Dear Good Friends,
We continue to explore the Platform Sutra of Hui-neng.
If you are following along with me, I recommend that you go directly to the Platform Sutra and skip the introduction and the sections with commentary by Red Pine.
Read sections (20-23) of the Platform Sutra, notice your reaction to this reading, sit with it, and comment below. I will respond to your comments (privately) as necessary.
You may of course not follow my direction and not respond to the questionnaire. It is totally up to you.
Continue reading sections 24 to 37, and send me any questions or comments you may have about your journey with Hui-neng.
‘In sections 20-23, Hui-neng introduces us to the precepts that govern practice. He begins with taking refuge in the three treasures: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, the teacher, the teaching, and the community of those taught. However, instead of the traditional formulation, which directs us to put our trust in the historical figure of Shakyamuni, in the sutras of the Buddhist Canon, and in the teachers and practitioners of the Buddhist community, he tells us to look no further than ourselves.’