Also See: Ganges Mahāmudrā By Elder Yuan Yin (Lecture One)
Ganges Mahāmudrā By Elder Yuan Yin (Lecture Two)
Ganges Mahāmudrā By Elder Yuan Yin (Lecture Three)
Ganges Mahāmudrā By Elder Yuan Yin (Lecture Four)
From https://book.bfnn.org/article/0383.htm
(I made the English translations with the help of ChatGPT from the Chinese original)
Title and Author
English Translation:
Ganges Mahāmudrā
(Fourth Lecture)
By Elder Yuanyin
Original Text:
“恒河大手印
（第四講）
元音老人 著”
Section 1
English Translation:
[Lecture Four]
Although we are now discussing the Vajrayāna Great Seal (Mahāmudrā), we do not distinguish among schools; we combine Chán, Pure Land, and Esoteric teachings together. In truth, Mahāmudrā and Chán arise from the same source, both are direct methods pointing to the true nature of mind, enabling one to become a Buddha right in this very moment without taking a roundabout path. This is a perfect and sudden approach. However, after having lectured several times, everyone still does not fully understand “form” (色, rūpa) and “emptiness” (空, śūnyatā). The last time someone asked me, “Is this emptiness something that is separate from form? For example, right now we have a house here, and many men and women, young and old, gathered together. Is emptiness found only when we leave the house and these people behind, when no appearances remain—is that emptiness?” It is not. He does not understand the meaning of form and emptiness! Therefore, it is necessary for us to clarify the principle of form and emptiness to understand the essence of Mahāmudrā. Only by doing so will our practice proceed smoothly. Otherwise, we will surely take a detour.
Original Text:
“第四講
我們雖然在講密宗大手印，但是我們不分宗派，禪、淨、密合在一塊講。其實大手印和禪宗是一鼻孔出氣，是直指心性，叫人當下成佛，不要大家走冤枉路的圓頓法門。但是講了幾次之後，大家對「色」和「空」還不十分理解。上次有人問我，這「空」是不是離開色之外的空？比如現在有房子，有這麼多男女老少相聚一堂，是不是離開房子、離開男女老少，沒有相了，才是「空」呢？不是的，他不理解色空之義啊！因此，我們有必要把色和空的義理弄懂，理解大手印宗旨，修行起來才比較順利，否則不免要走冤枉路。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] Mahāmudrā (大手印): A profound practice in the Vajrayāna tradition, often associated with direct recognition of mind’s true nature.
Section 2
English Translation:
What are form and emptiness, after all?
Original Text:
“那麼究竟什麼是色、什麼是空呢？”
Section 3
English Translation:
I once cited the kōan of Chan Master Qin Baduo questioning Dharma Master Shenggong. Today, let us bring it up again. At that time, Dharma Master Shenggong’s fame resounded throughout the nation; he enjoyed the reputation that even insentient stones nodded when he preached the Dharma, famed as “When Master Sheng speaks the Dharma, stubborn rocks nod in agreement.” Qin Baduo came to see Shenggong and asked him, “Master, you are of such old age and still give lectures on the sūtras. Which sūtra are you lecturing on?” Shenggong replied, “I am lecturing on the Prajñā Sūtras.” We know that the Great Prajñā Sūtra consists of 600 fascicles, dedicated to explaining form and emptiness. Its condensed version is the Diamond Sūtra, and the Diamond Sūtra’s condensed version is the Heart Sūtra. The Heart Sūtra states: “Form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness does not differ from form; form itself is emptiness, emptiness itself is form,” which elucidates the meaning of form and emptiness.
Original Text:
“我曾舉過秦跋陀禪師問生公法師的公案，今天不妨拈來再講一講。生公法師當時名震全國，享有「生公說法，頑石點頭」的盛譽。秦跋陀來看生公，問他：「大師，你年紀這麼大了還講經，講的什麼經啊？」生公說：「我講《般若經》」。我們知道《大般若經》六百卷，是專門講色與空的，它的縮本是《金剛經》，《金剛經》的縮本是《心經》。《心經》講「色不異空，空不異色，色即是空，空即是色」，就是講色空之義。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] The Great Prajñā Sūtra (Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra): A vast corpus of texts on ultimate wisdom.
[2] Diamond Sūtra and Heart Sūtra: Key Mahāyāna texts focusing on emptiness. The Heart Sūtra famously teaches the identity of form and emptiness.
Section 4
English Translation:
Chan Master Qin Baduo asked, “Oh! May I ask what is meant by form?” (What is form, after all?) Shenggong answered, “When many fine particles gather together, that is called form.” The term “fine particles” refers to what the Buddha mentioned to Subhūti in the Diamond Sūtra—countless dust motes that together form the world systems of the Three Thousand Great Thousand World realms. This great world system is formed through the aggregation of countless dust particles. Likewise, the houses we see now are formed by the aggregation of dust particles. Why is that? Bricks, tiles, wood, steel, cement—all are composed of infinitesimal particles. Aren’t bricks and tiles just made of clay? After shaping clay into bricks, we fire them in a kiln. Wood? It comes from great trees. And where do big trees come from? A tree seed draws nutrients from the soil and is nourished by sunlight, gradually growing over time. Thus, all things are aggregates of countless minute elements. None of them exists by itself inherently. All are collections of many subtle particles.
Original Text:
“秦跋陀禪師問：「哦！那麼請問什麼叫色呢？」（色是什麼東西？）生公答：「眾微聚集叫色」。眾微就是《金剛經》裏佛問須菩提時所說的「三千大千世界所有微塵」，這個大世界都是微塵聚集而成的。現在我們看到的房子等也是微塵聚集的。為什麼呢？磚瓦、木料、鋼筋、水泥都是微塵。磚瓦不就是泥土嗎？用泥做成坯子，放到窯裏去燒製成。木頭呢？是大樹。大樹是什麼地方來的呢？大樹是樹種子從泥土裏面吸取養份，日光照曬，慢慢長大，聚起來的。都是合起來的，眾微相聚的。並不是「某某樣的東西」本身就有的，本來都沒有自體，都是「眾微聚集」的。”
Section 5
English Translation:
Qin Baduo Chan Master then asked, “What is emptiness?” Shenggong replied, “Emptiness means that the multitude of fine particles has no inherent nature.” These infinitesimal dust motes do not exist independently; they are composed of other factors. Modern scientists say that all matter is formed from chemical elements (for example, water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen), and these chemical elements are composed of atoms. Atoms are composed of nuclei and electrons, and these, in turn, are composed of even subtler elementary particles. Even those so-called “elementary” particles are not truly fundamental; they consist of yet more subtle constituents, ultimately analyzed down to wave-particle duality—being sometimes like waves, sometimes like particles, neither entirely one nor the other. Actually, the Buddhist scriptures long ago spoke of the “neighboring-void particle” (鄰虛塵), an extremely minute dust particle close to being empty space.
At this point, some might think: Before aggregation, there is nothing at all—just emptiness. Thus, “When many fine particles gather, that is form; when they have not gathered, it is emptiness.” But this is not the emptiness taught in Buddhism. Shenggong did not say, “When many fine particles gather, it is form; and when they have not gathered, it is emptiness.” He aptly said, “When many fine particles have no inherent nature, that is emptiness.” The multitude of fine particles also lacks any fundamental substance (眾微也沒有本體)—they are without self-nature (無自性). Thus, form is emptiness, emptiness is form. This emptiness is not a barren void of nothingness. That would be a nihilistic emptiness. The emptiness that Shenggong spoke of is the emptiness of intrinsic nature—our own original nature. All forms and appearances manifest from our original nature. Our original nature is the Buddha-nature, the very root of all phenomena.
Original Text:
“秦跋陀禪師又問：「那麼，什麼叫空呢？」生公答：「眾微無自性叫空。」即微塵本身是沒有的，是別的東西合成的。現在科學家說，一切物質都是由化學元素合成的（比如水就是由氧、氫兩種元素合成的），化學元素是由原子組成的，原子是由原子核和電子組成的，原子核和電子是由更微小的基本粒子合成的。基本粒子也不「基本」，它是由更微細的東西合成的，一直分析到「波粒二像性」——既像波，又像粒子；既不是波，又不是粒子。其實佛經裏早就說過「鄰虛塵」——鄰近虛空的微塵。說到這裏大家可能這樣理解：沒有合成東西之前，什麼都沒有就是空，即「眾微聚集是色，眾微未聚是空」。其實佛教裏講的「空」並不是這個意思。生公不說「眾微聚集是色，眾微未聚是空」，他說得很好：「眾微無自性是空」。眾微也沒有本體——無自性。色就是空，空就是色，不是「空無所有」的空。「空無所有」的空就是「斷滅空」啊。生公所說的「空」是自性空，就是我們的本性。一切色相都是我們的本性顯現的。我們的本性就是佛性，就是一切色相的根本。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] 自性空 (Nature’s emptiness): Emptiness means lacking inherent existence. It is not mere nothingness but rather the absence of any independent self-nature.
[2] “Signless” here means that things do not possess a truly existing self-essence.
Section 6
English Translation:
Why is it called “Buddha-nature” rather than “Dharma-nature”? What is the difference?
Original Text:
“為什麼叫「佛性」，不叫「法性」，這裏邊有什麼區別呢？”
Section 7
English Translation:
Dharma-nature is the fundamental nature of all dharmas. Everything—every object and phenomenon, including our thoughts—is called “dharma” in the Buddhist scriptures. The scope of “dharmas” is extremely broad. All things, everything in existence, including our thoughts, are manifested from our luminous, enlightened true nature. Our luminous true nature is the root of all dharmas, so it is called “Dharma-nature.”
Original Text:
“法性是諸法的根本。所有的事事物物，包括我們的思想，都叫法。在佛經裏，法所包括的範圍很廣、很廣。所有的東西、事事物物乃至我們的思想都是我們的靈明真性所產生的，都是我們的靈明真性所顯現的妙用。我們的靈明真性是諸法的根本，所以叫「法性」。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] 靈明真性 (Luminous True Nature): Refers to the intrinsic, ever-present clarity and awareness of the mind, identical with Buddha-nature.
Section 8
English Translation:
Buddha-nature is the root of becoming a Buddha. When we eliminate all deluded thoughts and cut off ignorance completely, restoring our original face, the wondrous function of our luminous true nature is fully present. All Three Bodies and Four Wisdoms are complete—that is becoming a Buddha. There is no other Buddha to become. Our luminous true nature is the fundamental root of Buddhahood, hence it is called “Buddha-nature.” Buddha-nature and Dharma-nature both refer to the One True Dharma Realm, which is our luminous true nature. Thus, this luminous true nature is the root of all Buddhas and the source of myriad dharmas.
Original Text:
“佛性是成佛的根本。我們把妄想除光、無明斷盡，恢復本來面目，我們這個靈明真性的妙用就具足了。三身四智都具足了，那就是成佛了，不是另外有一個佛可成。我們的靈明真性是成佛的根本，所以叫「佛性」。佛性、法性都是指「一真法界」，就是我們的靈明真性。所以這個靈明真性是諸佛之本、萬法之源。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] 三身四智 (Three Bodies and Four Wisdoms): A key Mahāyāna concept referring to the awakened qualities of a Buddha.
Section 9
English Translation:
“Form is emptiness.” All forms are manifestations of our luminous true mind. Every form and appearance is our luminous true mind; our luminous true mind is all forms and appearances. Do not depart from appearances to seek emptiness. That would be emptiness of nothingness, which is incorrect. Therefore, Shenggong said, “When many fine particles gather, that is form; when many fine particles have no inherent nature, that is emptiness,” but he did not say, “When they are not gathered, that is emptiness.”
Original Text:
“「色」就是「空」，一切色都是我們的靈明真心所顯現的，一切色相就是我們的靈明真心，靈明真心就是一切色相。而不是離開一切色相來找空，那是空無所有的空，那就不對了。所以，生公說「眾微聚集是色，眾微無自性是空」而不說「眾微未聚是空」。”
Section 10
English Translation:
At this point, Qin Baduo pressed further, “What about before the fine particles have gathered—what then?” Since Shenggong said that when many fine particles gather, that is form, this addresses form but not the fundamental root. Actually, form is our own nature; without our nature, form could not manifest. Shenggong just stated, “When many fine particles gather, that is form.” Then what if they have not yet gathered? What is it then? Shenggong was at a loss—he could not answer. This shows that Shenggong had not completely penetrated the ultimate meaning of form and emptiness. In truth, if one were to answer Qin Baduo’s question, it could be done quite easily. If he asked, “When many fine particles have not yet gathered, how is it?” one could answer, “At midnight, the sun is blazing red!” Midnight is when it is pitch-dark; how can the sun be blazing red in the middle of the night? Another way to answer is found in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra: “The nature of form is truly empty.” This “nature of form” is our true mind’s form—wondrous existence and true emptiness. This true emptiness is not a dead void. “Nature of form”—does nature have form? Perhaps that sounds incorrect. We know that exoteric teachings say: our wondrously existent true mind—Buddha-nature—is completely without any sign (signless). However, the esoteric teachings say there is exceedingly subtle form—extremely fine and subtle. Just as the “four form realms of emptiness” (i.e., the formless heavens) are said to have no coarse form, yet subtle, extremely fine form still exists. Therefore, Esoteric and Exoteric teachings differ slightly in this regard. Yet, this subtle form is not coarse; it is subtle, fine, infinitely minute. “The nature of form is truly empty,” because it pervades all space and the entire Dharma realm. It is everywhere, so space itself is it, and it itself is space. They are not two different things.
Original Text:
“這時，秦跋陀進一步問他：「眾微未聚時如何呢？」因為生公說眾微聚集是色，這是色嗎？他沒說到根本去。其實這色就是我們的自性，因為沒有自性是無能顯色的。生公說「眾微聚集是色」。那麼眾微未聚呢？還未聚集的時候是什麼東西呢？生公罔措——生公到這裏就答不出來了。可見，生公對色空之義未能究竟。其實這句話要答他也便當得很，問眾微未聚時如何？答他午夜日正紅！午夜就是夜裏的三更天。三更天的夜裏太陽正通紅地照著——午夜日正紅。還有另一種答法，比如《楞嚴經》裏就有現成的：「性色真空」。性色就是我們真心之色，是妙有真空，這個真空就不是頑空。「性色」，性有色嗎？恐怕說錯了吧？我們知道顯教說：我們這「妙有真心」——佛性，是絲毫的相都沒有的——無相。但是，密教講有微細之相，有精微之色。就像我們說「四空天」（無色界）一點色相都沒有也不對，精微之色還是有的。所以，密教和顯教講的稍微有點差別。但這色不是粗的，而是精細、微細、極微細之色。「性色真空」，為什麼真空呢？它盡虛空遍法界，到處都是。所以，虛空就是它，它就是虛空，不是兩回事。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] 四空天 (Four Formless Heavens): Highest levels of the formless realm (arūpadhātu). The text clarifies subtle existence even there.
[2] 無相 (signless): Here indicating the original nature is free from any signs.
Section 11
English Translation:
Shenggong did not truly understand form and emptiness, but his statement “When many fine particles gather, that is form; when many fine particles lack inherent nature, that is emptiness” already surpasses the ordinary idea that emptiness means “nothing whatsoever beyond form.” He did not speak of emptiness as total nothingness; rather, he said that since many fine particles have no inherent nature, that is emptiness. A house has no self-essence by itself; it is formed by steel, cement, bricks, and tiles. A sofa chair similarly has no inherent nature; it is made from springs, boards, leather, and other combined materials. Nothing has a self-nature, so lack of inherent nature is called emptiness. This emptiness is not about having no appearance. Some people think that emptiness means no appearance at all. If there is an appearance, they assume it is not empty. That is a misunderstanding. The emptiness we speak of is “wondrous existence and true emptiness.” All forms and appearances are manifestations of our own nature. Without this nature—our luminous true mind—no mountains, rivers, earth, sun, moon, stars, or men and women could appear. The reason we have them now is that our luminous true mind manifests them.
Original Text:
“生公沒有真正理解色空義，但他說「眾微聚集叫色，眾微無自性叫空」，比我們所理解的「離開色相而空」更進一步了。他不說空無所有，他說眾微沒有自性，就像房子沒有自體，本身並沒有，是鋼筋、水泥、磚瓦和合成功的；沙發椅，本身也沒有，是由彈簧、木板、皮革等，配合成功的。任何事物本身都沒有本體，所以，無自性叫空，不是無相叫空。有人說空就不應該有相，有相就不是空。那是會錯意了，我們說的空，是「妙有真空」。就是說，一切色相都是我們自性所顯現，若沒有這個性（就是若沒有我們這個靈明真心），就不會有山河大地、日月星辰、男女老少了；今天之所以有，就是這個靈明真心所顯現的。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] 妙有真空 (Wondrous existence and true emptiness): A central Mahāyāna concept indicating that emptiness is not barren but full of infinite potential and manifestation.
Section 12
English Translation:
Why explain this principle? The purpose is to help everyone understand that these forms and appearances are originally our true mind. Do not seek the true mind apart from appearances. Searching outside appearances is futile. Our Buddha-nature’s wondrous function is boundless because it manifests infinitely varied appearances with endless marvelous functions. Once we understand this truth, we neither cling to appearances nor reject them. Let all appearances manifest freely without obstruction; then it becomes easier to see the true mind and realize complete Buddhahood. If we do not know where the mind is, our practice will have no foothold. For instance, if you recite the Buddha’s name without knowing where the Buddha’s name abides, saying “Amitābha Buddha, Amitābha Buddha…” while seeking a Buddha outside your own mind, trying to reach the Pure Land ten billion buddha-lands away, not knowing that your mind is the Buddha and the Buddha is your mind, then you will never find the Buddha. The Buddha is right here in your mind, not elsewhere. Thus, Qin Baduo asked Shenggong about form and emptiness, and Shenggong’s reply was off the mark.
Original Text:
“為什麼要講這個道理啊？目的是讓大家明白這個色相本來就是我們的真心。不要離開相去找真心，離相找真心，是找不到的。之所以說佛性妙用無邊，是因為它所顯的相是千差萬別、妙用無邊的。認識了這個真理之後，就不取相不著相，任它一切相現前而無礙，就易於見到真心，圓證佛果了。若不知道心在何處，修行就沒有著落處。比如你念佛，不知道佛號的落處，念「阿彌陀佛、阿彌陀佛……」，是求心外的佛，就是求離娑婆世界十萬億佛土之外的極樂淨土的佛，而不曉得你的心就是佛，佛就是你的心。佛不在別處，就在你心頭，不必到別處去求。所以，秦跋陀問生公色空義，生公的答法不對。”
Section 13
English Translation:
Qin Baduo further asked Shenggong, “Apart from the Prajñā Sūtra, what else do you teach?” Shenggong replied, “I also teach the Nirvāṇa Sūtra.” Qin asked, “What is the meaning of Nirvāṇa?” Shenggong answered, “Nirvāṇa means ‘Ni’ is not arising, and ‘Pan’ is not ceasing.” Qin asked, “Non-arising and non-ceasing—this is Nirvāṇa?” Shenggong said, “Yes, it is!” Qin responded, “That is the fruit-level Nirvāṇa of the Buddha. Where is the Nirvāṇa at the causal stage?” Shenggong could not answer. He asked Qin, “Does Nirvāṇa have two meanings?” He thought Nirvāṇa was just one. Qin Baduo, seeing Shenggong’s confusion, picked up a ruyi scepter and asked, “Do you see this?” Shenggong answered, “I see.” Qin asked, “What do you see?” Shenggong replied, “I see that the Chan Master is holding a ruyi.” Qin then threw the ruyi onto the ground. “Now do you see?” Shenggong said, “I see.” Qin asked, “What do you see?” Shenggong said, “I see that the Chan Master’s ruyi has fallen to the ground.” Qin Baduo laughed heartily, “Observing your conceptual understanding, you have not transcended the ordinary realm—how can your name resound through the universe?” meaning his so-called understanding had not surpassed that of common folk since he was still fixated on appearances. Qin turned and left.
(At this point, Elder Yuanyin picked up a book and asked the assembly: “What is this?” The audience answered: “A book, a Buddhist scripture.” The Master smiled: “Oh! You are clinging to it!” He laughed. Similarly, when Qin Baduo threw the object down, Shenggong’s mind followed the changing circumstances. He did not realize that form is emptiness and emptiness is form. Why then does he have such a great reputation? Isn’t it a pity?)
Original Text:
“秦跋陀禪師又進一步問生公：「除此《般若經》之外，您還講什麼經呢？」生公答：「還講《涅槃經》。」秦問：「請問涅槃之義是什麼呢？」公答：「涅者不生，槃者不滅。」秦問：「不生不滅是涅槃嗎？」公答：「是的！」秦曰：「這是佛的果上涅槃。什麼地方是因上的涅槃呢？」公答不出來，公問道：「涅槃還有二義嗎？」涅槃都是一樣的嘛，還有二義嗎？秦跋陀見生公不領會意思，就拿起如意問生公道：「你見麼？」公答：「見。」秦問：「你見什麼？」公答：「我見禪師手上拿著如意」。秦跋陀把如意「啪」地丟到地上，問：「你還見嗎？」公答：「見。」秦問：「見什麼？」公答：「見禪師手中如意墮地。」秦跋陀哈哈一笑：「觀公見解，未出常流，何得名喧宇宙？」意即你的見解不出常流，如普通人一樣著在相上，跟著我手中的東西轉。（此時元音上師拿起一本書，問：這是什麼東西？眾答：書、佛經。師笑道：噢！著在上面了，哈哈！）嗯，把這東西摜在地下，還跟著境界轉。你不知道色就是空，空就是色。為什麼名氣還這麼大啊？這真冤哉枉也！掉頭就走。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] Ruyi (如意): A ceremonial scepter symbolizing good fortune.
[2] Qin Baduo Chan Master’s critique: He points out that Shenggong is still bound by conceptual thinking and appearances, lacking direct realization.
Section 14
English Translation:
Shenggong had many disciples who became puzzled: “What is going on here? Could our Master have been wrong?” They chased after Qin Baduo and asked, “Dharma Master, how do you interpret form and emptiness?” Qin Baduo answered, “Your Master cannot be said to be entirely wrong, but he only understands the form and emptiness of the fruit stage, not the cause stage.” The disciples asked, “What is the form and emptiness of the cause?” Qin Baduo said, “Because one particle is empty, all particles are empty; and because all particles are empty, one particle is empty. Because one particle is empty, there are no ‘all particles’; and because all particles are empty, there is no ‘one particle’.” Since one particle is empty, naturally all are empty, and if all are empty, then none can be singled out, not even one. Thus, all phenomena are unobtainable.
Original Text:
“生公的弟子很多，他們迷惑了：哎呀，這是什麼緣故啊？難道我師父講錯了？於是追上去問秦跋陀：「法師，法師，你怎麼解釋這色和空啊？」秦跋陀答曰：「你師父講的也不能說是錯的，只是他不會因中的色空義，只會果上的色空義。」弟子問：「如何是因中色空？」秦跋陀禪師說：「一微空故眾微空，眾微空故一微空；一微空中無眾微，眾微空中無一微。」一微空，一個微塵根本是空，沒有自體，就是無自性。一個微塵空，其他的微塵當然也是空的了。依次類推，眾微都空。眾微空故一微空——眾微都是空的，就是一切微塵都空，那麼一個微塵也是空的了。一微空故無眾微——連一個微塵都是空的，還有什麼眾微呢？眾微空故無一微——既然眾微都空，還能找得到一個微塵嗎？他所講的「眾微空，一微空；一微空，眾微空」是說一切事物統統不可得。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] Cause vs. Fruit: “Cause-stage” relates to the fundamental emptiness realized in practice leading to awakening, while “fruit-stage” relates to the awakened perspective after realization.
Section 15
English Translation:
All form-appearances are the wondrous function of our true mind. Understanding the meaning of form and emptiness enables us to directly realize our nature in the midst of phenomena, without having to separate from them. For example, if someone points to a tree and asks, “What is this?” If you say “It’s a tree,” you are clinging to the name. If you say “It’s not a tree,” you fall into negation, separating from the realm of phenomena. In the end, what is it? Another Chan phrase goes: “It is hard to deceive a monk!” With a single phrase that touches neither existence nor non-existence, one reveals the undeniable luminous knowing. The Chan tradition employs a method of casting off all attachments without being bound by form or emptiness. If questioned, they observe whether you cling to existence or to emptiness. If you cling to neither, responding with a phrase that transcends both, you reveal the subtle meaning. To reach such a state, constant observation and recognition are needed: understand that all appearances are manifestations of the self-nature. Do not cling to them, nor abandon them. This is called “neither identical nor separate,” and understanding this leads to marvelously integrated functioning. Worldly affairs also do not depart from principle, as “events arise from principle, and principle is revealed through events.” Without principle, events cannot be accomplished; without events, principle cannot be revealed. Thus, principle and phenomena are perfectly interfused.
Original Text:
“一切色相都是我們真心的妙用，所以要明白這個色空之義，我們能真正明白了，就在境界上見性，不須離開境界見性。如指樹問：這是什麼？說是樹，著在上面了；說不是樹，又違背、離境了。這到底是什麼呀？換句話講：「難瞞和尚」，一句話二面不著而顯示這不能瞞的靈知就脫卸掉了。禪宗用的是脫卸法，不被彼色境捆住。他問你，就是看你是著有還是著空。你兩面都不著，一句話就脫卸了。但又不能說「我不是空，也不是有」，那還是說道理，還是不行。須說一句字面上不著空有，而暗含空有的妙語，方合道妙。要證到這種境界，須時時刻刻觀照，明白一切相都是自性所顯現，不著相，也不離相。這即是宗下所謂的「不即不離」，明乎此，方能妙用圓融。世間法也不離事理，所謂事因理成——依空理做成功事；理因事顯——事成功了，才把理顯出來。無理不能成事，無事不能顯理，故謂理事圓融。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] 不即不離 (Neither identical nor separate): A key Chan expression meaning not to cling to phenomena nor separate from them, recognizing the unity-in-distinction of emptiness and form.
Section 16
English Translation:
What is principle (理)? Consider scientists designing something. First, they derive formulas and data—these formulas and data represent principle. Following them to execute the construction, the object is made successfully. For example, when building a house of several stories, you first draw up blueprints and calculate how much steel, cement, and materials are needed. Workers then follow these blueprints to construct the building. If it is well built, that proves the blueprint was correct—the principle was correct. If it is not well built, the blueprint was flawed, and the principle incorrect. Thus, events rely on principle to succeed, and principle is revealed through events.
Original Text:
“理是什麼東西呢？舉一個例子：科學家設計一個東西，要把它造出來，就要先列出公式，算好資料，這公式、資料就是理。依照公式、資料去施工，就把這個東西做成了。比如我們造房子，造幾層，要什麼式樣，先畫出圖紙，再算出需要多少鋼筋、多少水泥、多少材料等。然後，工人照這個圖紙去施工，房子就造成功了。造得好，就證明這個圖紙是對的，就是這個理正確；造得不好，就是這個圖紙錯了，理不正確。所以，事因理成，理因事顯。”
Section 17
English Translation:
Principle and phenomena cannot be separated. Phenomena are principle; principle is phenomena. We must understand this truth and constantly train ourselves within the realm of conditions, refining our true mind. Therefore, understanding the meaning of form and emptiness is essential—never interpret emptiness as absolute nothingness. This emptiness is wondrous existence and true emptiness, which is our wondrous, true mind. Where is this true mind? It is right within phenomena, not separate from them. Yet, clinging to phenomena is also incorrect. If you become attached to phenomena, you fall into fixation. We Chan practitioners say: “All these lush yellow flowers are none other than prajñā; all this green bamboo is entirely the dharmakāya.” Great Master Dazhu said: “If green bamboo were the dharmakāya, then eating bamboo shoots would be eating the dharmakāya!” Since bamboo shoots come from bamboo, eating them would mean eating the dharmakāya, which is absurd. Thus, to be attached to the dharmakāya or appearances is equally mistaken. Nor should we abandon appearances. Separation from appearances leads to emptiness. Therefore, we must neither conflate nor reject—directly seeing our nature through appearances without dwelling in them. That is why the Diamond Sūtra says: “One should produce the mind without dwelling anywhere.” Without attachment, the true mind’s wondrous function constantly manifests. “To produce” means to manifest. When you manifest your wondrous, true mind at all times, it is ever-present. Thus, we must remain without attachment at all times, cultivating this non-abiding true mind.
Original Text:
“理事不可分，事就是理，理就是事。我們要明白這個道理，時時在境界上鍛煉自己，磨練我們的真心。所以要明白色空之義，千萬不要把空解釋為空無所有的空。這空是妙有真空，就是我們的妙心、真心。真心在什麼地方？就在事相上，不離事相，但是著在事相上也不對，著在事相上就是執著事，那也錯了。我們禪宗有兩句話，「鬱鬱黃花無非般若，青青翠竹儘是法身。」大珠和尚講：青青翠竹若是法身，那麼人吃筍子就是吃法身了！竹子是筍子長成的，我們把筍子拿來炒著吃，豈不是把法身吃掉了麼？所以說著在法身、著在事相上都不對。離開事相呢？離開事相落空了也錯。所以，要不即不離，要透過事相見性，事事不住著。所以《金剛經》說：「應無所住，而生其心」，不要著在上面，妙用真心時時現前。生者，就是顯現，即你的妙有真心就現前了。所以，我們要時時刻刻無住，要磨練這個無住真心。”
Section 18
English Translation:
Whether one practices Pure Land, Chán, or Vajrayāna, one must work diligently in this manner. For instance, reciting the Buddha’s name—should one practice contemplation (觀)? Contemplation means cultivating meditative concentration. When you recite the Buddha’s name, let the mind recite and the ear listen quietly, thereby gathering the mind into concentration. This is called the “Buddha-name contemplation.” Reciting the Buddha’s name is not like singing a folk song, nor should you recite “Amitābha, Amitābha” while chatting with others. That will not do! You must cultivate the “Buddha-name contemplation” because contemplation is meditation. Meditation has many types: worldly meditation, śrāvaka (Hīnayāna) meditation, bodhisattva (Mahāyāna) meditation, and the supreme meditation, as well as outside-path meditations. Ordinary or Hīnayāna meditation still harbor dualistic notions (differentiation). What is differentiation? It is the mistaken notion that mind and dharmas are not the same path, that emptiness and form are different. Clinging to appearances for bodily health or conceiving that mind and form are separate, or that only emptiness is real while form is not—all these are distortions. Outside-path meditation also entails differentiation, either falling into nihilism or grasping existence—such as clinging to some “divine self.” None of these are the authentic path of meditation. We must first establish correct understanding, then select a method suitable to our capacity so as not to go astray.
Original Text:
“我們修法，不管是修淨土宗，還是禪宗、密宗都要這樣做功夫。比如說我們念佛，要不要修觀呢？觀是什麼？觀就是禪觀，就是修定啊！你念佛名號，要心念耳聞，靜靜地傾聽念佛聲，才能攝心入定，這叫念佛觀。念佛不是唱山歌，更不可一邊「阿彌陀佛、阿彌陀佛」，一邊跟別人講話，那不行！必須修「念佛觀」，觀就是修禪啊！禪有很多種，有凡夫禪、小乘禪、大乘禪、最上乘禪，還有外道禪。所謂凡夫禪、小乘禪者，就是心有異計。什麼叫異計？就是心有差別。誤認心和法不是一個路子，空和色不是一個東西，著在相上求色身健康，或是以為心法不是色法，色法不是心法，以偏空之理修禪等等，都是異計。外道禪呢？也是心帶異計，它不是落空——偏於斷滅，即是著有——著在「陽神、神我」上。以上都不是真正的禪道。我們修禪須先明正因，擺正知見，爾後擇一與自己根性相契的正法來修習，才不致步入歧途。”
Footnotes/Annotations:
[1] 異計 (Differentiation): Holding dualistic or erroneous views.
[2] 陽神、神我: Outside-path concept of a “spiritual self” or soul-entity, contrary to Buddhist non-self teaching.
Section 19
English Translation:
For greater clarity, let us discuss again the outside-path meditations, Hīnayāna meditation, Mahāyāna meditation, etc. To yearn for the Buddha’s path and dislike the Saṃsāra of the Saha world is called “the mind of approval and aversion.” In the Pure Land tradition, having both admiration for the Pure Land and aversion to the Saha world is excellent. With one utterance of “Amitābha,” both admiration and aversion are present, aiming to depart from this impure realm to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. However, from a meditation standpoint, whenever there is admiration above and aversion below, that is still ordinary person’s meditation—one has not yet entered the sage’s realm. Outside-path practitioners also have admiration and aversion. They want to become immortals and leave behind this ordinary human world. They do not realize that immortals are still ordinary beings and that Buddhas and ordinary beings share the same essence. Unaware of their own true nature, they seek outside of themselves. Therefore, this is called outside-path.
Original Text:
“為了使大家更明瞭起見，再將外道禪、小乘禪、大乘禪等複講一下。欣慕佛道，厭離娑婆，這叫「欣厭之心」。在淨土宗講來，這是很好的，要一句彌陀，欣厭具足，就是希望到西方極樂世界去，脫離這個娑婆世界。這「欣厭具足」在修禪上說來，凡有欣上厭下之心就是凡夫禪，沒有入聖，還是凡夫境界。外道也是欣上厭下，他要成仙，要離開這個凡夫世界。他不明白仙就是凡夫，凡夫就是仙；佛就是凡夫，凡夫就是佛，本自一體，所以欣上厭下，往心外去求，不知道自性是真的，是故名外道。”
Section 20
English Translation:
Those who awaken only to the emptiness of self and incline toward what they consider the “true” aspect—this is the meditation of the Hīnayāna. Such a practitioner knows that body and mind are composed of the four great elements and the five aggregates. The body is formed from earth, water, fire, and wind; the mind is thought, and thought is mind; mind is feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. Together, these four great elements and five aggregates constitute what is called the five aggregates. A Hīnayāna meditator understands that what arises from the four great elements and five aggregates is unreal and not true. Unlike ordinary beings who cling to the body as “I,” lavishly caring for it with fine clothing, good food, and comfortable dwellings—thus creating karma and undergoing retribution—the Hīnayāna sage knows that the “person” or “self” (the body) is empty and unreal. However, such a practitioner remains biased toward emptiness. Biased toward what emptiness? They say: “After I exit the six realms of cyclic existence, I will dwell unmoving in a pure land beyond the realms of desire, form, and formlessness.” Yet, holding onto the four great elements and the five aggregates as having a fundamental essence—this “grasping at dharmas” is not relinquished. They still do not know or understand that all illusory appearances are the wondrous function manifested by our true mind. Hence, though they have awakened to the emptiness of “I,” they remain “partial to truth,” attached to this authentic, unchanging true mind, not realizing “the illusory is the true, and the true is the illusory; the entirely illusory is precisely the true, and the entirely true is precisely the illusory.”
Original Text:
“悟我空偏真之理而修者，就是小乘禪。他已經曉得身心是四大五蘊合成的，身體就是地水火風。心就是思想，思想就是心，心就是受想行識，與這四大組成的色身合起來稱為五蘊。四大五蘊合成的東西，小乘禪人曉得是假的，是不真實的。不像我們凡夫，執著這個身體，認身體是我，要保護它，要穿得好、吃得好、住得好，樣樣都要好，就造業受報。小乘聖人知道四大五蘊是假的，他曉得這個「人我」（就是身體）是空而不實的。但是他偏空了。他偏什麼空呢？他說：我出了六道輪迴之後，就住在界外淨土（就是這欲界、色界、無色界之外的淨土），安住這裏不動了。執著這地水火風四大種性為我，「法執」未了，還不知道、不理解一切假相都是我們真心所顯現的妙用。所以叫做雖悟「我空」，但是「偏真」，偏於這個真實不虛的真心，不曉得「假就是真，真就是假；全假即真，全真即假」。”
Footnotes/Annotations (if any):
[1] “偏真” (partial to truth) indicates the practitioner has realized the emptiness of self but not fully realized the non-duality of phenomena and their nature. They consider one aspect as ultimately real, failing to integrate emptiness completely.
Section 21
English Translation:
They do not understand that without the illusory there can be no true, and without the true there can be no illusory. Thus, illusory is true, and true is illusory. By discriminating between true and false here, one still uses a deluded mind that engages in differentiation. For example, everyone regards the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss as truly pure, and this Saha world as impure and illusory, and thus they reject the Saha world and aspire toward the Pure Land. This is making a distinction between true and illusory.
In fact, the Western Pure Land is indeed true, and our Saha world is also true. Why is that? Because the Western Pure Land is manifested by the Buddha-nature of Amitābha and the assembly of superior and virtuous beings, therefore it is a pure land manifested by a pure mind. Our Saha world arises from the karmically obstructed mind of sentient beings, thus it is a world of the five degenerations, an impure world. Yet what is this karmically obstructed mind, the ālayavijñāna (storehouse consciousness)? It is our Buddha-nature, our true mind. Since the eighth consciousness—ālayavijñāna—is itself the true mind, without the true mind how could there be an ālayavijñāna? It is called ālayavijñāna because it is a combination of the born and ceasing, and the unborn and unceasing aspects all mixed together. Removing the born-and-ceasing part, what remains is the pure essence. Therefore, ālayavijñāna is not separate from a pure essence. Although it is a defiled essence, it is still the true mind!
Original Text:
“沒有假，哪有真？沒有真，哪有假？所以，假就是真，真就是假。你在這裏分真分假，還是妄心，有分別啊！如西方極樂世界，大家認為西方極樂世界是真，娑婆世界是假，所以要厭離娑婆，欣往極樂。這是真假之分。
其實西方極樂世界是真，我們娑婆世界也是真，為什麼呢？因為西方極樂世界是阿彌陀佛和諸上善人佛性所顯現，所以是淨土，是清淨心所顯現；我們這個娑婆世界是眾生業障心所顯現，所以是五濁惡世。但是業障心——阿賴耶識是什麼呢？是我們的佛性、是我們的真心。因為，這第八識——阿賴耶識就是真心，不是真心哪里來阿賴耶識呢？之所以稱為阿賴耶識者，就是它由生滅、不生不滅混合到一塊的緣故，把這生滅部分去掉，那就是清淨體了。是故阿賴耶識不離清淨體，它雖然是污染體，可也是真心啊！”
Footnotes/Annotations (if any):
[1] 五濁 (Five Turbidities): Refers to the degenerations of the current world-age, characteristic of the Saha world.
Section 22
English Translation:
What is our true mind like? It does not move. In purity it is thus; in defilement it is also thus. Just like when we are sleeping and dreaming: suddenly frightened, suddenly joyful, at one moment becoming an emperor, the next a beggar—throughout all this the body never leaves the bed and remains unmoving. Our true mind is unmoving; it neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, neither moves nor is still, neither defiled nor pure. It has never moved. Everything is manifested by it, and apart from it nothing exists. Therefore, if you say “true,” then the Saha world is also true; if you say “illusory,” then the Western world is also illusory.
Why is this so? Because all appearances are unreal. One must not become attached to appearances. What are appearances? Appearances are all reflections of the true mind, like images in a mirror. Do not take the reflected images as the mirror itself. We only need not cling to the reflections within the true mind; why bother distinguishing which is true or illusory? Thus, saying “true” or “illusory” is just our deluded mind making distinctions. It is “neither true nor illusory, both true and illusory, and at once true and illusory.” Remove the discriminating mind and that suffices. The Two Vehicle sages do not understand this principle. They think there is something truly existent. Having attained sainthood themselves, that is considered “true,” and the ordinary beings in the six realms of cyclic existence are considered “illusory.” For this reason, their understanding still is not the meditation of the highest vehicle; it remains a Two Vehicle meditation.
Original Text:
“真心是怎麼樣子的呢？它是不動的，清淨時如此，污染時亦如此。好像我們睡著作夢一樣，一下子受驚嚇了，一下子歡喜了，一會兒做皇帝，一會做乞丐了，而我們的身體未離開床，還是躺著不動。我們的真心它是不動的，它是不生不滅，不來不去，不動不靜、不垢不淨的，它從未動過。一切都是它所顯現，離開它什麼都沒有。所以，你說真，娑婆世界也真；你說假，西方世界也假。
為什麼？凡所有相，皆是虛妄啊！不能著相。相是什麼？相都是真心的影子，鏡中顯現的影子，莫將影子當鏡子啊！我們只是不要真心中的影子、影像而已，何必認取真呢？所以，說真說假都是我們的妄心分別，它是「非真非假，亦真亦假，即真即假」，你把分別心拿掉就行了。二乘聖人不明白這個真理，認為有真的，他證聖了是真，六道輪迴的凡夫都是假。所以，這還不是最上乘禪，這是二乘禪。”
Section 23
English Translation:
Those who, through their practice, realize the truth revealed by the emptiness of both self and dharmas are engaged in Mahāyāna meditation. We have already discussed the meditation of ordinary beings, of those outside the path, and of Hīnayāna practitioners. By the time we reach Mahāyāna meditation, one has awakened to the fact that neither “I” nor “dharmas” can be obtained. Previously we mentioned that Hīnayāna sages—arhats and pratyekabuddhas—only realize the emptiness of the person, not the emptiness of dharmas. Dharma-self means that beyond the personal self, they still believe there are fundamental elements like the four great elements and a dharmic essence to cultivate, a Buddha-Dharma to attain, a Nirvāṇa to realize, and birth and death to be ended. Thus, dharma-self is not empty to them. Advancing further, one realizes that neither personal self nor dharma-self exists; everything that exists is the wondrous function manifested by our marvelous, truly existent, and empty nature mind. This marvelous mind is emptiness of nature and none of it can be grasped. But even knowing both person and dharmas are empty is still not ultimate, not yet the best.
Original Text:
“悟我法二空所顯真理而修者，是大乘禪。我們講了凡夫禪、外道禪、小乘禪，到大乘禪就已經醒悟了，我也不可得，法也不可得。剛才講了，小乘聖人羅漢、辟支佛，只悟人我空，法我不空。法我就是人我之外有四大種性為我，人我之外還有法身可修，有佛法可得，有涅槃可證，有生死可了，法還是有。所以，法我不空。那麼，進一步到人我也沒有，法我也沒有，一切一切都是我的妙用真心所顯現，而妙有真心就是性空，都不可得。但是，悟到了人我、法我都空的道理，還不究竟，還不是最好。”
Section 24
English Translation:
What is the best approach? The best is what we are now discussing: if one has a sudden realization of one’s originally pure nature, devoid of any defilement or affliction, and inherently endowed with non-leaking wisdom, fully trusting without any doubt that this mind is Buddha. This is the meditation of the supreme vehicle. In other words, if we comprehend that our mind is originally pure and undefiled, originally free from afflictions, and innately endowed with wisdom free from contamination (with “leaking” meaning influenced by conceptual fabrications and karmic formations, and “non-leaking” meaning naturally free of all constructs, all afflictions ended, and great wisdom fully present), this very mind is Buddha, with no difference at all. That is truly the best.
Original Text:
“最好是什麼呢？最好就是我們現在所講的：假如頓悟自性本來清淨，別無煩惱，無漏智性，本來具足，此心是佛，諦信無疑，就更進一步了，這是最上乘禪。就是說假如我們領會到：自己的心本來是清淨無染的，本來是沒有煩惱，無漏智性本來具足（有漏——有思想、有造作的有為法。無漏——就是一切造作都沒有，法爾如是，一切煩惱都沒有，大智慧本來具足），此心就是佛，和佛沒有分別。這才是最好。”
Section 25
English Translation:
Since we are originally Buddha and not different from Buddha, why do we not know this now? Since the mind is originally pure, originally without afflictions, why do we currently have so many afflictions and lack purity? What is the reason? It is because of ignorance. Due to ignorance, we engage in deluded thoughts and discriminations, becoming confused by external conditions without realizing it, following external realms, and drifting along with deluded thoughts. Because of this, we create karma and undergo retribution, revolving endlessly through the six paths of cyclic existence. The reason lies in being deluded and not awakening. Therefore, I explain the principle in detail so that all may awaken.
Original Text:
“既然我們就是佛，和佛無別，為什麼我們卻不知道呢？既然心本來清淨，本來沒煩惱，為什麼我們現有這麼多煩惱，一點也不清淨呢？這是什麼緣故呢？這就是無明做怪之故啊！由於無明之故，我們妄想分別，迷於外境而不自覺，跟著境界跑，隨著妄念流。我們所以造業受報，六道輪迴，無有了期，其原因就在於迷而不覺，所以，我不厭其詳地來闡明真理使大家開悟。”
Section 26
English Translation:
All sentient beings possess this wondrously existent true mind. When Śākyamuni Buddha awakened under the Bodhi tree on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, he exclaimed: “Marvelous! Marvelous! All beings of the great earth possess the wisdom and virtuous characteristics of the Tathāgata!” Why are they not aware of it? Because of deluded thoughts and inverted views, clinging to afflictions without knowing it. Explaining the Dharma aims to guide beings out of confusion and reveal the inherently complete wondrously bright true mind. Buddha-nature is not elsewhere; it shines right at our face. Who sees things? Who hears sounds? Who smells scents or tastes flavors? Who feels contact with the external world? Who walks, who works? It is our self-nature’s radiant function. If we awaken right now, that is sudden awakening. Our mind is inherently pure and free of afflictions, innately endowed with the Buddha’s wisdom. This very mind is Buddha. We need not seek outside. Understanding this truth and practicing accordingly is the meditation (Ch'an/禪）of the highest vehicle.
Original Text:
“一切眾生都具足這個妙有真心，釋迦佛在臘月初八夜睹明星悟道時說：「奇哉，奇哉，大地一切眾生，皆具如來智慧德相。」為什麼不自覺呢？就因為妄念顛倒，執著煩惱而不自知。所以，我們講經就是指示迷津，說明我們本來具足的妙明真心。佛性不在別處，就在我們面門上放光。怎麼放光啊？看見東西的是誰？聽見聲音的是誰？鼻子聞到香臭的是誰？舌頭說話的是誰？知道酸甜苦辣的是誰？接觸外境的是誰？走路的是誰？做工作是誰呀？這都是我們自性放光的妙用，要認識它啊！假如我們當下悟道，就是頓悟。我們的心本來就是如此清淨，本來一點煩惱也沒有，本來具足如來智慧。這個心就是佛啊！不要到外面求佛了。明白了這個道理，依此而修者是最上乘禪。”
Paragraph 1
English Translation:
If one does not understand this principle, one practices blindly, taking wrong turns, going in circles and never breaking free. Therefore, at the cause stage, one must be correct—one must understand this principle clearly, and at every moment be aware that we ourselves are Buddha, that Buddha is nowhere else. Some of you might ask: “Right now I am Buddha? Then why do I not manifest spiritual powers? The Buddha possesses the three insights and six superknowledges!” The ancient masters said: “Recognize the frozen pond as entirely water, relying on the warmth of the sun to melt it.” This is a metaphor. In cold winter, the water in the pond freezes into ice, yet this ice is still water! “Recognize” means to know. Recognize that the frozen pond is entirely water (this is a metaphor for sentient beings originally being Buddha). By borrowing the warmth of the sun, the ice melts. Once melted, it can then serve the function of irrigation. Ice is solid and does not flow (this is a metaphor that sentient beings do not possess the three insights and six superknowledges). Once it melts and can flow, it can irrigate the fields (this is a metaphor for the Buddha possessing the three insights and six superknowledges). Next comes the phrase: “Awaken to the ordinary person and thereby become Buddha, relying on the power of the Dharma to refine through perfuming.” To awaken to the ordinary person as Buddha means that upon awakening, we realize that this ordinary mind is precisely the Buddha-mind. “Relying on the power of the Dharma to refine through perfuming” means to rely on something, to borrow something. What do we rely on? We rely on the power of the Buddha-Dharma, borrowing the power of the Buddha-Dharma to help us in our practice.
Original Text:
“不明白這個道理，盲修瞎練，走彎路，兜圈子，兜來兜去，出不去。所以，因地要正，要明白這個道理，時時刻刻都要知道，我們自己就是佛，佛不在別處。你們或者要問：我現在就是佛？為什麼我不顯神通啊？佛有三明六通啊！古德說過：「識冰池而全水，藉陽氣以消融」。這是個比喻。冬天寒冷，池塘裏的水結成冰了，但這冰就是水啊！識就是認識。識冰池而全水，認識到這個冰凍的池塘全都是水（比喻眾生本來是佛）。藉陽氣以消融，要假借陽光，把這冰融化了。融化之後，方成灌溉之功。冰是固體，不會流動（比喻眾生不具三明六通）。融化之後，能流動了，就可以灌溉田地了（比喻佛具三明六通）。接下來：「悟凡夫而即佛，資法力以薰修」。悟凡夫而即佛，就是我們醒悟了，知道這凡夫心就是佛心。資法力以薰修，資者，資助也，就是假借。用什麼東西資助啊？用佛法的力量，要假借佛法的力量來幫助我們修行。”
Footnotes/Annotations (if any):
[1] “Three insights and six superknowledges” refer to special awakened qualities of a Buddha.
[2] “Perfuming” (薰修) means gradually refining the mind by repeatedly immersing it in the influence of the Dharma until all habitual tendencies transform.
Paragraph 2
English Translation:
Because although we have awakened, it is only intellectual awakening, only an initial awakening—just the beginning of realization. Our habitual tendencies are still heavy and cannot be eliminated at once. Therefore, we must rely on the power of the Dharma to help us, continuously “perfuming” at every moment. That means, for instance, using the Buddha’s name recitation, forming mudrās, mantra recitation, watching over the huatou and raising the great doubt, and other methods to perfume and refine ourselves. In this way, we transform the deluded seeds and defiled seeds in the field of our eighth consciousness into pure seeds, turning our habitual tendencies into wondrous functions.
Original Text:
“因為我們悟雖悟了，只是理悟，只是始覺——才開始覺悟。習氣還很重，一下子了不了。所以要借法力幫助我們，時時刻刻薰它，就是假念佛號、結印、持咒、照顧話頭起疑情等方法來薰修，把我們這八識田中的妄種子、污穢種子薰成淨種子，將習氣轉化為妙用。”
Footnotes/Annotations (if any):
[1] Huatou (話頭) is a Chán meditation technique involving focusing on a “head of a saying” or fundamental inquiry to break through conceptual mind.
[2] The eighth consciousness (ālayavijñāna) stores all karmic seeds.
Paragraph 3
English Translation:
After understanding the principle, one must still rely on the power of the Buddha-Dharma to practice! Without practice, you cannot bring it into actual experience; it is useless. It is absolutely not the case that just by speaking about it or understanding it once is enough. That will not do! Perhaps now you have awakened: everything is illusory, you put everything down, you cling to nothing. But as soon as you leave this place and walk down the street, it all disappears instantly. Several friends told me: “Ah! Today I went to the crematorium, and my heart turned to ashes. When a person’s breath stops, burned to ash there is nothing left. What is there to cling to? Nothing at all! The mind became dead and empty.” But they had not gone very far before they desired various things again. Their habitual tendencies are strong! Therefore, we can only say sudden awakening followed by gradual cultivation. Actually, speaking of sudden awakening and gradual cultivation, logically it is not consistent. If one still needs gradual cultivation, it means no true sudden awakening has occurred. The Prajñā Sūtra says so. But if we speak too loftily, it will not work, for we lack that capacity. Thus, the Śūraṅgama Sūtra explains two methods: “In principle there is sudden awakening, and with awakening all afflictions vanish at once; in terms of phenomena, habitual tendencies must be removed gradually and in sequence.” Once the principle is explained, a person may instantly awaken, and after awakening, all habitual tendencies vanish completely, leaving nothing. Immediately it is empty and pure. Indeed, there are such people, but they are very few, extremely rare—superior, superior roots, beings who have come again [from past lives]. If one is not such a reborn adept, it is impossible to achieve complete penetration in one instant of awakening. Yet what appears to be a sudden leap today is in fact the result of gradual cultivation in the past, accumulated slowly, slowly from long ago, so that today, “pa!” one breaks free. The Śūraṅgama Sūtra says: “In principle there is sudden awakening, and with awakening all afflictions vanish; in terms of phenomena, habitual tendencies must be gradually removed, completed in sequence.” This originally describes two methods: the perfect sudden method and the gradual method. A very small minority of those with superior faculties, beings who have come again, upon hearing the principle immediately awaken; all habitual tendencies vanish at the instant of awakening, and spiritual powers and wondrous functions appear right then. But the majority, those of middle or lower faculties, must temper themselves after awakening, gradually removing habitual tendencies, and only then can they slowly bring forth their function. Now we might as well combine these two methods into one—that is, “In principle, sudden awakening; in terms of phenomena, gradual removal,” combining both sudden and gradual approaches into a single practice. Why say this? Because we now live in the final age of the Dharma, beings have dull faculties and heavy obstacles, incapable of sudden awakening, sudden cultivation, and sudden realization. Hence we have no choice but to merge the two methods into one: after awakening to the principle, we maintain and guard this realization, diligently removing habitual tendencies, and gradually manifesting spiritual powers and attainment of fruition. Merging sudden awakening with gradual cultivation may be logically inconsistent, but it suits today’s circumstances and can be used. This principle is not easy to explain clearly. Let us illustrate with a story from when the Buddha was in the world. Two disciples of the Buddha were discussing a statement the Buddha made, each offering their own rationale and neither yielding. They went to ask the Buddha: “Buddha, which one of us aligns with your meaning?” The Buddha said, “Neither of your interpretations aligns with my meaning, but both of your interpretations can be used.” Why so? Because they fit the actual circumstances! Therefore, now we have no choice but to speak of sudden awakening followed by gradual cultivation.
Original Text:
“明理之後還須借佛法之力來修啊！不修是落不到實處的、是沒用的。絕不是就這麼一說一理解可以了。不行啊！或許你現在悟到：一切都是假的，一切都放下，一切不執著。但可能出了這裏到街上一逛，馬上就沒有了。有好幾個朋友告訴我：唉！我今天到了火葬場，心都灰了。人一口氣不來，燒成灰什麼都沒有了。還粘什麼東西？不粘了，不粘了！這心死了空了。但是沒走多遠，又什麼東西都要了，習氣重啊！所以我們只好說頓悟漸修。其實頓悟漸修，講起來是不通的，還要漸修就是沒有頓悟，《般若經》就是這樣講的。但是說得太高了不行，我們沒有這個力量。所以《楞嚴經》就講兩種法：「理屬頓悟，乘悟並消；事須漸除，因次第盡。」道理一講，他馬上就醒悟了，悟了之後一切習氣都消散了，都不要了，立刻就空淨了。這種人的確是有，但只是少數、極少數，是上上根、再來人。不是再來人，不可能做到一悟即徹。然而今朝之頓乃昔日之漸也。是從前、從前、再從前，慢慢、慢慢地修行積累起來的，所以今天「啪」一脫就脫掉了。《楞嚴經》說「理屬頓悟，乘悟並消；事須漸除，因次第盡。」這本是講兩種法門，一是圓頓法，一是漸次法。極少數的上上根、再來人，一聞道理，馬上醒悟，一切習氣，乘開悟剎那即已消滅，神通妙用即可發現了。大多數中下根人須於悟後，在事上磨練，漸除習氣而後始能慢慢發揮作用。現在我們不妨將兩種法門合二為一，就是所謂「理屬頓悟，事須漸除」，頓漸二門合起來修。為什麼這樣講呢，因為現在是末法時代，眾生根鈍障重，不能頓悟、頓修、頓證，因此只好將兩種法門合為一門，在理悟後保任，勤除習氣，而漸漸地發通證果。頓悟漸修合在一起，講起來是不通的，但符合現在的實際情況，就可借用。這個道理不易講清楚，我們不妨舉釋迦佛在世時的故事來說明。釋迦佛座下的兩個弟子討論佛講的一句話，公說公理，婆說婆理，相持不下，就去問佛：佛啊，你看我們兩人哪個說的道理符合你老人家的意思？佛說，你們兩人的都不符合我的意思，但是你們兩人的意思都能用。為什麼？符合實際情況嘛！所以，我們現在只好講頓悟漸修了。”
Footnotes/Annotations (if any):
[1] The passage references teachings from the Prajñā Sūtras and the Śūraṅgama Sūtra (楞嚴經), discussing sudden and gradual approaches to enlightenment.
[2] “Root capacities”: high-level practitioners are called “上上根” or “beings of highest faculties,” sometimes “再來人” meaning those who have returned (reincarnated adepts) are rare.
Paragraph 4
English Translation:
How then should we practice? For those of the Pure Land school, they recite “Amitābha Buddha, Amitābha Buddha,” using this Buddha-name to sweep away the impurities in their minds, to sweep away habitual tendencies, and to sweep away afflictions. As soon as afflictions arise, they loudly recite “Amitābha Buddha!” transforming and dissolving these afflictions into emptiness. Chán practitioners, on the other hand, continuously watch over the huatou. The moment afflictions arise, they ask: “Who is it?” Immediately striking directly: “Who is moving these afflictions? Who is the one who generates these afflictions?” This is watching over the huatou. For Vajrayāna practitioners, as soon as afflictions arise, they immediately recite mantras to transform them. Although the methods differ, the principle is the same. Do not say, “I practice Pure Land, so you Chán people are wrong,” or “I practice Chán, so you Pure Land people are wrong,” or “I practice Vajrayāna, so you Chán and Pure Land practitioners are both wrong.” Making such distinctions means you have not achieved thorough understanding. If you have thoroughly understood and reached the subtle function, you would say: Chán, Pure Land, and Vajrayāna are all methods, various skillful means with many entrances, yet all return to the same source. Borrowing the power of the Buddha-Dharma and applying oneself in practice, one sweeps away habitual tendencies and transforms afflictions into emptiness. At that point, “when the ice melts, the water flows freely, then its function of irrigating and cleansing is revealed; when all delusions are ended, the mind becomes empty and open, enabling the manifestation of spiritual radiance.” When the mind-flower fully opens, spiritual powers appear and wondrous functions have no limit. All these are attained through actual practice. Without practice, can it be done? No! Therefore, one must definitely practice.
Original Text:
“那怎麼修呢？淨土宗人就念佛：「阿彌陀佛、阿彌陀佛」拿這佛號掃盡我們心裏的污穢，掃盡我們心裏的習氣，掃盡我們的煩惱。煩惱剛冒出來，就高聲念「阿彌陀佛」，把你的心轉空、化空。參禪人呢？時時照顧話頭也。煩惱才動，問：「你是誰？」當頭就一棒：「這煩惱是誰動的？動煩惱的是誰？」當頭一棒打過去，這就是照顧話頭。密宗行人煩惱一起，就馬上持咒將其轉化。雖然方法有不同，但道理是一樣。不要說：我淨土宗好，你禪宗不對；我禪宗好，你淨土宗不對；我密宗好，你們禪宗、淨土宗都不對。這是分門別戶，說明你還沒通達。若通達起妙用了，你就會說：禪也好、淨也好、密也好都是手段，方便有多門，歸元無二路。我們假佛法的力量，用功修行，掃盡我們的習氣，化空我們的煩惱，就「冰消則水流潤，方顯溉滌之功；妄盡則心虛通，應現通光之用。」心花通明了，就神通顯發、妙用無邊。這都是修行所證的，你說不修，行嗎？不行啊！所以說一定要修。”
Footnotes/Annotations (if any):
[1] Huatou (話頭): A “word-head” or “point of inquiry” in Chán practice.
[2] The analogy of melting ice and irrigating fields is continued here, symbolizing the release of inherent spiritual potential upon eliminating afflictions.
Paragraph 5
English Translation:
Someone asked: “When an awakened person’s lifespan ends, where does their spirit go?” This is a major question! After awakening, where does one go at death? Many people ask this. A person from Hong Kong once wrote to me, saying that if one is truly awakened, one should know in advance where one will go at death, and if one does not know this, then one has not awakened. Is this statement correct? It is not correct! Why not? If one is truly awakened, then there is no birth and no death, no coming and no going—what place could there be? I mentioned earlier that this wondrous and sublime true mind is of extremely subtle “color” [form], and this subtle form is actually emptiness. Emptiness—what place could it have? If you insist on a place, then there is coming and going, and thus birth and death, which means no awakening has occurred. The person who wrote the letter does not understand this principle, so he asks about the time of death: “When this life ends, where does one go?” Not only is it his question; it is everyone’s question. Therefore, today, let’s bring up a passage from Chan Master Guifeng Zongmi to discuss this issue again. Chan Master Guifeng Zongmi said: “All sentient beings without exception possess the nature of awareness, luminous and in empty quiescence, not differing from the Buddha in the slightest. Yet from beginningless kalpas onward, never having awakened, they have clung to the body as a self and thus given rise to emotions of love and hate. Following these emotions, they create karma; following karma, they receive retribution, undergoing birth, aging, sickness, and death, roaming through long eons of cyclic existence. However, within the body, the nature of awareness has never experienced birth or death. It is like being driven and frightened in a dream, while the body remains at ease in bed; like water turning into ice without losing its moisture. If one can awaken to this nature, that is the dharmakāya, originally unborn—how could it depend on anything else? Radiantly clear, never dim, clearly and constantly knowing, with no place of coming or going. Yet over countless lives of deluded clinging, habit becomes second nature, producing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, subtle currents that flow on. Although the truth can be realized suddenly, these emotional tendencies are hard to remove immediately. One must constantly be aware, and reduce them further and further, like wind suddenly stopping and waves gradually subsiding. How could what one has practiced in a single lifetime immediately equal the power and function of all Buddhas?”
Original Text:
“有人問：開悟之人，壽終之時靈性何去？
這是個大問題啊！悟道之後，到什麼地方去呢？很多人這樣問。有個香港人寫信問我，開悟的人臨終時應該預知到啥地方，即預知處所。假若不預知處所，他就是沒開悟。這話對嗎？不對！為什麼不對？真正開悟了，就沒有生沒有滅，沒有來沒有去，還有什麼處所？我剛才講了，這妙有真心是微細色，微細色就是虛空，虛空有什麼處所？你要有處所，還是有來去，還是有生滅，還是沒開悟。寫信的人不明白這個道理，所以，要問一期壽終，要死了，到什麼地方去啊？這不但是他的問題，也是大家的問題。所以，今天借圭峰禪師的一段話把這個問題再談一談。圭峰宗密禪師說：一切眾生，無不具有覺性，靈明空寂，與佛無殊。但以無始劫來，未曾了悟，妄執身為我相，故生愛惡等情。隨情造業，隨業受報。生老病死，長劫輪迴。然身中覺性，來曾生死，如夢被驅役，而身本安閒；如水作冰，而濕性不易。若能悟此性，即是法身，本自無生，何有依託？靈靈不昧，了了常知，無所從來，亦無所去。然多生妄執，習以性成，喜怒哀樂，微細流注。真理雖然頓達，此情難以卒除。須常覺察，損之又損，如風頓止，波浪漸停。豈可一生所修，便同諸佛力用？”
Footnotes/Annotations (if any):
[1] Guifeng Zongmi (圭峰宗密禪師) was an eminent Tang dynasty Chan master and Huayan patriarch, known for synthesizing Chan and Huayan teachings.
[2] “Nature of awareness” (覺性) refers to the innate luminous knowing capacity identical to Buddha-nature.
[3] “Empty quiescence” (空寂): The mind’s fundamental nature is empty and non-arisen.
[4] “微細色” (extremely subtle “color/form”): Here implies a subtle form that is akin to emptiness; a metaphor expressing that the true mind cannot be grasped as a physical form or location.
English Translation:
“But you can take empty quiescence as your essence, and do not take the material body as the self; take luminous knowing as your mind, and do not regard deluded thoughts as your mind. If deluded thoughts arise, do not follow them. Then at the time of death, karma will naturally not bind you. Although you may have an intermediate state (bardo), you will have the freedom to go wherever you wish. Whether in heaven or among human beings, you can dwell anywhere as you please. If thoughts of love and hate are extinguished, you will not take on a body subject to ordinary birth and death, and you will be able to turn short into long, and coarse into subtle and marvelous. If the subtle currents of delusion are completely stilled, leaving only perfect enlightenment and great wisdom shining alone, you can then manifest a hundred thousand million emanation bodies according to conditions to liberate sentient beings who share affinities with you. This is called being a Buddha.”
Original Text:
“但可以空寂為自體，勿認色身；以靈知為自心，勿認妄念。妄念若起，都不隨之。即臨命終時，自然業不能繫。雖有中陰，所向自由，天上人間，隨意寄託。若愛惡之念已泯，即不受分段之身，自能易短為長，易粗為妙。若微細流注，一切寂滅，唯圓覺大智朗然獨存，即隨機應現千百億化身，度有緣眾生，名之為佛。”
English Translation:
“Now let us explain these words by Chan Master Guifeng Zongmi:
‘All sentient beings possess nature of awareness without exception. Luminous, bright, empty, and quiescent, they differ in no way from the Buddha.’ All sentient beings—not just humans, but ants, insects, flies, lions, monkeys, and so forth—have awareness. Which sentient being does not have awareness? Consider a mosquito: if you have blood, it immediately flies over to bite you. A fly: if you put out a piece of steamed cake, it can sense it from far away and fly over to land on it. They have awareness. With humans, it goes without saying. ‘Awareness’ means the capacity for perception. Do you know when your stomach is hungry? Do you know that today’s weather is warm? All of these involve the capacity of knowing. Thus, all sentient beings have awareness. ‘Luminous, bright, empty, and quiescent’ means it is both luminous and bright, perfectly clear and radiant, distinctly and vividly aware, and yet unmoving. The term ‘bright’ can be explained in two ways: ‘empty’ means empty of everything, not a single thing established; ‘quiescent’ means not moving or shaking, not coming or going. ‘Without any difference from the Buddha’ means not the slightest difference from Śākyamuni Buddha, Amitābha Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, and all Buddhas—there is no duality.”
Original Text:
“下面把圭峰宗密禪師的這段話解釋一下：
「一切眾生，無不具有覺性，靈明空寂，與佛無殊。」一切眾生，非但我們人類，螞蟻、蟻蟲、蒼蠅、獅子、猿猴等等無不具有覺性。你說哪一個眾生沒有覺性呢？你看這蚊子，你這裏有血，它馬上飛來叮你。蒼蠅呢，你端一塊蒸糕，它老遠老遠也能飛來叮上去。它們是有覺性的。人就更不用講了。覺性者，知覺性也，你知道肚皮餓嗎？你知道今天天氣暖嗎？這都是知覺性啊！所以，一切眾生都具有覺性。「靈明空寂」，即靈而明，光明剔透，了了分明。就是光明，而靈知了了，如如不動。這個「明」有兩種解釋：「空」，空無所有，一物不立；「寂」，不動不搖，不來不去。「與佛無殊」，與釋迦牟尼佛、阿彌陀佛、彌勒佛等等一切佛了無差別，無有二致。”
English Translation:
“But from beginningless kalpas, never having awakened, beings mistakenly cling to the body as ‘me,’ thus giving rise to emotions of love and hate.” ‘Beginningless’ means without any starting point, and continuing without end. ‘Never having awakened’ means never having realized that one has a great treasure within oneself. The Lotus Sūtra gives the analogy: A person has a priceless jewel sewn into their clothing without knowing it. This jewel can produce all kinds of treasures, so you are never poor. It can meet all your needs, yet you do not know it and instead go out begging. Wandering in birth and death in the six realms is like begging. We do not know we have a great treasure. ‘Mistakenly clinging to the body as “me”’ means due to deluded attachment, failing to recognize the true and taking the false as real. The body is not originally the self, yet we take it as ourselves. The body is like a house, and inside it there is a person. What is that person? It is our luminous true mind. Not knowing this, we identify the ‘house’ as ‘me’: This body is me, this body is me! Thus, love and hate arise. We like this and dislike that; we find one person friendly, another unfriendly. So many discriminations, all are deluded thoughts. If we like something, we seize it as our own; if we dislike something, we destroy it. In this way, we create karma and undergo its results.”
Original Text:
“「但以無始劫來，未曾了悟，妄執身為我相，故生愛惡等情。」無始，無有開始，將來也無終，周而復始，總是這樣子。「未曾了悟」，從來沒有悟過，從來不知道自個兒是個大寶藏。《法華經》比喻：人有一個摩尼寶珠縫在衣裏，自己不知道。這個摩尼寶珠能雨眾寶，所以你不窮。你一切都具足，要什麼，它就有什麼。而你卻不知道，到外面討飯去了。像我們現在輪迴六道、流浪生死就是討飯。自己有大寶藏不知道，未曾了悟。「妄執身為我相」，由於妄執，不識真卻認假。這個身體本不是我，卻當做我了。身體等於是我們住的房子，裏面有人。人是什麼？人就是我們的靈明真心。不知道這個，就認「房子」為我：這身體是我啊，這身體是我！「故生愛惡等情。」所以就產生愛惡之情。我歡喜這個，討厭那個，這個人對我友好，那個人對我不友好。分別心很多，都是妄念。喜歡的，就據為己有；討厭的，就將其打倒，所以就造業受報。”
English Translation:
“Following emotions, one creates karma; following karma, one receives retribution, undergoing birth, aging, sickness, and death, and long cycles of rebirth.” Birth and death originally do not exist, but because we have love and hate, we create karma with our minds. If we desire something that belongs to someone else and cannot obtain it, we may rob or even kill them, thus creating the karma of killing. Creating karma leads to experiencing its results, and so we revolve in the six paths of rebirth. Creating good karma leads to rebirth in heaven; creating evil karma leads to rebirth in hell, undergoing birth, aging, sickness, and death for long eons, unable to attain liberation.”
Original Text:
“「隨情造業，隨業受報，生老病死，長久輪迴。」生死本來沒有的，而是因為我們有愛惡等情之後，隨心造業所致。我們想要某個東西，但得不到，是他人的，就搶他或把人家殺掉，這就造殺業了。造業就要受報，就要六道輪迴。造善業升天，造惡業下地獄，生老病死長久輪迴。唉！本來沒有生死，落入生死了。在六道裏出沒，生生死死，不得解脫。”
English Translation:
“However, within the body, the faculty of awareness has never undergone birth or death. It is like being chased and forced in a dream, while your body remains calmly at rest, or like water freezing into ice without losing its moisture.” Although we transmigrate in the six paths, our nature of awareness has never been born or died. It does not arise because of your birth, nor cease at your physical death. If you fall into hell, it does not suffer; if you rise to heaven, it does not rejoice. It is inherently unborn and undying, empty and without abode, never having been subject to birth and death, never having moved. It is like, when dreaming of being chased by villains in terror, you run desperately, yet in reality your body lies quietly in bed, unmoving. Or like water turning to ice—the water’s wet nature does not change. This analogy shows that although we wander in samsara, Buddha-nature does not change.”
Original Text:
“「然身中覺性，未曾生死，如夢被驅役，而身本安閒；如水作冰，而濕性不易。」我們儘管在六道裏生生死死地輪迴，而我們的覺性未曾生死，它不因為你生而生，也不因為你肉體死亡而滅；你墮地獄它不痛苦，你升天堂它不快樂。它本不生不滅、空靈無住，未曾生死未曾動。就像我們在睡夢中，被惡人追殺，驚恐萬狀，狂奔不已，可是實際上身體還在床上安然地躺著不動一樣。也像水變成冰，而潮濕的性質不變一樣。這是比喻我們儘管在六道輪迴中但佛性不變。”
English Translation:
“If you can awaken to this nature, that is the dharmakāya, originally without birth, so what place would there be for dependence?” If we realize that this faculty of awareness is the dharmakāya, the fundamental root of all phenomena, originally unborn and undying, why would we need a place of reliance after death? Once truly awakened, there is no need for reliance or a fixed abode.
I recall a person from Wenzhou who claimed to be awakened. Someone asked him, “We who practice Chán and do not seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land—after we pass away, where do we go?” Listen to his answer: “You can rely on grass or attach to trees, or rely on stones, big trees, or dry grass—anywhere is fine.” Goodness! That would mean becoming a spirit attached to grass and wood. This shows he was not truly awakened. Attaching to grass or wood means clinging to a material form after death, turning into a type of ghost. Our nature of awareness is ‘originally without birth, so where is there any reliance?’ If one depends on grass or wood, it shows one has never glimpsed even a trace of nature of awareness.”
Original Text:
“「若能悟此性，即是法身，本自無生，何有依託，」假如我們能悟到這覺性就是法身，明白我們的覺性就是一切事事物物的根本，它本來沒有生過、沒有滅過，為什麼還要有依託的地方呢？你真正開悟了，就不要有依託，不要有去處。我記得有個溫州人講得很好笑，他自說開悟了，有個人問他：「我們不是修淨土法門求生西方極樂世界的人，是修禪宗的，我們圓寂之後到什麼地方去呢？」你們看他怎麼答，他說：「可以依草附木，在石頭上也可以，在大樹上也可以，在枯草上也可以，都可以。」哎喲，不好了，成了依草附木的精靈了，這怎麼行啊？依草附木是執著有身體的鬼魂。上海復興公園有棵千年的菩提樹，據說是靈得不得了，大家都去拜，其實是一個鬼，是靈鬼附在上面了。死後依草附木就變成鬼了，你們說這悟的是什麼道啊？其實與道不相干，都是假的。我們的覺性「本自無生，何有依託？」不要有依託。依草附木者未曾瞥見覺性半絲在。”
English Translation:
“In the past, there was an old abandoned stove that had a spirit attached to it. It came in someone’s dream, saying: ‘If you come and make offerings to me at this stove, I will give you whatever you want.’ Word spread, and many people came to worship, getting their wishes fulfilled. This stove became very famous. But a Chan master (a disciple of National Teacher Hui’an) saw that killing creatures to offer to this stove spirit caused people to create negative karma. He went to teach the stove-spirit. Tapping the stove with his staff, ‘tok, tok, tok,’ he said: ‘I ask you, these bricks and mud make up the stove—where does the spirit come from? Bricks and mud have no awareness, no spirit. If there is something aware, it must be your own mind. Why attach to this muddy stove?’ The spirit realized: indeed, the spirit is not in the bricks and mud, it is in its own mind. Immediately it abandoned the stove. That night it came to thank the Chan master and then ascended to heaven. Later, everyone called that Chan master “the Monk Who Toppled the Stove,” forgetting his real name. Even a ghostly being can be awakened from clinging. How could we, who claim to seek awakening, cling to grass and trees for reliance? We are originally unborn, and there is no need for any reliance!”
Original Text:
“從前有個廢棄多年的破灶，有個神附在灶上，托個夢給人：你們到這灶上祭祭我，你們要什麼我給什麼。人家都說，這個灶上有神呀，都去祭吧！很多人來祭他，這個神就滿足他們的願望。一傳十，十傳百，這個破灶就紅得不得了了。那地方上有個禪師（慧安國師的弟子），見這個依附破灶的精靈使得大家殺生來供養他，造業了，就去給他說法。拿禪杖咚、咚、咚敲灶台說：我問你，你是磚瓦泥土合成，靈從何來？神從何來？磚瓦泥水沒有靈、沒有神，有靈識的是你自心，你附著這個磚泥灶上幹什麼？這個破灶神被禪師一指點就醒悟了：對啊，神不在磚瓦泥土上，神是在我的自心上啊！趕快捨去這個破灶吧！他夜裏就來禮謝禪師，然後升天去了。後來大家都稱這位禪師為「破灶墮和尚」，反而把他的真名遺忘了。禪還曉得不要執著身體，我們執著在草木上能行嗎？所以不要有依託啊！我們本來無生，本來無有依託！”
English Translation:
“Luminous and not dim, clearly and constantly knowing, coming from nowhere, going nowhere.” Once you genuinely awaken, you become clearly and constantly aware, luminous and never dim. Everywhere are you; wherever there is an affinity, you appear there. This is called ‘Nirvāṇa without a fixed abode.’ No fixed place. A truly awakened person has no fixed location. If there were a fixed location, it would mean not truly awakened. ‘Luminous and not dim’ means no trace of confusion. ‘Clearly and constantly knowing’ means bright and uninterrupted awareness. ‘Coming from nowhere, going nowhere’ means no arising or ceasing. Coming and going are relative concepts; relative means are false. The true mind is absolute, without coming or going, without entering or leaving.”
Original Text:
“「靈明不昧，了了常知，無所從來，亦無所去。」你真正悟道了，就了了常知，靈明不昧，什麼地方都是我。什麼地方有緣，就在什麼地方現身。所以叫做「無住處涅槃。」沒有固定方所，什麼地方都可以現身，只要有緣即可以現身。真正徹悟了，哪里還會有個固定地方？要有個固定地方就是沒有悟。靈明不昧，就是沒有一點昏昧之相。了了常知，就是明明白白。這個知是沒有間斷的，叫常知。不是現在知，等一會又不知了，那是沒有用的。無所從來，亦無所去，它沒有來哪有去呢？有來就有去，有去就有來，都是相對的，相對的都是假的。它是絕對真心，所以沒有來去，沒有出入。”
English Translation:
“Now, Master Zongmi shows us how to apply effort to realize the Way and thereby achieve Buddhahood.
‘Yet, through many lifetimes of deluded grasping, habits become second nature, producing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, subtle currents that flow on.’ Now we are discussing the highest level of meditation: ‘The mind itself is Buddha, and Buddha is the mind.’ If you can hear this teaching and have unshakable faith, then you have not just planted good roots under one, two, three, four, or five Buddhas, but throughout innumerable lives.
However, over countless eons, we have nurtured habitual delusions, habitually taking external realms as real and clinging to the body as ‘me.’ This becomes ingrained. For example, we treat the body as extremely precious. Actually, it’s just like a foul latrine pit. Standards of beauty and ugliness vary from person to person. Through long familiarity, even foul smells are not perceived as foul. Habitual attachment is deeply rooted. Thus, we judge all things according to personal likes and dislikes. Happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy—everyone has them. If something suits us, we are pleased; if not, we are displeased. If we lose something, we become dejected; if we gain something we desire, we are elated. These are all subtle currents of deluded thought.”
Original Text:
“「然多生妄執，習以性成，喜怒哀樂，微細流注。」我們現在所說的是最上乘禪：「自心就是佛，佛就是自心。」你能聽到這個法，並能深信不疑，就不是一佛二佛三四五佛所種善根了，而是多生歷劫以來所種善根。
但是，我們多生歷劫以來，妄執習以為常，執著外面的境界認為是真的，執著身體是我，養成習慣了。唉喲，這身體是我，最為珍貴，不能碰我啊！其實是臭糞桶，有什麼可珍貴？清朝有個皇帝愛上一個身有香味的妃子，這香妃是新疆人，據說身上有異香。那是什麼香味啊？狐騷臭！皇帝老兒卻說是香味。可見一切事物美好與否，皆無一定標準，你喜愛的就好，否則就討厭。或者習以為常了，不好也無不好。如俗語說：久入鮑魚之肆，不聞其臭。養成習慣，就積重難返了。這是顛撲不破的真理。聽到這，可能有人會這樣想：「這身體就是我。而且大家都這樣認為，你卻說身體不是我，誰相信你？」唉！多生歷劫妄執外境，我們習以為常，成為習慣了。於是產生了自己對待境物的種種看法，凡事都以自己的好惡來判斷衡量，合我心者執取，否則捨棄，因此，就有「喜怒哀樂，微細流注」。喜、怒、哀、樂、恐、驚、悲，每個人都有。合於我的心境就滿面春風，違犯我的心境即龍顏大怒；失掉什麼了就怏怏不樂，中意什麼了就喜笑顏開。這些都是微細流注。”
English Translation:
“‘Subtle currents’ means extremely fine deluded thoughts ceaselessly moving. The most fundamental deluded mind involves the five universal mental factors: intention, contact, sensation, perception, and cognition. These exist within the eighth consciousness, continually stirring all the good and evil seeds stored there. These movements are extremely subtle, so they are called a continuous flow. Like endlessly flowing water, not as turbulent as ocean waves or mighty rivers, but like a quiet, fine stream. In fact, it flows very quickly—so fast that it appears motionless. In normal times you cannot see it, so you think it’s not moving. That’s how extremely subtle these deluded thoughts are. We have spoken of coarse delusions that arise in response to external conditions. If we know that the external realm is our mind, and our mind is the realm, we will not cling. Without clinging, coarse delusions do not arise. Yet the subtle seeds remain. Incredibly subtle, we think they are still, but actually they move swiftly. How do we sever these subtle currents? Only by entering deep samādhi, such as Vajrasattva samādhi, can we see and eliminate them. Without that, it’s useless. Therefore, one must go deep into meditation. A person reciting the Buddha’s name must attain the Buddha-name samādhi. Without it, one cannot succeed. A Chán practitioner must raise great doubt, letting doubt pervade the entire body until conditions ripen and suddenly ‘bang!’—a breakthrough. Similarly, Esoteric practitioners use body, speech, and mind’s three secrets to transform afflictions. When these subtle currents are recognized, only then can they be eradicated. It’s like muddy water: until it settles, you can’t see the sediment. Once it settles, you see how much mud is there. When the mind is settled, you can see the subtle currents.”
Original Text:
“微細流注，就是極微細的妄念不停地在動。最根本的妄心是意、觸、受、想、思五個遍行心所，這遍行五法其實是心裏起的或善或惡的一念，它存在於八識當中，並且不斷地鼓動八識中的一切善惡種子，它非常非常之微細，所以叫流注生滅。所謂流注，就像無休止的流水一樣，而這水流不像大海中的驚濤駭浪，也不像江河的滾滾波濤，而像靜靜的小溪微微細細地流。其實它流得很快，快到了極點，反而不顯其動，平時你看不見，以為它是不動的，這就是微細、極微細的妄念。我們曾講到粗妄，那是對境生心的妄念。若曉得境就是我們的心，心就是境，那麼，我們就不執著。不執著，粗妄念就不起。可這個細妄種子還在。它微細極微細，你看它似不動了，其實還動得很快。怎樣才能把微細流注斬斷呢？只有深入金剛薩埵定才能見到而消滅它，不是金剛薩埵定不頂用。所以，要深入禪定。念佛人一定要得念佛三昧，不得念佛三昧是不行的。修禪人呢？要起大疑情，大疑起後，妄念不動疑情籠罩全身，時節因緣一到來，「啪」地爆開，才能親見本性。學密的人也是如此，身口意三密加持，借佛的力量加被我們，推動我們往前進，推到因緣成熟，「啪」！就爆炸了，把這微細流注斬斷！這個微細流注微細得很，你們看不見，要做功夫，定下來才能看得見。比如一杯混濁的水，裏面的泥沙你看不見，一旦沈澱下來，上面水清淨了，才看見下面有這麼多泥沙。搖晃、混濁的時候，你看不見它。諸位要先定，才能看見微細流注。”
English Translation:
“Though the truth is suddenly realized, these emotions are hard to remove immediately.” The truth that mind is Buddha and Buddha is mind can be understood at once. You may think, ‘Yes, indeed we are originally Buddha. Otherwise, who talks, who writes, who recites the Buddha’s name? Without Buddha-nature, how could we do these things?’ Although understanding this truth happens suddenly, the emotional attachments are not easily eradicated. ‘Emotions’ here means deluded love, attachment. Love is very hard to remove. The ancients said: “If you recited the Buddha’s name as passionately as one loves another, you would have attained enlightenment long ago!” We ordinary people find it difficult to abandon love and attachment. Love is wide-ranging: love between men and women, love of mother for child, love between spouses, love of sensory pleasures, as well as various hobbies. Some women cannot abandon maternal love even at death. If at the moment of death we urge her to let go and seek rebirth in the Pure Land, and she says: “I cannot bear to leave my children and grandchildren!”—that is foolishness. How can she be reborn in the Pure Land?
Thus, for ordinary beings, these emotional attachments cannot be removed instantly. Hence sudden awakening followed by gradual cultivation is necessary. Don’t claim you are suddenly awakened and need no practice. It’s easy to say, but can you really do it? Boasting is useless. You must truly accomplish it, then even King Yama cannot issue you a summons. Only genuine attainment cancels the summons.”
Original Text:
“ 「真理雖然頓達，此情難以卒除。」我們講心就是佛，佛就是心。這是真理，你們雖然一下子就悟到了：對、對！我們本來是佛，不是佛怎麼會說話呢？還能問念佛是誰嗎？不是佛怎麼會念佛？不是佛怎麼會寫字？不是佛怎麼會走路啊？我們這個身體一口氣不來它就不動了，動是佛性的妙用。真理是頓然了悟、理解了，但是「此情難以卒除」。情者，妄情也，愛情也。愛情難以除啊！古德說：「念佛如念情，成道久矣！」假如念佛像念愛情一樣，我們早就成道了。
我們凡夫是愛情難捨，愛情包括的範圍很廣，如男女之愛、母子之愛、夫妻之愛、聲色犬馬之愛等，還有諸多的愛好，如愛好古玩、集郵、字畫、種花養鳥等等。人愛的事情實在是太多了。女人最難斷的是母子之愛，有個孩子，永遠記在心裏再也忘不了，死了也放不下來：我捨不得離開我的孩子啊！有一位念佛的老太太臨終時，我們勸她：「你放下吧，往生西方極樂世界吧。」她說：「我不去，我捨不得離開我的兒孫啊！」如此愚癡，怎能往生西方極樂世界呢？
凡夫都是「此情難以卒除」啊！卒者，立即也。我們的情很難馬上除掉，只好頓悟漸修。頓悟之後再漸修，這是沒辦法的事，然而適合我們娑婆世界現階段眾生的習性。你們不要唱高調，說自己是頓悟、頓修、頓證，不需要修，無修無得無證。嘴上說說是很容易的，但你是否真能做到呢？吹牛是沒用的，要真正做到才行。吹牛皮閻王老子不會放過你，還是要給你下請帖的。真正做到了，閻王老子的請貼才能取消。”
English Translation:
“You must constantly be aware and reduce it further and further, like the wind suddenly stopping and the waves gradually calming.” One must engage in long-term vigilance—this is the work of practice. Take a Pure Land practitioner for example: as soon as a thought arises, they immediately raise the Buddha’s name, reciting “Amitābha Buddha, Amitābha Buddha, Amitābha Buddha…” loudly and clearly, using it to transform and dissolve deluded emotions. If you do not eliminate these emotional attachments, you cannot progress. “Reduce it further and further” means day by day diminishing your emotional attachments, your habitual tendencies, afflictions, and clinging, reducing them more and more. Emotional attachments cannot be eliminated in a single day. Just as when the wind stops, the waves still surge for a while before calming down. Thus, the ancients said: “When the wind stops, waves still surge; even when the principle appears, thoughts still invade.” When the true principle appears, one awakens, but deluded thoughts still try to intrude. They must be removed gradually.
Original Text:
“「須常覺察，損之又損，如風頓止，波浪漸停。」須要長時間的覺察，這就是做功夫了。如修淨土宗的人就是提起一句佛號，起心動念時趕快把這佛號提得高高的、聲音大大的念：「阿彌陀佛，阿彌陀佛，阿彌陀佛……」把這妄情化掉。妄情不化掉不行啊！損之又損，就是把妄情一天天地減少，把你的習氣、煩惱、執著一天天地減少、減少、再減少。妄情不是一天就能除掉的，「如風頓止，波浪漸停。」風一刮，波浪即起，風停後波浪還是在湧動，慢慢地才能停下來。所以古德說：「風停浪還湧，理現念猶侵。」「理現」，真理出現，就醒悟了，然而「念猶侵」，妄念還是要侵犯的，所以須慢慢地除。”
English Translation:
“How could one lifetime of practice immediately equal the power and function of the Buddhas?” Practicing for one single lifetime and then immediately possessing the three insights and six supernatural powers of the Buddhas is impossible. Even though we currently have not manifested the three insights and six powers, we must deeply believe: our mind is the Buddha-mind, and apart from this there is no Buddha-mind.
Original Text:
“「豈可一生所修，便同諸佛力用？」修一生一世，就想馬上有諸佛一樣的三明六通，有諸佛一樣的力量，這是做不到。我們現在雖然沒有發三明六通，但要深信不疑：我們的心就是佛心，捨此之外沒有佛心。”
English Translation:
“At this point, I want to discuss an important issue. I have often heard people say: ‘Cutting off before and after is not awakening; one must forget both subject and object to be awakened.’ Actually, they do not understand what it means to cut off before and after. Not recognizing what is originally so, they pretend to have great capacity; they have not read the texts and just speak nonsense.
In the past, when Dharma Master Chengguan lectured on the Huayan Sūtra to Empress Wu Zetian (and do not think Empress Wu Zetian was bad—she was an awakened ruler. The ‘verse for opening the sūtra’ that we now recite before reading any scripture, “Unsurpassed, profound, and wonderful Dharma…” was composed by Wu Zetian to praise the Huayan Sūtra, and now it is used as the opening verse for all scriptures), he said to her: ‘When no thought arises, the interval between before and after is cut off, the illuminating essence shines forth, and one is then like the Tathāgata.’ One thought not arising cuts off before and after. The ‘before’ means the previous thought, and the ‘after’ means the subsequent thought. When before and after are abruptly severed, what remains is the illuminating essence—our fundamental nature—clearly shining and free of all appearances. That is precisely being like the Tathāgata! Look how clearly it is stated. Yet some do not understand and claim that cutting off before and after is not awakening. Without knowing what it means, they masquerade as knowledgeable people and thus mislead others! They themselves do not know and still confuse others, plunging into hell like an arrow!”
Original Text:
“說到這裏，我想跟大家談一個重要問題。我嘗聽人說：前後際斷不是開悟，要能所雙忘才是開悟。其實他不明白什麼叫前後際斷，不識本來，還要假裝大根基；他沒看教裏面的書，卻信口雌黃。
從前澄觀法師給武則天皇帝講《華嚴經》時（你們不要以為武則天皇帝壞啊！武則天皇帝是個開悟的皇帝。現在你們讀的開經偈「無上甚深微妙法，百千萬劫難遭遇。我今見聞得受持，願解如來真實義」就是武則天做的，是讚歎《華嚴經》的，現在都把它作為一切經上的開經偈了），對她講：「一念不生，前後際斷，照體朗然，即如如佛。」一念不生，就前後際斷。前際者，前念；後際者，後念也。前後際「啪」地斷了。照體，就是能照一切事物、能起一切妙用之體——本性。朗然——即不著一切相，即如如佛——這就是佛啊！你看說得多清楚。可是有人卻不懂，說什麼前後際斷不是開悟。他不知道前後際斷是什麼，不知道還假充善知識，豈不害人！自己不知道還迷惑別人，下地獄如箭射在！”
English Translation:
“In that very moment when a thought is cut off, and all is crystal clear—what is that if not awakening? Apart from this, where would you seek Buddha-nature? Do not assume that lacking the three insights and six powers like the Buddhas means you are not awakened. It is not that after one lifetime of practice you can immediately have the great miraculous powers of the Buddhas. Initial awakening is like a newborn baby. Although a baby does not have the abilities of an adult—cannot work, walk, or feed itself, and needs to be fed and carried—yet you cannot say it is not human. The initial realization of the Way is a Buddha at the cause stage. You must be constantly aware, constantly protect it, be continuously vigilant and reduce your afflictions day by day. Then this ‘little baby’ will grow up to be an adult with full capabilities. Once you understand your original nature, you must apply effort; this is called true cultivation after awakening. Without awakening, it is blind practice and chaotic cultivation. For example, if you recite the Buddha’s name without realizing your original nature, then you are seeking a Buddha outside your mind. As Pure Land practitioners, we must understand that reciting ‘Amitābha Buddha’ is to awaken our true master, to remain ever conscious, not clinging to forms or following conditions, not being led astray by deluded attachments. Only then will you succeed. This is extremely important!”
Original Text:
“我們當下念一斷，而了了分明，這是什麼？！捨此，再去別求佛性，就沒有了。不要以為沒有三明六通，沒有同諸佛力用，就不是開悟、不是佛，並非這一生修行就能有諸佛一樣的大神大用。初悟道只等於剛降生的小毛頭（嬰兒），小毛頭雖然沒有大人的力用，不會工作，不會走路，不會吃飯，還要人喂，要人抱，但是你不能說他不是人。初悟道是因地佛，你必須時時刻刻覺察，時時刻刻地保護它。綿密保任，損之又損，把自己的習氣、煩惱一天天地減少，那麼，你這「小毛頭」就長大，成大人了，就力用俱備了。明白本來之後就用功，叫悟後真修。沒悟到呢，就是盲修瞎練。比如你念佛不悟本來，就是念心外之佛。我們念佛人要知道念阿彌陀佛是喚醒自己的主人公，叫自己的主人公時時覺醒，不要著在色相裏面去，不要為境界所遷流，不要有妄取執著的凡情，這樣做你才能成功。這非常重要啊！”
English Translation:
“‘But you can take empty quiescence as your essence, and not regard the material body as the self; take luminous knowing as your mind, and do not regard deluded thoughts as the mind.’ We must understand that this body of flesh, this physical shell, is not ourselves. Our true essence is empty and quiescent, not coming or going, not being born or dying, unmoving and unshakable. That is the Buddha-nature which is our true self. ‘Take luminous knowing as your mind, and do not regard deluded thoughts as your mind.’ What are deluded thoughts? Any thought in which there is attachment and fixation is a deluded thought. When a thought arises and the mind settles upon it, grasping it, that is delusion. If a thought arises with no abiding or attachment, that is the wondrous function of the true mind. This clear luminous knowing is the true mind. It is not dead. Sitting there without moving, forcibly suppressing thoughts until none arise would turn you into a stone or a piece of wood. Thus, luminous knowing, free of clinging, free of love and hate, is the wondrous function of the true mind. If there is abiding or discrimination, it becomes emotional attachment. But note carefully: it is not that you cannot discriminate between good and bad. If you did not distinguish them, you would be a muddle-headed fool. Being a fool is not the true mind. You can know good and bad, but without love or hate, without grasping or rejecting. Seeing a good person, you do not become overly attached; seeing a bad person, you do not become angry. Instead, you feel compassion, you teach and guide them so they can turn around. That is correct. The true mind is like this. It is actually easy to distinguish true mind from deluded mind. At every moment, do not take the deluded mind as yourself. Know that the luminous and clear awareness, free of clinging to appearances, is the true mind. As soon as you abide in something, it becomes a lair or a den, and you fall into appearances.”
Original Text:
“「但可以空寂為自體，勿認色身；以靈知為自心，勿認妄念。」我們要曉得，這色身、這肉體、這軀殼不是我們自己。我們真正的本體，是即空而即寂，就是不動不搖、不來不去、不生不滅這樣一個東西，而不是這個軀殼。這個軀殼是慢慢變化的，由少而老，由老而死。不要認這肉身，肉身就是色體，這色體不是自己。千萬千萬不要認這色身為自己，要認空寂為自己。即空而即寂、不來不去、不動不搖的這個佛性就是我們自己啊！「以靈知為自心，勿認妄念」，什麼叫妄念？有所住著就叫妄念。起個念頭，心定在那裏，有所住、有所著，這就是妄念；念起無所住、無所著，才是真心的妙用。這了了靈知才是真心，它不是死的。坐在那裏不動，死壓念頭，一個念頭不起，那就變成大石頭、大木頭了。因此，了了靈知，不著、不取、無愛、無憎，這就是真心的妙用。有所住、有所分別那就是妄情。但是有一點要弄清楚：不是不可以有分別，而是有分別而不住。即這個人好我知道，那個人壞我也清楚，不是好壞不分，成糊塗蟲了。糊塗蟲就是真心嗎？不是的。好壞要知道，但是無憎、無愛、無取、無捨。不是見好人就喜歡，見壞人就厭憎。壞人我們也不捨，為什麼？對壞人我們要教導他，要憐憫他，幫助他，使他轉過來，這才對。真心就是這麼一回事。所以，真心、妄心蠻好分別的。我們時時刻刻不要認妄心為自己，要曉得靈知了了而不住相才是真心；才有所住，即成巢臼，就落到相裏去了。”
English Translation:
“If deluded thoughts arise, do not follow them. Then at the time of death, karma cannot bind you.” This addresses what happens at the end of life—how to be free at the moment of death. To attain freedom in choosing your rebirth at death, you must practice now, while alive. The moment a deluded thought arises, do not follow it. If the deluded thought is strong and you are aware but cannot cut it off, immediately recite the Buddha’s name, recite mantras, or raise the huatou (the meditation question), asking: “From where does this deluded thought arise?” and thus transform it. If you realize too late, after you’ve already followed the deluded thought far, it’s difficult. The speed and slowness of awareness and the ease or difficulty of removing delusion depend on the strength of your practice. It’s like the difference between the faint light of a candle and the bright light of an electric lamp. Initially, you might only become aware of a deluded thought after it has persisted for a long time. As you train more, you see it as soon as it arises, like a strong lamp illuminating everything, so you won’t stumble. At this stage, you reach a state of stillness and constant illumination, illumination and constant stillness, naturally illuminating without effort. There are profound levels of skill here.
Original Text:
“「妄念若起，都不隨之。即臨命終時，自然業不能繫。」這講到臨終了，臨死怎麼樣？要臨終得受生自在，須在平時做「妄念若起，都不隨之」的功夫。如果我們的妄念還沒有斷除光，一剎那妄念又來了，馬上就要覺察，不要跟它跑。假如妄念勢強，覺而不能斷，就趕快念佛、持咒，或是提起話頭，問這妄念從何處來，而將妄念化掉。假如跟妄念跑了老遠才知道，那就遲了。這覺的速遲與除的快慢是用功的力量問題。就像蠟燭光和電燈光亮度不同一樣。起初能照，照到後面不大看得見，妄念起了很久才曉得，這是蠟燭光。功夫用得純熟了，念頭一起就能照見，如強烈的燈光照在面前，什麼坑坑窪窪都能看得清清楚楚，走夜路便不會墮坑落塹了，這就是電燈光。這就到寂而常照、照而常寂的階段了，不要著意照，而自然照了。這裏面的功夫大有深淺之別。”
English Translation:
“In cultivating, we must always be mindful, applying continuous effort. If out of twenty-four hours a day you only practice one or two hours, and for the remaining twenty-two hours you do not apply any effort, that is too lazy! Your practice will hardly progress. Therefore, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down—all four activities—you must practice at all times, constantly aware, so that your skill deepens.”
Original Text:
“我們做功夫須時時覺察，綿密用功。一天二十四小時，就一兩個小時用功，其他二十二小時都不用功，那太疏懶了，功夫就很難做得上去。所以我們要行、住、坐、臥四威儀中，時時用功，時時覺察，功夫用得上去。”
English Translation:
“Furthermore, when a deluded thought arises, do not follow it. Do not think that some deluded thoughts are good and worth pursuing. Someone might have a pleasant dream, and upon waking, cannot bear to let it go, still clinging to it. Yet a dream is fundamentally false—why hold onto it? In the dream, you become an emperor—were you really an emperor? You obtain great treasures in a dream—did you really get them? Clinging to them would be foolish. People are indeed this foolish.
Chan Master Guifeng earnestly instructs: ‘If a deluded thought arises, do not follow it.’ If we truly do this, then at the end of life karma cannot bind us. All sentient beings are dragged around by karma—good karma leads upward, evil karma leads downward. If you can achieve not following deluded thoughts at all, then karma cannot tie you down, and you gain freedom.”
Original Text:
“復次，妄念若起，都不隨著跑。不是認為哪個妄念好，就跟著跑。有人做了個好夢，醒來以後捨不得放掉它，還想著它。夢境本假，為何執著？夢中做了皇帝，你真是皇帝嗎？夢中你得了大元寶，你真的得元寶嗎？你戀著它，豈不愚癡嗎！人就是這樣愚癡啊！
圭峰禪師苦口婆心給我們講，妄念若起，都不隨之，不要跟它跑。假如我們真正做到，「即臨命終時，業不能繫。」繫者，捆住也。一切眾生都是跟著業跑啊！善業者升天，惡業者下地獄。真能做到妄念起不隨著跑，那時候業不能捆住你，就能夠自由了。”
English Translation:
“‘Although there is an intermediate state (bardo), you will have freedom. Whether in heaven or among humans, you can settle as you wish.’ For a truly awakened person, there is no bardo body. Those reborn in the Western Pure Land have no bardo body. The bardo is that intermediate existence when the former body is destroyed but the future body not yet taken up. This intermediate body, dominated by the wind element, possesses partial psychic powers—five of the six superknowledges, but not the knowledge of the extinction of outflows (漏盡通). With these five partial superknowledges, it can quickly travel to where it has affinity, swiftly reaching that place. If one achieves ‘deluded thoughts arise but are not followed,’ then even if a bardo appears, it cannot bind you. You can choose freely where to go, be it heaven or the human realm. This is the minimal level of attainment. If, when a deluded thought arises, you can refrain from following it, you gain such freedom. If you still follow deluded thoughts, you lose this freedom. Thus, this is the lowest grade of attainment.”
Original Text:
“「雖有中陰，所向自由，天上人間，隨意寄託。」真正悟道的人沒有中陰身，生到西方極樂世界的也沒有中陰身。什麼叫中陰呢？就是前身已壞，後身未起。前面一個軀殼已經壞了，還沒有投胎到後面一個軀殼，當中的這個陰界之身，就是中陰身。這個中陰身是以風大為主，所以它有五通。六通當中他沒有漏盡通，他只有少分的五通，不是像佛那樣大的五通。中陰身有少分的五通，所以他有神足通，什麼地方的父母和他有緣，千里萬里他一飄就到。他有天眼通，千里萬里外他也能看見。生西方極樂世界的人，他到西方去了，沒有中陰身。下地獄的也沒有中陰身。下到地獄了，哪里有中陰身？其他幾個道都有中陰身。「雖有中陰，所向自由」，真正做到念起不隨，那麼，業障抓不住你，捆不住你，障不住你，你要到什麼地方去就到什麼地方去，自由自在。「天上人間，隨意寄託」，或者天上，或者人間，隨意寄託一下。這個是最起碼的功夫，妄念還不能斷除，妄念起，我能不跟它跑。功夫到這裏，雖然有中陰，還能自由自在。妄念起跟著跑，那就壞了，就不能自由了。所以，這是最起碼的一步，最差的一等。”
English Translation:
“If thoughts of love and hate are extinguished, then you no longer receive a body subject to segmentary birth and death.” Love means liking, attachment; hate means disliking and aversion. If the mind of love and hate is gone, you will not undergo ordinary birth and death again, leaving the cycle of samsara. Of course, this does not mean you have removed all subtle obstructions like dharma-attachment, but at least you have ended the gross round of birth and death.
“You can then turn short into long, turn coarse into fine.” This describes the power of transformation. If you reach that point, you can change something short into something long, transform something crude into something exquisite. You can transform the six paths of rebirth at will. You always ask: “How much progress have I made?” You can test yourself: First, can you refrain from following deluded thoughts when they arise? If you can achieve that, you have freedom at death. Going further, if you extinguish love and hate, so all is equal, absolutely equal, you remove segmentary birth and death, achieving great freedom in transformation.
Original Text:
“「若愛惡之念已泯，即不受分段之身」。愛，喜歡，喜愛；惡，討厭，厭惡。愛憎的心沒有了。不是這個好我就取，那個不好就捨。因為一切都是夢幻泡影，分什麼好壞呢？有什麼可愛憎的？這要真做到才行，假如人家給你講講，你也能做做，背了人之後你還有愛惡之情，那還是不行。愛惡之念已泯，泯者，滅也。愛惡之念滅除了，沒有了，就不再受分段生死，就出生死輪迴了。當然，還有法執未除。
「自能易短為長，易粗為妙。」這是講功用。這樣的人即能變化自在，短的可以變成長的，不好的粗糙的東西可以變成美妙的精細的東西。他能變化，六道輪迴他也能變成神妙，一切都變化了。你們不是常常問：我的功夫到哪一步了？你們可以不妨自己考察、自己印證：第一，是不是妄念起都不隨之了？如能做到，那你即能所向自由。進一步，如你能泯滅愛惡之心，沒有喜歡，沒有討厭，一切平等、平等、又平等。那你分段生死就消除了，就能夠變化自在了。”
English Translation:
“Advancing further: ‘If even the subtle currents are completely stilled, and all is utterly quenched, leaving only perfect enlightenment and great wisdom shining alone, then one can manifest a hundred thousand million emanation bodies according to conditions, to liberate all sentient beings who share affinities. This is called a Buddha.’ This is the supreme attainment. Our practice aims to still even the subtle currents, eradicating the seeds of the most subtle delusions, achieving total realization so that only perfect enlightenment and great wisdom remain, bright and unobstructed. Then you fulfill the Buddha-fruit. Once you break through the initial barrier by seeing your nature, you must train amid phenomena, diligently removing habitual tendencies. When you reach a stage where you are unimpeded in both favorable and adverse circumstances, break through further barriers, and ascend even higher, eradicating all subtle currents, you will radiate boundless light, illuminating the ten directions without obstruction. You need not seek supernatural powers—powers will naturally come to you. Thus, you can respond to conditions and manifest countless bodies to liberate beings. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do exactly this, responding freely to save sentient beings.”
Original Text:
“如更進一步：「若微細流注，一切寂滅，唯圓覺大智朗然獨存，即能隨機應現千百億化身，度有緣眾生，名之為佛。」這是最上乘。我們修法就是要做到微細流注一切寂滅，將微細妄念的種子都消除光，而徹證「唯圓覺大智，朗然獨存」的境界，圓成佛果。我們這一生果能由見性破初關，進而在事境上鍛煉，勤除習氣，練到順逆無拘，縱橫無礙，破重關後，再上上升進，除盡微細流注，就大放光明，朗照十方，無所障礙了。你不要神通，神通自會來找你，所以能隨機應現千百億化身度有緣眾生。佛菩薩就是這樣隨機赴感，應緣現身，來度眾生的。”
English Translation:
“There are three types of mind-made bodies: (1) The mind-made body of joyful samādhi absorption, (2) the mind-made body of realizing the nature of Dharma, and (3) the mind-made body fully endowed with innumerable types without effort. By sitting in deep meditation and entering samādhi, one can produce a mind-made body of joyful right absorption. The mind-base is the seventh consciousness. The body manifested by the seventh consciousness is called a mind-made body. Starting from small to great, eventually you can manifest hundreds of thousands of millions of emanation bodies all fully endowed with different qualities. Without deliberate action, all types are complete, manifesting mountains, rivers, the earth, pavilions, terraces, and towers, all can appear and transform at will. At what stage can you cut off these subtle currents? ‘Subtle’ means we cannot see them now. Only by entering Vajrasattva samādhi can we perceive and eliminate them. If you know they move, you eliminate them. After they stop, if there still remains a notion of ‘not moving,’ that must also be broken. When you break through the territory of the consciousness aggregate (the last of the five aggregates), you achieve ultimate success. So we must do the work of cultivation; after awakening, we must truly practice. If you have not awakened to the true mind and understood the principles, how can you practice? Recognizing the true mind and understanding the principles is most important. This is the mind-made body of realizing the Dharma-nature.
Today I have explained once again the meaning of form and emptiness, reemphasized the importance of recognizing the true mind (correct view) and also discussed where a practitioner goes at the end of life. You must practice in this manner at all times, ‘constantly aware and reducing further and further.’ At every moment you must be aware: ‘Oh! A thought has arisen! Oh! I’ve clung to appearances again! Oh! A deluded thought has arisen!’ Quickly do not move, do not follow it. This is what “reducing further and further” means. Don’t talk about a single perfect awakening with no further need for practice—this is not easily accomplished. Don’t we often hear people say: ‘Ah! Why do I still have so many thoughts?’ You see, to eliminate thoughts all at once is not easy. Thus, constant vigilance and gradual reduction is necessary. How do you know if you’ve made progress? Look back and compare. In the past, you were very attached and easily afflicted. Now, you find yourself a bit more peaceful, less afflicted—that’s progress. With progress comes increased confidence. In the course of practice, bodily heat, bright lights, and other phenomena may appear. These are good signs but do not chase after them; chasing them is attaching, which becomes deluded emotion again.”
Original Text:
“意生身有三種：一、三昧樂正受意生身。二、覺法自性意生身。三、種類俱足無行作意生身。打坐深入三昧，深入禪定，能出三昧樂正受意生身。意根就是第七識，第七識意根所現之身，叫意生身。由少而多變化，最後百千萬億化身一切具足。無行作，種類俱足，山河大地、樓臺亭閣等等，都能顯現變化出來。功夫做到什麼程度，微細流注才能斷除？所謂微細，就是我們現在看不見它，要做功夫深入金剛薩埵定以後才看得見：唉呀，細妄種子這麼多，動得這麼厲害。知道這個在動，把它消去，不動了，但還有個「不動」在也不行，不動也不要。打破它，識蘊區宇就打破了。識蘊是五蘊的最後一蘊，識蘊打破，就成就了。所以我們要做功夫，要修行，就是要悟後真修。但是，你不悟真心不明理怎麼去修？所以，認識真心明白道理最為重要，即覺法自性意生身最重要。
今天我把色、空之義又講了一遍，還再次重申了認識真心（見地正）的重要性：為什麼要認識真心才行，也講了講修行人臨命終時究竟到什麼地方去。你們要時時刻刻這樣做功夫，就是「常須覺察，損之又損」。我們要時時刻刻的覺照：唉喲，念頭來了。唉喲，又著相了。唉喲，妄念起了。趕快不要動，不跟它跑，這叫損之又損。你們不要講什麼一悟到底，這恐怕不是輕易做得到吧？我們不是常聽人說：「哎呀，我怎麼還有這麼多念頭呢？」你們看，一下子把念頭消除淨光，不是容易辦到的事，所以常須覺察，損之又損才行。那如何考察自己是否進步呢？應該回頭看，就是比比過去，過去自己怎麼執著、怎麼煩惱，現在比從前少一點了，心平氣和多了，那就是有進步了。有進步就好，因為知道有進步，就能增強信心。我們在做功夫當中，身體發熱，光明顯現，這都是好現象。但是我們不能追求，一追求就完了，那就是住著、就是妄念妄情。”
English Translation:
“After awakening, practice must be natural, like the flow of water—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—continuing on without resting, not pausing anywhere, not abiding, not following conditions, not being carried away by deluded thoughts. Gradually reduce and reduce your habitual tendencies and delusions until they are completely eliminated. Only then can you accomplish the Great Way. This is the secret method of practice. Thus, if you do not recognize the true mind, practice is of no benefit; if you recognize the true mind but do not know the secret method, you cannot succeed.
When we recite ‘Amitābha,’ we are awakening our own mind, not seeking some external Amitābha. If we vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, we must unite our mind with Amitābha’s mind—both self-power and other-power at work. Understand that reciting the Buddha’s name eliminates the impurities and afflictions of our mind, borrowing the Buddha’s bright radiance to dissolve our karmic hindrances. Then, making vows to be reborn in the West will succeed. How does one achieve rebirth there? By severing the root of love. If you still cherish this Saha world, you cannot be reborn there no matter how much you emphasize other-power. In fact, other-power is self-power; self-power is other-power; they are non-dual. Splitting self and other into two is mistaken. In practice, we must rely on both. Without removing your delusions and attachment to the Saha world, other-power cannot pull you across. If Buddhas and Bodhisattvas could forcibly pull you over, they would have done so long ago. The Buddha’s method of guiding to the Pure Land is to shine light upon you. If you do not open your eyes to see that light, what use is it? That is why Yongming Yanshou Chan Master said: Our mind is like a basin of water, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are like the moon in the sky. Amitābha emits light to illuminate us. If our mind is pure like clear water, it reflects the moon. This is the interconnection of self-power and other-power. If the water of our mind is filthy, it cannot reflect the moon. It is not that the Buddha does not shine upon us—he does so equally. It is our mind that is defiled. Thus, a blind person cannot see the light, and dirty water cannot reflect the moon. This is our misunderstanding, not the Buddha’s fault. Therefore, we must cultivate both self-power and other-power.
Original Text:
“我們於悟後做功夫要任其自然，像流水一樣，嘩、嘩、嘩地流過去，要不停留、不可住著，不跟境界跑，不隨妄念流，把我們的妄想習氣損之又損，消除淨光，才能成就大道。此為修法之訣竅，是故不識真心，修法無益；識得真心，不知訣竅，不能成就。
我們念阿彌陀佛，是喚醒自心，不是求西方的阿彌陀佛。我們發願往生西方極樂世界，就和阿彌陀佛心心相印，也是自力，也是他力。我們明白念佛的作用，就是借佛的聖號除去我們心中的污濁、煩惱，借佛的光明朗照我們，消除我們的業障，那麼我們發願生西方，就能生到西方極樂世界去。怎麼個生法呢？即是要把愛根斬斷，若能如此，肯定成功。你要是還愛戀著這個世界，儘管你強調「我有他力、我有他力、我有他力」、但你最終是生不了西方淨土的。因為你愛根沒有斬斷，牽掛著這娑婆世界，如何走得了呢？其實他力就是自力，自力就是他力，自他不二。將自他分成兩個，那就錯了。我們修行，一定要雙修，就是把自力和他力結合起來，光靠他力，自力上不去，沒有用處。因為你妄念不除，執著這個娑婆世界，他力拉不動你。佛菩薩要是能拉，老早就把我們拉光了。佛菩薩接引生西，怎麼接引法？發光照你。你不睜眼睛，他照你，你看不見他的光，有何用處？是故永明延壽禪師說：我們的心比如是一盆水，佛菩薩比如天上的月亮。阿彌陀佛放光照我們，假如我們的心如水清淨了，就能現出月亮的影子來，這就是感應道交，他力自力結合在一塊了；假若我們的心水是一盆污水，就映不出月亮來。不是佛不照你，佛沒有這種不平等的心，佛是普遍朗照的，而你的心卻污穢得很。是故瞎子不見光明，污水不現月影。這完全是我們的誤會，並不是佛不照我們。所以要雙修，有他力也有自力。”
English Translation:
“To be reborn in the Western Pure Land, you must let go of everything and recite the Buddha’s name earnestly: ‘Amitābha Buddha, Amitābha Buddha…,’ awakening your own mind. His mind is our own mind, our mind is his. They merge into one, mind and Buddha responding to each other. At the moment of death, that Buddha appears before you. ‘At the moment of death’ does not only refer to the physical death but also to the moment you sever the root of birth and death. What is the root of birth and death? It is the deluded emotions, deluded thoughts, and deluded mind. Where was birth and death originally? Without these delusions, you would not create karma or fall into six-fold samsara. With single-minded recitation, when conditions mature, you suddenly chop off these delusions. The root of birth and death ends, and at that moment the Buddha appears right before you. This Buddha is that Buddha, Amitābha, your self-nature Buddha. Self-nature Buddha is Amitābha Buddha. ‘Appearing before you’ means your original nature is revealed. This is called ‘When the flower opens, you see the Buddha and awaken to the unborn.’ The mind-flower opens, you see the self-nature Buddha, and realize the nature that is neither born nor dies. This is the Pure Land tradition, the true Pure Land.
Do not shift the problem of birth and death onto Amitābha, do not say it depends solely on other-power. If you do not remove your deluded emotions, thoughts, and mind, how can that Buddha appear? How can you realize the unborn nature? It is all your own responsibility—how could you blame Amitābha?”
Original Text:
“往生西方極樂世界，就要一切放下，懇懇切切地念佛號：「阿彌陀佛、阿彌陀佛……」，把自心喚醒。他心就是自心，自心就是他心，打成一片，心佛道交。臨命終時彼佛現前。這「臨命終時」，不光是指臨死的時候，還指生死命根斷除之時。什麼叫生死命根斷除之時呢？就是我們的妄情、妄念、妄心這個時候死下來了、斷除了，這就是臨命終時。因為我們的生死命根就是妄情、妄念、妄心。我們本來哪里有生死啊？都是這妄情、妄念、妄心執著色相，造業受報，從而六道輪迴、虛妄生死。我們一心念佛，功夫成熟，時節因緣一到「啪」地一下子，把妄情、妄念、妄心斬斷，這生死命根就終了。「臨命終時，彼佛現前」，「彼佛」就是那個佛，就是阿彌陀佛，就是我們自性佛，自性佛就是阿彌陀佛。「現前」，即本性現前也，這叫「花開見佛悟無生」。心花開放，見自性佛，這就是開悟了。「悟無生」，開悟了見到了不生不滅的本來自性！這就是淨土宗啊，是真正的淨土宗！我們千萬不要把生死大事，推到阿彌陀佛一個人身上。不要說這是他力，你阿彌陀佛假如不救我去，是你的過錯，非我之咎。這是不對的，你自己的妄情、妄念、妄心沒有斬斷，彼佛如何現前，如何能悟無生？這全是你自己的過咎，怎麼可以埋怨阿彌陀佛呢？”
English Translation:
“The Pure Land tradition is the Chán tradition, and the Chán tradition is the Pure Land tradition. This was stated by the great masters of old: ‘Chán is the Chán of Pure Land, and Pure Land is the Pure Land of Chán.’ They are not two different things. People are unaware of the principle and forcibly separate Chán and Pure Land. Actually, they share the same essence. For example, Great Master Yongming Yanshou was a Chán master, yet he is also recognized as a great patriarch of the Pure Land tradition. Great Master Lianchi (Lotus Pool) was also a Chán master, and so was Great Master Chewu. How did they all become great Pure Land patriarchs? Because Chán and Pure Land are originally one. If you sincerely vow to be reborn in the West without doubt and practice wholeheartedly, you will quickly progress toward enlightenment. The same applies to Chán practice and also to Esoteric practice.
I have often said that in practicing the Mind-Center Dharma of Esoteric Buddhism, you cannot rely solely on two hours of sitting. The key is observation after rising from meditation—observation off the cushion is even more important. Down from the seat, facing all circumstances, test whether your mind is empty. This is the most crucial step.
I often hear people say: ‘Oh dear, I was so angry today because of such-and-such situation.’ I ask, ‘Are you a Buddhist practitioner? Why become angry? If you are truly studying Buddhism, you should not be angry. Everything is empty—no self, no others—what is there to be angry about?’ If you still get angry, you have not really studied Buddhism. You have not maintained constant awareness or trained the mind amid circumstances. The more adverse the situation and the more irritating the person, the better the training opportunity. Will you still become angry? If you do, you have not trained enough. Without training, how can you become a Buddha? Adverse circumstances are actually good—they test and refine you, seeing if you wake up. Don’t say that adversity is bad. Whether it’s bad depends on whether you awaken. If you know how to use these circumstances to train yourself, adversity is beneficial. As Buddhist practitioners—whether practicing Chán, Pure Land, or Esoteric—we must constantly train the mind amid all conditions. Without doing so, we can never succeed.”
Original Text:
“淨土宗就是禪宗，禪宗就是淨土宗。這是古來的大善知識講的，「禪者，淨土之禪也；淨土者，禪之淨土也。」禪就是淨土，淨土就是禪。不能分成兩個，看成兩回事，它的確是一回事。比如，永明壽大師是禪師，怎麼成為淨土宗的大祖師了呢？蓮池大師也是禪師，徹悟大師也是禪師，他們怎麼都成為淨土宗的大祖師了呢？禪，淨本來就是一鼻孔出氣，只是後來人不明理，才強分禪分淨。我們發願生西，心要真切，不要疑惑。願要懇切，不是口頭上說說而已，還要有真實之行。心有行散，不可救矣。朝於斯，夕於斯，流離於斯，顛沛於斯，時時刻刻不忘記，那麼，你就快要成道了。修禪人也是如此，常須覺察，時時保護，照顧話頭。我們修密宗的也是如此，我再三說修心中心法，不能光靠兩小時打坐，下座時觀照最重要，下座比上座還重要。下座時歷境練心，看看你的心空不空，這是最重要的一著。
我常常聽人講：唉喲，今天我真是氣死了，某人怎麼、怎麼不好。我倒問問你是不是學佛的人啊？還氣什麼東西啊？你學佛了，就不應該有氣。一切皆空，無人無我，無自無他，還氣什麼？若還有氣，你就是沒學佛，就是沒有時時覺察，沒有歷境練心。越是違逆的環境，越是氣惱的人事，越是能鍛煉你，看你還氣不氣？你還生氣，就是沒鍛煉，沒鍛煉怎麼能成佛啊？逆境其實也是好的境界，是鍛煉你的，看你是不是醒悟。不要說什麼逆境壞，壞不壞就看你醒悟不醒悟，就看你是不是會利用這個境界鍛煉自己。我們學佛人，不管是習禪、習淨抑或是習密，都要時時刻刻歷境練心，不能如是，決無成就。”
Posts
