English
English version He is a 'no-affairs person' (referring to someone without attachments). In reality, there are not so many thoughts, nor is there any principle to explain. If there's nothing to do, then disperse. Question: What is conventional truth (Satyasamvriti, mundane truth)? The master said: What's the use of talking about these 'kudzu vines' (a metaphor for tangled and confusing words)? Originally pure, why borrow words for questions and answers? As long as there are no thoughts at all, it is called 'unleaked wisdom' (wisdom without afflictions). In your daily walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, in all your speech, as long as you are not attached to conditioned dharmas (laws of dependent origination), then the words you speak and the blinking of your eyes are the same as unleaked wisdom. Now, as the degenerate age (Mappo) is approaching, many who study Chan and practice the Way are attached to all sights and sounds. Why not be like my mind, the same as emptiness? Like withered wood and stones, like cold ashes and dead fire, only then will you have a little correspondence. If it is not so, you will all be tortured by King Yama in the future. You only need to leave behind the dharmas of existence and non-existence, and your mind will be like the sun, always in the sky, its light natural, shining without shining. This is not an effortless matter. At this time, there is no place to dwell, which is to walk the path of all Buddhas, which is to 'arise the mind without dwelling anywhere' (to generate compassion without being attached to anything). This is your pure Dharma body, called Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi (unexcelled perfect enlightenment). If you do not understand this meaning, even if you learn a lot of knowledge, practice diligently, wear grass clothes and eat coarse food, and do not recognize your own mind, it is all called wrong practice, and you will surely become a member of the retinue of heavenly demons. What benefit is there in practicing like this? Master Zhi (Zen Master Baozhi) said: 'The Buddha is originally made by one's own mind, how can one seek it in words?' Even if you learn the full minds of the Three Worthies, Four Fruits, and Ten Grounds (various stages of Bodhisattva practice), you are still sitting within the realm of the mundane and the holy. Don't you see: 'All conditioned things are impermanent, they are subject to arising and ceasing. When the power is exhausted, the arrow will still fall. It invites an undesirable next life.' How can it compare to the unconditioned gate of true reality, directly entering the realm of the Tathagata (the state of Buddha) in one leap? Because you are not such people, you need to widely learn knowledge and understanding from the teaching gates established by the ancients. Master Zhi said: 'Without encountering an enlightened master of the world, you take the medicine of the Mahayana Dharma in vain.' Now, at all times, in your walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, just learn to be without mind, and you will surely obtain it in reality after a long time. Because your strength is small, you cannot transcend suddenly, but if you have three years, five years, or ten years, you will surely find a place to enter and naturally understand. Because you cannot do this, you need to use your mind to study Chan and practice the Way, what does this have to do with the Buddha Dharma? Therefore, it is said: What the Tathagata says is all for the sake of transforming people. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。如将黄叶为金止小儿啼。决定不实。若有实得。非我宗门下客。且与尔本体有甚交涉。故经云。实无少法可得。名为阿耨菩提。若也会得此意。方知佛道魔道俱错。本来清净皎皎地。无方圆无大小无长短等相。无漏无为无迷无悟。了了见无一物。亦无人亦无佛。大千沙界海中沤。一切圣贤如电拂。一切不如心真实法身。从古至今与佛祖一般。何处欠少一毫毛。既会如是意。大须努力尽今生去。出息不保入息。 问六祖不会经书。何得传衣为祖。秀上座是五百人首座。为教授师。讲得三十二本经论。云何不传衣。师云。为他有心是有为法。所修所证将为是也。所以五祖付六祖。六祖当时只是默契。得密授如来甚深意。所以付法与他汝不见道。法本法无法。无法法亦法。今付无法时。法法何曾法。若会此意。方名出家儿。方好修行。若不信云何明上座走来大庾岭头寻六祖。六祖便问。汝来求何事。为求衣为求法。明上座云。不为衣来。但为法来。六祖云。汝且暂时敛念。善恶都莫思量。明乃禀语。六祖云。不思善不思恶。正当与么时。还我明上座父母未生时面目来。明于言下忽然默契。便礼拜云。如人饮水冷暖自知。某甲在五祖会中。枉用三十年工夫。今日方省前非。六祖云。如是。到此之时方知祖师西来直指人 现代汉语译本：譬如用黄叶当金子来哄小孩停止哭闹，这终究是不真实的。如果真能从中得到什么，那就不是我禅宗门下的弟子。而且，这与你的本体有什么关系呢？所以经书上说：‘实际上没有一丁点法可以获得，这才能称作阿耨多罗三藐三菩提（Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi，无上正等正觉）。’如果能够领会这个意思，才会明白佛道和魔道都是错误的。本来就是清净明亮的，没有方圆、大小、长短等相状，没有有漏、没有造作、没有迷惑、没有觉悟。清清楚楚地看到什么都没有，没有人也没有佛。大千世界就像大海中的水泡，一切圣贤如同闪电一般。一切都比不上心真实的法身（Dharmakaya，法身），从古至今和佛祖一样，哪里缺少一根毫毛呢？既然领会了这个意思，就要努力地过好这一生，因为呼出气不保证还有吸入气。 问：六祖（Huineng，慧能）不识字，为什么能得到衣钵成为祖师？神秀（Shenxiu）上座是五百人的首座，是教授师，能讲三十二本经论，为什么没有得到衣钵？ 师父说：因为他有心，是有为法，把所修所证的都当成是真的。所以五祖（Hongren，弘忍）把衣钵传给六祖，六祖当时只是默默领会，得到了如来（Tathagata，如来）甚深的意旨，所以才把法传给他。你没听过吗？法本是无法，无法也是法。现在传授这无法之时，法又何曾是法呢？如果领会了这个意思，才算得上是出家人，才好修行。如果不信，为什么明（Hui Ming，慧明）上座跑到大庾岭头来找六祖？六祖便问：‘你来求什么？是求衣钵还是求法？’明上座说：‘不是为衣钵而来，只是为法而来。’六祖说：‘你且暂时收摄心念，善恶都不要思量。’明于是听从了六祖的话。六祖说：‘不思善，不思恶，正在这个时候，还我明上座父母未生时的本来面目来。’明在言下忽然领会，便礼拜说：‘如同人饮水，冷暖自知。我在五祖那里，白白用了三十年的功夫，今天才明白以前的错误。’六祖说：‘是这样的。到了这个时候，才知道祖师西来直指人心。’
English
English version: It's like using yellow leaves as gold to stop a child from crying, which is ultimately untrue. If you can really gain something from it, then you are not a disciple of my Chan (Zen) school. Moreover, what does this have to do with your original essence? Therefore, the scriptures say: 'In reality, there is not a single dharma (law, teaching) that can be obtained, and only then can it be called Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment).' If you can understand this meaning, you will realize that both the Buddha-path and the demon-path are wrong. Originally, it is pure and bright, without shapes like square or round, big or small, long or short, without outflows, without effort, without delusion, without enlightenment. Clearly seeing that there is nothing, neither person nor Buddha. The great thousand worlds are like bubbles in the sea, and all sages and wise men are like flashes of lightning. Everything is not as real as the Dharmakaya (Dharma body) of the mind, which is the same as the Buddhas and patriarchs from ancient times to the present. Where is there a single hair missing? Since you understand this meaning, you must strive to live this life to the fullest, because you cannot guarantee that you will inhale after exhaling. Question: The Sixth Patriarch (Huineng) did not know how to read, so why was he able to receive the robe and become a patriarch? Senior Monk Shenxiu was the head of five hundred people, a professor, and could lecture on thirty-two sutras and treatises, so why didn't he receive the robe? The Master said: Because he has a mind, it is conditioned dharma, and he takes what he cultivates and realizes as real. Therefore, the Fifth Patriarch (Hongren) passed the robe to the Sixth Patriarch. At that time, the Sixth Patriarch only silently understood and received the profound meaning of the Tathagata (Thus Come One). That's why he passed the Dharma to him. Haven't you heard it said? Dharma is fundamentally no-dharma, and no-dharma is also dharma. Now, when transmitting this no-dharma, how can dharma ever be dharma? If you understand this meaning, then you can be called a renunciate, and then you can cultivate well. If you don't believe it, why did Senior Monk Huiming run to Dayu Ridge to find the Sixth Patriarch? The Sixth Patriarch then asked: 'What are you seeking? Are you seeking the robe or seeking the Dharma?' Senior Monk Huiming said: 'I am not here for the robe, but only for the Dharma.' The Sixth Patriarch said: 'You should temporarily collect your thoughts and do not think about good or evil.' Huiming then followed the Sixth Patriarch's words. The Sixth Patriarch said: 'Do not think about good, do not think about evil, right at this moment, return to me the original face of Senior Monk Huiming before your parents gave birth to you.' Huiming suddenly understood upon hearing these words, and bowed and said: 'Like a person drinking water, one knows whether it is cold or warm for oneself. I wasted thirty years of effort at the Fifth Patriarch's place, and today I finally realize my past mistakes.' The Sixth Patriarch said: 'That's right. At this time, you know that the patriarch came from the West to directly point to the human mind.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
心见性成佛不在言说。岂不见。阿难问迦叶云。世尊传金襕外别传何物。迦叶召阿难。阿难应诺。迦叶云。倒却门前刹竿着。此便是祖师之标榜也。甚生阿难三十年为侍者。只为多闻智慧。被佛诃云。汝千日学慧。不如一日学道。若不学道。滴水难消。 问如何得不落阶级。师云。终日吃饭未曾咬着一粒米。终日行未曾踏着一片地。与摩时无人我等相。终日不离一切事。不被诸境惑。方名自在人。更时时念念不见一切相。莫认前后三际。前际无去今际无住后际无来。安然端坐任运不拘。方名解脱。努力努力。此门中千人万人。只得三个五个。若不将为事。受殃有日在。故云。着力今生须了却。谁能累劫受余殃。 黄檗山际禅师传心法要终 现代汉语译本： 明心见性，成就佛果，是无法用言语表达的。难道你没听说过吗？阿难（Ananda，佛陀的十大弟子之一，以记忆力强著称）问迦叶（Kasyapa，释迦牟尼佛的大弟子，以头陀苦行著称）说：‘世尊（释迦牟尼佛的尊称）传授金襕袈裟之外，还秘密传授了什么？’迦叶呼唤阿难，阿难应声答应。迦叶说：‘把门前的刹竿倒下来。’这就是祖师（禅宗的传承者）的标榜啊。可惜阿难做了佛陀三十年的侍者，只因为博闻强记，被佛陀呵斥说：‘你一千年学习智慧，不如一天学习道。’如果不学习道，即使一滴水也难以消化（指无法偿还因果）。 问：如何才能不落入阶级（指修行层次的区分）？师父说：‘整天吃饭，却未曾咬着一粒米；整天行走，却未曾踏着一片地。’像这样，心中没有你我等的分别相，整天不离开一切事物，却不被各种境界迷惑，才能称作自在人。更要时时刻刻、念念之间不见一切相，不要执着于过去、现在、未来这三际。过去没有来处，现在没有住处，未来没有去处。安然端坐，任其自然，不加拘束，才能称作解脱。努力啊，努力啊！这个法门中，千人万人中，也只能有三五个成就。如果不把它当回事，遭受灾殃的日子还在后头。所以说：‘着力今生必须了却，谁能累劫遭受剩余的灾殃？’ 黄檗山际禅师《传心法要》终
English
English version: Seeing one's own mind and realizing one's own nature to become a Buddha cannot be expressed in words. Haven't you heard? Ananda (one of the ten major disciples of the Buddha, known for his excellent memory) asked Kasyapa (Mahakasyapa, the Buddha's senior disciple, known for his ascetic practices): 'Besides the transmission of the golden kasaya (robe), what else did the World-Honored One (a title for the Buddha) secretly transmit?' Kasyapa called out, 'Ananda!' Ananda responded. Kasyapa said, 'Knock down the flagpole in front of the gate!' This is the hallmark of the Patriarchs (Zen masters). It's a pity that Ananda served the Buddha for thirty years, but because of his extensive learning and wisdom, he was scolded by the Buddha, who said, 'Your thousand days of learning wisdom are not as good as one day of learning the Way.' If you do not learn the Way, even a drop of water is difficult to digest (meaning it is difficult to repay karmic debts). Question: How can one avoid falling into stages (referring to the distinctions in levels of practice)? The Master said: 'All day long eating, yet never biting a single grain of rice; all day long walking, yet never stepping on a single piece of ground.' Like this, without the appearance of self, others, and so on, constantly engaged in all affairs, yet not deluded by any circumstances, one can be called a free person. Furthermore, at all times and in every thought, do not see any appearances. Do not cling to the three periods of time: past, present, and future. The past has no coming, the present has no dwelling, and the future has no going. Sit peacefully and naturally, without restraint, and you can be called liberated. Strive, strive! In this Dharma gate, out of thousands and ten thousands, only three or five will succeed. If you do not take it seriously, there will be days of suffering ahead. Therefore, it is said: 'Exert effort to finish it in this life; who can endure endless kalpas (aeons) of remaining suffering?' The End of Zen Master Huangbo's Essentials of the Transmission of Mind --------------------------------------------------------------------------------