Hui Neng

Dajian Huineng
惠能
Putative mummy of Huineng's body
Religion	Chan Buddhism
Temple	Guangxiao Temple Nanhua Temple
Dharma names	Huineng (惠能)
Posthumous name	Dajian (大鑒)
Personal
Nationality	Chinese
Born	638 Xinxing County, Guangdong, China
Died	713 (aged 74–75) Guo'en Temple, Xinxing County, Guangdong, China
Religious career
Teacher	Daman Hongren
Students	Qingyuan Xingsi Shitou Xiqian Nanyue Huairang
Works	Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch

Dajian Huineng (Chinese: 大鑒惠能; pinyin: Dàjiàn Huìnéng; Wade–Giles: Ta⁴-chien⁴; Japanese: Daikan Enō; Korean: Hyeneung; 638–713), also commonly known as the Sixth Patriarch or Sixth Ancestor of Chan, is a semi-legendary but central figure in the early history of Chinese Chan Buddhism. He was said to have been an uneducated layman who suddenly attained awakening upon hearing the Diamond Sutra. Despite his lack of formal training, he demonstrated his understanding to the fifth patriarch, Daman Hongren, who then supposedly chose Huineng as his true successor instead of his publicly known selection of Yuquan Shenxiu. Twentieth century scholarship revealed that the story of Huineng's Buddhist career was likely invented by the monk Heze Shenhui, who claimed to be one of Huineng's disciples and was highly critical of Shenxiu's teaching. Huineng is regarded as the founder of the "Sudden Enlightenment" Southern Chan school of Buddhism, which focuses on an immediate and direct attainment of Buddhist enlightenment. The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (六祖壇經), which is said to be a record of his teachings, is a highly influential text in the East Asian meditative tradition.

Most modern scholars doubt the historicity of traditional biographies and works written about Huineng. The two primary sources for Huineng's life are the preface to the Platform Sutra and the Transmission of the Lamp.

According to Huineng’s autobiography in the Platform Sutra, Huineng’s father was from Fanyang, but he was banished from his government position and passed away at a young age. Huineng and his mother were left in poverty and moved to Nanhai, where Huineng sold firewood to support his family. One day, Huineng delivered firewood to a customer’s shop, where he met a man reciting the Diamond Sutra. He inquired about the reason that the Diamond Sutra was chanted, and the person stated that he came from the Eastern Meditation Monastery in Huangmei District of the province of Qi, where the Fifth Patriarch of Chan lived and delivered his teachings. Huineng’s customer paid his ten silver taels and suggested that he meet the Fifth Patriarch of Chan.