English
And the power of contemplation deepens. Through refinement, the practice becomes purer. Constantly arising the thought of encountering the Dharma being rare, the path of enlightenment is ever new. Always cherishing a heart of rejoicing, one will ultimately not regress. Continuing in this way for a long time, one will naturally attain perfect clarity of Samatha and Vipassanā, and see one's own mind-nature. Using illusory compassion and wisdom to liberate sentient beings, becoming a great field of merit for humans and devas. Must strive diligently! Winter month of Taihe Yichou year, old monk Zhinu (Bojo Jinul) of Hae Dong Jogye Mountain records. Dhyana Master Zhengning of Wan Mountain's Dharma Talk to Meng Mountain The Master saw Meng Mountain coming to pay respects and first asked him: 'Do you still completely believe?' Mountain said: 'If I didn't completely believe, I wouldn't have come here.' The Master said: 'Believing completely requires even more upholding of precepts. Upholding precepts easily brings about spiritual efficacy. Without precepts and conduct, it's like building a pavilion in the air. Do you uphold precepts?' Mountain said: 'I uphold the five precepts.' The Master said: 'From now on, just contemplate the word 'Mu' (無, Zen koan), do not speculate or conjecture, do not interpret it as existence or non-existence. Do not read scriptures or recorded sayings, just single-mindedly bring up the word 'Mu'. Throughout the twelve periods of the day, in the four dignities of walking, standing, sitting, and lying, you must be as alert as a cat catching a mouse, as a hen hatching eggs, without allowing it to be interrupted. When you have not yet thoroughly penetrated it, you should be like a mouse gnawing at a coffin, unchangeable.' Constantly raise the doubt: 'All sentient beings have Buddha-nature, why did Zhaozhou (Joshu) say 'Mu' (無)?' (referring to the Zhaozhou Mu koan) How should it be understood?' Since there is doubt, silently bring up the word 'Mu', turn the light inward and look at your own mind. Only this word 'Mu', you must recognize yourself, you must recognize Zhaozhou, you must grasp the Buddha's abhorrent place. Just believe what I say, and do it directly, and you will definitely have a moment of discovery and realization, and it will definitely not delay you.' And so on. Dharma Talk of Dongshan Chong, the Head of the Storehouse, Sending a Disciple on Pilgrimage Generally, when going on pilgrimage, you must cherish this path in your heart. You must not accept ready-made offerings and then idly pass the days. You must engrave the two words 'birth and death' on your forehead, and exert all your strength throughout the twelve periods of the day to seek a clear understanding. If you just follow the crowd and waste time, when Yama (King of Hell) calculates the cost of your meals in the future, don't say I didn't tell you. If you want to do Kung Fu (spiritual practice), you must plan every day and check every moment. From the time the clock strikes until the second watch of the night, look at that --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
里是不得力处。那里是打失处。那里是不打失处。若如此做将去。定有到家时节。有一般办道之人经不看佛不礼。才上薄团便打瞌睡。及至醒来又且胡思乱想。才下禅床便与人打杂交。若如此办道至弥勒下生。也未有入手底时节。须是猛着精彩提起一个无字。昼三夜三与他厮睚。不可坐在无事甲里。又不可执在蒲团上死坐。须要活弄。恐杂念纷飞起时千万。不可与他厮斗转斗转急。多有人在这里不识进退解免不下。成风成颠坏了一生。须向纷飞起处轻轻放下打一个。转身下地行一遭。又上床开两眼捏双拳。竖起脊梁依前提起。便觉清凉。如一锅汤搀下一杓冷水相似。但如此做工夫。日久月深自有到家时节。工夫未得入手。莫生烦恼。恐烦恼魔入心。若觉省力不可生欢喜。恐欢喜魔入心。种种病痛言之不尽。恐众中有老成兄弟办道者。千万时时请益。若无将祖师做工夫底言语看一遍。如亲见相似。而今此道难得其人。千万向前望汝早早打破漆桶归来为我揩背。至嘱至嘱。 蒙山和尚示众语 若有来此同甘寂寥者。舍此世缘除去执着颠倒。真实为生死大事。肯顺庵中规矩。截断人事随缘受用。除三更外不许睡眠。不许出街。不许赴请。未有发明不许看读。非公界请不许阅经。如法下三年工夫。若不见性通宗。 现代汉语译本： 这里是不得力的地方，哪里是错失的地方，哪里是没有错失的地方。如果这样去做，一定有到达彼岸的时候。有一种修行人，经书不看，佛也不拜，才坐上蒲团就开始打瞌睡，等到醒来又胡思乱想。才下禅床，就与人闲聊杂谈。如果这样修行，即使等到弥勒（Maitreya，未来佛）下生，也还没有入门的时候。必须提起精神，提起一个‘无’字（Mu，禅宗公案），日夜不停地与它较量。不可安坐在无事的状态里，也不可执着于蒲团上死坐，必须灵活运用。恐怕杂念纷飞时，千万不可与它争斗，越斗越急。很多人在这里不识进退，无法解脱，最终成疯成癫，毁了一生。必须在杂念纷飞时，轻轻放下，打一个转身，下地走一遭。又上床，睁开双眼，捏紧双拳，竖起脊梁，依照先前的方法提起‘无’字，便觉得清凉，如同一锅汤搀下一勺冷水。只要这样用功，日久月深，自然有到达彼岸的时候。功夫未得入门，莫生烦恼，恐怕烦恼魔入心。如果觉得省力，不可生欢喜，恐怕欢喜魔入心。种种病痛，说也说不尽。希望大众中有老成持重的修行人，千万时时请教。如果没有将祖师做功夫的言语看一遍，如同亲见一般。如今此道难得其人，千万向前，望你早早打破漆桶（比喻开悟）归来为我擦背。至嘱至嘱。 蒙山和尚示众语 若有来此一同甘于寂寞的人，舍弃世俗的缘分，除去执着颠倒，真正为了生死大事，肯顺从庵中的规矩，截断人情世故，随缘受用，除了三更（深夜）外不许睡眠，不许出街，不许赴宴请，未有发明（指开悟）不许看书，非公共事务不许阅经，如法下三年功夫，若不见性通宗（指明心见性，通达宗门）。
English
English version: Here is where effort is lacking. There is where one misses the mark. There is where one does not miss the mark. If you proceed in this way, you will surely reach home. There are some practitioners who do not read the sutras or bow to the Buddha. As soon as they sit on the meditation cushion, they fall asleep. When they wake up, they engage in wild thoughts. As soon as they get off the meditation platform, they engage in idle chatter with others. If you practice in this way, even if Maitreya (Maitreya, the future Buddha) descends, you will still not have found the entrance. You must rouse your spirits and take up the word 'Mu' (Mu, a Zen koan), contending with it day and night. You must not sit idly in a state of nothingness, nor should you stubbornly sit on the cushion. You must be flexible. If distracting thoughts arise, do not fight with them, for the more you fight, the more intense they become. Many people here do not know how to advance or retreat, and cannot free themselves, becoming mad and ruining their lives. When distracting thoughts arise, you must gently let go, turn around, and take a walk. Then, return to the bed, open your eyes, clench your fists, straighten your spine, and take up the 'Mu' as before. You will then feel refreshed, like adding a spoonful of cold water to a pot of soup. If you work hard in this way, day after day, month after month, you will naturally reach home. If you have not yet entered the path, do not become frustrated, lest the demon of frustration enter your mind. If you feel effortless, do not become joyful, lest the demon of joy enter your mind. There are countless kinds of illnesses that cannot be fully described. I hope that among you there are experienced and mature practitioners who will constantly seek guidance. If you do not read the words of the patriarchs on how to practice, it is as if you have seen them in person. Now, this path is difficult to find someone who understands it. Strive forward, hoping that you will break through the lacquer bucket (a metaphor for enlightenment) and return to scrub my back. This is my earnest wish. Words of Instruction to the Assembly by Monk Mengshan If there are those who come here to share in the solitude, relinquish worldly attachments, eliminate clinging and delusion, and truly dedicate themselves to the great matter of life and death, willing to abide by the rules of the hermitage, severing worldly affairs and accepting circumstances as they arise, not allowed to sleep except during the third watch (late at night), not allowed to go out into the streets, not allowed to attend invitations, not allowed to read until there is understanding (referring to enlightenment), not allowed to read scriptures except for public matters, and diligently practice for three years according to the Dharma, if you do not see your nature and penetrate the teachings (referring to seeing one's nature and understanding the teachings of the school). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 山僧替尔入地狱。 后跋
Chinese
夫心者。是世间出世间万法之总相也。万法即是心之别相。然其别有五。一肉团心。状如蕉蕾。生色身中。系无情摄。二缘虑心。状若野烧。忽生忽灭。系妄想摄。三集起心。状如草子。埋伏识田。系习气摄。四赖耶心。状如良田。纳种无厌。系无明摄。五真如心。状同虚空。廓彻法界。系寂照摄。已上五心。前四皆妄念念生灭后一是真。三际一如。若不拣辩分明。犹恐认妄为真。其失非小。故引佛经祖语。问辩徴释。开示迷妄根源。指陈修证本末。次第一十六章。始于正信。终乎所往。深明真心之捷径。故名直说。予获是书。仅十余载。朝夕观览。以为栖神之秘要。一日出示众。信善士感节庵。居士陈普忠。慨然乐施绣梓流传。庶修心之士观之者。感悟真心之妙。迥出直说之表也。是为跋。 正统十二年岁在丁卯。腊月八日大天界蒙堂比丘。 现代汉语译本 山僧替你入地狱。 后跋 心，是世间和出世间一切万法的总相。万法即是心的别相。然而心的别相有五种：一是肉团心，形状像蕉蕾（未开放的香蕉花），生长在色身中，属于无情所摄。二是缘虑心，状态像野火，忽生忽灭，属于妄想所摄。三是集起心，状态像草籽，埋伏在识田中，属于习气所摄。四是赖耶心（阿赖耶识），状态像良田，接受种子没有厌足的时候，属于无明所摄。五是真如心，状态如同虚空，廓然通彻法界，属于寂照所摄。以上五种心，前四种都是虚妄的，念念生灭，后一种是真实的，过去、现在、未来三际都是一样的。如果不能分辨清楚，恐怕会认妄为真，那损失就太大了。所以引用佛经和祖师的言语，通过问答辩论来解释，开示迷惑的根源，指明修证的本末。总共十六章，开始于正信，结束于所往，深刻阐明了真心（本心）的捷径，所以名为《直说》。我得到这本书，已经十多年了，早晚观看，把它作为安身立命的秘要。有一天拿出来给大众看，信善士感节庵，居士陈普忠，慨然乐意捐资印刷流传。希望修心的人看到这本书，能够感悟真心的妙处，远远超出《直说》所表达的。这就是跋。 正统十二年，岁在丁卯，腊月八日，大天界蒙堂比丘。
English
English version This mountain monk will enter hell for you. Postscript The mind is the general characteristic of all phenomena, both worldly and other-worldly. All phenomena are the specific characteristics of the mind. However, there are five specific characteristics of the mind: First, the physical heart, shaped like a banana bud, grows in the physical body and is governed by insentience. Second, the mind of conditioned thought, like a wildfire, arises and vanishes suddenly, governed by delusion. Third, the accumulating mind, like a seed buried in the field of consciousness, is governed by habitual tendencies. Fourth, the Ālaya (Ālaya-vijñāna) mind, like fertile land, is never satisfied with receiving seeds, governed by ignorance. Fifth, the True Thusness (Tathātā) mind, like empty space, is vast and pervades the Dharma realm, governed by serene illumination. Of the above five minds, the first four are all illusory, arising and ceasing with each thought, while the last one is real, the three periods of time (past, present, and future) being the same. If one cannot clearly distinguish them, one might mistake the false for the true, and the loss would be great. Therefore, I have quoted the words of the Buddha and the Patriarchs, using questions and answers to explain and clarify, revealing the source of delusion and pointing out the beginning and end of cultivation and realization. There are sixteen chapters in total, beginning with Right Faith and ending with Where to Go, profoundly elucidating the shortcut to the True Mind (original mind), hence the name 'Direct Explanation'. I have had this book for more than ten years, studying it morning and night, regarding it as the secret to settling the mind and life. One day, I showed it to the public, and the faithful layman Gan Jie'an and the lay devotee Chen Puzhong generously offered to donate funds for printing and circulation, hoping that those who cultivate the mind would see this book, be inspired by the wonders of the True Mind, and far exceed what is expressed in 'Direct Explanation'. This is the postscript. The twelfth year of the Zhengtong era, the year being Dingmao, the eighth day of the twelfth month, written by the Bhikshu of Mengtang at the Great Heavenly Boundary. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------