Platform Sutra

Platform Sutra

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (Chinese: 六祖壇經, fully: 南宗頓教最上大乘摩訶般若波羅蜜經六祖惠能大師於韶州大梵寺施法壇經), is a Buddhist scripture that was composed in China during the 8th to 13th century.

The text centers around teachings and stories ascribed to the sixth Chan patriarch Huineng. It contains the well-known story of the contest for the succession of Hongren, 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".

The key topics of the discourse are the direct perception of one's true nature, and the unity in essence of śīla, dhyāna and prajñā.