The Chan school, more commonly known as the Zen Buddhist school, originated and thrived initially in China and later spread to Japan and beyond. Among the many Chinese masters, Huineng and Yongjia were among the most significant.

The texts we present here, namely the Sutra of the Patriarch and the Song of Enlightenment, are not incomprehensible doctrines or impractical theories; on the contrary, they are essential for all scholars and seekers of truth. If understood and applied in practice, they will help us discover the mistakes and difficulties that seem insurmountable and that are the first things we must uproot if we want to progress in the cultivation of ourselves.

The Sutra of the Patriarch as well as the Song of Enlightenment are not texts to be read just once, but serve as daily aids and as permanent guides for the practice of self-cultivation. Even in today’s age, we can achieve sudden enlightenment, provided we are persistent in our practice and manage to untangle our minds from external things, thus achieving something that exceeds all our expectations.