English
English version Question: If a Bodhisattva benefits all beings everywhere, then all beings who see their body, witness their miraculous transformations, or hear their teachings should undoubtedly receive benefit. Why is it that many in the world are unable to see them? Answer: The Dharmakaya (Dharmakaya, the body of the Dharma) of all Buddhas and Tathagatas (Tathagata, 'Thus Gone One', an epithet of the Buddha) is equal and pervades all places, without any intentional effort. It is said to be natural, manifesting only according to the minds of beings. The minds of beings are like mirrors; if a mirror is dirty, colors and images will not appear. Similarly, if the minds of beings are defiled, the Dharmakaya will not appear. (The above) concludes the section on explanation. Next is the section on cultivating faith. Here, for the sake of beings who have not yet entered into right concentration, the cultivation of faith is discussed. What is faith? How is it cultivated? Briefly, there are four kinds of faith. What are the four? First, faith in the fundamental, which is to joyfully contemplate the Suchness (Tathata, suchness or thusness) of Dharma. Second, faith that the Buddha has immeasurable merits, constantly remembering to draw near, make offerings, and show reverence to the Buddha, generating roots of goodness, and aspiring to attain all wisdom. Third, faith that the Dharma has great benefits, constantly remembering to cultivate the various Paramitas (Paramita, perfections). Fourth, faith that the Sangha (Sangha, the monastic community) can correctly practice, benefiting both themselves and others, constantly delighting in drawing near to the Bodhisattva (Bodhisattva, an enlightened being) assembly, seeking to learn true practice. There are five practices (gates) that can accomplish this faith. What are the five? First is the gate of giving, second is the gate of precepts, third is the gate of patience, fourth is the gate of diligence, and fifth is the gate of cessation and contemplation. How is the gate of giving cultivated? If one sees anyone coming to beg, one should give them whatever wealth one has according to one's ability, thereby abandoning one's own stinginess and greed, and making them happy. If one sees anyone encountering disaster, terror, or urgent oppression, one should give them fearless assistance according to one's ability. If there are beings who come seeking the Dharma, one should explain it to them conveniently according to one's understanding. One should not greedily seek fame, profit, or reverence, but only think of benefiting oneself and others, and dedicate the merit towards Bodhi (Bodhi, enlightenment). How is the gate of precepts cultivated? It is to refrain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, divisive speech, harsh speech, false speech, and frivolous speech, and to stay away from greed, jealousy, deceit, flattery, anger, and wrong views. If one is a monastic practitioner, in order to subdue afflictions, one should also stay away from noisy places and constantly abide in quiet places. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
静，修习少欲知足头陀等行。乃至小罪心生怖畏，惭愧改悔，不得轻于如来所制禁戒。当护讥嫌，不令众生妄起过罪故。云何修行忍门？所谓应忍他人之恼，心不怀报；亦当忍于利、衰、毁、誉、称、讥、苦、乐等法故。云何修行进门？所谓于诸善事心不懈退，立志坚强远离怯弱。当念过去久远已来，虚受一切身心大苦无有利益，是故应勤修诸功德，自利利他速离众苦。 复次，若人虽修行信心，以从先世来多有重罪恶业障故，为魔邪诸鬼之所恼乱，或为世间事务种种牵缠，或为病苦所恼。有如是等众多障碍，是故应当勇猛精勤，昼夜六时礼拜诸佛，诚心忏悔、劝请、随喜、回向菩提，常不休废，得免诸障、善根增长故。云何修行止观门？所言止者，谓止一切境界相，随顺奢摩他观义故。所言观者，谓分别因缘生灭相，随顺毗钵舍那观义故。云何随顺？以此二义，渐渐修习不相舍离，双现前故。若修止者，住于静处端坐正意，不依气息、不依形色、不依于空、不依地水火风，乃至不依见闻觉知。一切诸想随念皆除，亦遣除想，以一切法本来无相，念念不生、念念不灭，亦不得随心外念境界，后以心除心。心若驰散，即当摄来住于正念。是正念者，当知唯心，无外境界。即复此心亦无自相，念念不可得，若从坐起 现代汉语译本 静，修习少欲知足的头陀行（dhūta，一种苦行），乃至对微小的罪过都心生畏惧，惭愧地改正悔悟，不可轻视如来所制定的禁戒。应当避免引起他人的讥讽和嫌隙，不让众生无端地产生过错，所以要谨慎言行。 如何修行忍辱之门？就是要忍受他人的恼怒，心中不怀报复之念；也应当忍受利、衰、毁、誉、称、讥、苦、乐等世间诸法。 如何修行精进之门？就是要对一切善事不懈怠退缩，立下坚定的志向，远离怯懦。应当忆念过去久远以来，白白承受一切身心上的巨大痛苦而毫无利益，因此应当勤奋地修习各种功德，自利利他，迅速脱离各种痛苦。 此外，如果有人虽然修行信心，但由于前世积累了许多深重的罪恶业障，所以被邪魔外道和各种鬼怪所恼乱，或者被世间的各种事务缠绕，或者被病痛所困扰。有如此众多的障碍，所以应当勇猛精进，日夜六时礼拜诸佛，以真诚的心忏悔、劝请、随喜、回向菩提，常常不停止，才能免除各种障碍，增长善根。 如何修行止观之门？所谓‘止’，就是停止对一切境界相的执着，随顺奢摩他（śamatha，止）的观想之义。所谓‘观’，就是分别因缘生灭之相，随顺毗钵舍那（vipaśyanā，观）的观想之义。如何才能随顺止观？就是用这两种方法，渐渐地修习，不互相舍离，同时显现。 如果修习止，就要住在安静的地方，端正地坐着，集中意念，不依赖气息，不依赖形色，不依赖于空，不依赖地水火风，乃至不依赖见闻觉知。一切的念头和想法都去除，也去除去除想法的念头，因为一切法本来就没有固定的相状，念念不生，念念不灭，也不可以随心向外攀缘境界，然后用清净的心去除妄心。如果心散乱了，就应当立即收摄回来，安住在正念上。这个正念，应当知道唯有心，没有外在的境界。即使是这个心，也没有自体的相状，念念都不可得。如果从座位上起来
English
English version Quietude involves practicing dhūta (ascetic practices) such as contentment with few desires and knowing sufficiency. Even towards minor offenses, one should feel fear in their heart, repent with shame, and not take lightly the precepts established by the Tathāgata (如来，Tathāgata, 'Thus Gone One'). One should guard against criticism and suspicion, preventing sentient beings from groundlessly creating faults; therefore, be cautious in speech and action. How does one cultivate the gate of patience (忍辱，kṣānti)? It means enduring the annoyance of others without harboring thoughts of revenge; one should also endure worldly dharmas (法，dharma, 'teachings' or 'phenomena') such as gain, loss, defamation, praise, honor, ridicule, suffering, and joy. How does one cultivate the gate of diligence (精进，vīrya)? It means not being lazy or retreating from all good deeds, establishing firm resolve, and staying away from cowardice. One should remember that in the distant past, one has vainly endured all kinds of great physical and mental suffering without any benefit; therefore, one should diligently cultivate all kinds of merits, benefiting oneself and others, and quickly escaping all suffering. Furthermore, if a person, although cultivating faith, is troubled by demons, heretics, and various ghosts due to the heavy burden of sinful karma (业，karma, 'action') accumulated from past lives, or is entangled in various worldly affairs, or is afflicted by illness, with so many obstacles, one should be courageous and diligent, prostrating to all Buddhas during the six periods of day and night, sincerely repenting, requesting, rejoicing, and dedicating merit towards Bodhi (菩提，bodhi, 'awakening'), constantly without ceasing, in order to be free from all obstacles and increase good roots. How does one cultivate the gate of cessation and contemplation (止观，śamatha-vipaśyanā)? 'Cessation' (止，śamatha) means stopping attachment to all characteristics of realms, according with the meaning of śamatha (奢摩他，śamatha, 'tranquility'). 'Contemplation' (观，vipaśyanā) means distinguishing the characteristics of arising and ceasing due to conditions, according with the meaning of vipaśyanā (毗钵舍那，vipaśyanā, 'insight'). How does one accord with cessation and contemplation? It is by gradually cultivating these two meanings, not separating from each other, appearing simultaneously. If cultivating cessation, one should dwell in a quiet place, sit upright with correct intention, not relying on breath, not relying on form and color, not relying on emptiness, not relying on earth, water, fire, or wind, and even not relying on seeing, hearing, feeling, or knowing. All thoughts and ideas should be removed, and also remove the thought of removing thoughts, because all dharmas are originally without fixed characteristics, not arising from moment to moment, not ceasing from moment to moment, and one should also not follow the mind's external clinging to realms, and then use the pure mind to remove the deluded mind. If the mind wanders, one should immediately gather it back and abide in right mindfulness. This right mindfulness should know that there is only mind, without external realms. Even this mind has no self-nature, and is unattainable from moment to moment. If rising from the seat --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
去来进止有所施作，于一切时常念方便随顺观察，久习淳熟其心得住。以心住故渐渐猛利，随顺得入真如三昧，深伏烦恼信心增长，速成不退。唯除疑惑、不信、诽谤、重罪、业障、我慢、懈怠，如是等人所不能入。 复次，依如是三昧故，则知法界一相。谓一切诸佛法身与众生身平等无二，即名一行三昧。当知真如是三昧根本，若人修行，渐渐能生无量三昧。或有众生无善根力，则为诸魔外道鬼神之所惑乱，若于坐中现形恐怖，或现端正男女等相，当念唯心，境界则灭，终不为恼。或现天像、菩萨像，亦作如来像相好具足，若说陀罗尼，若说布施、持戒、忍辱、精进、禅定、智慧，或说平等、空、无相、无愿、无怨无亲、无因无果、毕竟空寂是真涅槃。或令人知宿命过去之事，亦知未来之事，得他心智辩才无碍，能令众生贪着世间名利之事。又令使人数瞋数喜，性无常准。或多慈爱多睡多病，其心懈怠。或卒起精进后便休废，生于不信多疑多虑。或舍本胜行更修杂业。若着世事种种牵缠，亦能使人得诸三昧少分相似，皆是外道所得，非真三昧。或复令人若一日若二日若三日，乃至七日住于定中，得自然香美饮食，身心适悦不饥不渴，使人爱着。或亦令人食无分齐，乍多乍少颜色变异。以是义故，行者常应智慧 现代汉语译本：无论行走、停留、前进、停止，还是有所作为，都要在一切时候常常想着用善巧方便随顺地去观察，长久练习纯熟后，心就能安住。因为心安住的缘故，就渐渐变得勇猛精进，随顺而入真如三昧（Tathata-samadhi，如实之定），深深地降伏烦恼，信心增长，迅速成就永不退转。只有那些疑惑、不信、诽谤、犯下严重罪行、有业障、我慢、懈怠的人，不能进入这种境界。 其次，依靠这种三昧的缘故，就能了知法界（Dharmadhatu，一切诸法的总称）是一相（Eka-laksana，唯一的相）。也就是说，一切诸佛的法身（Dharmakaya，佛的真理之身）与众生的身平等没有差别，就叫做一行三昧（Eka-vyuha-samadhi，专注于单一行为的三昧）。应当知道真如（Tathata，事物的真实如是之性）是三昧的根本，如果有人修行，渐渐能够产生无量的三昧。或者有的众生没有善根和力量，就会被各种魔、外道、鬼神所迷惑扰乱，如果在坐禅中显现恐怖的形象，或者显现端正的男女等形象，应当念唯心（Citta-matra，万法唯心所现），境界就会消失，最终不会被困扰。或者显现天人的形象、菩萨的形象，也可能化作如来的形象，具足种种殊胜的相好，如果宣说陀罗尼（Dharani，总持法门），或者宣说布施（Dana，给予）、持戒（Sila，遵守戒律）、忍辱（Ksanti，忍耐）、精进（Virya，努力修行）、禅定（Dhyana，冥想）、智慧（Prajna，洞察力），或者宣说平等、空、无相、无愿、无怨无亲、无因无果、毕竟空寂才是真正的涅槃（Nirvana，解脱）。或者使人知道宿命过去的事情，也知道未来的事情，得到他心智（Para-citta-jnana，了解他人想法的能力），辩才无碍，能够使众生贪恋世间的名利之事。又使人常常发怒常常高兴，性情没有常准。或者过于慈爱，或者多睡多病，内心懈怠。或者突然精进，之后就停止废弃，产生不信任，多疑多虑。或者舍弃原本殊胜的修行，反而去修习杂乱的法门。如果执着于世俗之事，被种种事物牵缠，也能使人得到各种三昧少许相似之处，这些都是外道所得，不是真正的三昧。或者又使人一天、两天、三天，乃至七天住在禅定中，得到自然香美的饮食，身心舒适喜悦，不饥不渴，使人爱恋执着。或者也使人饮食没有节制，时多时少，脸色变异。因为这个缘故，修行者应当常常保持智慧。