By Chloe
Recently I’ve been reading the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (六祖坛经), a foundational text in Chan (Zen) Buddhism. It shares the life and teachings of Huineng (慧能), who began as an illiterate woodcutter in southern China and went on to become one of the most important Zen masters in history. He taught that enlightenment is not reserved for scholars or monks—it is available to anyone who can see their true nature.
One of the most famous moments in the Sutra is the poem contest between two monks, which determined who would become the Sixth Patriarch. The senior monk Shenxiu (神秀) wrote:
身是菩提树，
心如明镜台。
时时勤拂拭，
勿使惹尘埃。The body is a Bodhi tree,
The mind a bright mirror stand.
Constantly strive to polish it—
Let no dust settle.
This poem reflects the idea that enlightenment is achieved through gradual cultivation and constant effort. But Huineng, still an unknown lay worker at the time, responded with his own verse:
菩提本无树，
明镜亦非台。
本来无一物，
何处惹尘埃。Bodhi has no tree,
The bright mirror has no stand.
Originally nothing exists—
Where can dust alight?
This wasn’t just poetry—it was a radical view of the mind. Huineng wasn’t saying that practice is meaningless, but that our true nature is already pure and whole. The dust we worry about—doubts, fears, ego, comparison—comes only from misunderstanding. The moment we see clearly, the dust disappears.
This teaching struck me deeply. Like many people, I was raised in a mindset of achievement—set goals, work hard, improve constantly. Shenxiu’s poem feels familiar: keep polishing. But Huineng invites another possibility: wholeness already exists within us. Practice is not about becoming someone better—it’s about returning to what we already are.
Now, when I feel overwhelmed by pressure or self-criticism, I try to remember Huineng’s words:
本来无一物 — originally, nothing is lacking.
Instead of anxiously polishing the mirror of my life, I pause, breathe, and return to clarity in this moment. From that place, action becomes lighter—not forced, but natural.
That’s what I wanted to share today — a reminder that our everyday mind, just as it is, holds the ground of awakening. If you’ve also reflected on this story or studied Zen, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you.
Hakone Zendo 