Huineng

Huineng

Dajian Huineng (traditional Chinese: 大鑒惠能; pinyin: Dàjiàn Huìnéng; Wade–Giles: Ta⁴-chien⁴ Hui⁴-nêng²; Japanese: Daikan Enō; Korean: Daegam Hyeneung; February 27, 638 – August 28, 713), also commonly known as the Sixth Patriarch or Sixth Ancestor of Chan (traditional Chinese: 禪宗六祖), is a semi-legendary but central figure in the early history of Chinese Chan Buddhism. According to tradition he was an uneducated layman who suddenly attained awakening (Chinese: 見性, jianxing) upon hearing the Diamond Sutra. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Huineng has received more than 460,768 page views. His biography is available in 30 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 29 in 2019). Huineng is the 609th most popular religious figure (up from 650th in 2019), the 156th most popular biography from China (up from 172nd in 2019) and the 3rd most popular Chinese Religious Figure.

Huineng is famous for his role in the development of the Chan (Zen) school of Buddhism and for his emphasis on the importance of direct experience in spiritual practice. Huineng is also known for his teachings on the nature of mind and consciousness, which emphasized the fundamental emptiness and impermanence of all phenomena. His teachings had a profound influence on the development of Buddhism in China and throughout East Asia.