English
English version: Originally there is nothing. Where can dust exist? If you understand this meaning, what is there to discuss about being carefree? Question: 'Originally there is nothing.' Does 'nothing' mean there is absolutely nothing? The Master said: 'Nothing' is also not the case. Bodhi (觉悟, enlightenment) has no place to be found. There is also no understanding of 'no'. Question: What is Buddha? The Master said: Your mind is Buddha. Buddha is mind. Mind and Buddha are not different. Therefore, it is said, 'The mind itself is Buddha.' If you separate from the mind, there is no other Buddha. You say, if one's own mind is Buddha, what did the Patriarchs (祖师, Zen ancestors) transmit when they came from the West? The Master said: The Patriarchs came from the West only to transmit the 'mind-Buddha,' directly pointing out that your minds are originally Buddha. Mind and mind are in accord, without difference, therefore they are called 'Patriarchs.' If you directly see this meaning, you will instantly transcend the Three Vehicles (三乘, Śrāvakayāna, Pratyekabuddhayāna, and Bodhisattvayāna) and all positions. Originally you are Buddha, not needing to be cultivated to become so. You say, if that is so, what Dharma do the Buddhas of the ten directions (十方诸佛, Buddhas throughout space) preach when they appear in the world? The Master said: The Buddhas of the ten directions appear in the world only to jointly speak of the 'One Mind Dharma.' Therefore, the Buddha (佛, awakened one) secretly entrusted it to Mahākāśyapa (摩诃迦叶, one of the Buddha's ten great disciples). The substance of this 'One Mind Dharma' fills all of space and the Dharma Realm. It is called the theory of all Buddhas. How can you understand this Dharma through words and sentences? Nor can you see it through a single opportunity or a single state. This meaning can only be attained through silent understanding. This path is called the 'Non-Action Dharma Gate.' If you want to understand it, just know 'no-mind.' Sudden enlightenment will be attained. If you try to learn it with effort, you will go further away. If there is no bifurcating mind and no mind of taking and rejecting, and the mind is like wood and stone, then there is a chance to learn the Way. You say, now there are various deluded thoughts, why do you say 'nothing'? The Master said: Deluded thoughts originally have no substance. They are produced by your mind. If you recognize that the mind is Buddha, and the mind originally has no delusion, how can you give rise to the mind and cling to delusion? If you do not give rise to thoughts, naturally there will be no delusion. Therefore, it is said, 'When the mind arises, all kinds of phenomena arise. When the mind ceases, all kinds of phenomena cease.' You say, now, when deluded thoughts are arising, where is the Buddha? The Master said: When you now realize that deluded thoughts are arising, that very awareness is Buddha. If there are no deluded thoughts in the midst, then the Buddha also does not exist. Why is this so? Because you give rise to the mind to create a Buddha-view, then you think there is a Buddha to be attained. You create a sentient being-view, then you think there are sentient beings to be liberated. Giving rise to thoughts is all (delusion). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
汝见处。若无一切见。佛有何处所。如文殊才起佛见便贬向二铁围山。云今正悟时。佛在何处。师云。问从何来。觉从何起。语默动静一切声色。尽是佛事。何处觅佛。不可更头上安头嘴上加嘴。但莫生异见。山是山水是水。僧是僧俗是俗。山河大地日月星辰。总不出汝心。三千世界都来是汝个自己。何处有许多般。心外无法满目青山。虚空世界皎皎地。无丝发许与汝作见解。所以一切声色是佛之慧目。法不孤起仗境方生。为物之故有其多智。终日说何曾说。终日闻何曾闻。所以释迦四十九年说。未尝说着一字。云若如此。何处是菩提。师云。菩提无是处。佛亦不得菩提。众生亦不失菩提。不可以身得。不可以心求。一切众生即菩提相。云如何发菩提心。师云。菩提无所得。尔今但发无所得心。决定不得一法。即菩提心。菩提无住处。是故无有得者。故云。我于然灯佛所无有少法可得。佛即与我授记。明知一切众生本是菩提。不应更得菩提。尔今闻发菩提心。将谓一个心学取佛去。唯拟作佛。任尔三只劫修。亦只得个报化佛。与尔本源真性佛有何交涉。故云。外求有相佛。与汝不相似。 问。本既是佛。那得更无四生六道种种形貌不同。师云。诸佛体圆更无增减。流入六道处处皆圆。万类之中个个是佛。譬如一 现代汉语译本 你所见的处所，如果没有任何见解，那么佛又在哪里呢？就像文殊菩萨才生起佛的见解，就被贬到二铁围山。如果说现在真正觉悟的时候，佛又在哪里呢？ 赵州禅师说：‘你的问题从哪里来？觉悟又从哪里生起？’言语、沉默、动作、静止，一切声音和形色，都是佛的事业，哪里还需要去寻找佛呢？不可以再头上安头，嘴上加嘴。只要不产生怪异的见解，山就是山，水就是水，僧人就是僧人，俗人就是俗人。山河大地、日月星辰，都离不开你的心。整个三千世界都是你自己的体现，哪里有那么多差别呢？心外没有法，满眼都是青山，虚空世界如此明亮，没有一丝一毫可以让你产生见解。 所以说，一切声音和形色都是佛的智慧之眼。法不会凭空产生，必须依靠外境才能显现。为了适应各种事物，才有了种种智慧。整天都在说，却好像从未说过；整天都在听，却好像从未听过。所以释迦牟尼佛四十九年说法，未曾说过一个字。 有人问：‘如果这样，哪里才是菩提（bodhi，觉悟）呢？’ 赵州禅师说：‘菩提没有固定的处所，佛也无法得到菩提，众生也不会失去菩提。不能用身体去获得，也不能用心去寻求。一切众生就是菩提的相。’ 有人问：‘如何发起菩提心（bodhicitta，觉悟之心）呢？’ 赵州禅师说：‘菩提是无所得的，你现在只要发起无所得的心，确定得不到任何一个法，那就是菩提心。菩提没有固定的住所，所以没有人能够得到它。’所以说：‘我在然灯佛（Dīpankara，过去佛）那里，没有得到丝毫的法。’佛就给我授记（vyākaraṇa，预言成佛）。 这明明知道一切众生本来就是菩提，不应该再去另外求得菩提。你现在听到要发菩提心，就以为要用一个心去学习成佛。一心只想成佛，就算你修行三个阿僧祇劫（asaṃkhya-kalpa，极长的时间单位），也只能得到一个报身佛（saṃbhogakāya，受用身佛）或化身佛（nirmāṇakāya，应化身佛），这与你本源的真性佛有什么关系呢？所以说：‘向外寻求有相的佛，与你并不相似。’ 有人问：‘本来就是佛，那为什么还会有四生六道（catasro yonayaḥ ṣaṭ gatayaḥ，四种出生方式和六种轮回的道途），种种不同的形貌呢？’ 赵州禅师说：‘诸佛的本体是圆满的，没有增减。流入六道之中，处处都是圆满的。万类之中，个个都是佛。譬如一’
English
English version Where do you see? If there is no seeing at all, where is the Buddha to be found? Just as Mañjuśrī (文殊, Bodhisattva of wisdom) had just conceived a Buddha-view, he was banished to the two Iron Ring Mountains. If you say that now is the time of true enlightenment, where is the Buddha? The Master said, 'Where does the question come from? Where does awakening arise? Speech, silence, movement, stillness, all sounds and forms are the Buddha's work. Where else are you looking for the Buddha? Don't add a head on top of your head, or a mouth on top of your mouth. Just don't give rise to strange views. Mountains are mountains, water is water, monks are monks, laypeople are laypeople. Mountains, rivers, the great earth, the sun, moon, and stars, all do not go beyond your mind. The entire tri-sahasra-maha-sahasra-lokadhatu (三千世界, a great chiliocosm) is all your own self. Where are there so many differences? Outside the mind there is no dharma, the green mountains fill the eyes, the empty world is brilliantly clear, not a hair's breadth is given to you to make a view.' Therefore, all sounds and forms are the wisdom-eye of the Buddha. Dharma does not arise alone; it depends on the environment to arise. For the sake of things, there is much wisdom. All day long speaking, what has ever been said? All day long hearing, what has ever been heard? Therefore, for forty-nine years Śākyamuni (释迦, the historical Buddha) spoke, but never uttered a single word. Someone asked, 'If that is so, where is bodhi (菩提, enlightenment)?' The Master said, 'Bodhi has no place. The Buddha also does not attain bodhi, and sentient beings do not lose bodhi. It cannot be attained by the body, nor can it be sought by the mind. All sentient beings are the form of bodhi.' Someone asked, 'How does one arouse the bodhicitta (菩提心, the mind of enlightenment)?' The Master said, 'Bodhi is unobtainable. Now, just arouse the mind of unobtainability, and be certain that you cannot obtain a single dharma; that is the bodhicitta. Bodhi has no dwelling place; therefore, there is no one who obtains it.' Therefore, it is said, 'At Dīpankara Buddha's (然灯佛, a past Buddha) place, I did not have the slightest dharma to obtain.' The Buddha then gave me a vyākaraṇa (授记, prediction of Buddhahood). Clearly knowing that all sentient beings are originally bodhi, one should not seek to attain bodhi again. Now, hearing about arousing the bodhicitta, you think you will use a mind to study and become a Buddha. Only intending to become a Buddha, even if you cultivate for three asaṃkhya-kalpas (阿僧祇劫, countless eons), you will only attain a saṃbhogakāya (报身佛, enjoyment body) or a nirmāṇakāya (化身佛, emanation body) Buddha. What connection does that have with your original true nature Buddha? Therefore, it is said, 'Seeking a Buddha with form externally is not like you.' Someone asked, 'If one is originally a Buddha, then how can there be the four kinds of birth and the six realms (四生六道, the cycle of rebirth), with various different forms and appearances?' The Master said, 'The substance of all Buddhas is complete and without increase or decrease. Flowing into the six realms, everywhere is complete. Among the myriad kinds, each and every one is a Buddha. For example, one...' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
团水银分散诸处。颗颗皆圆。若不分时只是一块。此一即一切。一切即一。种种形貌喻如屋舍。舍驴屋入人屋。舍人身至天身。乃至声闻缘觉菩萨佛屋。皆是汝取舍处。所以有别本源之性。何得有别。 问。诸佛如何行大慈悲。为众生说法。师云。佛慈悲者无缘。故名大慈悲。慈者不见有佛可成。悲者不见有众生可度。其所说法无说无示。其听法者无闻无得。譬如幻士为幻人说法。这个法若为道我从善知识言下领得。会也悟也这个慈悲。若为汝起心动念学得他见解。不是自悟本心。究竟无益。 问。何者是精进。师云。身心不起。是名第一牢强精进。才起心向外求者。名为歌利王爱游猎去。心不外游。即是忍辱仙人身心俱无。即是佛道。 问。若无心行此道得否。师云。无心便是行此道。更说什么得与不得。且如瞥起一念便是境。若无一念便是境忘心自灭。无复可追寻。 问。如何是出三界。师云。善恶都莫思量。当处便出三界。如来出世为破三有。若无一切心。三界亦非有。如一微尘破为百分。九十九分是无。一分是有。摩诃衍不能胜出。百分俱无。摩诃衍始能胜出。 上堂云。即心是佛。上至诸佛。下至蠢动含灵。皆有佛性。同一心体。所以达摩从西天来。唯传一心法。直指一切 现代汉语译本 团水银分散到各处，每一颗都是圆的。如果不分散，就只是一块。这一就是一切，一切就是一。种种形貌好比房屋，舍弃驴屋进入人屋，舍弃人身到达天身，乃至声闻（Śrāvakayāna，听闻佛陀教诲而证悟者）缘觉（Pratyekabuddha，无师自悟者）菩萨（Bodhisattva，立志普度众生的觉悟者）佛屋。这些都是你取舍的地方，所以才有差别。本源的自性，怎么会有差别呢？ 问：诸佛如何行大慈悲，为众生说法？ 师云：佛的慈悲是无缘大慈悲，所以才称为大慈悲。慈，是不见有佛可以成就；悲，是不见有众生可以度化。他们所说的法，是无说无示；听法的人，是无闻无得。譬如幻术师为幻化出来的人说法。如果认为这个法是我从善知识（Kalyāṇa-mitra，指引正道的朋友或老师）那里听了之后领悟的，会了悟了这种慈悲，如果因为你生起心念，学习了他的见解，这不是自己领悟本心，最终是没有益处的。 问：什么是精进？ 师云：身心不起，这叫做第一牢强精进。才一起心向外求，就叫做歌利王（Kali，古印度暴君）喜爱游猎。心不向外游走，就是忍辱仙人（Kṣānti，修忍辱行的仙人）。身心都空无，就是佛道。 问：如果无心修行此道，可以成功吗？ 师云：无心就是修行此道，还说什么成功不成功。比如稍微生起一个念头，那就是境界。如果没有一个念头，那就是境界消失，心自然灭亡，无法再追寻。 问：如何才能超出三界（Trailokya，欲界、色界、无色界）？ 师云：善恶都不要思量，当下就超出了三界。如来（Tathāgata，佛的称号之一）出世是为了破除三有（Bhava-traya，欲有、色有、无色有）。如果没有一切心，三界也不是真实存在的。比如将一粒微尘分成一百份，九十九份是无，一份是有，摩诃衍（Mahāyāna，大乘佛教）也不能胜出。一百份都空无，摩诃衍才能胜出。 上堂开示说：即心是佛。上至诸佛，下至蠢动的含灵，都有佛性，同一心体。所以达摩（Bodhidharma，禅宗初祖）从西天（印度）来，只传一心法，直指一切。