Hui Lin

Hui Lin (c. 5th century) was a Buddhist monk of China. He was also a scholar and writer and was active around 421 to 445, a crucial period for establishing Chan (Zen) Buddhism in China. He is famous for his writings on Karm and reincarnation. His notable work the Baihei lun (Discourse on White and Black), questioned traditional karmic retribution, indicating intellectual debates within Chinese Buddhism. He is known for his treatise Sung-shu, written around 433.

Wisdom & Quotes

• How can one grasp the dimensions of a spacious house from the perspective (of a person) sitting in a well?

- Sung-shu

• The mind that clings creates bondage; the mind that sees clearly is already free.

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• To study the scriptures without practicing is to count another’s treasure.

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• Truth is not harmed by silence, nor revealed by excess words.

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• Suffering does not arise from the world, but from how the heart grasps the world.

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• Wisdom without compassion is incomplete; compassion without wisdom is blind.

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• When the mind settles, phenomena return to their proper place.

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• Do not seek the Buddha in distant lands; examine the conduct of your own mind.

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• What arises through conditions fades through conditions; understanding this, one does not cling.

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Kalidasa