English
English version Anatta (无相, absence of a permanent self). Samata (平等不二, equality and non-duality). When you do not enter this state, even the thought of Buddha should be relinquished, and no further symbols are needed. Just observe this mind; it is the Dharmakaya (法身, the body of truth) of the Tathagata (如来, thus-gone-one), also known as Saddharma (正法, the true Dharma), Buddha-dhatu (佛性, Buddha-nature), Tathata (诸法实性实际, suchness or thusness), Sukhavati (净土, Pure Land), Bodhi (菩提, enlightenment), Vajra Samadhi (金刚三昧, diamond-like samadhi), Svabhavikakaya (本觉, inherent awareness), and so on. It is also known as Nirvana (涅槃) realm, Prajna (般若, wisdom), and so on. Although the names are countless, they are all of the same essence. There is no sense of an observer or an observed. This kind of mind must be kept pure and constantly present, so that all external conditions cannot disturb it. Why? Because all things are the one Dharmakaya of the Tathagata. The sutra says that in this one mind, all knots of affliction naturally disappear. Within a single dust mote, there are countless worlds; countless worlds gather on the tip of a hair. Their original functions remain as they are, without interfering with each other. The Avatamsaka Sutra (《华严经》) says: 'There is a sutra scroll within a dust mote, in which one sees the affairs of three thousand great chiliocosms.' Briefly mentioning the method of settling the mind, it is impossible to exhaust all its aspects. The skillful means within it come from the square inch (the heart). Briefly, for those who may doubt in later generations, let us pose a question: If the Dharmakaya of the Tathagata is like this, why is there also a body with excellent marks and characteristics, appearing in the world to teach the Dharma? The answer is: Precisely because the Dharmakaya of the Tathagata is pure and complete, all kinds of things appear within it, yet the Dharmakaya has no intention of creating anything. It is like a crystal mirror hanging in a high hall; all images appear within it, yet the mirror has no intention and can manifest all kinds of things. The sutra says: 'The Tathagata appears in the world to teach the Dharma because of the deluded thoughts of sentient beings.' Now, if a practitioner cultivates the mind to complete purity, then they will know that the Tathagata never teaches the Dharma; this is to have complete and extensive learning. The one who hears is without any form. Therefore, the sutra says: 'Because sentient beings have countless roots, the Dharma taught is also countless. Because the Dharma taught is countless, its meaning is also called countless meanings. These countless meanings arise from one Dharma, and that one Dharma is without form. Without form and not not-form is called True Form (实相, reality as it is).' This is complete purity and stillness. These sincere words are the proof. When sitting, be aware of the initial movement of the discriminating mind, its flowing and passing. Be aware of its coming and going, using Vajra Jnana (金刚慧, diamond wisdom). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
微责。犹如草木无所别知之无知。乃名一切智。此是菩萨一相法门。问。何者是禅师。信曰。不为静乱所恼者。即是好禅用心人。常住于止心则沉没。久住于观心则散乱。法华经云。佛自住大乘。如其所得法。定惠力庄严。以此度众生。云何能得悟解法相。心得明净。信曰。亦不念佛。亦不捉心。亦不看心。亦不计心。亦不思惟。亦不观行。亦不散乱。直任运。亦不令去。亦不令住。独一清净。究竟处心自明净。或可谛看。心即得明净。心如明镜。或可一年。心更明净。或可三五年。心更明净。或可因人为说。即悟解。或可永不须说得解。经道。众生心性。譬如宝珠没水。水浊珠隐。水清珠显。为谤三宝。破和合僧。诸见烦恼所污。贪嗔颠倒所染。众生不悟心性本来常清净。故为学者。取悟不同。有如此差别。今略出根缘不同。为人师者。善须识别。华严经云。普贤身相。犹如虚空。依如如。不于佛国。解时佛国皆亦即如国皆不依。涅槃经云。有无边。身菩萨。身量如虚空。人之有善光故。犹如夏日。又云。身无边故。名大涅槃。又云。大般涅槃。其性广博故。知学者有四种人。有行有解有证。上上人。无行有解有证。中上人。有行有解无证。中下人。有行无解无证。下下人也。问。临时作若为观行。信曰。真须任运 现代汉语译本 微责，就像草木一样没有分别认知的无知，就称作一切智。这是菩萨的一相法门。 问：什么是禅师？ 信曰：不被静和乱所困扰的人，就是好的禅修用心之人。如果长时间专注于止，心就会沉没；如果长时间专注于观，心就会散乱。《法华经》说：‘佛安住于大乘，依照他所证得的法，以定和慧的力量来庄严自己，用这个来度化众生。’ 问：怎样才能领悟理解法的真相，使心变得明净？ 信曰：也不念佛，也不执着于心，也不看心，也不算计心，也不思惟，也不观行，也不散乱，只是顺其自然，也不让它离开，也不让它停留，保持独一的清净。最终心自然会明净。或许可以仔细观察，心就能变得明净。心就像明镜。或许一年，心会更加明净；或许三五年，心会更加明净。或许因为别人解说，就能领悟理解；或许永远不需要别人解说也能领悟理解。 经书上说：‘众生的心性，就像宝珠沉没在水中，水浑浊时宝珠就隐没，水清澈时宝珠就显现。’因为诽谤三宝（Buddha, Dharma, Sangha），破坏僧团的和合，被各种见解和烦恼所污染，被贪嗔颠倒所染着，众生不明白心性本来就是常清净的。所以对于学习的人来说，领悟的方式不同，有这样的差别。现在简略地说明根器和因缘的不同，作为人师，要善于识别。 《华严经》说：‘普贤（Samantabhadra）的身相，犹如虚空，依如如（tathata，真如），不依于佛国（Buddha-kshetra）。’理解的时候，佛国也即是如国，都不依着。 《涅槃经》说：‘有无边身菩萨，身量如虚空。’人因为有善光，就像夏天的太阳。又说：‘身无边，所以名为大涅槃（Mahāparinirvāṇa）。’又说：‘大般涅槃，其性广博。’ 要知道学习的人有四种：有行有解有证，是上上人；无行有解有证，是中上人；有行有解无证，是中下人；有行无解无证，是下下人。 问：临终时应该如何观行？ 信曰：真正需要顺其自然。
English
English version Slight blame, like the ignorance of plants and trees that cannot distinguish anything, is called 'all-knowing wisdom'. This is the one-aspect Dharma gate of a Bodhisattva (Enlightenment Being). Question: What is a Chan (Zen) master? Answer: One who is not troubled by stillness or chaos is a good practitioner of Chan. Dwelling long in cessation causes the mind to sink; dwelling long in contemplation causes the mind to scatter. The Lotus Sutra says: 'The Buddha dwells in the Great Vehicle (Mahayana) and, according to the Dharma he has attained, adorns himself with the power of Samadhi (concentration) and Prajna (wisdom), and uses this to liberate sentient beings.' Question: How can one attain understanding of the characteristics of the Dharma and purify the mind? Answer: Neither contemplate the Buddha, nor grasp the mind, nor look at the mind, nor calculate the mind, nor think, nor practice contemplation, nor become scattered. Simply let it be naturally, neither causing it to leave nor causing it to stay, maintaining a solitary purity. Ultimately, the mind will naturally become clear. Perhaps by carefully observing, the mind can become clear. The mind is like a clear mirror. Perhaps in a year, the mind will become clearer; perhaps in three to five years, the mind will become clearer. Perhaps through someone's explanation, one can attain understanding; perhaps one can attain understanding without ever needing someone's explanation. The scriptures say: 'The mind-nature of sentient beings is like a jewel submerged in water. When the water is turbid, the jewel is hidden; when the water is clear, the jewel is revealed.' Because of slandering the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), disrupting the harmony of the Sangha, being defiled by various views and afflictions, and being tainted by greed, anger, and delusion, sentient beings do not realize that the mind-nature is originally always pure. Therefore, for those who study, the ways of attaining enlightenment differ, and there are such distinctions. Now, I will briefly explain the differences in roots and conditions. As a teacher, one must be good at discerning. The Avatamsaka Sutra says: 'The form of Samantabhadra (Universal Worthy Bodhisattva) is like empty space, relying on Suchness (tathata), not relying on the Buddha-land (Buddha-kshetra).' When understanding arises, the Buddha-land is also the Suchness-land, and neither is relied upon. The Nirvana Sutra says: 'There are Bodhisattvas with boundless bodies, whose size is like empty space.' People have good light, like the summer sun. It also says: 'Because the body is boundless, it is called Great Nirvana (Mahāparinirvāṇa).' It also says: 'Great Parinirvana, its nature is vast and broad.' Know that there are four types of learners: those who have practice, understanding, and realization are the highest of the highest; those who have no practice but have understanding and realization are the middle of the highest; those who have practice and understanding but no realization are the middle of the lowest; those who have practice but no understanding and no realization are the lowest of the lowest. Question: How should one practice contemplation at the time of death? Answer: Truly, one needs to let it be naturally. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。又曰。用向西方不。信曰。若知心本来不生不灭。究竟清净。即是净佛国土。更不须向西方。华严经云。无量劫一念。无量劫。须知一方无量方。无量方一方。佛为钝根众生。今向西方。不为利根人说也。深行菩萨。入生死化度众生。而无爱见。若见众生有生死。我是能度。众生是所疲不名菩萨。疲众生如疲空。度空何曾有来去。金刚经云。灭度无量众生。实无有众生得灭度者。所初地菩萨。初证一切空。后证得得一切不空。即是无分别智。亦是色。色即是空。非色灭空。色性是空。所菩萨修学空为证。新学之人。直见空者。此是见空。非真空也。修道得真空者。不见空与不空。无有诸见也。善须解色空义。学用心者。要须心路明净。悟解法相。了了分明。然后乃当为人师耳。复须内外相称。理行不相为。决须断绝文字语言。有为圣道。独一净处。自证道果也 或复有人。未了究竟法为相。名闻利养教导众生。不识根缘利钝。似如有异。即皆印可。极为苦哉。苦哉大祸。或见心路。似如明净。即便印可。此人大坏佛法。自诳诳他。用心人。有如此同异。并是相貌耳。未为德心。真德心者。自识分明。久后法眼自开。善别虚之与伪。或有人计身空无。心姓亦灭。此是断见人。与外道同。非佛弟子。或有人。计心是有不 现代汉语译本： 又有人问：‘（修行）需要面向西方吗？’ （僧人）回答说：‘如果知道心本来不生不灭，究竟清净，那就是清净的佛国，更不需要面向西方。《华严经》说：‘无量劫即一念，一念即无量劫。’要知道一方即无量方，无量方即一方。佛是为钝根的众生，才说面向西方，不是为利根的人说的。’ 深行菩萨进入生死轮回化度众生，而心中没有爱憎之见。如果认为众生有生死，我是能度化者，众生是所度化者，就不能称为菩萨。度化众生如同度化虚空，度化虚空哪里有来去呢？《金刚经》说：‘灭度无量众生，实无有众生得灭度者。’ 初地菩萨，最初证得一切皆空，之后证得一切不空，这就是无分别智，也就是般若（Prajna，智慧）。般若即是空，不是色法灭尽后的空，而是色法的本性即是空。所以菩萨修学空是为了证悟，新学之人，只见到空，这是见空，不是真空。修道证得真空的人，不见空与不空，没有各种见解。 要好好理解色空的含义。学习用心的人，必须心路明净，悟解法相，清清楚楚、明明白白，然后才能为人师表。还要内外一致，理论和实践相互配合。必须断绝文字语言，以有为的圣道，在独一清净之处，自己证得道果。 或者有人，不了解究竟法的实相，为了名闻利养教导众生，不辨识众生的根器利钝，好像有所不同，就都认可，真是太可悲了！太可悲了，这是大祸患！或者见到（修行者）心路好像明净，就立即认可，这种人会大大破坏佛法，自己欺骗自己，又欺骗他人。用心的人，有如此的相同和不同，都只是表面的现象，不是真正的德行。真正有德行的人，自己认识得清清楚楚，时间久了法眼自然会打开，能够分辨虚假和真实。 或者有人认为身体是空无，心性也随之灭亡，这是断见之人，与外道相同，不是佛弟子。或者有人认为心是永恒存在的，不...