原本来说,道本来圆满通达、无所不周,哪里还需要依靠修行与证悟来成就它呢?宗乘本来自在现成,哪里还需要另外费什么功夫呢?何况这全体本已远离尘埃,谁还会相信有什么拂拭尘垢的手段呢?它毕竟从不离开当下这个所在,哪里还需要动步远行、到处寻求修行呢?
然而,只要有毫厘之差,就如天地般悬隔。违逆与顺从、喜欢与不喜欢的分别才一生起,心便纷然迷失。即使你理解深广,悟境丰厚,获得一瞥即通的智慧,乃至已经得道明心,并发起冲天的志气;纵然在入门边际已能自在逍遥,仍然几乎亏缺那条真正出身透脱的活路。
更何况,祇园那位生而知之的佛陀,仍然端坐六年,至今还可见其修行的踪迹;少林那位传持心印的达摩祖师,仍然面壁九年,其声名至今仍被传闻。古代圣贤尚且如此,今日的我们又怎能不辨明此理呢?
所以,必须停止那种寻逐言句、追逐文字知解的解行,必须学习回光返照这一退步功夫。身心自然脱落,本来面目自然现前。若要得到这样的事,就必须急切地实行这样的事。
参禅宜在安静的室内。饮食要节制适中。放下诸缘,让万事休息。不思量善,也不思量恶;不管是,也不管非。停止心、意、识的运转,止息念、想、观的测度计量。不要图谋作佛;此事又岂拘限于坐相或卧相之中呢?
平常坐处,应厚厚铺设坐具,上面再放蒲团。可以结跏趺坐,也可以半跏趺坐。所谓结跏趺坐,是先把右脚安放在左大腿上,再把左脚安放在右大腿上。所谓半跏趺坐,只是把左脚压在右大腿上即可。衣带要宽松系好,并整理齐整。
接着,将右手安放在左脚上,左手手掌安放在右手手掌上,两手大拇指相对相触。然后端正身体,端身正坐,不可向左偏侧、向右倾斜,也不可向前弯曲、向后仰靠。要使耳朵与肩膀相对,鼻子与肚脐相对。舌头抵住上颚,嘴唇与牙齿相合。眼睛必须常开,鼻息细细通畅。
身体姿势既已调好,便吸一口气,再完全呼出,左右摇动身体数次,然后兀兀然安住,端坐不动。此时,思量那个“不思量”。“不思量”如何思量?——非思量。这就是坐禅的要术。
所谓坐禅,并不是学习禅定技巧;它只是安乐法门,是彻底究尽菩提的修证。公案现成,罗网笼罩不到。若能得此意,就如龙得水,似虎靠山。应当知道,正法自然现前,昏沉与散乱先自仆落。
若要从坐中起身,应徐徐动身,安详而起,不可仓促粗暴。
试看古来超越凡圣、或坐脱或立亡的事例,也都全凭这坐禅之力。何况那些以手指、竿、针、槌而转动机缘的事,以及以拂子、拳头、拄杖、喝声而证契的事,绝不是思量分别所能理解的,又岂是神通或修证上的知解所能测知的呢?这是超出声色之外的威仪,岂不正是在知见之前的轨则吗?
既然如此,不论是上智还是下愚,都不要分别利根与钝根。只要专一用功,这正是办道。修证本来自不染污,向前行去更是平常之事。
总的来说,无论此方世界、他方世界,西天或东土,都同样持守佛印,各自独擅宗风。唯一应当专务的,就是打坐,兀兀然凝定不动。虽说有万别千差,但只管参禅办道即可。
为什么要白白抛却自家现成的坐床,往来奔走于他国尘境之中呢?若一步踏错,便当面错过了。
既然已经得到人身这一修道的关键机缘,就不要虚度光阴。应当保任佛道的要机。谁会浪费生命,去贪乐那击石火花般短促的光景呢?更何况形质如草上露水,运命似闪电光影,刹那便空,须臾即失。
希望各位参学的高流,既已长久习惯于摸象,便不要惊怪真正的龙。请在这直指端的之道上精进用功。应尊重那超越学修、无为自在的人,契合佛佛菩提,嫡嗣祖祖三昧。若能久久如此行持,须是如此之人。宝藏自然开启,受用自在如意。
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1 原文
原夫道本圆通,争假修证。宗乘自在,何费功夫。况全体远出尘埃,孰信拂拭手段?大都不离当处,岂用修行脚头哉?
然毫釐之差,天地悬隔,违顺才起,纷然失心。直饶会夸悟丰,获瞥地智通,得道明心,举冲天志气,入头边量虽逍遥,几亏缺出身活路。
矧彼祗园生地,端坐六年可见踪迹,少林传心印,面壁九岁声名尚闻。古圣既然,今人盍辨?所以须休寻言逐语之解行,须学回光返照之退步。身心自然脱落,本来面目现前。恁麼事欲得,恁麼事务急。
其静室参禅宜节饮食。诸缘崩舍,万事休息,不思善恶,莫管是非。停心意识之运转,止念想观之测量。莫图作佛,岂拘坐卧?寻常坐处,厚敷坐物,上用蒲团,或结跏趺坐,或半跏趺坐,谓结跏趺坐,先以右足安左腿上,左足安右腿上。半跏趺坐但以左足压右腿,衣帯宽系可令齐整。次右手安左足上,左掌安右掌上,两大拇指相向,乃正身端座,不得左侧右倾,前躬後仰,要耳对肩,鼻对脐。舌挂上颚,唇齿相著,目须常开,鼻息微通。身相既调,欠气一息,左右摇振,兀兀坐定,思量个不思量底。不思量底如何思量,非思量,此乃坐禅要术也。
所谓坐禅非习禅,唯是安乐法门也。究尽菩提修证也。公案现成,罗笼未到,若得此意,如龙得水,似虎靠山。当知正法自现前,昏散先仆落。若坐立徐徐动身,可安详而起,不可卒暴也。
尝观超凡越圣、坐脱立亡,亦一任此力。况复拈指竿针鎚之转机,举拂拳棒喝之证契,非是思量分别之所能解,岂神通修证锁所能知哉?声色之外是威仪,何知见之前非轨则者哉。
然则不论上智下愚,莫简利人钝者,专一功夫正是办道也。修证自不染污,趣向更是平常物也。
凡夫自界他方、西天东地,等持佛印,一擅宗风,唯务打坐兀地碍,虽谓万别千差,只管参禅办道,何谩抛却自家坐床,去来他国尘境?若一步错,当面蹉过。
既得人身之机要,莫虚度光阴,保任佛道之要机。谁浪乐石火,加以、形质如草露,运命似电光,倏忽便孔,须臾即失。
冀其参学高流,久习摸象,勿恠真龙,直指端的之道精进,尊贵绝学无为之人,合遝佛佛菩提,嫡嗣祖祖三昧。久是恁麼,须是恁麼。宝藏自开,受用如意也。(《普劝坐禅仪》原文翻译
The way is originally perfect and all-pervading. How could it be contingent on practice and realization? The true vehicle is self-sufficient. What need is there for special effort? Indeed, the whole body is free from dust. Who could believe in a means to brush it clean? It is never apart from this very place; what is the use of traveling around to practice? And yet, if there is a hairsbreadth deviation, it is like the gap between heaven and earth. If the least like or dislike arises, the mind is lost in confusion. Suppose you are confident in your understanding and rich in enlightenment, gaining the wisdom that knows at a glance, attaining the Way and clarifying the mind, arousing an aspiration to reach for the heavens. You are playing in the entranceway, but you are still short of the vital path of emancipation.
Consider the Buddha: although he was wise at birth, the traces of his six years of upright sitting can yet be seen. As for Bodhidharma, although he had received the mind-seal, his nine years of facing a wall is celebrated still. If even the ancient sages were like this, how can we today dispense with wholehearted practice?
Therefore, put aside the intellectual practice of investigating words and chasing phrases, and learn to take the backward step that turns the light and shines it inward. Body and mind of themselves will drop away, and your original face will manifest. If you want to realize such, get to work on such right now.
For practicing Zen, a quiet room is suitable. Eat and drink moderately. Put aside all involvements and suspend all affairs. Do not think "good" or "bad." Do not judge true or false. Give up the operations of mind, intellect, and consciousness; stop measuring with thoughts, ideas, and views. Have no designs on becoming a buddha. How could that be limited to sitting or lying down?
At your sitting place, spread out a thick mat and put a cushion on it. Sit either in the full-lotus or half-lotus position. In the full-lotus position, first place your right foot on your left thigh, then your left foot on your right thigh. In the half-lotus, simply place your left foot on your right thigh. Tie your robes loosely and arrange them neatly. Then place your right hand on your left leg and your left hand on your right palm, thumb-tips lightly touching. Straighten your body and sit upright, leaning neither left nor right, neither forward nor backward. Align your ears with your shoulders and your nose with your navel. Rest the tip of your tongue against the front of the roof of your mouth, with teeth together and lips shut. Always keep your eyes open, and breathe softly through your nose.
Once you have adjusted your posture, take a breath and exhale fully, rock your body right and left, and settle into steady, immovable sitting. Think of not thinking, "Not thinking --what kind of thinking is that?" Nonthinking. This is the essential art of zazen.
The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease, the practice realization of totally culminated enlightenment. It is the koan realized; traps and snares can never reach it. If you grasp the point, you are like a dragon gaining the water, like a tiger taking to the mountains. For you must know that the true dharma appears of itself, so that from the start dullness and distraction are struck aside.
When you arise from sitting, move slowly and quietly, calmly and deliberately. Do not rise suddenly or abruptly. In surveying the past, we find that transcendence of both mundane and sacred, and dying while either sitting or standing, have all depended entirely on the power of zazen.
In addition, triggering awakening with a finger, a banner, a needle, or a mallet, and effecting realization with a whisk, a fist, a staff, or a shout --these cannot be understood by discriminative thinking; much less can they be known through the practice of supernatural power. They must represent conduct beyond seeing and hearing. Are they not a standard prior to knowledge and views?
This being the case, intelligence or lack of it is not an issue; make no distinction between the dull and the sharp-witted. If you concentrate your effort single-mindedly, that in itself is wholeheartedly engaging the way.
Practice-realization is naturally undefiled. Going forward is, after all, an everyday affair.
In general, in our world and others, in both India and China, all equally hold the buddha-seal. While each lineage expresses its own style, they are all simply devoted to sitting, totally blocked in resolute stability. Although they say that there are ten thousand distinctions and a thousand variations, they just wholeheartedly engage the way in zazen. Why leave behind the seat in your own home to wander in vain through the dusty realms of other lands? If you make one misstep, you stumble past what is directly in front of you.
You have gained the pivotal opportunity of human form. Do not pass your days and nights in vain. You are taking care of the essential activity of the buddha-way. Who would take wasteful delight in the spark from a flintstone? Besides, form and substance are like the dew on the grass, the fortunes of life like a dart of lightning --emptied in an instant, vanished in a flash.
Please, honored followers of Zen, long accustomed to groping for the elephant, do not doubt the true dragon. Devote your energies to the way of direct pointing at the real. Revere the one who has gone beyond learning and is free from effort. Accord with the enlightenment of all the buddhas; succeed to the samadhi of all the ancestors. Continue to live in such a way, and you will be such a person. The treasure store will open of itself, and you may enjoy it freely.