Author: FUNG, PAUL F. & GEORGE D. FUNG
Title: The Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch on the Pristine Orthodox Dharma
Description: San Francisco, CA: Buddha's Universal Church, 1964. Third Printing; Hardcover. 6 X 9 ; 189 pages; Hard cover is green with gold lettering on spine and front. Very slight rubbing/scuffing. Third printing from 1980. Book appears as if unused. Laid in is a folded set of papers, a class handout. 'The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch is a Chan Buddhist scripture that was composed in China during the 8th to 13th century. The "platform" refers to the podium on which a Buddhist teacher speaks. Its key themes are the direct perception of one's true nature, and the unity in essence of sila (conduct) , dhyana (meditation) and prajña (wisdom). The text centers on teachings and stories ascribed to the sixth Chan patriarch Huineng. It contains the well-known story of the contest for the succession of Hongren (enlightenment by the non-abiding) , and discourses and dialogues attributed to Huineng. The text attributes its recollection to Fa-hai, but was probably written within the so-called Oxhead School, which existed along with the East Mountain School and Shenhui's Southern School. The text attempts to reconcile the so-called Northern School with its alleged gradual enlightenment teachings, and the so-called Southern School with its alleged sudden enlightenment teachings. In effect, the text incorporates the "rhetorical purity" which originated with Shenhui's attack on Shenxiu, while effectively "writing him out of the story".'. Near Fine .

Keywords: Philosophy; Religion; Buddhism; Religious Leaders; Asian Religions; Zen Buddhism; Cultural History; Cultural Anthropology; Chinese; Cultural History Education Orient/Asia Japan Religion Reference Anthropology/Language/Linguistics Psychology/Philosophy