Huineng turned Chan practice on its head by insisting that the radiant clarity of Buddha-nature isn’t something to be pieced together bit by bit, but recognized all at once. Earlier teachers stressed a slow burn: rigorous meditation, scriptural study and moral discipline forming a steady path toward awakening. Symbolically, it was like climbing a ladder, rung by rung. Huineng tossed out that ladder.

Instead of lengthy sutra recitations or elaborate rituals, he pointed directly to “no-mind” (wuxin) and the immediacy of insight. Every thought, every object, was already stamped with enlightenment—no polishing required. This sudden-awakening view (dunwu) challenged the prevailing gradualist school by insisting that true seeing cuts through delusion in an instant, just as a lightning bolt splits the sky.

Scriptural authority lost its heavyweight status under Huineng’s pen. Rather than bowing to texts, he held that words and letters can become obstacles if clung to too tightly. Teachings were delivered in plain speech—often in the marketplace or a kitchen—dripping with everyday language rather than lofty jargon. Such simplicity proved a breath of fresh air, bringing practice into daily chores and human moments.

His famous verse exchange with his rival underscored this shift. Where Shenxiu likened enlightenment to polishing a mirror, Huineng compared it to the moon reflected in muddy water—once the water stills, the reflection is perfect. In embracing sudden insight and stripping away layers of ritual and theory, Huineng ushered in a form of Chan that felt alive, immediate and as natural as breathing.