📖 Meaning
A term from Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism referring to the transmission of the dharma directly from one enlightened mind to another, without relying on written words or verbal explanation. It emphasizes intuitive, wordless understanding passed from teacher to disciple through direct spiritual communion.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (《六祖大师法宝坛经·行由品》), attributed to Huineng (638–713), the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty. Recounting how the Fifth Patriarch Hongren transmitted the dharma to him, Huineng states that the dharma is passed 'from mind to mind,' with each person awakening and understanding it on their own. The concept traces further back to the legendary flower sermon of the Buddha and the wordless transmission from Bodhidharma, the founder of Chan Buddhism, to his successor Huike. It later became a hallmark of Chan teaching's famous slogan of not establishing reliance on written words.
💡 Example Usage
禅宗讲究以心传心，不立文字。
Chan Buddhism values mind-to-mind transmission, without relying on written words.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 以心传心
- Pinyin: yǐ xīn chuán xīn
- Literal Translation: use heart, transmit heart
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4