Excerpts from the Jewel Mirror Samadhi
Update 2023: For full translation of this text with ChatGPT 4, see The Song of Samadhi of the Precious Mirror 
 
 
Also see: Nonduality of Life and Death
The Path of Anatta
Fearless Samadhi
Flowers Fall: A Commentary on Zen Master Dogen's Genjokoan

Here is a compilation of articles by Zen Master Hong Wen Liang, who is very clear: https://app.box.com/s/ceb9i7wsk0lkfl2sjex97ai56l1k52pf 


Translated some excerpts from http://tradewhat.blogspot.sg/2013/12/blog-post_11.html - talk by Zen Master Hong Wen Liang on the Jewel Mirror Samadhi. I found this article recently and resonated well with it.
「苦樂 升沉」包括痛麻癢…這些都是，這表示不是特別有一個三昧，各位修了就可以進入，未修就不能進入；或是說有所成就的人才有寶鏡三昧，不是！不管是佛還是凡 夫，有情、無情、饅頭、鑽石、唱歌、走路…皆是，到底什麼意思？
"The rise and fall of suffering and joy" including pain, numbness and itch... these are all it, this means it is not that there is a special samadhi, in which everybody can practice to enter, or that those who have not practiced are unable to enter it. Nor is it the case that only someone accomplished is able to obtain the jewel mirror samadhi, not so! It does not matter if one is a Buddha or a sentient being, sentient or insentient, steam bun, diamond, singing, walking... all is it, what does this mean?
以正眼看，全宇宙是一枚寶鏡三昧。因是一枚故，無能見與所見。
With accurate vision, the entire universe is a piece of Jewel Mirror Samadhi. Because it is one piece, there is no perceiver nor perceived.
『若解會為鏡』假如你把他解釋為一面鏡子，那就『入地獄如矢』。
If you interpret that as a mirror, then you'll enter straight into hell.
你把他當作一面鏡子 解釋，是解釋哦，一解釋的話，你就把他當作是對像去解說，那當然奇怪了，一面鏡子照的當然是影子，這樣分開來的話就完全錯了。
If you explain it as a mirror, you'll be treating it as an object, that would of course be odd. What a mirror reflects would of course be a reflection, it would be erroneous to delineate/separate in this way.
「入地獄如矢」就是馬上錯掉 了，不可以把他當作這樣去解釋。『不見言』是沒有聽說過嗎？『山河不在鏡中見，山河草木即鏡』，你聽到「全宇宙是一枚寶鏡三昧」，就把三昧當作是一副鏡 子，這樣就很容易錯掉了。所以他強調「山河草木不在鏡中見，山河草木就是鏡子」。千萬不要把你所看的、所覺受的當作是鏡中的影子，不可以這樣講，山河大地 本身都是鏡子，不是鏡中的影子。
"Entering straight into hell" means instantly falling into error, we cannot explain it that way. Haven't you heard of it? "Mountains and rivers are not seen within a mirror, mountains and rivers are themselves the mirror." When you heard "the whole universe is a piece of Jewel Mirror Samadhi", and you treat that as a mirror, it is very easy to err. Therefore he emphasizes, "mountains and rivers are not within a mirror, mountains, rivers, grasses and wood are the mirror." Never treat what you saw and sensed as being reflections of a mirror, we cannot explain it that way. Mountains, rivers, and the great earth are themselves the mirror, not the reflections of a mirror.
所以各位看到的、聽到的，你千萬不要以為是大圓鏡智所現，有一面法界法性的鏡子所現 的，隨你的因緣果報不同而現出的影子，這樣解說就完全錯掉了。看到、聽到、摸到、想到的通通都是鏡子，包括你自己，整個都是鏡子！這點不要誤會了。
Therefore, do not think that whatever you see and hear are the manifestations of the Great Mirror Wisdom, as if there is a universal mirror that is reflecting the reflections according to your causes and conditions/karma, such explanations are false. Whatever you see, hear, sense, think are entirely the mirror, including yourself - in their entirety they are all the mirror. Do not be mistaken on this point.
『能見所見雙泯，本應解釋為相容，恐被誤解為二元之說』。有一個能見的，有一個所見 的，有你和被你看見的山，兩個東西溶解在一起，很容易被誤解為二元，本來是兩個東西，後來變成是一個東西，融入了，不是這樣子。『故曰山隱，此為隱之道 理』，所謂「山隱」，眼睛對到山的時候，眼睛變成山，眼和山變成一個東西，能見所見沒有了。「山」是「我見」，你說「山」即是「我見」加進去了，思維一 動，我見有了，山和你就分開了。現在知道能見所見相容的關係，能見所見都是一張寶境的變化而已。
"Perceiver and perceived are both extinguished, that ought to be explained as interwoven, but I'm afraid it might be misunderstood in terms of a dualistic view." There is a perceiver, and something perceived, there is you and the mountain seen by you, the two things melt into one, this is easily mistaken as subject-object duality - originally there are two things, then later they fused into one thing. It is not like that. "What is known as mountain concealment, is to be regarded as the principle of concealment" - what is known as "mountain-concealment", when the eyes face the mountain, eyes become mountain, eyes and mountain become one thing, perceiver and perceived vanishes. "Mountain" is "self-view", when you say "mountain", the "self-view" is thereby inserted. Once conceptual proliferation begins, self-view emerges, then the mountain and you have separated. When you understood the interwoven relationship between perceiver and perceived, perceiver and perceived are merely the transformations of a Jewel Mirror.
最要緊是時時刻刻「老實承受與緣合一而忘己」，能一直不偏離這個就是悟後起修。
The most important point is to always "conscientiously bear/endure/experience and fuse with conditions, thereby forgetting oneself", by continuously not deviating from this, that would be the practice after realization.
並不 是澈悟後就絕對不會跑掉、偏離，因此隨隨便變都可以，不是這樣，處處時時「與緣合一而忘己」都不偏離就對了。
It is not the case that after realization one will absolutely not be lost or deviate, and therefore we can let our guards down. That is not the case. Instead, at anywhere and at any time, never deviating from "being one with conditions and thereby forgetting self" is the correct (way).
弄清楚自己就是寶鏡，就是悟了，悟後還要修行 嗎？「修行沒有終止」，這就是曹洞宗最難使人瞭解的地方，使得學人轉學跑到臨濟宗或是淨土宗那裡去。「悟沒有開始，修行沒有終了」一聽就受不了！修行沒有 終止？那我要悟作什麼？我以為悟了就沒有事了，還要一直修行下去？悟沒有開始？那我就不要悟了，本來就是悟嘛。一下子就搞糊塗了，用思想去想佛講的正法， 佛傳的真正的東西，要命呀！
Being clear of oneself as the jewel mirror is already realization, why should there be practice after realization? "There is no end to practice", this is Soto Zen's hardest point to understand. It has led many learners to leave the school for the Rinzai Zen or Pure Land sect. Once a person hears "there is no beginning to realization, there is no end to practice", they cannot endure such a statement. Practice is without end? Then what is the point of realization? I thought after realization there is nothing else, but practice has to go on? Realization has no beginning? Then I shouldn't have gotten realization, since realization always already is. All of a sudden one gets utterly confused. Using one's conceptual thinking to conceptualize the Buddha's teachings - the real thing transmitted by the Buddha, very dreadful!
死時坦然死，絕無延生之念，故解脫安樂。另有譯為「不受」，因受無受者故。何以如此？甜瓜徹蒂甜，苦瓜連根苦。
When dying, fearlessly die, never giving rise to the thought of (desire for) life-extension, that is liberation, peace and joy. It is also explained as "not experiencing", for there is no experiencer in the experience. How is this so? Sweet melons are sweet to the base, while even the roots are bitter in the bitter melon.
他用另一個說法來說明「與緣合一」，『死時坦然死，絕無延生之念，故解脫安樂』。臨終死的時候坦然死，這個時候絕沒有延生之念，想多活一天也好，多活兩天也好，這樣的話就苦了。這是與緣合一的道理，所以解脫安樂。
He explains "being one with conditions" in another way, "When dying, fearlessly die, never giving rise to the thought of (desire for) life-extension, that is liberation, peace and joy". At the time of death, fearlessly die, at this moment there is never a thought for life extension, a desire to live one more day, or two more days, otherwise there would be suffering. That is being one with conditions, that is liberation, peace and joy.
還有一個三昧翻譯成「不受」，因為沒有受與受者，寶鏡嘛！能受所受沒有的關係，所以 叫不受。三昧正受有時翻譯成不受，何以如此？『甜瓜徹蒂甜，苦瓜連根苦』，這上頭有沒有道理？苦瓜吃下去的時候，根也苦，葉子也苦；甜瓜整個都是甜，哪有 這裡甜，那裡不甜？或是這裡甜多一點，那裡甜少一點？有這事嗎？這是什麼意思？沒有能所的意思。本來沒有能所，為什麼？因為都是一枚寶鏡。
There is one more translation of "samadhi" as "not experiencing", because there is neither the experienced and the experiencer, as (it is just) a Jewel Mirror! Due to the absence of an experiencer and the experienced, therefore it is called "no experience". The true experience of samadhi is sometimes translated as the absence of experience, how is this so? "Sweet melons are sweet to the base, while even the roots are bitter in the bitter melon." Is this reasonable? When you are eating a bitter gourd, the roots are bitter, the foliage are also bitter. The sweet melons are entirely sweet, how can there be sweetness at this part but not at the other parts? How can it be sweeter at this point but a little less sweet at another point? What does this mean? There is no subject nor object. There never was a subject nor an object, why? Because it is just a single Jewel Mirror.
大家剛才聽到鐘響了，下課了，平常我們都是「我自己聽到鐘響」，有沒有分開來？有沒 有一枚寶鏡？不是嘛！處處都是分開來。我是我，鐘響是鐘響，這是不回互。因為徹底的不回互，所以是回互。
Everyone just heard the bell ringing, class has ended. Normally we are in the position of "I myself have heard the bell ringing", is there separation here? Or is there only a single jewel mirror? That is not the case! Always in a state of separation. I am I, bell ringing is bell ringing. ...
聲音在我這裡響，還是在那邊響？我這邊沒有響，聽 不見；如果只有我這邊響，那就不要鐘也可以響，我想要響就響就好了，不行！一定要鐘動才行，大家動起來才有，有緣才有。
Is the sound reverberating over here, or is it reveberating from over there? If there is no reveberation at my location, then it would not be heard. But if it is only reverberating at my location, then there would not have been a need for a bell for the sound to be. If I only wanted the reveberation itself, it wouldn't work! There needs to be the vibrating bell, along with all the conditions working/moving together. Only with those conditions can it manifest.
比方講，我在這裏照鏡子，鏡子上有沒有我的影子？有啊！如果沒有我，鏡子上有沒有顯 出我的影子？沒有！
As an example, I am using the mirror here, does the mirror contain my reflection? Yes! If I were not around, would the mirror display my reflection? No!
一定要有鏡子，也要有我。也許有人說拿鏡子的人把這個影子照出來的，那叫拿鏡子的人走開，鏡子擺在那裡就好了，行嗎？不是拿鏡子的人把 影子照出來的，那麼是虛空把影子照出來嗎？那影子是誰照的？不是鏡子照，也不是中間的虛空照，也不是拿鏡子的人照，但是，沒有我不行，沒有鏡子也不行，沒 有空間也不行。
There needs to be a mirror, and there also needs to be me. Perhaps some people may say that the person who carries the mirror is causing the reflection to appear on the mirror. In that case if you ask the person to go away and just let the mirror stand there by itself, would it work? Since it is not the person carrying the mirror that is causing the reflection, could it be the empty space that is causing the reflection to appear? In that case who is reflecting the reflection? Not the mirror, not the empty space in between, not the person carrying the mirror. And yet, it wouldn't work without me, it wouldn't work without the mirror, it wouldn't work without empty space.
像這樣用頭腦去 理解的話是這樣子，那麼實際的情況還是希望大家多多盤腿，盤腿放鬆六根，六根讓它放鬆，就是回到自然的規律。
This is the way of using one's brain to understand and talk about it. Then, in actual situations, I wish everybody still sits often in the lotus position, sitting in the lotus posture and relaxing all six senses, letting the six senses relax, that is to return to the natural law.
「哦！這是自然的規律…」，你不要又加進了自 己的意見了。擺在那裡，思想動來動去也不是你動的，也不是你趕走它，你不趕它，它也走掉啊。念頭動的時候，你不要再加一個「我在想」就好了嘛！飯田禪師整 個序言講了半天就是一個重點：整個都是一個寶鏡三昧在顯，上頭沒有你、我、她，實際的生活怎麼相應？就是和你所看到、所聽到、所接觸到的情景、情況合一， 「與緣合一」這是實際生活用功很好的方法。
"Oh! This is the natural law..." You should not insert your own views/opinions. Just assume your position there. If thoughts move they are not moved by you, neither is it chased away by you. Even if you do not chase them away, they will go away. When thoughts move, it will suffice if you do not add "I am the one thinking"! Zen Master Lida's whole lengthy preface is only about one important point: the entirety is the manifestation of a jewel mirror samadhi, in it there is no you, me, her. How do we actualize this in daily living? That is to be one with all scenes and situations that you see, hear, sense and encounter, "being one with conditions" is the best and most realistic/practical method to put your effort in daily living.
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Precious Mirror Samadhi
I wish I could translate this to English for sharing... but too long. Well expressed by Zen Master Hong Wen Liang.

Update: translated some excerpts here - Excerpts from the Jewel Mirror Samadhi

Here is a compilation of articles by Zen Master Hong Wen Liang, who is very clear: https://app.box.com/s/ceb9i7wsk0lkfl2sjex97ai56l1k52pf 



http://tradewhat.blogspot.sg/2013/12/blog-post_11.html

《寶鏡三昧》洪老師講於金馬侖

寶鏡三昧歌拾唾
飯田禪師著〔日〕
少拙中譯
2005年11月金馬侖高原禪修
洪文亮老師指導和開示


這次向大家介紹寶鏡三昧歌，「歌」是指寫成文章或詩偈，「寶鏡三昧」即是阿嗕多羅三 邈三菩提。【寶鏡三昧歌】是洞山禪師所作，石頭希遷寫了【參同契】，這兩篇文章是姊妹品，這一篇比參同契說明更詳盡，但寫法相同。這一次的解釋是從日本的 飯田禪師翻譯過來的，上次講的參同契也是採用飯田禪師的解說。註解寶鏡三昧的文章很多，飯田禪師寫的這篇簡明扼要，另一篇是面山老師在八十六歲高齡所作， 因為時間有限，這次禪修我們只能講飯田禪師的這篇解說。這兩篇在曹洞宗的寺院中為早晚課必頌，可見其重要。

寶鏡三昧是牆壁瓦礫，是行住坐臥，是生死去來，是苦樂升沉。

『寶鏡三昧是牆壁瓦礫，是行住坐臥，是生死去來，是苦樂升沉』，這一句把重點都講完 了；牆壁也是，石頭也是，各位打噴嚏、走路、睡覺，一切行住坐臥皆是寶鏡三昧。那還有什麼可以講呢？我們最擔心的是生死去來，中陰生到哪裡去？有沒有六道 輪迴？有沒有地獄？有沒有淨土可以去？有沒有天堂可以上？這些生死去來的問題很重要，而其答案都可以以一句「寶鏡三昧」來解答。各位會覺得奇怪嗎？「苦樂 升沉」包括痛麻癢…這些都是，這表示不是特別有一個三昧，各位修了就可以進入，未修就不能進入；或是說有所成就的人才有寶鏡三昧，不是！不管是佛還是凡 夫，有情、無情、饅頭、鑽石、唱歌、走路…皆是，到底什麼意思？

以正眼看，全宇宙是一枚寶鏡三昧。因是一枚故，無能見與所見。

「正眼看」就是沒有糊里糊塗。我們往往是戴著有色眼鏡看東西，就覺得東西是紅色、綠 色、白色…「正眼看」就是沒有加一個偏差去看，整個宇宙是一枚寶鏡三昧。正因為整個宇宙是一副寶鏡三昧，所以當然行住坐臥、牆壁瓦礫、生死去來都是一副寶 鏡三昧。因為「一枚」就是「一副」，只是一副，「整個」就是「一副」的關係，沒有能見所見。整個身體都是你自己，有可能左腳是我，右腳不是我嗎？右腳看左 腳不是你，或左腳看右腳不是你，會這樣嗎？整個都是自己。你站出來外面一看的話，就分開了，既然整個都是，那能分嗎？不能分吧！水能分做這邊的水看那邊的 水嗎？整個水都是水。可以領略得出來嗎？

我們平常這樣看，你、我、他就分了，其實我看你、你看他，他和我及你通通是一個東 西，一枚寶鏡！這樣說我們就搞糊塗了，你是你，石頭是石頭，石頭不是我，那石頭和我怎麼是一個東西？你同意嗎？老虎現前了，老虎是我嗎？不是吧？老虎怎麼 是我？這在參同契中是「回戶」與「不回戶」的道理。「回互」是整個宇宙是一副寶鏡三昧，「不回互」是指對方是老虎，我是我，這是「不回互」。參同契強調的 是我們的世界，我們的念頭都認為老虎是在那邊要吃我，我要逃開等等…，各個獨立的，不回互。但是正眼看，原來整個都是一個法界、法性的顯現。那要怎麼樣契 合呢？用道理講了半天不如你一盤腿上坐，簡單講就是這樣，不是你覺得「啊！對了！」那是你的意識思維覺得對了。

若解會為鏡，則入地獄如矢。不見言，山河不在鏡中見，山河草木即鏡。

『若解會為鏡』假如你把他解釋為一面鏡子，那就『入地獄如矢』。你把他當作一面鏡子 解釋，是解釋哦，一解釋的話，你就把他當作是對像去解說，那當然奇怪了，一面鏡子照的當然是影子，這樣分開來的話就完全錯了。「入地獄如矢」就是馬上錯掉 了，不可以把他當作這樣去解釋。『不見言』是沒有聽說過嗎？『山河不在鏡中見，山河草木即鏡』，你聽到「全宇宙是一枚寶鏡三昧」，就把三昧當作是一副鏡 子，這樣就很容易錯掉了。所以他強調「山河草木不在鏡中見，山河草木就是鏡子」。千萬不要把你所看的、所覺受的當作是鏡中的影子，不可以這樣講，山河大地 本身都是鏡子，不是鏡中的影子。

虎關禪師曰，莫啟吾手其人如玉，莫啟吾足脫體現成，看取，看取。

虎關禪師這句話的意思就是你不要多加一個，手腳一動就不是了，等於說在意識境界裡去 想這個道理的話就錯掉了，「當下就是圓成」，不需要動手腳，整個都是。所以各位看到的、聽到的，你千萬不要以為是大圓鏡智所現，有一面法界法性的鏡子所現 的，隨你的因緣果報不同而現出的影子，這樣解說就完全錯掉了。看到、聽到、摸到、想到的通通都是鏡子，包括你自己，整個都是鏡子！這點不要誤會了。

熱戀中之情侶，即使孤枕夜眠，猶若二人同衾，霧散山隱(日本短歌)。此歌自古難解，道也須臾不可離，夫妻元一體，獨眠不異兩人同寢，如此親蜜。誰敢愧對共枕情。

接著是取一首日本的短歌，熱戀中的情侶就算是一個人睡覺，如同和對方一起睡。『霧散 山隱』，霧散掉了，山就看不見了。此歌自古難解，霧散掉了，山怎麼反而看不見了？一個人睡覺等同於兩個人睡，到底是說什麼？飯田解釋說『道也須臾不可 離』，道一刻也不能離。你本身就是，你自己把他分開來，所以求道，你不知道自己本身就是道，你本身就是道的話，怎麼離？怎麼分開？當然是片刻不可離。『夫 妻元一體，獨眠不異兩人同寢，如此親蜜』，這表示我們自己或是外面的石頭瓦礫，通通都是寶鏡，因此是這樣親密。『誰敢愧對共枕情』是指難道說你不是道嗎？

霧是我見，看山時，山入眼，眼變山。

「霧散山隱」要特別注意，有了霧就看不清楚了，霧就是「我見」，我的想法、見解都 是。我們看東西、聽聲音，馬上有「我見」加進去，好像霧生起來一樣。『霧是我見，看山時，山入眼，眼變山』，看山時，山的影子進入眼睛，眼睛裡有山的影子 現在網膜裡，網膜上整個現山的影子，眼睛就是整個山。看到什麼，眼睛就變成所看的像。『能見所見雙泯』，對到了，還有能見所見嗎？我看到山、樹、雲、太 陽、月亮，看到時，眼睛就變成一朵雲或一座山，這上頭有沒有能見所見？有能見所見是你動個念頭：「我眼睛看到山」，你意識加進去了才有，當下都是影子，都 是像，眼變成花，眼變成麥克風，有沒有能見所見？能見所見是你去想他、講他，所以他說是「看山時，山入眼，眼變山」。

能見所見雙泯，本應解釋為相容，恐被誤解為二元之說，故曰山隱，此為隱之道理。

『能見所見雙泯，本應解釋為相容，恐被誤解為二元之說』。有一個能見的，有一個所見 的，有你和被你看見的山，兩個東西溶解在一起，很容易被誤解為二元，本來是兩個東西，後來變成是一個東西，融入了，不是這樣子。『故曰山隱，此為隱之道 理』，所謂「山隱」，眼睛對到山的時候，眼睛變成山，眼和山變成一個東西，能見所見沒有了。「山」是「我見」，你說「山」即是「我見」加進去了，思維一 動，我見有了，山和你就分開了。現在知道能見所見相容的關係，能見所見都是一張寶境的變化而已。
 
天地同根，萬物ㄧ體，最親者無過於一，故寶鏡三昧亦可說為大愛。

『天地同根，萬物一體，最親者無過於一』，還有比一更親密的嗎？不是「一」的話，就 有彼此相對關係了，所以寶鏡三昧也可以說是大愛。整個都是一張寶鏡本身在那裡動，不是寶鏡所現，所以這是大愛。如果沒有這樣，大愛生不起來的，你是你，我 是我，他是他，講了愛、慈悲，都是以我的立場講，我可以愛他一點，我可以同情他一點，那是你在施捨，大愛不是這樣，大愛不是從這裡來的。

只管打坐看，與公案打成一片看，必有不覺拍手大笑之時。

這個道理講了很難瞭解，所以他說『只管打坐看，與公案打成一片看』。飯田老師多少還 是受臨濟宗的影響，贊同參公案，不像擇木興道或是道元主張一直都是打坐，只是飯田是指參公案時與公案打成一片。那麼『必有不覺拍手大笑之時』，講了半天都 不必動腦筋了，只管打坐看。如同我們講鹹是什麼、甜是什麼，講了半天，一放入口中便知，所以只管打坐看。

寶鏡三昧實為洞山之作。關於作者古來眾說紛紜，恐過於穿鑿。蓋由於會元十三洞山章記有「師因曹山辭，遂囑曰，吾在雲巖先師處親印寶鏡三昧事究的要，今付於汝」。乃認此為雲巖之作，源自於藥山。

『寶鏡三昧的作者是洞山禪師，自古以來關於作者眾說紛紜，恐過於穿鑿』。原因是在會 元十三洞山章記裡有『師因曹山辭，遂囑曰，吾在雲巖先師處親印寶鏡三昧事究的要，今付於汝』。曹山是洞山的學生，離開的時候，洞山告訴曹山：「我在雲巖先 師那裡，親印了寶鏡三昧是究的要」。「是究的要」參禪最要緊的那個。「今付於汝」，現在付給你了。『乃認此為雲巖之作，源自於藥山』，因為看到這段文字， 很多人以為寶鏡三昧不是洞山寫的，而是雲巖之作，洞山把雲嚴給他的寶鏡三昧交給曹山，而雲嚴是從藥山那裡一路傳過來的，此為後人的誤會罷了。

蓋此處所謂寶鏡三昧非為書名，而是直指的的相承，「箇」之正法眼藏，或為「師資相契」之意。

【寶鏡三昧】並非書名，這點要特別注意。釋尊拈花，迦葉尊者抬頭一看，對到了，破顏 一笑，傳過去了，這是寶鏡三昧。所以寶鏡三昧並非如武術家傳的密笈，也不是什麼奧秘。而是直指滴滴相承，就是要把這個東西傳下來。能夠用文字寫嗎？文字寫 的只是代號，不是它本身。『箇之正法眼藏』，「箇」包含的意思很多，有人用「麻三斤」、「庭前柏樹子」、喝、棒…等等，釋尊是用「拈花一笑」。『或為師資 相契之意』，一對到，相契了，那是寶鏡三昧。這個有了就對了，不管你叫他舌頭或是鼻子、耳朵、舌頭都可以。

晦然稱此書為寶鏡三昧歌，傳燈也加歌字以示分別。此歌確為洞山大師將佛祖密付之三昧，筆之成文，願不分真俗，皆得以傳誦證入佛道。

晦然禪師說此書為寶鏡三昧歌，傳燈禪師也加一個「歌」字以示分別，這首歌確為洞山大 師將佛祖密付的三昧「筆之成文」，寫成文章的。他希望不分僧俗，無論是在家出家都能傳頌這一首歌而證入佛道，單靠傳頌就可以幫你忙，得到釋尊真正希望你做 到的，不是叫你理解背頌，注意是「證入」。

不然「五位」之作者（洞山）亦必失其所據。面山之吹唱，痛批世謬，學人不妨參閱。

五位是正中偏、偏中正、正中來、偏中至、兼中到，這是洞山禪師最有名的五位君臣，他 的根據即是寶鏡三昧，由此可見如果寶鏡三昧不是洞山寫的，那五位君臣是怎麼來的？另一篇面山禪師的吹唱，痛批世謬，糾正世人誤傳的認為此篇是由藥山傳到雲 嚴再傳給洞山，洞山再交給曹山是錯誤的，他說的很詳細，大家不妨參考。

此歌與參同契和韻，將之綿密佈演。文中意旨廣略稍異，仍沿用虞語之韻，然知音者幾稀。若先讀參同契，再讀此書，自然會發現兩書虛靈相通。

『此歌與參同契和韻』，這首歌和參同契是合韻而成，連押韻都相同。『將之綿密佈演。 文中意旨廣略稍異』，只是比參同契說明的更加綿密仔細，說明稍有不同而已，其實兩篇要旨皆為佛要傳的滴滴大意。所以參同契中的第一句「竺土大僊心」就是 「寶鏡三昧」，就是釋尊傳的「涅盤妙心」，亦即達摩傳的「面壁打坐」；文字不同，表現不同，都是指「箇」。「箇」如果容易講的話，明說就好了，這個「箇」 不能用文字講，難以描寫，也無法用感情、感覺加以意會「哦！對了！豁然開朗。」那是覺受。所以說它難，很難！但也不難，因為當下你本身即是，只是自己總不 肯承當！那如果肯了之後就沒事了嗎？

如果肯了，但是認為自己對的那一唸放不掉，自肯的毛病上來，掉進悟病，此悟病最難除。但是讓你「覺得對了」的經驗一定要親驗沒有親自經驗那不算，但是這個經驗太美妙、太高興了，過去的習氣又上來抓住不放。所以自肯還是毛病，我們講「真常之毛病」。

這一篇仍沿用「虞語之韻」，用的韻為虞國的韻。『知音者幾希』，知道的人太少了。瞭 解是必須的，修行方向才不會錯，但瞭解不是充分的，不是瞭解了就代表你是對的。『若先讀參同契，再讀此書，自然會發現兩書虛靈相通』，希望大家把此次講解 的寶鏡三昧歌和上次講的參同契對照著讀，自然會發現兩書是相通的，相通在何處？

忘己時無非己，視宇宙為一枚鏡，則事事物物無一非鏡，胡來胡現，漢來漢現。

他用一句話說明『忘己時無非己』，忘己的時候無非通通都是己，自己沒有忘掉，就有 你、他、有情、無情就分了。己是妄想建立起來的，「我是我」的那個念一直在，我在聽，我在修道..那個我要忘掉！忘掉就不能做事嗎？忘掉就不能生活嗎？還 是一樣喝茶，還是一樣呼吸、心跳，還是一樣思想！不要把思想當作是自己就對了。思緒、思潮來了，想要止也止不住，因為它不屬於你呀！『忘己時無非己』這是 出自曾肇法師寫的「聖人無己無非己」，石頭希遷就是讀到此句，有感而寫成參同契。

忘己的時候沒有一個不是自己，這不是聽過去就算了，你親自反照一下自己看，有沒有體 會出一點味道？就算有一點，也是一下子就過去了，剎那又回到那個我，這就是習氣的力量很強。這個習氣你用道理想的，想不出來；用拜的，拜不出來，怎麼辦？ 只管打坐！佛傳的，一上坐，擺在那裡，整個宇宙就是你，你就是整個宇宙，當下現前！以凡夫的身，馬上能夠證成聖體，只有這個方法。不易凡身，頓成聖體。因 為你本來就是一張寶鏡三昧，擺在那裡就是一張寶鏡。不要坐在那裡又搞自己的事，想要成佛，想要把煩惱去掉，想著要打通任都二脈…那就冤枉了！

『視宇宙為一枚鏡，事事物物無一非鏡』，這要徹底在打坐時證驗。本來是這個樣子，你不要想歪就對了。『胡來胡現，漢來漢現』思想來有什麼關係？思想也是法界的動，念頭來、念頭去或是心理想到的都是「胡來胡現，漢來漢現」誰說打坐的時候念頭來、念頭去就不好？誰說的

能照是鏡，所照亦鏡，無他無自，莫能憎愛，元是一空。

『能照是鏡，所照亦鏡』，能照的是鏡子，所照的也是鏡子，重點來了！這叫做「忘己時 無非己」，說法不同，意義一樣。『無他無自』沒有自己也沒有他，這東西弄錯了就變成假平等。不回互是獨立，我和你不同，我和石頭不同，這是不回互，這個弄 不清楚的話，結果把回互也誤會了，誤會變成假平等。真的獨立弄不清楚，就以為通通一樣，結果就變成假平等、假的回互。這樣的話，你的錢都是我的，無自無他 嘛，你的東西我通通搶過來，因為你的就是我的，我的東西當然不是你的。這就是我們意識分別很難弄清楚回互與不回互，獨立又平等同時存在，你怎麼說呢？各個 不一樣，但是各個相同，同時成立嗎？我們用腦子想，怎麼想也想不通，其實原來各個都是這樣子，我們搞不清楚。這一道最難打通了，打通的最好方法還是多多盤 腿比較好，因為盤腿是回互與不回互同時現。兩個同時現？你不要用腦筋想獨立的就獨立，不能平等；平等了就不能獨立，這是廢話，自圓其說的。你上坐盤腿，讓 六根自在，這時說回互與不回互都是多餘的，閒話。

『無他無自的關係，莫能憎愛』，沒有自、沒有他，還能愛還能恨嗎？但是千萬不要又掉 入假平等、假的回互去了。徹底的不回互才能徹底的回互，不能徹底不回戶的話，你能回互嗎？不能嘛！好比房屋的基石和柱子，各安其位，各顯其用，各個盡其本 分才能變成一個屋子。如果柱子不像柱子，地基不像地基，你能完成一個房子嗎？不能！各個要盡其本分，你才能完成一個房子，所以「不回互」徹底了，才能完成 「回戶」的樣子。『莫能憎愛，元是一空』請看信心銘的解說。

忽焉在前，剎時在後，初如處女，終如脫兔。始為巨賈，極盡奢侈，終致零落，在巷間行乞而不知恥。

『忽焉在前，剎時在後，初如處女，終如脫兔。始為巨賈，極盡奢侈，終致零落，在巷間行乞而不知恥』，都是指無窮無限的變換多端，都是空，指無限的那個能變的東西在變，整個是一副寶鏡在那裡動。有時一下子富貴，沒有過一年半年又變成叫化子了，這整個是一張寶鏡在那裡顯。
 
要能隨所為主，轉處實能幽。寶鏡為己，己為寶鏡。寶是萬能自在之義，寶鏡為喻，三昧為法

『要能隨處為主，轉處實能幽』，安分在自己的本分上就是「實能幽」，徹底的不回互才 能「轉處實能幽」。『寶鏡為己，己為寶鏡』，所以不要分做我是寶鏡或是我是寶鏡裡現出來的影子，不對！寶鏡本身就是你，你就是寶鏡，那鏡子上頭有很多的變 化，通通是你自己，無非己嘛！『寶是萬能自在之義，寶鏡為喻，三昧為法』，寶鏡三昧這首歌用寶鏡和三昧勉強分為兩段的話，寶鏡是比方，三昧是法，三昧是正 受，正受是什麼？沒有自我的意見加進去，沒有莫名其妙的邪見、偏見加進去，三昧就是正受。好了，講了這麼多道理，那實際的用功是什麼？

三昧即正受，老實承受與緣合一而忘己。

『老實承受與緣合一而忘己』，只有這一句，大家要記住。寶鏡是比方，三昧是正法，無 己非己…這些是道理，實際上呢？各位現在坐在那裡聽我上課，你的緣是什麼？你聽到我說的內容，腦筋因此在動，在思考、判斷，這都是緣，你有沒有和緣合一？ 無時無刻都在動腦筋，我聽到你在講，講的好、講的不好，馬上有一個跑出來在那裡動，合一了嗎？沒有！那合一的人是不知道你在講什麼嗎？沒有意見嗎？或是糊 塗了嗎？這是合一嗎？聽到後在上面動腦筋在思量，你要知道「思量本身究竟是不思量」。「我」在想，那個「我」不要插進去就對了，沒有「我」插進去，你就不 能分別我在講什麼嗎？所以「妄想畢竟是法性」，懂嗎？你說與緣合一，難道你就變成聲音，所以只有聲音在響，聽到的內容，什麼都都不懂？佛、大禪師不是教你 這樣。

把一個澈悟的禪師的牙齒拔掉，但是不上麻藥，認為不痛才是與緣合一，合不合道理？很 多人認為修行是這樣，我修行很到家，所以我拔牙都不上麻醉，真的嗎？就是忍也是「你」在忍，是忍的功夫好。「與緣合一」是「痛就是痛」，會大叫，怎麼不 痛？就是不想痛還是會痛。釋迦牟尼佛拔牙齒不上麻醉，可以不痛嗎？不痛才怪呢！
「老實承受與緣合一而忘己」，這並不是說你覺受都沒有了，思想都不動了，不曉得你在說什麼，不是這樣。清楚你在說什麼，但是上頭沒有一個分別的叫作「我」的妄念，沒有！只是這樣而已，所以「思想本身究竟不是妄想」。所以永嘉禪師【證道歌】裡有「無明實在是佛性」。

最要緊是時時刻刻「老實承受與緣合一而忘己」，能一直不偏離這個就是悟後起修。並不 是澈悟後就絕對不會跑掉、偏離，因此隨隨便變都可以，不是這樣，處處時時「與緣合一而忘己」都不偏離就對了。弄清楚自己就是寶鏡，就是悟了，悟後還要修行 嗎？「修行沒有終止」，這就是曹洞宗最難使人瞭解的地方，使得學人轉學跑到臨濟宗或是淨土宗那裡去。「悟沒有開始，修行沒有終了」一聽就受不了！修行沒有 終止？那我要悟作什麼？我以為悟了就沒有事了，還要一直修行下去？悟沒有開始？那我就不要悟了，本來就是悟嘛。一下子就搞糊塗了，用思想去想佛講的正法， 佛傳的真正的東西，要命呀！
 
死時坦然死，絕無延生之念，故解脫安樂。另有譯為「不受」，因受無受者故。何以如此？甜瓜徹蒂甜，苦瓜連根苦。

他用另一個說法來說明「與緣合一」，『死時坦然死，絕無延生之念，故解脫安樂』。臨終死的時候坦然死，這個時候絕沒有延生之念，想多活一天也好，多活兩天也好，這樣的話就苦了。這是與緣合一的道理，所以解脫安樂。
還有一個三昧翻譯成「不受」，因為沒有受與受者，寶鏡嘛！能受所受沒有的關係，所以 叫不受。三昧正受有時翻譯成不受，何以如此？『甜瓜徹蒂甜，苦瓜連根苦』，這上頭有沒有道理？苦瓜吃下去的時候，根也苦，葉子也苦；甜瓜整個都是甜，哪有 這裡甜，那裡不甜？或是這裡甜多一點，那裡甜少一點？有這事嗎？這是什麼意思？沒有能所的意思。本來沒有能所，為什麼？因為都是一枚寶鏡。

大家剛才聽到鐘響了，下課了，平常我們都是「我自己聽到鐘響」，有沒有分開來？有沒 有一枚寶鏡？不是嘛！處處都是分開來。我是我，鐘響是鐘響，這是不回互。因為徹底的不回互，所以是回互。聲音在我這裡響，還是在那邊響？我這邊沒有響，聽 不見；如果只有我這邊響，那就不要鐘也可以響，我想要響就響就好了，不行！一定要鐘動才行，大家動起來才有，有緣才有。

比方講，我在這裏照鏡子，鏡子上有沒有我的影子？有啊！如果沒有我，鏡子上有沒有顯 出我的影子？沒有！一定要有鏡子，也要有我。也許有人說拿鏡子的人把這個影子照出來的，那叫拿鏡子的人走開，鏡子擺在那裡就好了，行嗎？不是拿鏡子的人把 影子照出來的，那麼是虛空把影子照出來嗎？那影子是誰照的？不是鏡子照，也不是中間的虛空照，也不是拿鏡子的人照，但是，沒有我不行，沒有鏡子也不行，沒 有空間也不行。沒有這些東西，就沒有影子，那這個影子是從哪裡來的？你看，鏡子和我是獨立的，但是這個影子呢？不回互有影子嗎？沒有影子。像這樣用頭腦去 理解的話是這樣子，那麼實際的情況還是希望大家多多盤腿，盤腿放鬆六根，六根讓它放鬆，就是回到自然的規律。「哦！這是自然的規律…」，你不要又加進了自 己的意見了。擺在那裡，思想動來動去也不是你動的，也不是你趕走它，你不趕它，它也走掉啊。念頭動的時候，你不要再加一個「我在想」就好了嘛！飯田禪師整 個序言講了半天就是一個重點：整個都是一個寶鏡三昧在顯，上頭沒有你、我、她，實際的生活怎麼相應？就是和你所看到、所聽到、所接觸到的情景、情況合一， 「與緣合一」這是實際生活用功很好的方法。
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Hearing with whole body; all phenomena are illusory
Here is a compilation of articles by Zen Master Hong Wen Liang, who is very clear: https://app.box.com/s/ceb9i7wsk0lkfl2sjex97ai56l1k52pf 

http://www.hongzen.com/show.aspx?id=446&cid=4

开佛知见

[日期：2012-11-22] 来源：  作者： [字体：大 中 小]
开佛知见


2005年5月马六甲禅修  洪文亮老师开示

石头希迁讲了一句话，很多人存疑，不同意。他说：“修行不论禅定，唯开佛知见”。精进禅定我不论。我不讲那些要禅定，要精进的，我不讲这些废话，只要开你佛的知见。

佛知见是什么？我们时常看到的那个佛知见，佛的知见。知道的知，意见的见，佛的知见。他说要开佛的知见，其它那些打坐是怎么打的，怎么用功，怎么精进，我不讲这些，只看你有没有开了佛的知见。

那请问各位，你认为他指的佛知见是什么？如果你看到石头希迁这一句话，他说开佛的知见？你认为石头说的佛知见是指什么？佛的那种意见，佛的想法，或者是佛对这个宇宙生命的了解、正见？佛的那个正确的看法、意见，是不是这样？如果这样，那就变成佛也跟我们一样了！他对人生、生命的奥妙，宇宙的神秘，他也有看法，跟我们的看法一样，只不过是他高明，他是佛嘛！他还有知见吗？

他讲开佛知见，并不是说你要跟佛一样，有正确的见解，不是的。现在我跟各位说明一下，佛知见是一个事实，不是佛有什么高明的见解，不是。他指佛的知见就是一个到处都可以看到的真实的事实。

什么样的事实？大家在底下听到我开口说话了吗？我说“阿弥陀佛”，你那里就“阿弥陀佛”这样动。我这里讲“阿”，你那里有没有“阿”？有啊！那么你听到的这个“阿”的声音。我请问你，你从哪里把这个声音制造出来的？有没有地方，有没有工厂？耳朵是工厂吗？那脑子就不要了？空气就不要了？那我的嘴皮不要了？到底工厂是哪个？我是问你听到的“阿”的声音。

这些事看起来好像很无聊，但是非常重要的就在这里。平常我们不把它当作问题，释迦牟尼佛是头一位把我们平常不当作问题的，他“哎？这是问题嘛！”我们平常生下来看、听、闻到味道、尝到这个咸的、辣的。或者身体接触，舒服的、痛的，我们就自以为这个是自然的。没有什么可以讨论的，是不是？这里哪有问题？我抬头看天上的星星，抬头看到了，看到了就看到了。风吹过来，感觉凉爽，就这样而已，从来没有人在这个问题上，这个上头，这个事实上去想很多。人们不把它当作问题，他是头一位把它当作问题。然后在这个上头用功，变成他的现成公案，时常注意这个。后来才发现，原来我们迷在什么地方，迷的根本原因在哪里。他是这样下手的。所以佛的知见就是什么？不是他有看法，他有见解，不是这样。

佛知见是说，我这里讲“阿”，每一位那边都有一个“阿”，那这个“阿”，找不到工厂。没有工厂有没有员工？有没有老板？有没有机器制造你的“阿”呢？你一定要制造“阿”出来你才听到“阿”嘛！难道这个“阿”是我们嘴唇制造的吗？那你把耳朵闭掉，听神经拿掉，还有“阿”吗？你的耳朵参与这个“阿”的制造，但不全都是它！对不对？从这里下手。工厂找不到，工厂没有的话，员工也没有，制造的机器也找不到，老板也不知道。资本呢？也没有，也不要资本。制造了“阿”过去了，这个东西要丢掉啊，你刚刚制造的这个声音，现在我讲过了，你又要再听别的，放在那里就重迭了！混了嘛！一下子就消失了，你丢到哪里去？制造源，工厂也找不到，资本，员工，技术，老板什么都找不到。那不用的时候，过去的时候，你也不要动它，它就清除掉了，没有了，你丢到哪里去？那个声音你丢到哪里去？你也不知道。消失在何方？不知道。把这个事实说成什么？我们一直以为你那边讲一个“阿”，“我”听到了！这个是自以为是的想法，跟事实不符合。他发现这个，这个不是事实。因为要是“我”听到的话，一定是“我”去制造这个声音，我才听到啊！光凭你的嘴唇这样动一下，两片嘴皮动一下，不一定有声音在我这里响。所以这个问题是谁制造了这个声音？找不到。也不是我制造，也不是你制造，也不是虚空制造，也不是神制造，也不是佛制造，但是就有。这个叫做找不到工厂，找不到资本，找不到工程师，找不到员工，无中“砰”生有。缘有了就有，来源不知道，这个叫做无所从来，佛经里讲的无所从来。没有了，消失了，你不用去找那个垃圾场，它自己清除掉了，亦无所去，亦无所至。来无所从来，去亦无所至。到哪里丢掉了？垃圾场在哪里？怎么把它火化了呢？用什么药把它除掉了呢？都不用，就没有了。这个是声音。

你抓抓你的手，你碰碰你的手背，这个触感，碰的时候有，这个触感哪里制造的？皮肤制造的吗？皮肤不能制造啊，皮肤能制造的话，我就不用去碰它了，它也可以“哎，你造出来”，它就可以造了。那我的右手制造的话，我就不必用左手背让我摸到触到，右手去制造就行了。这等于讲来讲去，色声香味触法，通通是无所从来，找不到生处；去也找不到它跑到哪里去。这是一个事实嘛！这个，先知道这个事。

所以说，当我讲“阿”的时候，各位那边有“阿”出现，对不对？这个时候真正实在的样子，并不是各位有一个“你”，在那里听到我这里发了声音，每一位在你那个地方听到这个声音。不是这样！那是怎么样？既然这个声音找不到哪里制造出来的。其实是自己给自己骗掉了。为什么给自己骗了？我们一直以为听、看、想、感觉都是有“我”，有一个“我”去听到，有一个“我”看到，有一个“我”感觉到，有一个“我”在这样想，有一个“我”下决定了，都有那个“我”，无始以来这种妄想。

他们举了个例子，在油锅里头下面条，捞起来那个面条，那个油都浸到那个面条里头去了，你怎么拿掉？拿不掉吧。很不容易把面条里头的油拿掉。我们有“我”的那个念头，那个妄想，那个错误的想法，跟这个一样，非常难除。除了释迦牟尼佛教我们的这个只管打坐的方法以外，几乎没有办法拿掉。看起来那么简单的一件事，就把那个油面里的油拿掉，不容易拿。因为有我的妄想，以为有一个“我”在听，有一个“我”在看，有一个“我”在感觉，有一个“我”在想，更要命的是，有一个“我”在决定。我要不要来这里参加禅修？要，所以来了。学得很好的人都以为是“我”决定的。如果无我的话，那决定还是有你决定的话，这个佛法就不用谈了。不是你决定的啊！但是不是我决定，也不是你决定，也不是我妈妈决定，也不是我孩子决定的，明明是我决定啊？就是这个样子，很不容易把这个妄想除掉。

所以回到刚刚讲的那个声音。我这里讲“阿”你那里有“阿”，不是你听，不是你的耳朵听到，也不是你的脑子听到，因为这个声音的生出的地方，工厂，找不到。那么你怎么听到？问题来了，那你怎么听到？声音的来源不知道，也没有人动它，但是有啊！明明有声音“阿”，有啊！有的时候，禅宗祖师就简单地说“无而有”，那么简单地讲。有呢？从哪里来？谁制造？没有，找不到，“有而无”。一切都是这个样子。把这个东西讲得更好的是怎么讲的？“有而无，无而有”也就是，当你听到的时候，他们用这种话，很好，“举身听”，看到的时候，“举身看”。举的意思是什么？全身、全心、全身心，整个。不仅仅是你的耳朵，你的头发，你的皮肤，你的毛孔，你的脚指甲，你肚子里头的肠、胃、肺、心脏，通通都是，举身听，都是听本身！不是你的皮肤，你的牙齿，你的眼睛，你的耳朵，你的毛发，你的毛孔它们通通一起听这个“阿”，不是这样！整个都变成了“阿”，这叫做举身听，是我们不知道。

所以怎么听的？我们叫做暗暗的。真的怎么听到，真的为什么有这个声音，佛都不知道，佛也不知道。但是当我讲“阿”的时候，那边马上有“阿”，所以这个叫做举身听。你抬头看这一朵花，看到那个时候，举身看。不是眼睛看，或者头脑看，都不是，不是视神经看，都不是。你整个全身心，四大五蕴，通通变成这个花！你说奇怪了，四大五蕴在这里，我这里不是花嘛！我皮肤，我头发，我心脏，那么这个哪里变花呢？花在那里，我没有变花啊。这个就是你把四大五蕴的，这个身心固定了，以为这样一个固定的有自性的东西，一直这个东西放不掉。四大五蕴如云、如幻，它当下就是变成整个就是花。你把花跟四大五蕴隔开来，所以说我这个没有变成花。这是你给色碍骗去了，知道吗？色碍，有滞碍，认为这个东西还是我的手，怎么变成花呢？不要乱讲！我跟你讲，肉体的这个存在，你碰起来有这个滞碍，这个东西是妄想的境界。真正的你是法身！真正的你是一个法身法性的那个东西在动，所以那个东西跟前面的花，或者是前面有一个“阿”的声音，“阿”的声音跟一朵花的那个相，色相，相融的呀！跟水倒进水一样。你的法身法性跟外面的色声香味触法，外面的色声香味触法也是法性，也是法身，水，你这里的四大五蕴也是，它真正的那个本来的面目是法身法性，两个都是法身。所以水跟水很容易沟通！不是沟通了，本来就是一个东西！所以一看到就有相。因为你的四大五蕴，四大，地水火风，跟我的四大，地水火风一样！它的自性都是空性，一样都是法性，所以一对到，就水倒进那桶水一样，马上有相出现。你还要说哪里制造啊？如果说你这个身体是这个身体，对面的声音，那边来的声音是“阿”，“阿”是“阿”，我这个身体没有变成“阿”，那你就把这个滞碍的东西，当做自己的妄想还那么坚固，把这个死抱着这个身心，这个我自己感觉到的这个色碍的东西，当做自己的关系，“我没有变啊，我哪里是举身听啊？声音是声音，我是我。”你掉在那里，你不懂得你真正的法性身。这个弄清楚吗？

这个弄清楚了之后你就晓得，石头希迁讲的开佛知见。佛知见就是，对到什么那你就变成对到的那个东西！对到一朵红花，你的法性，真实的你，整个是花。听到“阿”，你的整个法身，真实的你的存在，法身，跟那个“阿”是一样东西！“阿”声音的法性身，跟我这边能听的法性身都是一样东西，所以就马上有“阿”出现了。不要找制造工厂，不要去探讨谁制造了。这么简单的，这么直截了当的这个事实，没有人把它当作问题。因为我们生下来，能听能看，好像很自然，必然的。这个“必然”害了我们。因为我们本来就有一个妄想，一辈子一辈子投胎，一辈子一辈子都有一个“我”，“我”在轮回，那个“我”，都一直没有放掉。所以在轮回里头滚，把墙壁围起来在里头跑，所以，总不能把这个色身滞碍的这个身心，他的真正的法性，真正的法身的存在忘掉了。法身法性的存在是遍满宇宙的！无处不到，解脱自在，非常自由自在的一个作用。他的作用的关系，我对到你，马上就有你的相出现。你对到我，马上有我的相出现，你的法性身跟我的法性身是一个东西。所以根本不必制造。不是“你”去看到，不是“你”去听到我的声音，这弄懂了吗？这个叫做本来的事实，对到什么，你就变成那个。对象是大的，马上有大，马上出现。你变大的，不是你看到大的，是你变大。那个“你”是法性的你，不是色碍的你。听得懂吗？是法性的你，所以对到小的东西，哎，很小，你变成小。听到大声音，你变成大声音那个。听到小声音，你变成小声音，法性的你变成那个，不是你这个滞碍的东西变的，OK？所以，是必然的。我们跟境界之间的互动，互相的作用，交互的作用，谁也不能逃开。不是佛给你这样的。我们把互相的这个作用，叫做必然的，没有一个人可以逃开的。对到墙壁是墙壁，闻到那个香味，你不想闻都有那个香味。为什么？你的法性身，那个香味就是你的法性身变成那个香味！不是鼻子闻到香味，我们错在这里！OK？听懂吗？这个非常非常非常重要。

参同契石头希迁只是要我们开佛知见。佛知见是我们的事实，跟境界互相作用，互相动作。互动的时候，必然的，没有一个人可以免得了。因为大家都是法性法身的存在。真正的存在是法性身，法身佛。我们的存在是那么伟大殊胜。你把这个骨头、皮肤这些东西当作我，你是小看了你自己了。本来是大存在，法性的存在，那么无边无量无限碍的存在，你把他缩成只有这个，身心这个具体的滞碍的一个小小的一块东西上，你把自己贬得那么小，好可怜！喝醉酒了，忘了自己。

这个弄清楚了就知道佛知见是讲这个事实。这个事实叫做佛知见。所以石头希迁是“哎呀，只要开，开就是了”，你本来就是这个事实，你真的是这个样子，是法性身在动，是法身佛在动。每一位都是法身佛的样子在动，跟境界一起互动。境界也是法身佛！所以当我成道的时候，我与大地有情同时成道，是这个意思。你把他隔开来的话，当然树是树，狗是狗，那个时候在的人是那个时候的人在，那么为什么2500多年前释迦牟尼佛成佛的时候，会跟他们一起通通成佛了，现在我们应该也是成佛的后代了，那就讲不通了！所以有一些和尚在网络上就说，这个可能是人家记错了，或者是人家以为是，佛多伟大，多加一笔，捧句捧错了。那其实是他不懂，他不懂刚刚讲的佛知见这个事。佛知见弄错了，你怎么学都搞不通佛法。都是以我这个样子，我看，我想，你道理对不对呀。你看，这个叫做我们在思想的窠臼里头，那个窠臼里头找佛法，想佛法，解决佛法。佛知见没有开，就不同了，你怎么想，怎么看都不是佛讲的。

这头一段是他在讲这个。因为我谈到石头希迁，他讲的不论禅定，打坐禅定很要紧，对不对？要静下来，开佛的智慧怎么样。他说不论，我不太注重这个。但是我要每一位，因为跟我学了，看我的留下来的这个经典，尤其是《参同契》，你要懂得我的真意在哪里，言外意思在哪里。我是要各位开你的佛的知见。佛的知见是你的事实，你的真事实。不是你去动头脑，说我的意见现在跟佛的意见一样了，“我开了佛的知见”。不是这个意思。你晓得你跟境界互动的时候，因为你的真正的存在是法性，法身佛，是你真正的、真实的你的真实人体。所以，一对到相就有相，对到声音，声音就是你，对到相，相就是你。如果说你是你，我还是我，难道我对到你，你就变成我了？你这是给这个滞碍骗去了。你死死抱着这个东西是“我”，所以我相没有除掉是听不懂佛法的。那么但是有时候有人会说“我没有我相了”，“我”没有“我相”了，什么意思？我听不懂！“我没有我相了，现在我修到没有我相了……”谁没有我相？因为他没有开佛的知见，所以还在那里糊里胡涂。“我修得很好，奇怪，还有这个问题”，“哼，你还有这个问题呀？”“是啊！”那我就没有办法。一点头，“好，算了算了，你的石头路滑，听不懂这个”。大家弄清楚这一点吗？那么这个《参同契》可以不讲了。



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大安樂法門，非思量之修行

[日期：2010-9-25] 来源：  作者：洪文亮老師開示 [字体：大 中 小]

大安樂法門，非思量之修行

洪文亮老师开示
瑩山禪師法語

 原文:
為了化度眾生，暫借生死，其也如影如幻，無有眞實，暫名為宗旨。要知此宗旨有二法：其一，放下萬緣，停止一切世間活動，心定如無波之水，如無雲之晴空。假如做到，就能確實離一切相，叫做不回互而成。安住在這裏就是坐禪一行三昧，這也是七佛的妙行，祖師的機要。縱然不得人，若能安住於此，不屬於知不屬於不知，則自成道人，諸佛也奈渠不得。這是絕學無為閒道人，不現悟與迷，不想證與不證，端坐如須彌。這就是卽心成佛之直道，諸佛之心印，佛祖之密受，叫做大安樂法門，非思量之修行。但若不修卽不顯其心，故不入此法門者，皆為昏暗之癡人。其二，行住坐臥間，大凡一切工作時是關鍵。一刻也不忘思量箇不思量底，悟入非情識所及處。譬如，所謂天地未分，身心未萌，上下四維無等匹，東西不辨，南北不分時節。倒地者未着地以前，做夢而未完全清醒時，箭之離弦而未中的以前，忘而不忘思量箇不思量，如此捨棄一切工夫，則能無作無為、與惺惺莫可名狀處相應。這是一念相應的時節，這時佛也不到，眾生也不得到，此之名為道。閃電光擊石火時，雷聲震耳時，有人不預期地呼喚時，脚踏一物而全身頓覺劇痛時，心當下察覺絕不失念。落馬時，從橋上掉落時，依有如是因緣，知盡情忘而悟入，恰如古時的香嚴。

2009年05月金馬侖三寶萬佛寺禪修
第三天開示

這是瑩山禪師法語裏頭的一節。瑩山是誰，各位知道嗎？道元下來是懷奘，懷奘下來是義雲，義雲下來是瑩山。我們以前介紹過大智禪師的詩偈子，大智禪師非常推崇瑩山禪師，非常尊重瑩山禪師。我寫的《信心銘玄旨》一書是對《信心銘》的解說，第一部分採用了真歇和尚寫的信心銘拈古，第二部分採用了瑩山禪師寫的信心銘拈提。這一節法語很重要！希望各位特別用心，這篇聽懂了你就知道“只管打坐”為什麼是佛法的正門。

“為了化度眾生，暫借生死。”所有成就的人为了化度众生，他的生死，他现出的生死，同释迦牟尼佛，同如净禅师，莹山禅师等等这些禅师一样，为了化度众生，他能够暂时借生死来，这个做到做不到？如果只是向他求啊，他能够使你做到这样吗？不可能的，如果是有特别的方法，方便的方法，释迦牟尼佛一个一个老早就讲了，他老人家不必要四十九年一直是讲经说法，一直劝各位像他一样在菩提树下打坐。“暫借生死”，要先懂得这个，各位是不是“暫借生死”来的，我们大概是糊里糊涂来的。这个暂时借生死，所以我们生死的这个存在的样子，就好像如同电影里的影子一样，“如影如幻”。不是如影如幻能够暂借吗？不能暂借的。能暂借出来的，它本身就是如影如幻。我们本身就是“如影如幻，無有真實”，没有一点自性。花，如影如幻没有真实；麦克风，如影如幻，没有真实的麦克风。确实能够证到这样吗？很难！是不是很难？我们一看就这是花嘛！这是麦克风嘛！实在的东西。花不能讲话，花不能传音；麦克风不是红的绿的，没有花香嘛！怎么能都是梦幻的？怎么能都不是真实的？这样就会觉得很奇怪！“暫名為宗旨”，把这个叫做暂时宗旨，宗旨就是要点。要点是什么？“如影如幻，無有真實”，一切如影如幻，没有真实，这是最重要的一点。不管你学律宗，学净土，学密宗，你能够证入到这一切，包括自己的存在，包括白云蓝天都是影幻一样，一点真实都没有。释迦牟尼佛在《金刚经》里头讲过，“一切有为法，如梦幻泡影，如露亦如电，应作如是观。”这个观，他不是教你应如是想，应如是相信，那都没有用。相信没有用，想也没有用。“啊！柏老讲这是如影亦如幻”，学莹山禅师的话，说“这一切都是如影亦如幻噢”，有什么用？没有办法“暫借生死”自由自在，都是照你的业力投胎，那个时候他力都没有用。

现在，很重要的一点。莹山告诉我们要知道这个宗旨有二个方法。宗旨是什么？一切沒有真实，如影如幻。确实能够证悟到这个宗旨。各位一定要弄清楚，宗旨只有一个——一切“如影如幻，無有真實”，這個要親自證到，他告訴我們二個方法，很少有禪師跟我們這樣直接的講。為的是什麼？是要我們知道這個宗旨。宗旨現在話講就是要點，真正要緊的一點。

第一個方法是什麼？“放下萬緣，停止一切世間活動，心定如無波之水，如無雲之晴空。”各位每天打坐，只管打坐，就是“放下萬緣”。打坐也是萬緣之一，打坐也放下，所以打坐也不在打坐，打坐也不是打坐，誰在打坐？“千聖亦不識”，就是一千個聖人來了，也不知道你在做什麼。“放下萬緣”，不要說“我在打坐”。這樣放下了沒有？沒有放下！停止一切世間的活動。在打坐裏想東想西，想道理，想只有這麼一個方法嗎？有沒有別的更加輕鬆，不用熬腿的方法有沒有？盡想這些事，世間的活動。為什麼叫世間的活動？你講出很多的道理，講出你的意見，講出你的看法。“停止一切世間活動”，這個（只管打坐）就是停止你一切世間的活動，做得到你就真的“只管打坐”了。“心定如無波之水，如無雲之晴空。”如象沒有波浪的水，沒有雲的晴空一樣。這裏不要誤會“如無波之水，如無雲之晴空”並不是都屬於昏沉不知噢！不屬於不知噢！你說“心定如無波之水”，就是什麼都不知道，就在那裏，看也看不見，聽也聽不到，這是什麼東西。這是昏沉了，這是無想定啊！思想有沒有來來往往？有啊！有一個聲音，你打坐的時候聽到嗎？聽到啊！所以這個“心定如無波之水”，並不是指什麼都不知道，這個不叫心定。就是一切你自然聽到的，看到的，想到的等等念頭，都讓它自然的現，不加干涉的意思。但是認到了就不對了，“啊！這個是什麼”念頭，就不好了。認為這個念頭是好，那個念頭是不好，這樣的話，你就加入了一個世間的評判法。

“假如做到，就能確實離一切相。”“離一切相”，不是沒有相噢！而是不給相影響。“要不要，喜歡不喜歡”，這個就是沒有 “離一切相”。“離一切相”是人世間的活動都沒有了。聲音就是聲音，念頭就是念頭，呼吸就是呼吸，心動就是心動，叫做“不回互而成”。在《參同契玄旨》書中我講的很多回互與不回互，大家可以參考。“安住在這裏就是坐禪一行三昧”。安住在這個地方，這個境界，叫做“坐禪一行三昧”。“放下萬緣”，打坐也是萬緣之一，停止世間的活動，不要在那裏想家裏怎麼樣，我來這裏有什麼用，學佛法有別的方法嗎？這些都是世間的活動，你的想法嘛。如果你想的話，已經不是“坐禪一行三昧”了。你那是在做你自己的打坐，而不是只管打坐。各位！要特別注意這個。每天打坐一定要“放下萬緣”，什麼緣都要放下。放下的意思，不是因為有塵、有緣我去放下，不是這樣的。不是你有緣你去放下，“放下萬緣”就是把生起的緣，你不分開來承認它，認識它。用簡單一點的話講就是，如“啪！”拍手發出聲音。“啊！我聽到聲音了”，這就是沒有放下。因為聲音跟你是分不來的啊！念頭起來，不是因為我想到我有什麼念頭，念頭跟你分不來的。如果 “我知道什麼念頭”，這樣的話你跟念頭分開了沒有？就分開了。念頭是不是萬緣之一？是的。念頭跟你沒有分啊！你跟緣一起一樣一樣，“啪！”（拍手）這個聲音就是，你跟聲音沒有分開的啊。這是很明白，很明歷歷的事嘛！難道聲音在那裏，我去聽到的嗎？或者聲音跑到耳邊，我聽到的嗎？都不是嘛！哪有來往啊？沒有啊！但是就聽到。這是因為你本身“盡十方界真實人體”的關係，你本身整個就是你自己。講整個就是你自己，你又把你想的自己套上去。自己平常想，“噢！這是我自己”，那所有一切都是我自己的話，把我自己的這個，錯認為自己的東西套上去，那個就是“我”。你看，這不是分成二元了嘛！“啪！啪！啪！”（拍手），不是我不是，聲音就是緣，整個緣。“坐禪一行三昧”，就是要做到這樣的情況。這用別的方法可以做到嗎？絕對不會做到的，都是一直依賴別人給我念咒，給我加持，念佛號等等。

我講過參公案和打坐的不同。參公案開悟的人也有，但是很少數，而且參公案開悟的人基礎上，他們也時常打坐。密勒日巴一直打坐打坐。打坐到屁股都一節一節，結成一塊一塊的。並不是說沒有打坐，你修法就會成就了，沒有這種事。而且以這個成就的人必竟是少數。只有只管打坐，這麼簡單的只管放下萬緣，不管世間的一切活動，就這麼坐，坐也沒有。上中下根都不管，聰明的，笨的，都沒有關係，一點關係都沒有。有沒有學問，有沒有認識字，一點關係都沒有，都可以做得到。所以就是要讓你知道一切“如影如幻，無有真實”。不是真實的，只有這個“坐禪一行三昧”，這是第一個方法。

“安住於此”，安住在這裏，不論上中下三根。你只要放下萬緣，什麼都不管，連不管都不管。聲音就是聲音，不是說“噢，我聽到聲音了”，這就不對了。有人來了，“噢，我認到這個人了”，這就不對了。這些緣跟你本來是一的啊！我們的根本無明就是認為對方。其實都是自己的境界，難道不是嗎？都是自己的境界，但是卻把那個四大五蘊幻起抱住當做自己的境界，不是這個意思。整個都是盡十方界，這個要通過打坐，坐禪三昧。這個就是“七佛的妙行”，釋迦牟尼佛以前七佛的妙行。這不是吹，說是打坐最好，不是這樣的，而是“七佛的妙行，祖師的機要。”“縱然不得人，若能安住於此”，假如你得不到一個很好的老師，很好的指導你的善知識，假如你能夠安住在這裏，一盤腿上座，端身正坐，世間事也沒有也不管，萬緣放下。如果在這裏有的拿家裏的，有的是公司裏頭的事情，在腦子裏轉，那就白浪費了，那就不是坐禪了，那是在坐在那裏胡思亂想。“若能安住於此，不屬於知不屬於不知”，這個最重要了。噢！有一個聲音，手拍出來的，自然知道那是手拍出來的聲音，鳥叫了也自然知道。知道是手拍出來的，鳥叫的聲音，這個就是知了。“不屬於知”啊！這個“知”不屬於它啊！知道一定有知道的對象嘛！沒有對象怎麼知呢？沒有對象生起，認為有對象這個知生起以前，是不是有了？不管你知道不知道，它都等在那裏。知道是知道，“我知道是榴櫣”，但是“知”不是榴櫣本身。這是花，是知道啊。那是知道，不是花本身啊。花跟你本來一起的東西你不知道，你說“哎，這是花”，把那個認識“知”的“知”當做是真的東西，真實的存在，問題就出在這裏。那不屬於知的話，那不屬於不知嗎？看花也不懂，聽到鳥叫也不是鳥叫，石頭碰到腳也不知道腳痛，不是不知嗎？那是糊塗昏沉了。不是不知，那個精靈靈的，靈靈昧昧的，我們都是在這個地方，安住在此地。“則自成道人”，這樣你就成就了嘛！一定要向外邊拿嗎？一定要請求別人的嗎？你本身都是在這個狀態。知以前，有知的對象。你認為是“我知道”了，“我知道”是你的意識動了。意識動以前是不是有那麼一回事？“啪！啪！啪！”（拍手），聲音是聲音，你是你嗎？如果聲音是聲音，你是你的話，聲音什麼時候跑到你那邊，或者你什麼時候跑到聲音那邊，在什麼地方碰到的。聲音就是聲音，那麼一下“啪！”，整個你就是聲音嘛！你把身體當做自己，所以就會認為（或者覺得）這種說法奇怪。一直放不掉這個己身對身心的執著，都拿身心的各種作用去想象、去要求，所以就會聽不懂佛在講什麼。“諸佛也奈渠不得”，你已經是自成道人，諸佛也沒有辦法你。誰有辦法你啊？魔鬼看了都怕。如果你是有一個我在這裏，希望這樣那樣的。希望到淨土，希望成佛，希望化光，希望分身等等，那裏有一個你在東想西想，魔鬼就會馬上來。你馬上會變成魔鬼的同黨。這個時候都好利用你執著身心的弱點。因為你都是想往生西方解脫生死，只要有一個你在那裏希望的話，魔鬼就會有隙可趁。“諸佛也奈渠不得”，這才是“絕學無為閒道人”。

“不現悟與迷，不想證與不證，端坐如須彌。”悟了，迷了，都不現。我要為了開悟來坐，我要證果了，我現在迷，所以我打坐，想有一天“噢！”那麼一下悟——沒有這回事！那本身就已經是道人了，道人上頭有什麼迷悟啊。聲音裏頭有迷悟嗎？聲音就是聲音嘛！“啪！”一下，你就“啪！”一下，全身都是它，這個上頭有迷還是悟？吃到好的東西好吃那個味道，就是你全身都是那味道，味道上頭有迷的味道，悟的味道嗎？看了佛像跟看了其它的像，“噢！這是佛像，莊嚴的”，動了腦筋沒有？動了！看其它的像，“啊！這沒什麼，這不能看”，動了腦筋沒有？看到了像，像就現在那裏，那個現的就是整個是你啊，那才是盡十方界真實的你啊！盡十方界真實人，這要做到，一定要打坐。一定要坐在那裏，放下萬緣，不管世間事這兩個要點。放下萬緣，不管世間事，“端坐如須彌”，不管上中下根，這跟學問沒有關係啊，沒有聰明和笨的問題，“諸佛也奈渠不得”。這個時候，迷和悟，證和不證都不是問題，這就是“這就是卽心成佛之直道”，不只道元禪師、瑩山禪師如此說，永嘉禪師也說“一超直入如來地”。過去很多大成就的祖師爺都講頓悟法門。頓悟法門是一乘，唯有這個一乘，其它的都不是佛法。這樣講有的人會反對，因為你總是有你自己這個身心皮袋，它的很多的意見見解，聽過的學過的放不下。這裏“真實道人”是什麼意思？你本來赤裸裸的自己啊！那是盡十方界真實人體。要特別注意盡十方界的真實人體，當然會有慈悲心出現，因為都是你自己當然會出現。各位要知道這個即心成佛，“諸佛之心印，佛祖之密受，叫做大安樂法門，非思量之修行。”統統告訴你了。這是佛的心印，好像正字標記一樣。沒有這個心印就不是佛，不是佛法，不是佛道。有了這個心印才算是真的佛法、佛道。“佛祖之密受”，祖師爺直接一代一代，這樣沒有能授所授傳授過來的“密受”。是親密的意思，不是秘密的意思。親密到沒有辦法分開，師徒同時變成一個，這樣傳下來。傳了什麼？本來沒有什麼！本來是盡十方界真實人體，只是你“啊！啊！”醒過來而已。親密的教導，這個法門叫做“大安樂法門”。為什麼叫大安樂？這個以外，你證實到自己是盡十方界真實人體以外，一定有擔心愁慮的一些事。放下萬緣，不管世間事，“端坐如須彌”，這不是大安樂嗎？“哎喲！我這樣行嗎？”提起了，就會不安樂了。“這樣可以嗎？”用親授的方法不是還可以嗎？別人可以使我成佛，那釋迦牟尼佛四十九年白費了嘛！讓每個人排隊站在他面前，他一個一個加持就好了嘛！釋迦牟尼佛都做不到，因為什麼？我們本身就是佛啊！他只是告訴你本身是什麼，我再講一次，就是盡十方界真實人體的這個樣子。那麼其他呢？這些成就的大修行人，是借這個生死。因為是“借”到的生死，所以是如影如幻，這才是大安樂法門，“非思量之修行”。這個修行是思量的，我要念個咒，我要念個佛號，要不要動腦筋？要啊！要修儀軌，手印如何結等等，記了一大堆。學問更厲害了，大藏經那麼多，一個一個去想，一個一個去研究。這個（只管打坐）修行就沒有這個思量。非思量是什麼？我們活到都是非思量活到。你吃飯，你知道這個飯怎麼樣變成你的血肉嗎？不知道啊！但是你懂得吃，吃了它就會變成你的血肉。“啪！”（拍手）這個聲音，你想了才有嗎？不想也響啊，同時就已經合一了嘛！與緣合一了，還有你動思想的餘地嗎？所以你端坐在那裏，是大安樂法門，非思量的修行。不是在那裏賣弄的人間知識，這種修行是真正的七佛的妙行，祖師爺的密受，非思量的修行，講得那麼清楚。思量的修行沒有用，一睡覺就忘掉了。人家給你加持了，你睡覺還記得人家加持嗎？“哎！那個加持很有用，我睡覺也很有用。”真得嗎？你臨終的時候，它一定會發生作用嗎？佛本來就告訴你，你本來就是盡十方界的真實人體，還需要怎麼樣嗎？這個是大安樂法門，某些人深信進去了，就信心不二，不二信心。這個信不過，佛法就會跟你不相干，那就是外道法。依賴別的什麼，把這個臭皮袋弄成自己所希望的更好的境界，那是玩弄世間法。“但若不修卽不顯其心”，但是告訴你，雖然你本來是盡十方界的真實人體，你不修就不顯出來的啊！這個心顯不出來。“故不入此法門者”，所以不相信這個法門的，“皆為昏暗之癡人”統統都是昏暗的癡人。這就沒話講了，太笨了，昏暗暗，亮不出來，沒有一點光明，昏暗的癡人。講了半天“諸佛之心印，佛祖之密受，叫做大安樂法門”，這個修行才是“非思量之修行”。但是你這個不修就不會顯出來，這講得那麼清楚。“端坐如須彌”，就這樣的坐，不分上中下三根，對不對？我反復了幾次，希望各位能體悟到這個要旨。所以你要證實什麼？就是要證實這一切是如影如幻的存在。擰了一把感覺痛，痛也是如影如幻。不是說你想像如影如幻事，就象看電影的影子一樣，或者是幻像出來。你打一下感覺痛，這就是如影如幻。我們這裏打坐，聽佛法，也是如影如幻。這是第一個方法。
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To Be a Body
By Reginald A. Ray, Ph.D.

My principal meditation teacher was Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, one of the first Tibetan lamas to present meditation in the West.

During the 17 years that I knew him, from 1970 until his death in 1987, he transmitted the somatic Vajrayana lineage to me and his other senior students. Since his death, I have been fortunate to have the time and the opportunity to explore extensively Rinpoche’s transmission through study, practice—and most importantly, teaching—where I have learned the most.
One single concept best characterizes the instruction that Rinpoche received from his teachers and that he wanted to pass on to his students: “embodied spirituality.” But in using this term, what are we talking about?
The somatic approach teaches that the spiritual is already, from the beginning, implicit within what we call the material—not only in our own physical body but also (as we shall discuss further below) in the larger body of our incarnate situation in the cosmos. This means that the essential nature of our incarnational materiality, both what is inside (body) and what is outside (cosmos), is already primordially and inherently spiritual.
Trungpa Rinpoche taught that authentic spirituality cannot exist apart from embodied reality because disembodied spirituality is exclusive, separationist, and incomplete. Any attempt to present spirituality as disembodied is a bogus spirituality, a conceptualized, self-serving construct; at the end of the day, it is simply ego’s game, all over again, just on a subtler and more hidden level, what Trungpa called “spiritual materialism.”
The somatic view of Vajrayana Buddhism has revolutionary implications for our meditation practice as modern people and for our spiritual journey altogether. As mentioned, it means that our spiritual life, far from involving a distancing and separating from our body and all the realities of our physical incarnation, requires just the opposite: we must turn toward our body and our life as the proper and only possible arena for authentic spiritual development—as the only place where our path can unfold and as the only possible true access point for our genuine realization.

Anything else is a chimera, a dream.

When I talk about embodied spirituality in the book, The Awakening Body, then, I mean that connecting with our body and our ordinary life are not add-ons: they are the practice of spirituality; they are what the spiritual journey is all about.
The somatic point of view is that the spiritual journey can only really begin within the depths of our incarnation; that we make the full journey only by exploring our own actual experience as an incarnational being, as it progressively discloses itself in our practice and our life; and that, in the end, this body is what we realize in all of its dimensions, in all of its subtlety and depth. This is the ultimate spiritual illumination, the long-sought elixir of life, the realization of nirvana. There isn’t anything beyond this for, as I hope to show you, this is the illumination of the totality of Being.
We can further clarify what embodied spirituality is by seeing what it isn’t.
In many of the traditional religions of both West and East, including many forms of Buddhism, the spiritual life is understood as a process of separating oneself from everything that is problematic and nonspiritual in order to gain higher, “spiritual” states of meditative awareness. And what are these nonspiritual things that one is separating oneself from? All that seems ordinary, mundane, and “worldly”; the body and all that is seated in it, including instincts and sensations; feelings, emotions, and bodily perceptions; human attachment and sexuality; all that feels potentially problematic, chaotic, and obstructive in our life, all that triggers us, activates us, and stirs us up and leaves us feeling confused, troubled, and incomplete.
Meditation is often viewed as a way to separate ourselves from all of this and rise above it, to get to an altitude where we can relax into a space that is unobstructed and peaceful.
This goal of separation seems to reflect a somewhat negative attitude toward our regular life and the ordinary world as if, at least in a spiritual sense, those things don’t hold very much of importance for us. And so we often practice meditation as a process of progressive distancing and disembodiment, where we are employing meditative techniques to separate what we feel are the “higher” part of ourselves—our more pure, clear, and clean parts—from everything that is lower—all the mundane, ordinary, pained, nagging, struggling parts.
This approach leads, as mentioned, to a state of spiritual dissociation.

The process might look like this:

We sit down to meditate and use a technique to try to calm the distress and chaos in our mind, disturbances perhaps fueled by our compulsive thinking, painful memories of unresolved situations or relationships, aggressive competitiveness, and distressing feelings and emotions. We try to smooth the turbulence of all the things that seem to be closing in on us, suffocating us, creating an intense claustrophobia. This tranquilization of our minds is a well-known practice in Buddhism called shamatha, or mindfulness, mentioned earlier. The powerful techniques for this can indeed induce the desired effects and, as our minds begin to quiet down, we may then enjoy a more peaceful and open state.
But here is where things get very tricky: the practice of meditation as a process of tranquilization typically implies a conscious intention, a mental image of what we are looking for, and a process of deliberate inclusion and exclusion leading us toward our desired spiritual goal.
This is tricky because of our remarkable human capacity to limit and control experience: witness the human ego itself. It has been estimated that out of every million parts of information received and processed by our body, we humans only admit 13 parts into our conscious awareness.
That means we only allow ourselves to be conscious of .000013 percent of the data, of experience, known to our body.
That capacity to limit and control our experience is operational in the way mindfulness is practiced by many of us, although we may be quite unconscious of this fact. What often happens with many of us is that we are able, with sufficient discipline and willpower, to get ourselves into something like the desired state; but it takes a tremendous amount of effort of separation and exclusion of everything else to get there and it leaves us in a bit of a trance.

The positive benefits of this kind of meditation should not be minimized:

  • to have a way to separate ourselves, at least for a time, from all that is problematic and painful in ourselves and our lives

  • to have a safe haven to retreat to in the midst of life’s storms

  • to be able to rest and recuperate can have considerable benefits.

This kind of meditation thus becomes a powerful panacea helping us to remove ourselves from the more seamy and squalid, the more difficult and anxiety-ridden realities of daily life: “What a relief!”
Some would argue—some do argue—that this is exactly what meditation is for and, for that reason, we should enthusiastically embrace the capacity it gives us to step out and temporarily dissociate, to disembody, from our embedded, bodily existence. Meditation in this sense is clearly an oasis and an important one in our life, but, as Nietzsche famously remarked, “Where there are oases, there are also idols.”
Taking us in quite another direction, the somatic teachings see the spiritual life as a journey toward ever fuller and more complete intimacy and even identification with our human incarnation—and we are not talking about just the “nice” parts. This means surrendering our separate spiritual stance, our “spiritual” self, and falling into contact, communication, alignment, and, finally, union with the most ordinary, basic aspects of our human existence, as they are. These include everything we go through, our whole somatic existence, with its sensations, bodily perceptions, feelings, and emotions—including all of our ordinary mental life, the ups and downs, the confusion, the pleasure and pain, everything.

For somatic spirituality, our problem is not, as in conventional spirituality, that we are too close to these mundane features of our life but rather that we are too far away from them; our problem is not that we are too embodied (the disembodied approach), but that we are not embodied enough.

The only place we can truly, authentically, and fully wake up is in the midst of life—right in the middle of our quotidian life, exactly as it is.
The somatic lineage is thus life-affirming to an absolute degree; it is, in Trungpa Rinpoche’s words, “ultimate positivity”: we walk the path toward realization by abandoning any sense of distinction between our spiritual journey and our life journey that consists of the specific, gritty realities of our ordinary existence; in fact they are one and the same.
Many writers in our contemporary culture are articulating these or similar ideas. However, simply having this perspective on a purely intellectual or conceptual level is going to be of limited help for ourselves or our world. If, on the contrary, through the somatic methods, we come to see and experience this for ourselves, it changes everything.

We no longer need to be minimizing or denying large parts of ourselves or be engaged in a constant struggle to free ourselves from the mundane aspects of ourselves and our lives.

Quite the opposite, we are now fully and thoroughly liberated into a complete acceptance and openness to everything we are, to see for ourselves that everything we go through is an engagement with the heart of reality itself. Moreover, the somatic approach shows us how to meet the most painful and problematic situations, emotions, and people in our life and to find within those difficult aspects of our life the next step on our path or spiritual journey. In short, to see the grittiness of the world and, more than that, to experience it directly as the blessing we have been searching for.
The approach of somatic spirituality shows us how to transform the yuck and poison of our own negativity into something fresh, wholesome, and creative. And then, finally, the most simple and ordinary aspects of our human experience become sources of insight, freedom and joy, and revelations of the deepest mysteries of the universe.
Thus it is that if we turn our back on our body and our bodily existence—on the ordinary, the commonplace, and mundane—we are turning our back on what is ultimately and finally real; we are giving up our one opportunity to find our own true and destined place within the infinity of being.

From Awakening Body, © 2016 by Reginald A. Ray. Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston, MA. www.shambhala.com.

Reginald RayReginald A. Ray, Ph.D., draws on four decades of study and practice within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition to address the unique spiritual imperatives of modern people. He is the author of numerous books, including Touching Enlightenment, Indestructible Truth, and Secret of the Vajra World, as well as meditation-oriented audio programs, such as Your Breathing Body and Mahamudra for the Modern World. The spiritual director of the Dharma Ocean Foundation, Dr. Ray regularly leads meditation retreats at Blazing Mountain Retreat Center in Crestone, Colorado. For more information, and access to free audio talks and guided meditations, please visit www.dharmaocean.org.
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THIS beyond THIS and NOT!

The direct experience of THIS is exactly experienced in me (us) beyond both THIS IS IT and THIS IS NOT! Each Now, THIS should be experienced anew beyond both the habitual, fixed “THIS is IT” and the indispensable negating “THIS is NOT!”. THIS beyond THIS and NOT!

JUST THIS in our daily world is too boring, so nothing special. Everywhere we  naturally have THIS,  wherever we are, wherever we go . We are usually not  even conscious of it at all. We are already in the ocean of THIS without fail,  without paying attention. Therefore, everything is habitually going on, even  THIS. Once we (cosmos) are ignited by the fire of THIS awareness by/with THIS experience, suddenly the whole Univerself (you, me, our families, all living beings) are
awakening/actualizing/embodying/opening/flowering/laughing as THIS active/mindful/awakening NOW.

As this experience, the new universe is born breath-by-breath in the midst of our muddy world reality. This is our One_Experience. Our daily chaotic busy way need not be boring (and blind) if we discover THIS New habit-less awakening of Now-universe even in the midst of our messy city lives. Depending on ourselves, our sensitivity, each of our daily encounters is ever-habitual, ever-boring, OR This encounter is awakening, wondrous, opening, unknown, New-Life-being-born, New–cosmos.

“All is one, one is all”, my master’s master replied to me once, and his words are only understood when we are JUST THIS.“ When we are JUST THIS” means we discover/experience THIS and also we are discovered/experienced by THIS inseparably at the same time (as one Univerself-function).

THIS is ever-deepening Life as each Now is being born so fresh at/by unknown concrete encounters, for example, This_One_breathing_awareness, being called by someone, meeting with a street cat, or....  We do not need anything else at all!

(Hōgen Yamahata)

www.openway.org.au

(I used to visit open way zen center for Zazen/meditation sessions while studying in Brisbane)
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Touching Enlightenment: Finding Realization in the Body

Very good book - Touching Enlightenment: Finding Realization in the Body by Reginald A. Ray Ph.D. (Author)

The book describes anatta and losing boundaries into total exertion/Maha (cosmic body) expressed in another way through the portal of a body. The practice is similar to Vipassana or Satipatthana.

https://www.amazon.com/Touching-Enlightenment-Finding-Realization-Body/dp/1622033531/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480434415&sr=8-1&keywords=touching+enlightenment
 
“Through his own deep experience, Reggie Ray skillfully guides us into an awakened bodily life. He offers necessary, wise, and liberating practices of realization within our mysterious human form.”
—Jack Kornfield, PhD, author of A Path with Heart
“Touching Enlightenment provides readers with a fresh look at the steps required to turn our understanding of enlightenment into full embodiment—a vital process that determines the way in which we actually conduct our lives. An indispensible book for the serious practitioner.”
—John Daido Loori, abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and author of True Dharma Eye: Master Dogen’s Three Hundred Koans
"Reggie Ray’s approach to the dharma is wonderfully fresh while also radically rooted in the foundation of the Buddha’s meditation instruction—mindfulness of body. He has a richly textured understanding of the lived body as the vessel of wisdom mind, as well as the carrier of all the karmic patterns that obscure this pristine awareness. Highly recommended."
—John Welwood, author of Toward a Psychology of Awakening 
Excerpts:

"This breathing practice also helps us uncover the energy that ultimately is the big toe... ...our seemingly solid physical sensations of the big toe are a substantialized and solidified experience of a more primary experience of the big toe: that it is actually a vibrating, scintillating field of energy... in a sense, we become the energy of the big toe, we are it."

"... by sensing it and feeling it, not just as the body does, but as the body. We begin to experience moments when we realize that, fundamentally, "we" are the body. As we find ourselves in greater and greater somatic embodiment, we discover deeper and deeper contact with this world. At this point, our conclusions about it recede into relative unimportance. Life is then less and less about thinking and more and more about simply being."

"When we bring our breath consciously into different parts of our body, there is the physical part, in this case pulling the breath in through the pores of the skin. But at a deeper level, there is the inner breath, by which we are bringing the life energy into that particular part of our body..."
"...Now you are breathing through the entire body, through every pore of the entire body, into every portion of its interior, all its bones, muscles, and organs, into all the cells of the body. Just work on that for a few minutes. It isn't easy, but if you stay with it, the energy, attention, and sense of intense vitality will become greater and greater.

As you are breathing through the entire body, notice if there are any places that perhaps seem a little dead or a little resistant to the breath, and you can emphasize those areas a bit. You are still breathing through the entire body, but you are ending up in that particular spot, trying to bring more life to it, more energy, more awareness, more feeling of being awake and sensitive and sentient.

Continue this for another minute or two. Try to make a lot of effort now, maximize your effort and exertion to the utmost, breathing in through every pore of your body, into every single cell of your body, surface and depth, simultaneously.

Then when you think you can't possibly do any more, you can just let go of the technique and lie quietly. Feel the energy circulating throughout your body. This is the inner breath, the prana, which is your vitality, flowing through your nadis, or energy pathways. Your body is now very, very awake, and you can feel an electricity flowing everywhere. Stay with this for several minutes, enjoying it and being completely in the flow. Stay with it until you feel really satisfied. After resting for a few more minutes, you can sit back up. As you do so, continue this sense of the full body, cellular breathing but gently now with a very light touch."

"We realize that our body feels, senses, knows its interconnection with all things. In fact, we are, we exist, only in and through interconnection; ultimately, we are nothing other than "interbeing," in Thich Nhat Hanh's beautiful phrase. All of this becomes increasingly clear the deeper we enter into our somatic existence... ...modern science is showing us that there is no solid, impermeable, discrete envelope to our individual body and that we are in constant and open-ended exchange with our larger bodies, just as our brain is with our lungs, our bones with our circulatory system: the same principle, just a larger scale."

"We have seen how the interior of our physical body unfolds first as more open than we had suspected, then as the space of our own awareness itself. In our further unfolding, again we saw, we discover that this "interior space" is not limited to our body at all, but is to be found "outside" of us, as a cosmic reality, in the earth beneath us; in this unfolding of our cosmic body, we discover an increasing boundlessness to our own awareness."

"...This standpoint, so to speak, of an experience of the earth beyond subject and object opens the way for the unfolding of a different way of being in and with the rest of the cosmos. Initially, we may begin to feel something very strong calling us - calling, calling continually: a mountain we have seen, a glacier, a particular valley, an open vista, a certain hillside or place in the forest, a tree, a river, a lake. We start to sense - although we cannot quite believe it - that the mountain, for example, is alive, and aware, and strongly inviting us, pulling us in its direction. There is something about it that is drawing us to it in the most compelling way. We may dream about it at night and feel its call during the day. What we feel is entirely somatic: our hearts are on fire and its call is resonating throughout our bodies. Such is the depth of somatic life, of *feeling* life, that is now becoming our way of being."

"Have you ever been present to a raindrop falling on a window sill, watched its great globule tumbling into sight, splashing on the sill, spreading out in slow motion, and exploding into a thousand specs of light? Have you ever gazed into a campfire, suddenly finding yourself within it, discovering your own state of being as nothing other than the raging inferno, burning, burning, burning, fueled by all it meets? Have you contemplated a lake and suddenly found yourself lost in its endlessly wet and watery world? Have you glanced up into a great tree only to meet an ancient presence looking back at you with immense understanding and care? Have you ever, one day, looked up at the sky and realized with a sudden, electric shock that courses through your body, that you are meeting a vast shimmering awareness, incredibly alive, that is watching you, utterly seeing you through and through, holding you within its boundless love?"

"...The mountain is our heart, the running streams, our blood; our mind, the limitless sky; our thoughts, the small passing clouds. Ultimately, we are nothing other than these."

- Touching Enlightenment
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How to hack your biology and be in the zone every single day
A video that Thusness and I found to be very good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xc3XdOiGGI&feature=share
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What is an Authentic Buddhist Teaching?
Last year, Thusness wrote in a discussion with a follower of early Buddhism who doesn't identify with Theravada,

"The key issue about authenticity is centered on the idea of whether authenticity is based on the 'words of Buddha' or the 'teaching of Buddha'. All the four tenet systems have claimed their authenticity and each generation based on their experience, studies and realizations attempt to integrate these four tenets. If (authenticity is) strictly based on the 'words of the Buddha' then Mahayana isn't by definition Buddhism, of course.

...Yes Nixon, Vajrayana has their culture incorporated into Buddhism. But when we talk about Mahayana teaching, I think the cultural aspect has to be put aside. Rather, we should look at Mahayana as a development based on the 'teaching'. It is a development over time about what exactly is the right understanding of the 'teaching'.

...Many are linked to political systems and which sect is in power and their 'closeness' to the ruler, so we also cannot assume popularity as authentic either.

...We have stripped out those magical elements and fantasies when talking about the teachings as well. Many are simply metaphorical. Great teachings often blend themselves into cultures and teachers often used their cultural background settings as a base to explain and make people understand the deeper 'meaning' of certain ideas. Now, we must also understand that 'logic' is not the only way of understanding. Some insights are triggered not with rational induction or deduction theory. So a development of a great teaching to allow someone to understand something deep requires us to have multifaceted discipline and instrument.

We are not just a rational being. We dream and fantasize.. to understand our nature, our suffering, our way of understanding, we got to know ourselves too. When attempting to know what Buddhism has developed into a particular trend, these are all needed. However for deciding whether what is authentic, these are not needed."

Thusness then discussed the Tathagatagarbha teachings:

"Tathagatagarbha is a potentiality, the idea that everyone has the capacity to actualize oneself to Buddhahood. Invented as part of a reaction towards the strong movement of Hindu culture. Hinduism is basically based on Brahman and Atman - the eternal Self, and Buddhism's anatta is a direct contradiction against that. It is for this reason that Mahayana developed. In all the four tenets, the middle way, the yogacara, the sutra school and Vaibhashika, all are based on the fundamental understand of the three universal characteristics.

That said, in every system, there is surely some of those hiccups that deviate from the definitive view. Even in Theravada, we see the Thai Forest traditions promoting Poo Roo - The One Who Knows, as ultimate. Many foreigners in the West that are less informed can mistaken that to represent the teaching of the Buddha too. There are those who go even further to say that Anatta implies 'not self' as the five aggregates are 'not self' and the essence of the teaching of anatta is to find the True Self, quoting instead the Kevatta Sutta on the luminous mind and consciousness without features.

Buddha Nature is thus not a problem peculiar to Mahayana, in all traditions we see this.

To me, I'm a non-sectarian, so I am quite free not having prejudice for/against Theravada, Mahayana or Vajrayana. We get our experience and teaching to release, as well as to relief ourselves from our suffering from a great teaching.

To come to our understanding of what is the fundamental cause of our suffering, and the core teaching of Selflessness is not that straight forward. We experiment and test our paradigm to see if it works. It is a life experience and journey.

In my experience and journey, there is essential two paths. First is taking and seeking comfort in the ultimate and carrying it throughout, and the other, is looking into the fundamental core of suffering and understanding its nature. So there are basically these two - one relies on the essentialist practice that they need to have an ultimate, and the other says no... there is no need to, you just have to understand the nature of suffering. Therefore when we clearly see this, we realize that Buddhism is based on the latter, and the whole development of Theravada and Mahayana is based on such a system. Otherwise there is no difference from other (religions). As such it depends on an individual path and which core system one believes in.

For me, the essence view has in a certain sense proven to not be the way and I greatly appreciate the Buddha's path. To state otherwise would mean that Buddhism is using the view of an essence to solve suffering, which isn't true for me."

"I just appreciate Buddhism as a beautiful teaching and Buddha as my teacher, as a student doing something for a teacher... nothing more than that. I seldom participate in discussion as I am not a scholar and cannot contribute much."

"It's not in my nature to seek Buddhism. I have a strong Taoist background and passion for Hinduism when I was young. So philosophically and culturally, essencelessness is not a view that suits me. But it takes painful experiences to come to a willingness to let go, to see the truth of impermanence and anatta. To challenge and come to an understanding that you don't actually have to do this and that.... (or have an) ultimate here and there to release. But rather to truly accept and look deeply into impermanence, then you will let go and we can come to a new understanding of the relationship of suffering and the truth of suffering having to do with a fundamental paradigm we hold so dearly.

..Your mindset and experience can change, so is your understanding, and you just begin a new path with new understanding. Impermanence from personal, micro and macro view. You see when you see impermanence and use it as a door in practice, your view changes also, from Vipassana observing the minutest sensations in our bodily sensations to appreciating a view in current quantum physics, macro view, to observe events. So our idea changes and we adopt such understanding in our life over time. Sometimes it really depends and it needs the right condition and situation to trigger it, just like the case of financial crisis."

...

[24/3/19, 11:17:05 PM] John Tan: From the perspective of clarity, it is true that Buddhism anatta and emptiness is more profound and deep… lol. But still good to caution about respecting all religions and practice. Why empty clarity is only pointed out in buddhism. So although it is true about all points to pure consciousness, it is realizing the emptiness that is the prajna eye to allow us to clearly see the empty nature of clarity. Otherwise we will most likely land in alaya or [be] required to still in deep stillness of samadhi.”
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