Korea Journal of Buddhist StudiesISSN:1598-0642(Print)불교학연구회

The role of Buddha-nature and formation of Patriarchseon in seon-sects have a deep relationship. The essence of Patriarch-seon is the original-enlightenment of Buddha-nature and daily-life of enlightenment, as it were, no-adherance, nodispute, no-greed, no-anger, no-ignorance and so forth. The original-enlightenment of Buddha-nature is based on Mahayana sutras. We can examine the Buddhist-sutras of mahayana. For example, the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Great enlightenment- Sutra and the Prajnaparamita-Sutra, the Pundarika-sutra, the Langkavatra-sutra, and the Vimalakirti-sutra etc. In the first instance, the idea that all sentient beings have the Buddha-nature of Mahaparinirvana-sutra was developed from the thoughts of Patriarch-seon for the formative period in early seon-sects. We should notice that the phrase, ‘All sentient beings have the Buddha-nature,’ can be divided into three types. First, all sentient beings are full of Dharma-kaya in the universe. Second, all sentient beings have equality with-out discrimination. Third, all sentient beings have the Buddhanature, like each other. And the means of Buddha-nature can be divided diversely. Namely, the Buddha-nature has enlightenment, emancipation and nirvana in the analects of Bodhi-dharma. We can see the means of diversity of patriarchs in the formative period in early seon-sects, the so called six patriarchs. For example, Hueike is seon-mind, the analects of Sengtsan are faith and mind, the analects of Taohsin keep the one mind, the analects of Hungjen keep the sincerity-mind, the analects of Hueineng are the original nature-mind, the words of Huairang are of the no contamination-mind, the analects of Matsu are from perfected-mind, and the analects of Paichang are manifested-truth. These are the tradition of enlightenment in seon-analects. These notions of diversity in early seonsects about Buddha-nature were fundamental principles in Patriarch-seon.