Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng
Hui Neng (638—713), the sixth patriarch of China's Chan Buddhism, was the founder of the Southern Chan School of Buddhism. He promoted the idea of "sudden enlightenment/ awakening" through which one could "discover Buddhahood that is already in his nature". Hui Neng's Chan Buddhism is the sect that sustained for the longest time in China and was infused with rich Chinese cultural symbols.
According to Hui Neng, the Buddha's nature is within every common person and everyone can achieve Buddhahood. What distinguishes the Buddha from common people is enlightenment, although enlightenment is just one step away from ignorance. Enlightenment and Buddhahood can be achieved in a flash of thought when one eradicates unfounded ideas and returns to one's nature. Hui Neng also advocated that Sādhanā or spiritual cultivation cannot be separated from life: People's everyday activities — walking, standing, sitting or lying — are all ways of practicing Chan. His ideas laid a theoretical foundation for the secularization and popularization of Chinese Chan Buddhism.
Chan Buddhism significantly influenced the philosophical thoughts and religious culture in ancient China, while exerting far-reaching impacts on aesthetics, poetry, painting and literature in both ancient China and the wider world. The disciples of Hui Neng compiled Liu Zu tan Jing or the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, based on Hui Neng's life events and teachings. Liu Zu tan Jing is the only work with the title of Jing among all monk-related works in China; it serves as an important reference for studying Chinese and global his-tory of Buddhism, philosophy and culture.
六祖慧能
六祖慧能（638—713），亦称惠能，是佛教禅宗南宗创始人，也是中国佛教禅宗六祖，倡导“直指人心，见性成佛”的顿悟。以慧能为代表的禅宗，流传时间最长，是中国本土文化特色明显的中国佛教宗派。
慧能认为，人人皆有佛性，人人皆可成佛，佛和众生之间，差别在于是迷还是悟，迷悟只在一念之差。只要消除妄念，回归自性，一念之间就可以觉悟成佛。他还主张，修行离不开生活，行住坐卧皆是禅，这为中国禅宗的世俗化、生活化奠定了理论基础。慧能创立的佛教禅宗给中国古代哲学思想和宗教文化的发展带来重要影响，对古代中国和世界的审美、诗歌、绘画、文学也都影响深远。慧能弟子根据慧能的事迹和言论整理成《六祖坛经》，它是中国僧人撰述里唯一被称为“经”的著作，也是研究中国和世界佛教史、哲学史、文化史的重要典籍。
