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English version: Virtue. These merits are inherently possessed, but obscured by delusion and not manifest. Now that delusion is removed, merits naturally appear before us. Therefore, Yongjia (Yongjia Xuanjue, a Chan Buddhist monk) said, 'The three bodies (Trikaya, the three aspects of the Buddha), the four wisdoms (four types of wisdom attained by a Buddha) are perfectly complete within the essence; the eight liberations (eight stages of meditative absorption) and six supernatural powers (abilities attained through advanced meditation) are imprinted on the mind-ground.' These are all the inherent self-nature merits possessed within the essence. An ancient verse says, 'If a person, for even a moment, surpasses building countless seven-jeweled stupas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Stupas ultimately turn to dust, but a single thought of pure mind achieves perfect enlightenment.' Therefore, know that the merit of no-mind is greater than the merit of mind. Monk Shuilao of Hongzhou (a Chan monk) consulted Mazu (Mazu Daoyi, an influential Chan Buddhist teacher), asking, 'What is the meaning of the coming from the West?' He was kicked by Mazu, and suddenly awakened, clapping his hands and laughing, saying, 'How wondrous, how wondrous! Hundreds of thousands of samadhis (states of meditative absorption), countless wonderful meanings, are all recognized at once from the tip of a single hair.' Then he bowed and withdrew. According to this, merit does not come from outside, but is inherently complete within oneself. The Fourth Patriarch (Daoxin, the Fourth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism) said to Zen Master Lanrong (a Chan Buddhist monk), 'The hundreds of thousands of Dharma gates all return to the square inch (the mind); the merits as numerous as the sands of the Ganges are all within the source of the mind. All the precepts, samadhi, wisdom, supernatural powers, and transformations are fully possessed within yourself, inseparable from your mind.' According to the words of the Patriarchs, the merit of no-mind is very great, but those who like to pursue meritorious deeds with intention naturally do not generate faith in the merit of no-mind. Verifying the Merit of True Mind Someone might ask, 'When true mind manifests, how do we know that true mind is mature and unhindered?' I reply, 'When a practitioner has already attained the manifestation of true mind, but the habitual tendencies have not yet been removed, if encountering familiar circumstances, one may sometimes lose mindfulness. Like herding a cow, even if it has been trained to the point of being compliant and obedient, one still does not dare to release the whip. Only when the mind is trained to be stable, and the cow can be driven into the rice paddies without damaging the crops, does one dare to let go.' Reaching this stage, one no longer needs the herdsman's whip, and naturally the crops will not be damaged. Similarly, after a practitioner attains true mind, one must first diligently nurture it. Only with great strength can one benefit sentient beings. If you want to verify this true mind, first bring to mind the things you have loved most in your life. If you still generate feelings of hatred or love, then the mind of the Way is not yet mature. If you do not generate feelings of hatred or love, then the mind of the Way is mature. Even if it is so mature, it is still not naturally free from hatred and love, and you must verify the mind again. If you encounter circumstances of hatred or love, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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特然起憎爱心令取憎爱境界。若心不起是心无碍。如露地白牛不伤苗稼也。古有呵佛骂祖者。是与此心相应今见才入宗门。未知道之远近。便学呵佛骂祖者。太早计也。 真心无知 或曰。真心与妄心对境时。如何辨别真妄耶。曰妄心对境有知。而知于顺违境起贪瞋心。又于中容境起痴心也。既于境上起贪瞋痴三毒。足见是妄心也。祖师云。逆顺相争是为心病。故知对于可不可者是妄心也。若真心者无知而知。平怀圆照故异于草木。不生憎爱故异于妄心。即对境虚明不憎不爱。无知而知者真心故。肇论云。夫圣心者。微妙无相不可为有。用之弥勤不可为无。乃至非有故知而无知。非无故无知而知。是以无知即知。无以言异于圣人心也。又妄心在有著有在无著无。常在二边不知中道。永嘉云。舍妄心取真理。取舍之心成巧伪。学人不了用修行。深成认贼将为子。若是真心居有无而不落有无。常处中道故。祖师云。不逐有缘勿住空忍。一种平怀泯然自尽。肇论云。是以圣人处有不有。居无不无。虽不取于有无。然不舍于有无。所以和光尘劳周旋五趣。寂然而往怕尔而来。恬淡无为而无不为。此说圣人垂手为人。周旋五趣接化众生。虽往来而无往来相。妄心不尔。故真心妄心不同也。又真心乃平常心也。妄心乃 现代汉语译本 如果突然生起憎恨和喜爱的念头，就会被憎恨和喜爱的境界所束缚。如果心中不产生这些念头，心就没有任何阻碍，就像在空旷地上自由自在的白牛，不会伤害田里的庄稼一样。古时候有人呵斥佛、谩骂祖师，是因为他们的心与这种无碍的境界相应。现在看到一些人刚入门，还没弄清楚佛法的深浅，就学着呵斥佛、谩骂祖师，实在是太急于求成了。 真心无知 有人问：‘真心和妄心面对外境时，如何分辨真妄呢？’回答说：‘妄心面对外境时，会产生分别知，对于顺意的境界产生贪心，对于违逆的境界产生嗔恨心，对于不好不坏的境界产生愚痴心。’既然对外境产生贪嗔痴这三种毒素，就足以证明这是妄心。祖师说：‘顺境和逆境相互争斗，这就是心病。’所以，要知道对于‘可’和‘不可’的分别，都是妄心。如果是真心，则是无知而知，以平和的心怀圆满地照亮一切，所以不同于草木；不产生憎恨和喜爱，所以不同于妄心。即使面对外境，也是虚明澄澈，不憎恨也不喜爱。无知而知，这就是真心。肇论说：‘圣人的心，微妙而没有形相，不能说它有；运用它却更加勤勉，又不能说它没有。’乃至非有非无，所以知而无知，无知而知。因此，无知就是知，没有什么可以用来区别于圣人的心。’另外，妄心执着于有，就在有上执着；执着于无，就在无上执着，常常处在两个极端，不知道中道。永嘉禅师说：‘舍弃妄心而追求真理，这种取舍之心就成了虚伪。学人如果不明白这个道理而修行，就会深深地陷入认贼作父的境地。’如果是真心，处于有和无之中，却不落入有和无的任何一边，常常处于中道。所以，祖师说：‘不要追逐外在的因缘，也不要停留在空无的忍耐中，一种平和的心怀，自然而然地消泯一切。’肇论说：‘因此，圣人处于有，却不执着于有；处于无，却不执着于无。虽然不取着于有无，然而也不舍弃有无。’所以，和光同尘，周旋于五道之中，寂静地离去，忽然又到来，恬淡无为，却无所不为。’这是说圣人垂手接引世人，周旋于五道之中，接引教化众生，虽然往来却没有任何往来的相状。妄心不是这样，所以真心和妄心是不同的。另外，真心就是平常心，妄心就是
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English version If hateful or loving thoughts suddenly arise, one becomes bound by the realms of hatred and love. If such thoughts do not arise in the mind, the mind is without obstruction, like a white cow freely roaming in an open field, not harming the crops. In ancient times, some scolded the Buddha and reviled the Patriarchs because their minds were in accord with this unobstructed state. Now, some people, having just entered the gate of Zen, without understanding the depth of the Dharma, imitate scolding the Buddha and reviling the Patriarchs, which is too hasty. True Mind is Without Knowing Someone asked: 'When the True Mind and the Deluded Mind encounter external objects, how can one distinguish between the true and the false?' The answer is: 'When the Deluded Mind encounters external objects, it generates discriminating knowledge. It gives rise to greed towards agreeable objects, anger towards disagreeable objects, and ignorance towards neutral objects.' Since it generates the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance towards external objects, it is sufficient to prove that it is the Deluded Mind. The Patriarch said: 'The conflict between favorable and unfavorable circumstances is a disease of the mind.' Therefore, know that the discrimination between 'acceptable' and 'unacceptable' is the Deluded Mind. If it is the True Mind, it is knowing without knowing, illuminating everything with a peaceful mind, thus differing from plants and trees; it does not generate hatred or love, thus differing from the Deluded Mind. Even when facing external objects, it is clear and bright, without hatred or love. Knowing without knowing, this is the True Mind. The Zhao Lun (Treatise of Zhao) says: 'The mind of a sage is subtle and without form, one cannot say it exists; yet the more it is used, the more diligent one becomes, so one cannot say it does not exist.' It is neither existent nor non-existent, therefore knowing yet not knowing, not knowing yet knowing. Thus, not-knowing is knowing, there is nothing to distinguish it from the mind of a sage.' Furthermore, the Deluded Mind clings to existence, clinging to existence; clings to non-existence, clinging to non-existence, always dwelling on two extremes, not knowing the Middle Way. Yongjia (Yongjia Xuanjue) said: 'Abandoning the Deluded Mind to grasp the True Principle, this grasping and abandoning becomes artificial and false. If the student does not understand this and practices, they will deeply fall into recognizing a thief as their son.' If it is the True Mind, it dwells in existence and non-existence without falling into either, always abiding in the Middle Way. Therefore, the Patriarch said: 'Do not pursue external conditions, nor dwell in empty endurance, a kind of peaceful mind, naturally and completely extinguished.' The Zhao Lun says: 'Therefore, the sage dwells in existence without clinging to existence; dwells in non-existence without clinging to non-existence. Although not grasping existence or non-existence, yet not abandoning existence or non-existence.' Therefore, harmonizing with the dust and labor, revolving in the five realms, silently departing, suddenly arriving, tranquil and non-acting, yet there is nothing that is not done.' This speaks of the sage extending a helping hand to people, revolving in the five realms, guiding and transforming sentient beings, although coming and going, there is no appearance of coming and going. The Deluded Mind is not like this, therefore the True Mind and the Deluded Mind are different. Furthermore, the True Mind is the ordinary mind, the Deluded Mind is --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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不平常心也。或曰。何名平常心也。曰人人具有一点灵明。湛若虚空遍一切处。对俗事假名理性。对妄识权号真心。无分毫分别。遇缘不昧。无一念取舍。触物皆周。不逐万境迁移。设使随流得妙。不离当处湛然。觅即知君不见。乃真心也。或曰。何名不平常心耶。曰境有圣与凡。境有染与净。境有断与常。境有理与事。境有生与灭。境有动与静。境有去与来。境有好与丑。境有善与恶。境有因与果。细论则万别千差。今乃且举十对皆名不平常境也。心随此不平常境而生。不平常境而灭。不平常境心对前平常真心。所以名不平常妄心也。真心本具。不随不平常境生起种种差别。所以名平常真心也。或曰。真心平常无诸异因。奈何佛说因果善恶报应乎。曰妄心逐种种境。不了种种境。遂起种种心。佛说种种因果法。治伏种种妄心须立因果也。若此真心不逐种种境。由是不起种种心。佛即不说种种法。何有因果也。或曰。真心平常不生耶。曰真心有时施用非逐境生。但妙用游戏不昧因果耳。 真心所往 或曰。未达真心人。由迷真心故作善恶因。由作善因故生善道中。由作恶因故入恶道中。逐业受生其理不疑。若达真心人妄情歇尽契证真心无善恶因。一灵身后何所依托耶。曰莫谓有依托者胜无依托耶。又莫将 现代汉语译本 不平常心。有人问：‘什么叫做平常心呢？’回答说：‘人人都有一个灵明之性，清澈得像虚空一样遍布各处。面对世俗之事，姑且称之为理性；面对虚妄的意识，暂时称之为真心。’没有丝毫分别，遇到因缘不会迷惑，没有一丝一毫的取舍，接触事物都能周全，不随着万千境象迁移。即使随着（世俗）的流变而获得玄妙，也不离开当下清澈的状态。寻找它，就知道你看不见它，这就是真心啊。有人问：‘什么叫做不平常心呢？’回答说：‘境界有圣与凡，境界有染与净，境界有断与常，境界有理与事，境界有生与灭，境界有动与静，境界有去与来，境界有好与丑，境界有善与恶，境界有因与果。’仔细论述则有万千差别。现在姑且举出这十对，都叫做不平常的境界。心随着这些不平常的境界而生起，随着不平常的境界而灭去。不平常的境界心，相对于前面所说的平常真心，所以叫做不平常的妄心。真心本来就具备，不随着不平常的境界生起种种差别，所以叫做平常真心。有人问：‘真心平常，没有各种差异的原因，为什么佛陀还说因果善恶报应呢？’回答说：‘妄心追逐种种境界，不了解种种境界，于是生起种种心。佛陀说种种因果法，是为了制伏种种妄心，所以需要建立因果。如果这真心不追逐种种境界，因此就不生起种种心，佛陀就不会说种种法，哪里还有什么因果呢？’有人问：‘真心平常，不生起吗？’回答说：‘真心有时也会施用，但不是追逐境界而生起，只是巧妙地运用，游戏于世间，却不迷惑于因果罢了。 真心所往 有人问：‘没有通达真心的人，因为迷惑于真心，所以造作善恶之因；因为造作善因，所以生于善道之中；因为造作恶因，所以堕入恶道之中，随着业力而受生，这个道理没有疑问。如果通达真心的人，妄念止息，完全契合于真心，没有善恶之因，那么这一灵明之身后，将依托于何处呢？’回答说：‘不要认为有依托的胜过没有依托的。’又不要将