English
English version: 'Food of Dharma Joy': This refers to relying on and joyfully practicing the correct Dharma. 'Food of Dhyana Bliss': This refers to both inner and outer being clear and tranquil, with body and mind feeling joyful and happy. 'Food of Mindfulness': This refers to constantly remembering all Buddhas, with mind and mouth in accord. 'Food of Vow': This refers to constantly seeking virtuous vows in all activities, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. 'Food of Liberation': This refers to the mind constantly remaining pure, unpolluted by worldly dust. These five types of 'food' are called 'upholding the precepts'. If someone does not consume these five pure 'foods' but claims to be upholding the precepts, that is impossible. Merely cutting off the 'food of ignorance' and considering oneself liberated is called 'breaking the precepts'. If one has already broken the precepts, how can one obtain blessings? Some deluded people in the world do not understand this principle, indulging their body and mind, committing all kinds of evil deeds, being greedy and lustful, indulging their emotions, and feeling no shame. They merely cut off external food and consider themselves to be upholding the precepts, which is absolutely impossible. Furthermore, when prostrating, one should do so according to the Dharma. One must understand the principle internally and adapt to circumstances externally. Understanding such meaning is called 'according to the Dharma'. 'Li' (礼) means respect. 'Bai' (拜) means submission. It refers to respecting the true nature and submitting to ignorance and afflictions, which is called 'prostration'. If one can permanently extinguish evil emotions and constantly maintain good thoughts, even without adhering to external forms, it is called 'prostration'. Such a form is the Dharma form. The World Honored One established the form of prostration to allow worldly people to express humility, so it is necessary to submit the external body to show internal respect, awakening to the external and understanding the internal, so that nature and phenomena correspond to each other. If one does not practice according to the principle of Dharma but only clings to external pursuits, while internally indulging in greed and ignorance, constantly committing evil deeds, externally merely making various gestures in vain, falsely displaying dignified demeanor, feeling no shame before the sages, merely deceiving ordinary people, and unable to escape the cycle of reincarnation, how can one achieve merit? Question: As the scriptures say, sincerely reciting the Buddha's name will surely lead to rebirth in the Western Pure Land. With this one method, one should be able to attain Buddhahood. Why is it necessary to contemplate the mind to seek liberation? Answer: Those who recite the Buddha's name should do so with right mindfulness. Understanding the true meaning of the Dharma is right mindfulness, while not understanding the true meaning is wrong mindfulness. Reciting with right mindfulness will surely lead to rebirth, but how can reciting with wrong mindfulness reach the Western Pure Land? 'Buddha' means 'awakening'. It refers to being aware of one's own body and mind and not allowing evil thoughts to arise. 'Nian' (念) means 'remembrance'. It refers to remembering and maintaining the precepts and practice, and not forgetting diligence. Understanding such meaning is called 'reciting the Buddha's name'. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
念。故知念在于心。非在于言。因筌求鱼。得鱼忘筌。因言求意。得意忘言。既称念佛之名。须知念佛之道。若心无实。口诵空名。三毒内臻。人我填臆。将无明心。向外求佛。徒尔虚功。且如诵之与念。义理悬殊。在口曰诵。在心曰念。故知念从心起。名为觉行之门。诵在口中。即是音声之相。执外求理。终无是处。故知过去诸圣所修念佛。皆非外说。只推内心。心即众善之源。心为万德之主。涅槃常乐。由真心生。三界轮回亦从心起。心是出世之门户。心是解脱之关津。知门户者岂虑难入。识关津者何忧不通。 问。如温室经说。洗浴众僧。获福无量。此则凭于事法。功德始成。若为观心可相应乎。答。洗浴众僧者。非世间有为事也。世尊尝为诸弟子。说温室经。欲令受持洗浴之法。其温室者。即身是也。所以燃智慧火。温净戒汤。沐浴身中真如佛性。受持七法。以自庄严。当日比丘聪明上智。皆悟圣意。如说修行。功德成就。俱登圣果。今时众生莫测其事。将世间水。洗质碍身。自谓依经。岂非误也。且真如佛性。非是凡形烦恼尘垢。本来无相。岂可将质碍水洗无为身。事不相应。云何悟道。若欲身得净者。当观此身。本因贪欲不净所生。臭秽骈阗。内外充满。若洗此身求于净者。犹如洗堑。堑尽方净。 现代汉语译本：由此可知，‘念’在于内心，而不在于言语。如同凭借鱼筌捕鱼，得到鱼后便忘记鱼筌；凭借言语寻求意旨，领会意旨后便忘却言语。既然口称念佛的名号，就应当明白念佛的道理。如果内心没有真实，口中诵念空洞的名号，贪嗔痴三毒就会在内心滋生，人我是非充满胸臆。这样将不明的心，向外寻求佛，只是徒劳无功。而且，‘诵’与‘念’，义理相差悬殊。在口中称为‘诵’，在心中称为‘念’。所以知道‘念’从内心生起，是名为觉悟和行动的门径。‘诵’在口中，只是声音的表象。执着于外在而寻求真理，终究没有成功的可能。所以知道过去诸位圣贤所修的念佛，都不是外在的言说，只是推究内心。心是众善的根源，心是万德的主宰。涅槃常乐，由真心而生；三界轮回，也从心而起。心是出离世间的门户，心是解脱的关隘。知道门户的人，哪里还担心难以进入？认识关隘的人，又何必忧虑不能通过？ 有人问：‘如《温室经》所说，洗浴众僧，可以获得无量的福报。’这就要凭借事相上的行为，功德才能成就。如果观照自心，又该如何相应呢？回答：洗浴众僧，不是世间有为的事情。《温室经》中，世尊曾经为诸位弟子，讲述温室的经典，想要让他们受持洗浴的方法。这温室，就是指自身。所以要燃起智慧之火，用清净戒律之汤，沐浴身中真如佛性（Tathata-buddha-nature）。受持七法，用来庄严自身。当时的那些比丘（bhikkhu），都是聪明而具有上等智慧的人，都领悟了佛的圣意，如法修行，功德成就，都登上了圣果。现在的众生不能理解其中的含义，用世间的水，洗涤有形质的身体，自认为符合经义，这难道不是误解吗？而且真如佛性，不是凡夫的形体，没有烦恼尘垢，本来就没有形相，怎么可以用有形质的水，洗涤无为的身体呢？事理不相应，怎么能悟道呢？如果想要身体得到清净，应当观照这个身体，本来是因为贪欲不净所生，臭秽充满，内外都是。如果洗涤这个身体来求得清净，就像是清洗沟渠，只有把沟渠全部填满才能干净。
English
English version: Therefore, it is known that '念' (nian, mindfulness) lies in the heart, not in words. It is like using a fish trap to catch fish; once you get the fish, you forget the trap. It is like using words to seek meaning; once you understand the meaning, you forget the words. Since you recite the name of Buddha, you should know the path of念佛 (nianfo, Buddha-mindfulness). If the heart is not sincere and the mouth recites empty names, the three poisons (greed, hatred, and delusion) will arise within, and ego and attachment will fill the chest. Thus, using an unenlightened mind to seek Buddha externally is merely futile effort. Moreover, '诵' (song, recitation) and '念' (nian, mindfulness) have vastly different meanings. What is in the mouth is called '诵' (song, recitation), and what is in the heart is called '念' (nian, mindfulness). Therefore, it is known that '念' (nian, mindfulness) arises from the heart and is called the gateway to awakening and action. '诵' (song, recitation) is in the mouth and is merely the appearance of sound. Clinging to the external to seek truth will never lead to success. Therefore, it is known that the 念佛 (nianfo, Buddha-mindfulness) practiced by the past sages was not external speech, but only introspection. The heart is the source of all good, and the heart is the master of all virtues. Nirvana (Nirvana), constant joy, arises from the true heart; the cycle of the three realms also arises from the heart. The heart is the gateway to transcending the world, and the heart is the key to liberation. Those who know the gateway, why worry about difficulty in entering? Those who recognize the key, why worry about not being able to pass through? Someone asks: 'As the 温室经 (Wen Shi Jing, Warm Room Sutra) says, bathing the Sangha (Sangha, monastic community) brings immeasurable blessings.' This relies on actions in phenomena for merit to be achieved. How can 관심 (guanxin, contemplating the mind) correspond to this?' The answer is: 'Bathing the Sangha (Sangha, monastic community) is not a worldly, contrived affair. The 世尊 (Shìzūn, World-Honored One) once spoke the 温室经 (Wen Shi Jing, Warm Room Sutra) to his disciples, wanting them to uphold the method of bathing. The 温室 (Wen Shi, Warm Room) is the body itself. Therefore, ignite the fire of wisdom, use the soup of pure precepts, and bathe the 真如佛性 (Tathata-buddha-nature) within the body. Uphold the seven dharmas to adorn oneself. At that time, the Bhikkhus (bhikkhu, monks) were intelligent and of superior wisdom, and they all understood the holy meaning of the Buddha, practiced according to the teachings, achieved merit, and all attained the holy fruit. Present-day beings do not understand the matter, using worldly water to wash the physical body, claiming to be following the sutra. Is this not a misunderstanding? Moreover, the 真如佛性 (Tathata-buddha-nature) is not the form of ordinary beings, without the defilements of afflictions, originally without form. How can one use physical water to wash the unconditioned body? The matter and principle do not correspond; how can one attain enlightenment? If you want the body to be pure, you should contemplate that this body is originally born from the impurity of greed, filled with foulness inside and out. If you wash this body to seek purity, it is like washing a ditch; only when the ditch is completely filled can it be clean.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
以此验之。明知洗外非佛说也。是故假世事。比喻真宗。隐说七事供养功德。其事有七。云何为七。一者净水。二者燃火。三者澡豆。四者杨枝。五者净灰。六者苏膏。七者内衣。举此七事。喻于七法。一切众生由此七法。沐浴庄严。能除毒心无明垢秽。其七法者。一者净戒。洗荡愆非。犹如净水濯诸尘垢。二者智慧。观察内外。犹如燃火能温净水。三者分别。简弃诸恶。犹如澡豆能净垢腻。四者真实。断诸妄想。犹如杨枝能消口气。五者正信。决定无疑。犹如净灰摩身障风。六者柔和。忍辱甘受。犹如苏膏通润皮肤。七者惭愧。悔诸恶业。犹如内衣遮丑形体。如上七法是经中秘密之义。皆是为诸大乘利根者说。非为少智下劣凡夫。所以今人无能解悟。窃见今时浅识。唯知事相为功。广费财宝。多伤水陆。妄营像塔。虚役人夫。积木叠泥。图青画缘。倾心尽力。损己迷他。未解惭愧。何曾觉悟。见有为则勤勤爱着。说无为则兀兀如迷。且贪现世之小慈。岂觉当来之大苦。此之修学。徒自疲劳。背正归邪。谁言获福。但能摄心内照。觉观外明。绝三毒永使销亡。闭六贼不令侵扰。自然恒沙功德。种种庄严。无数法门。一一成就。超凡证圣。目击非遥。悟在须臾。何烦皓首。真门幽秘。宁可具陈。略述观心。说其少分。而 现代汉语译本 以此来验证。如果明确知道清洗外在之物并非佛所说，那么（佛经）就是借助世间的事物，来比喻真正的宗旨，隐晦地说明七种供养的功德。这七件事是什么呢？一是净水（干净的水），二是燃火（燃烧的火焰），三是澡豆（古代的洗涤用品），四是杨枝（用以清洁牙齿的树枝），五是净灰（干净的灰），六是苏膏（酥油制成的膏），七是内衣（贴身穿着的衣服）。 举出这七件事，是用来比喻七种佛法。一切众生通过这七种佛法的沐浴和庄严，能够去除毒害之心和无明的污垢。这七种佛法是什么呢？一是净戒（清净的戒律），洗涤过失和错误，就像干净的水洗去各种尘垢一样。二是智慧（辨别是非的能力），观察内在和外在，就像燃烧的火焰能够温暖净水一样。三是分别（辨别能力），简择抛弃各种恶行，就像澡豆能够去除污垢和油腻一样。四是真实（真诚不虚假），断除各种虚妄的念头，就像杨枝能够消除口中的气味一样。五是正信（正确的信仰），坚定不移地相信，就像用干净的灰涂抹身体可以抵挡风寒一样。六是柔和（温和的态度），忍受屈辱并甘心接受，就像苏膏能够滋润皮肤一样。七是惭愧（对自己的错误感到羞愧），忏悔各种恶业，就像内衣能够遮盖丑陋的形体一样。 以上这七种佛法是经书中的秘密含义，都是为那些具有大乘根基和智慧的人说的，不是为那些缺乏智慧和低劣的凡夫说的。所以现在的人没有能够理解和领悟的。我私下看到现在一些见识浅薄的人，只知道从事表面的事物来求功德，大量花费财物，大量伤害水生和陆生的动物，胡乱建造佛像和佛塔，白白役使百姓，堆积木头和泥土，涂上青色和画上红色，倾注全部心思和力量，损害自己迷惑他人，不理解惭愧的含义，何曾觉悟？见到有为之法就勤勤恳恳地执着，说到无为之法就茫然无知如同迷路一般。只贪图现世的小恩小惠，哪里知道将来的大痛苦？这种修行学习，只是徒劳地使自己疲惫，背离正道归于邪道，谁说能够获得福报？ 只要能够收摄内心向内观照，觉察观照外在事物，断绝贪嗔痴这三种毒害永远使它们消亡，关闭眼耳鼻舌身意这六个贼寇不让它们侵扰，自然就会有如恒河沙数般的功德，种种庄严，无数法门，一一成就，超越凡人证得圣果，指日可待。觉悟就在须臾之间，何必等到白发苍苍。真正的法门幽深隐秘，哪里能够全部陈述出来？只是略微讲述观心的方法，说出其中的少部分罢了。