Q0468
“Who would have thought that self-nature is originally pure; who would have…” — Huineng (Platform Sutra)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Platform Sutra. Theme: self.
English
Who would have thought that self-nature is originally pure; who would have thought that self-nature is originally neither born nor destroyed.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Platform Sutra and files it under Zen Buddhism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Huineng
Huineng (638–713) is revered as the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen) Buddhism in China; the Platform Sutra presents his autobiography and teachings. Historical layers of the text are complex; the legend contrasts an illiterate laborer with scholastic rivals.
Interpretation
This is Huineng's account of his awakening on hearing the Diamond Sutra, and the repeated "who would have thought" marks discovery rather than doctrine. The claims are about self-nature: originally pure, neither produced nor destroyed, self-sufficient, unmoving. The point is not that people are unaware of facts about themselves but that they have been looking for something to acquire. In the Platform Sutra this is the ground of his sudden-enlightenment position.
Why it matters
The formulation is notable for what it removes: if the nature is already complete, the practice cannot be about adding anything.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
- Awakening
- Awakening appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat awakening as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Huineng. (n.d.). Who would have thought that self-nature is originally pure; who would have thought that self-nature is originally neither born nor destroyed. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0468
MLA: Huineng. “Who would have thought that self-nature is originally….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0468.
Chicago: Huineng. “Who would have thought that self-nature is originally….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0468.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Who would have thought that self-nature is originally…”?
The passage is attributed to Huineng, Platform Sutra. The archive attributes this English wording to Platform Sutra and files it under Zen Buddhism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Huineng mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, awakening.