Sengcan (510–606 CE) was the Third Patriarch of Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism. In his early forties, Sengcan, then a lay follower, visited Master Huike, the Second Patriarch, and attained awakening under Huike’s guidance. Huike then ordained him as a monk and passed on to him the robe and bowl — the symbolic transmission of the Dharma — making Sengcan the Third Patriarch of Chan Buddhism.
Master Sengcan holds a significant place in the development of Chan Buddhism. He shifted the propagation strategy established by the First Patriarch Bodhidharma, which had mainly relied on the support of the upper class, toward a more grassroots approach, teaching among farmers and common people. He also moved the center of Chan practice from urban monasteries to remote mountain retreats, opening new paths for the growth of the tradition.
Moreover, Sengcan was the first to express Chan thought systematically through written words. His seminal work, the “Xinxin Ming” (Verses on the Faith-Mind), is one of the most important texts in Chan Buddhism. Together with the “Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch”, it is regarded as one of the most Sinicized Buddhist scriptures.
While Chan Master Sengcan was teaching an assembly, a 14-year-old novice named Daoxin approached and asked:
“What is the Buddha-mind?”
Sengcan countered:
“What mind do you have right now?”
Daoxin replied:
“I am in a no-mind state.”
Sengcan pressed:
“If you have no mind, does the Buddha possess one?”
Daoxin then entreated:
“Please teach me liberation!”
Sengcan demanded:
“Who binds you?”
Daoxin answered:
“No one binds me.”
Sengcan declared:
“Since none binds you, this is liberation itself — why seek liberation?”
At this, Daoxin experienced great awakening.
Philosophical Notes:
Self-Imprisonment as Ultimate Illusion
Sengcan’s question “Who binds you?” exposes liberation’s core paradox: Suffering arises from seeking freedom while ignoring innate freedom.
“No-Mind” as Double-Edged Sword
Daoxin’s claim of “no-mind” was initially conceptual — until Sengcan shattered it: True no-mind isn’t a state to achieve but the reality beneath seeking.
Liberation Without Path
The master’s final thrust — “this is liberation” — reveals: Enlightenment isn’t attained; it’s recognized when striving ceases.
Chan Essence:
Daoxin’s awakening mirrors Bodhidharma’s teaching:
“What is liberation?
Realizing your chains were made of thoughts —
and thoughts dissolve when you stop polishing them.”
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