A Zen Buddhist masterpiece, winner of the 2018 Thornton Wilder Prize for Translation. The Platform Sutra occupies a central place in Zen (Ch’an) Buddhist instruction for students and spiritual seekers worldwide.
It is often linked with The Heart Sutra and The Diamond Sutra to form a trio of texts that have been revered and studied for centuries. However, unlike the other sutras, which transcribe the teachings of the Buddha himself, The Platform Sutra presents the autobiography of Hui–neng, the controversial 6th Patriarch of Zen, and his understanding of the fundamentals of a spiritual and practical life. Hui–neng’s instruction still matters—the 7th–century school of Sudden Awakening that he founded survives today, continuing to influence the Rinzai and Soto schools of contemporary Zen.
Red Pine, whose translations of The Heart Sutra and The Diamond Sutra have been celebrated and widely received, now provides a sensitive and assured treatment of the third and final sutra of the classic triumvirate. He adds remarkable commentary to a translation that, combined with the full Chinese text, a glossary, and notes, results in a Mahayana masterpiece sure to become the standard edition for students and seekers alike.

{'id':4539670757437,'title':'The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra','handle':'the-sixth-patriarchs-dharma-jewel-platform-sutra','description':'u003cmeta charset='utf-8'u003eu003cspanu003eThe knowledge and vision of the Buddha is just your own mind; there is no other Buddha. Such is the teaching of Master Huineng (638-713), the most important and most revered figure in the Chan (Zen) School of East Asian Buddhism.u003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cspanu003eHuineng left no written record, but his students compiled accounts of his public lectures and one-on-one exchanges, together with the dramatic story of his life. The resulting volume was 'Liu zu fa bao tan jing'; The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra, sixth, because Master Huineng is counted as the sixth generation of patriarchal succession from the first Chan patriarch Bodhidharma. Master Huineng's Platform Sutra is so highly regarded in Buddhist Asia that it is called a Sutra, a term otherwise reserved for texts spoken by the Buddha himself.u003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cspanu003eIn presenting this entirely new English translation of The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra, the editors, Professors Reverend Heng Sure and Martin Verhoeven of Dharma Realm Buddhist University, have aimed above all to bring across into English Master Huineng's plain-spoken, forthright style.u003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cspanu003eAs Professor Verhoeven writes, u003c/spanu003eu003ciu003e'Readers inclined to see Buddhist writings as abstruse metaphysical treatises will findu003cspanu003e u003c/spanu003eThe Platform Sutrau003cspanu003e u003c/spanu003erefreshingly artless and spare. Those expecting a sutra to delve into the supernatural and otherworldly will be surprised at how down-to-earth and here-and-now this text is. The Platform Sutra is humanistic to its core.'u003c/iu003eu003cspanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cspanu003eAs Huineng says in a verse, u003c/spanu003eu003ciu003e'The Buddha Dharma is right here in the world, there is no awakening apart from this world.'u003c/iu003eu003cspanu003e The essence of the Sixth Patriarch's philosophy is that all beings have the buddha-nature and all can become a Buddha. Full awakening is not a future state or a distant place, but exists right here within your own mind, directly and immediately available. 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Such is the teaching of Master Huineng (638-713), the most important and most revered figure in the Chan (Zen) School of East Asian Buddhism.u003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cspanu003eHuineng left no written record, but his students compiled accounts of his public lectures and one-on-one exchanges, together with the dramatic story of his life. The resulting volume was 'Liu zu fa bao tan jing'; The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra, sixth, because Master Huineng is counted as the sixth generation of patriarchal succession from the first Chan patriarch Bodhidharma. Master Huineng's Platform Sutra is so highly regarded in Buddhist Asia that it is called a Sutra, a term otherwise reserved for texts spoken by the Buddha himself.u003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cspanu003eIn presenting this entirely new English translation of The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra, the editors, Professors Reverend Heng Sure and Martin Verhoeven of Dharma Realm Buddhist University, have aimed above all to bring across into English Master Huineng's plain-spoken, forthright style.u003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cspanu003eAs Professor Verhoeven writes, u003c/spanu003eu003ciu003e'Readers inclined to see Buddhist writings as abstruse metaphysical treatises will findu003cspanu003e u003c/spanu003eThe Platform Sutrau003cspanu003e u003c/spanu003erefreshingly artless and spare. Those expecting a sutra to delve into the supernatural and otherworldly will be surprised at how down-to-earth and here-and-now this text is. The Platform Sutra is humanistic to its core.'u003c/iu003eu003cspanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cspanu003eAs Huineng says in a verse, u003c/spanu003eu003ciu003e'The Buddha Dharma is right here in the world, there is no awakening apart from this world.'u003c/iu003eu003cspanu003e The essence of the Sixth Patriarch's philosophy is that all beings have the buddha-nature and all can become a Buddha. Full awakening is not a future state or a distant place, but exists right here within your own mind, directly and immediately available. The text presents a powerful and resounding vision of unbounded human potential waiting to be fully realized if only we can see it.u003c/spanu003e'}