The Relationship Between the Sixth Patriarch's Sudden Enlightenment and Shenxiu's Gradual Cultivation

In the Tang Dynasty, the Southern School, led by the Sixth Patriarch, advocated sudden enlightenment. The Sixth Patriarch's famous verse reads: "Bodhi is originally no tree; the bright mirror is also not a stand. Fundamentally, there is not a single thing—where could dust alight?" In contrast, the Northern School, headed by Shenxiu, advocated gradual cultivation. Shenxiu's verse states: "The body is the Bodhi tree; the mind is like a bright mirror stand. Constantly strive to polish it diligently, do not let dust accumulate." The Sixth Patriarch's verse reveals that he was still merely at the stage of Hinayana emptiness and had not yet attained enlightenment in Mahayana. Shenxiu's verse indicates he was still in the phase of cultivating body and mind. Contemporaries and later generations often praised the Sixth Patriarch while disparaging Shenxiu, failing to recognize that each had their own rationale. With different roots and conditions, the Dharma practices should naturally differ. The two represent the relationship between sudden enlightenment and gradual cultivation—they cannot be forcibly unified.

Regarding the relationship between gradual cultivation and sudden enlightenment, I once used an analogy: it is like sawing down a large tree. The moment the tree falls symbolizes sudden enlightenment, while the work done before the tree falls represents gradual cultivation. Gradual cultivation must precede sudden enlightenment, and after sudden enlightenment, gradual cultivation is still required. The Dharma practiced before and after differs; cultivation after enlightenment and cultivation before enlightenment are certainly not the same. Shenxiu's gradual cultivation refers to that which occurs before sudden enlightenment—it is the foundational stage. Without this gradual cultivation, the subsequent sudden enlightenment cannot occur. As for the Sixth Patriarch's "fundamentally, there is not a single thing," although it was not yet the sudden enlightenment of Mahayana, because his previous cultivation had already been completed in past lives—even countless kalpas ago—his mind was already empty in this life, requiring no further cultivation of body and mind, no constant diligent polishing.

From the Sixth Patriarch's standpoint, with his innate capacity, he could directly enter emptiness. Although he had not yet reached the emptiness of Mahayana, nor did it constitute the sudden enlightenment of Chan, the Sixth Patriarch nevertheless possessed the ability to enter emptiness. This state was indeed far superior to Shenxiu's, having already transcended the stage of gradual cultivation. When conditions ripened, he could enter the state of sudden enlightenment at any moment. Shenxiu, however, was still far from sudden enlightenment. He had to engage in gradual cultivation, constantly polishing diligently to cleanse the impurities from his mind; otherwise, he could not attain sudden enlightenment—not even the emptiness of Hinayana.

One should speak according to their circumstances; at whatever stage one is, they must practice the corresponding Dharma. Since individuals reside at different levels, their Dharma practices cannot be identical. Elementary students have the Dharma for elementary students; university students have the Dharma for university students. One cannot demand that everyone study university-level courses. Nearly everyone must pass through the preceding elementary and middle school stages. The road must be walked step by step—the intermediate process cannot be skipped. The duration may vary from person to person, but this process must occur, even if it lasts only an instant. Only after completing all these stages can one finally reach the state of sudden enlightenment. This is the dialectical relationship between the Sixth Patriarch's sudden enlightenment and Shenxiu's gradual cultivation.