Audio in Chinese: https://open.spotify.com/episode/37vGSMIojCnfoRc5ElFUHl?si=71d85f62dd954f5d ， https://app.box.com/s/u7o6rz2msqmr1o5x24blcek4ypbcoemx

English Translation:

Master Hui Lu:

Uh, let me give an example, and you'll understand how difficult it is when you can't find the right way to begin your practice. There was a young man in Taiwan whose parents passed away very early. He was gradually raised by his uncle. After graduating from university, he also came to understand impermanence amidst life's complexities. Under these circumstances, he joined others to live in simple huts, and he stayed there for a full ten years.

One day, he really couldn't bear it anymore. Despite reading many books, contemplating koans and causal conditions, studying scriptures, prostrating to Buddha, and chanting Buddha's name, he constantly felt that he hadn't attained enlightenment. He realized that simply suppressing thoughts wasn't the solution. He didn't know where the strength came from, but he resolved, "I must find a master to ask for guidance on the Dharma."

So, he came alone. I thought, "Ah, this monk is very solemn, and highly educated too. He could be a 'dragon and elephant' [a great figure] within the Dharma gate." I decided to welcome him warmly. I asked, "Where are you from?" He replied, "From mainland China." "Where do you reside? Your esteemed monastery?" He said, "I don't have a monastery. A group of monks and I each live in separate huts." "Oh," I thought, "he's being modest." The point I am making with this story is about how difficult it is to achieve enlightenment and see one's true nature.

He very respectfully asked me – I told him to relax, as I could see this young monk was extremely deferential, which moved me – "Future dragon and elephant of the Dharma, what questions do you have?" He dared to ask, "Master, have you seen your true nature?" "Mm, I have seen my nature." "Then, may I ask the Venerable Sir, what is seeing? What is nature?" I replied, "That's an expert question from a layman's perspective! Seeing is nature, and nature is seeing. Without nature, there can be no seeing. How can the Dharma be dualistic?" He seemed to grasp a little, understanding that splitting the Dharma into two prevents entry into non-duality. Chan (Zen) is about direct apprehension.

"Then, Master, how do you explain 'clarifying the mind and seeing the nature' (明心见性)?" I told him, "It means clarifying the True Suchness original mind (真如本心) and seeing the unborn, undying pure intrinsic nature (清净自性)." The monk then asked again, "Master, so do you mean 'Mind is Buddha' (即心是佛)?" I said, "No. My meaning is 'Not Mind, not Buddha' (非心非佛)." He became increasingly confused. "So, it's 'Not Mind, not Buddha,' are you sure?" I replied, "No. It is 'Mind is Buddha'." Now he was completely lost. "Master, which one is it? Which one is it exactly?"

I explained, "Making a choice implies discrimination. Choosing 'Mind is Buddha' is incorrect. Choosing 'Not Mind, not Buddha' is also incorrect. Yet, choosing 'Mind is Buddha' is correct, and choosing 'Not mind, not Buddha' is also correct." He felt like he was on a rollercoaster, completely spun around. "Master, when do you say 'Mind is Buddha'?" "To demonstrate that the Dharma is not nihilistic, to affirm that the True Suchness original mind genuinely exists. At that time, we use 'Mind is Buddha'." "Then Master, what does 'Not mind, not Buddha' mean?" "It means you cannot be attached to the idea of a 'true mind.' The true mind is empty of self-nature, hence 'not Mind.' Buddha has no sign; you cannot abide in signs. The Tathagata is the Thusness of all dharmas. You cannot cling to Buddha as something concrete; he is the signless Dharmakaya. Therefore, you also cannot be attached, which is why we say 'Not Mind, not Buddha.' Because if you assert 'Mind is Buddha,' you become attached to the view that 'Mind' and 'Buddha' truly exists. I say 'Not Mind, not Buddha' to tell you that both Mind and Buddha are empty of inherent existence."

"Hmm," he said, "Master, I lived in a hut for ten years, and no one answered me like this. I need to go back and really ponder this." I told him, "Intellectual deliberation is useless. Great enlightenment and seeing the nature require wielding the sword directly in battle; only then is it easily seen." "Hmm... difficult. May I ask, Master, you often speak of 'all dharmas are unborn' (一切法无生). How do you explain 'unborn' (无生)?" I answered him, "All dharmas arising is called non-birth (万法皆生名为无生)." "Master, I am asking about non-birth!" "Yes," I said, "I am answering your question. All dharmas arising is called non-birth." "Wow! Doesn't non-birth mean nothing exists at all?" I responded, "Oh, monk, why do you cling to the heterodox views of annihilationism and eternalism? Non-birth is all dharmas arising. All dharmas arising is precisely what I mean by true non-birth. You must understand this clearly." "Wow... I need to go back and ponder this more." I told him again, "Intellectual deliberation is useless. True liberation comes from wielding the sword directly in battle; only then is it easily seen. What need is there for questions and answers?"

"May I ask, Master, where will you go when you die?" I said, "That is your delusion. Didn't I tell you all dharmas are unborn? If there is no birth, how can there be such a thing as death? I've already told you about non-birth, yet you still ask me where I will go when I die?" He still didn't get it. "Master, do you mean you will go to the Pure Land after death?" I replied, "From birth to death, you use terms of metabolic change. Before birth and after death are also terms of metabolic change. You are consistently using a mind of arising and ceasing (生灭的心) to inquire about the Tathagata's realm of non-arising and non-ceasing (不生不灭的境界). How can you possibly realize it?" "So Master, are you saying the mind is the Pure Land?" I said, "Yes." "Then aren't you going to the Pure Land after death?" I countered, "What does the Pure Land look like? On what road? Which street? What number? Tell me the address, and I'll move there."

He had been ordained for ten years, yet with just a few simple replies from me, he couldn't grasp anything. How much harder, then, for ordinary, wandering practitioners to realize the holy path? As I said yesterday, even being ordained for twenty years doesn't guarantee possessing the Tathagata's right view. It's already clear how difficult it is to enter the Buddha's right view. I just turned him around a couple of times like that. Because he immediately latched onto "Mind is Buddha". I had to break his attachment with "Not Mind, not Buddha." Then he attached to "Not Mind, not Buddha." When he asked about "all dharmas are unborn," he clung to a nihilistic idea of non-birth. I answered him, "All dharmas arising is called non-birth." "Master, why do your answers always seem to contradict me?" I said, "To break your attachments!"

Fundamentally, dharma is non-dharma (法法本来就无法). It only becomes a 'dharma' (the definition of an entity (dharma) in Buddhist teachings is something that bears characteristics) because of attachment to illusory appearances (假相). Patriarchs, great masters, and virtuous spiritual teachers have no choice but to use skillful means (善巧方便) to untie knots and relieve suffering.

Okay, this is a very real incident that happened to me. Let me tell you one more thing: resolving the confusion in your mind, clarifying the mind and seeing the nature – this is incredibly difficult. Just like this young man, ordained for ten years, looking here and there, yet with just a couple of replies from me, he couldn't find his way out. This tells everyone that spiritual practice is truly not easy, truly not easy. Ah, attaining insight into one's nature is a matter of real substance, "real guns and live ammunition" (真枪实弹); it's not about cultivating a facade or decorating oneself with appearances. When afflictions arise, such methods are useless. When life and death are imminent, one is utterly lost. Now, throughout the twenty-four hours (二六时钟), you must penetrate through completely, lest you be frantic and confused when the end of life approaches.

Original Chinese Text (Formatted into Paragraphs):

请收看 慧律法师 佛学讲座

呃，举个例子，你就知道那个要下手修行。摸不着门，有多辛苦？也有一个年轻人，在台湾呢，那个年轻的。他的父母亲啊？很早就死亡 后来由这个叔叔慢慢带大 他大学毕业以后也体会了无常。在错综复杂 那么在这个因缘之下 他也跟人家去住毛棚，整整住了十年 整整住了十年。

有一天啊 他实在是憋不住了。因为看了很多的书籍，功案 因缘 经典，也拜佛 念佛 可是他一直觉得他没有悟。用压的也不是办法，他自己不晓得哪来一股力量，我要去找师父请示法义。

哎 就自己一个人跑来了。我说 哎 这比丘很庄严，又是高学历的，是寡法门龙象，好好招呼招呼。我说哪来呀？他说中国的。住哪里呀 贵宝刹？他说我没有宝刹，有一群比丘瓦各住一间，就是茅棚。他说 哦 谦虚啦。我现在讲的这一段叫做 开悟见性有多难。

他就问我，非常恭敬的。我说你放轻松，看得出来这个年轻比丘瓦 非常 非常地恭敬，我也很感动。我说 未来的法门龙象啊，你有什么问题呀？他敢问师父，你见性吗？嗯 我见性。那请问上人，什么是见？什么是性？我说呀 外行人问内行的话。见就是性，性就是见。见就是性，无性不能见。法哪有二的东西？有一点体会了，把法打成两段，就不能入不二的。禅是直下的东西。

那请问呢师父，你的意思，明心尽性怎么解？我跟他讲，就是明 真如本心啊，见 不生不灭的清净自性啊。那比丘又问了喔，师父 那你的意思就是 即心是佛吗？我说不对，我的意思是非心非佛。他越来越迷糊了。所以非心非佛,确定吗? 我说不对，即心是佛。这下就更搞不清楚了。师父到底是哪一种啊? 到底是哪一种?

我说有选择叫做分别。选即心是佛不对，选非心非佛也不对。选即心是佛也对，选非心非佛也对。那就 像坐营销飞车，转晕了。师父什么时候讲 即心是佛？证明 法不是断灭的，讲真如本心确实存在，这个时候用的叫做即心是佛。那师父那什么叫做非心非佛呢？就是不可以执着 有一个真心。真心空无自性，名为非心。佛无形相，你不能住着。如来者即是诸法如意呀，不能住着佛变成具体化，他是无相的法身啊。所以也不能住着，叫做非心非佛。因为你讲即心即佛，住着有一个心有一个佛。我讲非心非佛是告诉你心跟佛都空无自性，所以我 才讲非心非佛。

嗯 师父这个 我十年住毛棚啊，没有人跟我回答这个。我这个回去好好的思维思维。我跟他讲思量极不重用，大悟见性轮刀上阵易得见之。嗯 难。敢问师父 你 常常讲一切法无生，无生怎么解呀？我跟他回答万法皆生名为无生。师父我在问无生啊？我说对啊我在回答你问题呀，万法皆生名为无生啊。哇 无生不是什么都没有嘛？我说呀沙门世子何习外道断常之见呢？无生就是万法皆生，万法皆生正是我所讲的真正的无生。要弄清楚。

哇 我回去再思维思维。我跟他讲 思量极不重用，正量解脱轮刀上阵易得见之。何来问答？请问师父你死的时候要去哪里？我说这是你的妄想，我不是告诉你一切法无生？生都没有哪还有死这个东西呢？我都告诉你无生了，你还问我死往哪里去？又弄不清楚。师父你的意思是 你死后是到净土去吗？我说从生到死，你用的是代谢之词。生前死后亦是代谢之词。你通通用生灭的心，在问如来不生不灭的境界，如何能体悟呢？

那师父你说心就是净土？我说对呀。那你死后不是去净土吗？我说净土长什么样？在什么路？什么街？在第几号？说出地址，我搬去那边住啊。

他出家十年了，我这样简单跟他回两句，怎么摸都摸不着。更何况 悠悠善善 而能够体悟圣道？我昨天讲的，出家二十年 都不一定 具足如来的正见。已经很清楚 入佛的正见有多么的困难。我这样转两下，因为他一下子 即心是佛就就就就执着这个叫做即心是佛。我要破除他的执着，非心非佛。他又执着非心非佛。他问了 一切法无生就执着一种东西，叫做无生坏状的东西。我跟他回答 万法尽生名为无生。师父你为什么回答的都跟我敌对呢？我说为了破除你的执着啊。

嗯 法法本来就无法，因为住着假相而变成一种法。祖师大德升善知识 不得不用善巧方便 托年解苦。

好 这是一个很 实际的 发生在师父身上的。我再告诉你一句话，要解决逆心的迷茫，要明心见性，这明心见性有多困难。就像这位年轻人，出家十年，这边看一看，那边看一看，我随便回答两句，转不出来。这就告诉大家，修行大不容易，大不容易。啊 他有见性，是真枪实弹的东西，不是修修门面啊，用表象来装饰自我。一道烦恼来的时候用不着，生死现前啊 一片茫然。现在 二六时钟 必须打透，免得临命终 手忙脚乱。