“Facing the world with a mind that is empty, what use is Zen?” (Đối cảnh vô tâm mạc vấn Thiền). The Trúc Lâm Zen school patriarch had mentioned about this empty mind some 700 years ago and the 6th patriarch Huệ Năng, more than 1300 years, had also broached the notion of “no thought” or “beyond the thinking”.

It is obvious that empty mind does not mean blank mind, no more than no thought means without any thought. Both terms in fact only describe a clear, pure, impartial and not clinging, grasping mind. Trần Nhân Tông still descended from his mountain to repel the Yuan army’s invasion, and after defeating them, went back to it to resume his monk life, free of all clinging. As for Huệ Năng, after enlightenment, still mingled with hunters during several decades to train himself and to help others. Therefore, one can generate a mind, so long as it is a good, beneficial one to oneself and to others. “Do not generate a mind that dwell somewhere” also means “Do not dwell anywhere but… do generate a mind”! There is no point in extinguishing it, destroying it or eradicating it and turn impassive as pebbles and stone or into an absolute half-witted! And “Later on, even pebbles and stones still need to be together!” (Ngày sau sỏi đá cũng cần có nhau) as said Trịnh Công Sơn.

Subhuti asked eagerly: “World Honored One ! What should the sutra named? How should we study and hold it?”
The Buddha said: “This sutra name is Vajra Prajna Paramita!”
But it seemed that after saying this, the Buddha gave a start: “beware, they would cling to [the name] and be done for!” So he went on “Prajna Paramita is not Prajna Paramita therefore is called Prajna Paramita!’