"Bodhi has no tree, and a bright mirror is not a stand." The meaning of "Bodhi is originally a metaphor for wisdom, and a bright mirror is a metaphor for a quiet mind."

This sentence is a four-line gatha written by the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. It is derived from the two gathas Shenxiu and Huineng. It is intended to illustrate that all potential dharma is like a dream and a bubble, and it should not be taught to people. Only when you are free from delusional thoughts and persistence can you understand your mind and see your true nature and realize Bodhi by yourself.

From the "Bodhi Gauge" written by the eminent monk Huineng of the Tang Dynasty, the original text of the work is as follows:

"Bodhi Gauge"

Author: Huineng? Dynasty: Tang Dynasty

Bodhi has no tree, and the mirror is not a stand.

There is nothing in the first place, so how can it cause dust.

Translation comparison:

Bodhi originally symbolizes wisdom, and the bright mirror symbolizes a quiet mind.

Originally quiet, how could it be contaminated with dust?

Extended information

Appreciation of "Bodhi Verse":

This verse is the same as The one by Shenxiu has a principled difference in the method of practice. Shenxiu's "No Phase Gauge" disqualified him from being the successor of Hongren, but he became the founder of the Beizong sect. Because Shenxiu emphasized "diligently brushing the dust at all times", later generations called it the "Gradual Xiu School" because of his advocacy of "wiping the dust to see the purity".

This poem by Huineng is a complete negation of the Shenxiu Gatha, that is, a complete negation of subjective idealism to objective idealism. It directly grasps the key to "seeing one's nature and becoming a Buddha". It is known as As the "Epiphany Sect".