. This passage teaches us that to attain true goodness, we do not rely on external actions, but on inner awareness and understanding. Bodhidharma's evaluation of Emperor Wu of Liang mainly lies in his good thoughts about the outside world, but he ignores his inner cultivation.
This little story shows us that true blessing should come from the awareness and understanding of the heart, not from mere outward actions.