(460?-534). The 28th Patriarch of the Meditation school of Buddhism. He had his training in India and traveled to China where he formed the Ch’an school. His teachings were not written down during his lifetime, but according to oral tradition the fundamental essence of the teaching was that the Buddha-nature is to be found in every human being. This Buddha-nature is of the nature of absolute purity and has no particular character; it is identical with “Thus-ness.” Some of this oral teaching may be found in Charles Luk’s Ch’an and Zen Teaching, 3 Vols., Rider 1960-62.

P.S.H.

© Copyright by the Theosophical Publishing House, Manila