English
English version: Learning comes from a teacher, but enlightenment does not depend on a teacher. Those who teach wisdom have never spoken of these things. To verify based on events, pointing to a leaf and asking, 'What is this?' And saying, 'Can you enter a bottle, a pillar, and can you enter a mountain cave? Can a staff preach the Dharma?' And saying, 'Can your body enter your mind?' And saying, 'Is there a bottle inside the house, and is there also a bottle outside the house? Is there water in the bottle? Is there a bottle in the water?' And even in all the waters under heaven, is there a bottle in each one? And saying, 'What is this water?' And saying that leaves can preach the Dharma, bottles can preach the Dharma, pillars can preach the Dharma, and earth, water, fire, and wind can all preach the Dharma, and soil, tiles, and stones can also preach the Dharma, why is this so? Secondly, the Tripiṭaka Master Bodhidharma (Bodhidharma, a person's name, Tripiṭaka Master) of the Wei Dynasty, succeeding Guṇabhadra (Guṇabhadra, a person's name, Tripiṭaka), after him. This Dhyana Master Bodhidharma, determined to propagate Mahayana Buddhism, sailed across the sea, traveling from Wu and Yue to Luoyang and Ye. The monks Daoyu (Daoyu, a person's name) and Huike (Huike, a person's name) served him for five years. Fang Hai traveled in four directions, saying to Huike, 'There are four volumes of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra (Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra), if you practice according to them, you will naturally be liberated.' The rest of his deeds are as recorded in the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks. Briefly discussing the Four Practices for Entering the Path of Mahayana, preface by the disciple Tanlin (Tanlin, a person's name). The Dharma Master was the third son of a great Brahmin king of South India (South India). His mind was sharp and clear, and he understood everything he heard. Aspiring to the Mahayana path, he renounced his lay life and became a monk, inheriting and promoting the sacred teachings. Immersing himself in emptiness and tranquility, he understood worldly affairs. Cultivating both internally and externally, his virtue surpassed the world. Grieving for the remote regions where the true teachings were declining, he was able to travel across mountains and seas, propagating in Han and Wei. Those who forgot themselves and sought tranquility all returned to faith. Those who clung to appearances and held prejudices gave rise to ridicule and slander. At that time, only the two monks Daoyu and Huike, although young, had lofty aspirations. Fortunately, they met the Dharma Master, served him for several years, and respectfully sought his teachings, and were fortunate to receive the Master's instruction. The Dharma Master, moved by their sincerity, taught them the truth. 'Thus, settle the mind; thus, practice; thus, accord with things; thus, be skillful.' This is the method of settling the mind in Mahayana, so that one will not make mistakes. 'Thus, settling the mind' is wall-gazing. 'Thus, practicing' is the Four Practices. 'Thus, according with things' is guarding against criticism and suspicion. Thus, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
方便者。遣其不着。此略所由。意在后文。 未入道多途。要而言之。不出二种。一是理入。二是行入。理入者。谓藉教 悟宗。深信含生。凡圣同一真性。但为客尘妄覆。不能显了。若也舍妄归真。凝住辟观。自他。凡圣等一。坚住不移。更不随于言教。此即与真理冥状。无有分别。寂然无名之理入。行入者。所谓四行。其余诸行。悉入此行中。何等为四行。一者报怨。二者随缘行。三者无所求行。四称法行。云何报怨行。修道行人。若受苦时。当自念言。我从往昔。无数劫中。弃本逐末。流浪诸有。多报怨憎。违害无限。今虽无犯。是我宿殃。恶业果熟。非天非人。所能见与。甘心忍受。都无怨诉。经云。逢苦不忧。何以故。识达本故。此心生时。与理相应。体怨进道。是故。说言报怨行。第二随缘行者。众生无我。并缘业所传。苦乐齐受。皆从缘生。若得胜报荣誉等事。是我过去宿因所感。今方得之。缘尽还无。何喜之有。得失从缘。心无增减。喜风不动。冥顺于通。是故。说言随缘行。第三无所求行者。世人长迷。处处贪着。名之为求。智者悟真。理将俗反。安心无为。形随运转。万有斯空。无所愿乐。功德黑闇。常相随逐。三界久居。犹如火宅。有身皆苦。谁得而安。了达此处。故于诸有。息想无求 现代汉语译本 方便之法在于去除执着，以上是简略的说明，更详细的意义将在后文阐述。 未入门径者道路繁多，但总而言之，不外乎两种：一是理入，二是行入。理入，指的是通过研习经教而领悟宗门，深信一切众生，包括凡人和圣人，都具有同一真性，只是被客尘妄想所覆盖，无法显现。如果能够舍弃虚妄，回归真性，专注于观照，那么自他、凡圣都将平等无二，坚定不移。不再随从言语教诲，这便是与真理暗合，没有分别，是寂然无名的理入。 行入，指的是四种修行。其他各种修行，都包含在这四种修行之中。什么是四行呢？一是报怨行，二是随缘行，三是无所求行，四是称法行。什么是报怨行呢？修行之人，如果遭受痛苦时，应当这样想：我从往昔无数劫以来，舍弃根本而追逐末节，在各种生命形态中流浪，多次报怨憎恨，违背损害他人，数不胜数。如今虽然没有犯错，但这是我过去所造的恶业成熟的结果，不是天神或他人所能给予的。应当甘心忍受，没有丝毫怨恨。经书上说：‘遇到痛苦不忧愁。’为什么呢？因为认识到痛苦的根本原因。’当这种心念生起时，就与真理相应，将怨恨转化为修行的动力。所以，称为报怨行。 第二是随缘行。众生没有独立的自我，都是由因缘和业力所推动。苦和乐都是平等地接受，都从因缘而生。如果获得好的回报，例如荣誉等，这是我过去所种的善因所感召的，现在才得到它。因缘结束了，也就没有了，有什么值得高兴的呢？得与失都随因缘而变化，内心没有增加或减少，不被喜悦之风所动摇，暗中顺应通达的真理。所以，称为随缘行。 第三是无所求行。世人长久地迷惑，处处贪求执着，这叫做‘求’。有智慧的人觉悟真理，用真理来扭转世俗的观念，安心于无为，身体随着因缘运转。万事万物都是空性的，没有什么值得愿望和喜乐的。功德和罪恶，常常相伴相随。长久地居住在三界之中，就像住在火宅里一样。拥有身体就必然有痛苦，谁能得到安宁呢？了解并通达这个道理，所以对于各种生命形态，止息妄想，没有贪求。
English
English version The expedient method lies in relinquishing attachments. The foregoing is a brief explanation; the more detailed meaning will be elaborated upon later. For those who have not entered the path, there are many routes, but in general, they fall into two categories: one is 'entering through principle' (理入, lǐ rù), and the other is 'entering through practice' (行入, xíng rù). 'Entering through principle' refers to understanding the essence of the teachings through studying the scriptures, deeply believing that all sentient beings, including ordinary people and sages, possess the same true nature, but it is covered by the dust of delusion and cannot be revealed. If one can abandon falsehood and return to truth, focusing on contemplation, then self and others, ordinary people and sages, will be equal and undifferentiated, steadfast and unmoving. No longer following verbal teachings, this is in harmony with the truth, without distinction, and is the silent and nameless 'entering through principle'. 'Entering through practice' refers to the four practices. All other practices are included within these four. What are the four practices? First, 'retribution of grievances' (报怨行, bào yuàn xíng); second, 'following conditions' (随缘行, suí yuán xíng); third, 'non-seeking' (无所求行, wú suǒ qiú xíng); and fourth, 'conforming to the Dharma' (称法行, chēng fǎ xíng). What is 'retribution of grievances'? When practitioners experience suffering, they should think: 'From countless eons in the past, I have abandoned the root and pursued the branches, wandering in various forms of life, repeatedly harboring resentment and hatred, violating and harming others countless times. Although I have not committed any offenses now, this is the result of the maturation of my past evil karma, which cannot be given by gods or others. I should willingly endure it without any complaints.' The scriptures say: 'Encountering suffering without sorrow.' Why? Because one recognizes the root cause of suffering. When this thought arises, it is in accordance with the truth, transforming resentment into the motivation for practice. Therefore, it is called 'retribution of grievances'. Second is 'following conditions'. Sentient beings have no independent self; they are all driven by conditions and karma. Suffering and joy are equally received, both arising from conditions. If one receives good rewards, such as honors, it is because of the good causes I planted in the past that are now being realized. When the conditions end, it will also be gone, so what is there to be happy about? Gain and loss change with conditions, and the mind neither increases nor decreases, unshaken by the winds of joy, secretly conforming to the truth of thorough understanding. Therefore, it is called 'following conditions'. Third is 'non-seeking'. People in the world are long deluded, greedily seeking and clinging everywhere, which is called 'seeking'. Wise people awaken to the truth, using the truth to reverse worldly views, settling the mind in non-action, and the body moves with conditions. All things are empty, and there is nothing to desire or rejoice in. Merit and demerit constantly accompany each other. Dwelling in the three realms (三界, sān jiè) for a long time is like living in a burning house. Having a body inevitably brings suffering; who can find peace? Understanding and penetrating this principle, one ceases delusion and has no craving for any form of existence. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。经云。有求皆苦。无求乃乐。判如无求。真为道行。第四称法行者。性净之理。因之为法。理此众相斯空。无染无著。无此无彼。经云。法无众生。离众生垢故。法无有我。离我垢故。智若能信解此理。应当称法而行。法体无悭于身命。则行檀舍施。心无吝惜。达解三空。不倚着。但为去垢。摄众生。而无取相。此为自复地。亦能庄严菩提之道。檀度既尔。余五亦然。为除妄想。修行六度。而无所行是为称法行。此四行。是达摩禅师亲说。余则弟子昙林记师言行。集成一卷。名曰达磨论也。菩提师又为坐禅众。释楞伽要义一卷。有十二三纸。亦名达磨论也。此两本论文。文理圆净。天下流通。自外更有人。伪告达摩论三卷。文繁理散。不堪行用。大师又指事问义。但指一物。唤作何物。众物皆问之。回换物名。变易问之。又云。此身有不。身是何身。又云。空中云雾。终不能染污虚空。然能翳虚空。不得明净。涅槃经云。无内六入无外六尘。内外合故。名为中道。 第三。齐朝邺中沙门惠可。承达磨禅师后。其可禅师。俗姓姬。武牢人。年十四。遇达摩禅游化嵩洛。奉事六载。精究一乘。附于玄理。略说修道。明心要法。真登佛果。楞伽经云。牟尼寂静观。是则远离生死。是名为不取。今世后世。净十方诸佛 现代汉语译本：经中说，有所求皆是苦，无所求才是乐。如果能做到无所求，那才是真正的修行。第四种是称法行，即依据本性清净的道理，因理成法。理解到一切现象皆是空性，没有污染和执着，没有彼此的分别。《经》中说，法中没有众生，因为法能去除众生的垢染；法中没有我，因为法能去除我的垢染。如果智慧能够相信并理解这个道理，就应当依循法而行。法的本体不会吝惜身命，因此能行布施，心中没有吝啬，通达理解三空（人空、法空、空空），不执着于任何事物，只是为了去除垢染，摄受众生，而不着相。这便是回归自性之地，也能庄严菩提之道。布施如此，其余五度（持戒、忍辱、精进、禅定、智慧）也是一样。为了去除妄想，修行六度，而无所行，这便是称法行。这四行是达摩禅师亲自所说。其余内容则是弟子昙林记录老师的言行，汇集成一卷，名为《达摩论》。菩提师又为坐禅的僧众解释《楞伽经》的要义，成一卷，约有十二三页，也名为《达摩论》。这两本论文，文辞和义理都圆满清净，在天下流通。此外还有人伪造了《达摩论》三卷，文辞繁杂，义理散乱，不堪使用。大师又通过指事问义的方式，只是指着一件东西，问这是什么。对各种事物都这样提问，变换事物的名称，改变提问的方式。又说，这个身体是有还是没有？身体是什么样的身体？又说，空中的云雾，终究不能污染虚空，但能遮蔽虚空，使其不得明净。《涅槃经》说，没有内在的六入（眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意），没有外在的六尘（色、声、香、味、触、法），内外结合，名为中道。 第三，齐朝邺中的沙门惠可，继承了达摩禅师的衣钵。这位惠可禅师，俗姓姬，是武牢人。十四岁时，遇到达摩禅师游历嵩山和洛阳一带，便侍奉他六年，精研一乘佛法，领悟玄妙的道理。他简略地讲述了修道的方法，阐明了明心见性的要法，真正地证得了佛果。《楞伽经》说，‘牟尼寂静观，是则远离生死，是名为不取。’无论是今生还是来世，都要清净十方诸佛。