Huang Po
Chan Buddhism · d. 850
“The mind IS the Buddha. There is no other.”
Huang Po was a Chinese Chan master of the Tang dynasty, known for his fierce directness and uncompromising insistence on the doctrine of One Mind. His teaching style was sharp, often paradoxical.
He was the teacher of Linji Yixuan, who would go on to found the Rinzai school. His teaching is preserved in the Chun Chou Record and the Wan Ling Record.
His central message was startlingly simple: there is only One Mind. Stop seeking, and it is already here.
Key teachings
One Mind
There is only one mind, shared by all beings. It cannot be attained because it was never lost.
Non-Seeking
The very act of seeking separates you from what you seek. Stop, and the mind reveals itself.
Radical Non-Duality
There is no distinction between ordinary mind and Buddha mind. They are the same thing, seen clearly.
Notable works
The Chun Chou Record
Dharma talks recorded by Pei Xiu. Direct, unadorned teachings on the nature of mind.
The Wan Ling Record
Further teachings and dialogues on the theme of One Mind.
One teaching like this each morning — and Mu, a companion who remembers your path.
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