English
English version All application and function are wisdom. The mind has no form, and wisdom is also endless. Therefore, it is said that the Tathāgata's (如来, one of the titles of a Buddha) form is endless, and so is wisdom. The physical body composed of the four elements is the body of afflictions, subject to birth and death. The Dharmakāya (法身, the body of the Dharma, the ultimate nature of reality) is eternal, abiding nowhere. The Dharmakāya of the Tathāgata is eternally unchanging. Therefore, the scripture says: 'Sentient beings should know that the Buddha-nature is inherent within themselves.' Kāśyapa (迦叶, Mahākāśyapa, one of the ten principal disciples of the Buddha) merely realized this inherent nature. This inherent nature is the mind, and the mind is the nature. This 'nature' is the same as the minds of all Buddhas. The Buddhas of the past and the Buddhas of the future only transmit this mind. Apart from this mind, there is no other Buddha to be attained. Deluded beings do not know that their own mind is the Buddha, and they seek outwards, busying themselves all day long, reciting the Buddha's name and prostrating to the Buddha. Where is the Buddha? One should not have such views. Simply know your own mind; outside the mind, there is no other Buddha. The scripture says: 'All forms are illusory.' It also says: 'Wherever you are, there is a Buddha.' Your own mind is the Buddha; you should not use the Buddha to worship the Buddha. However, if the forms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas suddenly appear before you, do not prostrate to them. My mind is empty and still, originally without such forms. If you cling to these forms, you are possessed by demons and will fall into evil paths. If the illusions arise from the mind, then there is no need to prostrate. Those who prostrate do not understand; those who understand do not prostrate. Prostration is seized by demons. Fearing that students may not understand, this distinction is made. In the original nature of all Buddhas and Tathāgatas, there are no such forms. You must pay attention to this. Whenever there are strange realms, do not pay attention to them, nor be afraid. Do not doubt; my mind is originally pure, where would so many forms come from? Even the forms of Devas and Nāgas (天龙, deities and serpent-like beings), Yakṣas (夜叉, a type of guardian spirit), ghosts and spirits, Indra (帝释, king of the gods), Brahmā (梵王, a high-ranking deity), etc., do not give rise to respect or fear in your mind. My mind is originally empty and still; all forms are illusory. Just do not cling to forms. If you give rise to Buddha-views, Dharma-views, and the forms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and generate respect, you will fall into the position of sentient beings. If you wish to directly understand, simply do not cling to any forms, and that is all; there is nothing else to say. Therefore, the scripture says: 'All forms are illusory.' They have no fixed substance; illusions have no fixed forms; they are impermanent dharmas. Just do not cling to forms, and you will be in accord with the intentions of the sages. Therefore, the scripture says: 'To be free from all forms is to be a Buddha.' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 一切相。即名诸佛。
Chinese
问曰。因何不得礼佛菩萨等。答曰。天魔波旬阿修罗示见神通。皆作得菩萨相㒵。种种变化。是外道。总不是佛。佛是自心。莫错礼拜。佛是西国语。此土云觉性。觉者灵觉。应机接物。扬眉瞬目。运手动足。皆是自己灵觉之性。性即是心。心即是佛。佛即是道。道即是禅。禅之一字。非凡圣所测。又云。见本性为禅。若不见本性。即非禅也。假使说得千经万论。若不见本性。只是凡夫。非是佛法。至道幽深。不可话会典教。凭何所及。但见本性。一字不识。亦得见性。即是佛圣体。本来清净。无有杂秽。所有言说。皆是圣人。从心起用。用体本来空。名言犹不及。十二部经凭何得及。道本圆成。不用修证。道非声色。微妙难见。如人饮水。冷暖自知。不可向人说也。唯有如来能知。余人天等类。都不觉知。凡夫智不及。所以有执相。不了自心本来空寂。妄执相及一切法。即堕外道。若知诸法从心生。不应有执。执即不知。若见本性。十二部经总是闲文字。千经万论只是明心。言下契会。教将何用。至理绝言。教是语词。实不是道。道本无言。言说是妄。若夜梦见楼阁宫殿象马之属。及树木丛林池亭。如是等相。不得起一念乐着。尽是托生之处。切须在意。临终之时。不得取相。即得除障 现代汉语译本： ‘一切相，即名诸佛。’意思是说，所有的现象都可以被视为佛的显现。 问：为什么不能礼拜佛菩萨等？ 答：因为天魔波旬（欲界第六天之主）和阿修罗（一种好战的神）会示现神通，伪装成菩萨的形象，进行各种变化。这些都是外道（佛教以外的教派），不是真正的佛。佛就是自己的心。不要错误地礼拜。‘佛’是西国（印度）的语言，在这里（中国）叫做‘觉性’。‘觉’就是灵觉，能够根据情况接触事物。扬眉、眨眼、移动手脚，都是自己灵觉之性的体现。‘性’就是‘心’，‘心’就是‘佛’，‘佛’就是‘道’，‘道’就是‘禅’。‘禅’这个字，不是凡人和圣人所能理解的。还有一种说法，‘见本性为禅’。如果不见本性，就不是禅。即使能说出千经万论，如果不见本性，也只是凡夫，不是佛法。至道（最高的真理）幽深，不能用言语和典籍来理解，典籍凭什么能够达到？只要见到本性，即使一个字也不认识，也能见性，这就是佛的圣体。本来清净，没有杂秽。所有的言说，都是圣人从心中生起的运用，而运用的本体本来就是空。名言都无法表达，十二部经（大乘佛教的经典总称）又凭什么能够表达？道本来就是圆满成就的，不需要修行和证悟。道不是声音和形象，微妙难以看见，就像人喝水，冷暖自己知道，不能向别人说。只有如来（佛的称号）能够知道，其他人天等都不能觉知。凡夫的智慧达不到，所以才会有执着于相，不了解自己的心本来就是空寂的。如果错误地执着于相和一切法，就会堕入外道。如果知道诸法从心生，就不应该有执着。执着就是不了解。如果见到本性，十二部经都是闲文字，千经万论只是为了明心。在言语之下就能领会，教义又有什么用？至理超越言语，教义只是语言文字，实际上不是道。道本来就没有言语，言说是虚妄的。如果在夜里梦见楼阁宫殿、象马之类，以及树木丛林、池塘亭榭等景象，不要生起一念的喜爱和执着，这些都是托生之处。一定要在意。临终的时候，不要执取于相，就能消除障碍。
English
English version: 'All forms are named Buddhas.' This means that all phenomena can be seen as manifestations of the Buddha. Question: Why should one not worship Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, etc.? Answer: Because heavenly demons like Pāpīyas (the lord of the sixth heaven in the desire realm) and Asuras (a race of warring deities) may manifest supernatural powers, disguising themselves as Bodhisattvas, and performing various transformations. These are external paths (religions other than Buddhism), and not true Buddhas. The Buddha is one's own mind. Do not mistakenly worship. 'Buddha' is a word from the Western Country (India); here (in China), it is called 'Awareness-nature.' 'Awareness' is spiritual awareness, capable of engaging with things according to circumstances. Raising eyebrows, blinking eyes, moving hands and feet are all manifestations of one's own spiritual awareness-nature. 'Nature' is 'mind,' 'mind' is 'Buddha,' 'Buddha' is 'the Way,' 'the Way' is 'Chan' (Zen). The word 'Chan' cannot be fathomed by ordinary people or sages. There is also a saying, 'Seeing one's original nature is Chan.' If one does not see one's original nature, it is not Chan. Even if one can speak of thousands of scriptures and treatises, if one does not see one's original nature, one is merely an ordinary person, not Buddhist Dharma. The ultimate Way (highest truth) is profound and cannot be understood through words and scriptures. What can scriptures achieve? As long as one sees one's original nature, even if one does not recognize a single word, one can see the nature, which is the sacred body of the Buddha. It is originally pure, without any impurities. All speech is the use arising from the mind of a sage, and the substance of that use is originally empty. Names and words cannot express it; how can the Twelve Divisions of Scriptures (a general term for Mahayana Buddhist scriptures) express it? The Way is originally complete and does not require cultivation or realization. The Way is not sound or form, subtle and difficult to see, like a person drinking water, knowing the temperature for themselves, which cannot be told to others. Only the Tathagata (title of a Buddha) can know it; other humans and deities do not perceive it. The wisdom of ordinary people is insufficient, so they cling to forms, not understanding that their own mind is originally empty and still. If one mistakenly clings to forms and all dharmas (phenomena), one will fall into external paths. If one knows that all dharmas arise from the mind, one should not have attachments. Attachment is not understanding. If one sees one's original nature, the Twelve Divisions of Scriptures are all idle words, and thousands of scriptures and treatises are only for clarifying the mind. If one understands immediately upon hearing, what use are teachings? The ultimate truth transcends words; teachings are merely language, not actually the Way. The Way is originally without words; speech is false. If one dreams at night of pavilions, palaces, elephants, horses, and the like, as well as trees, forests, ponds, and pavilions, do not give rise to a single thought of fondness or attachment to such appearances, as these are places of rebirth. One must pay attention. At the time of death, do not grasp at appearances, and one will be able to remove obstacles. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。疑心瞥起即魔摄。法身本来清净无受。只缘迷故。不觉不知。因兹故妄受报。所以有乐着不得自在。只今若悟得本来身心。即不染习。若从圣入凡。示见种种杂类。自为众生。故圣人逆顺皆得自在。一切业拘它不得。圣成久有大威德。一切品类业。被它圣人转。天堂地狱。无柰何它。凡夫神识昏昧。不同圣人内外明彻。若有疑即不作。作即流浪生死。后悔无相救处。贫穷困苦皆从妄想生。若了是心。递相劝勉。但无作而作。即入如来知见。初发心人。神识总不定。若梦中频见异境。辄不用疑。皆是自心起故。不从外来。梦若见光明出现过于日轮。即余习顿尽。法界性见。若有此事。即是成道之因。唯自知。不可向人说。或静园林中。行住坐卧。眼见光明。或大或小。莫与人说。亦不得取。亦是自性光明。或夜静暗中。行住坐卧。眼睹光明。与昼无异。不得怪。并是自心欲明显。或夜梦中。见星月分明。亦自心诸缘欲息。亦不得向人说。梦若昏昏。犹如阴暗中行。亦是自心烦恼障重。亦自知。若见本性。不用读经念佛。广学多知无益。神识转昏。设教只为标心。若识心何用看教。若从凡入圣。即须息业养神。随分过日。若多嗔恚。令性转与道相违。自赚无益。圣人于生死中。自在出没。隐显不定。一切业拘它不得。圣 人破邪魔。一切众生但见本性。余习顿灭。神识不昧。须是直下便会。只在如今。欲真会道。莫执一切法。息业养神。余习亦尽。自然明白。不假用切。外道不会佛意。用功最多。违肯圣意。终日驱驱念佛转经。昏于神性。不免轮回。佛是闲人。何用躯躯广求名利。后时何用。但不见性人。读经念佛。长学精进。六时行道。长坐不卧。广学多闻。以为佛法。此等众生。尽是谤佛法人。前佛后佛只言见性。诸行无常。若不见性。妄言我得阿耨菩提。此是大罪。入十大弟子。阿难多闻中得第一。于佛无识。只学多闻。二乘外道皆无识佛。识数修证。堕在因果中。是众生业报。不免生死。远背佛意。即是谤佛众生。杀却无罪过。经云。阐提人不生信心。杀却无罪过。若有信心。此人是佛位人。若不见性。即不用取次。谤它良善。自赚无益。善恶历然。因果分明。天堂地狱只在眼前。愚人不信现堕黑暗地狱中。亦不觉不知。只缘业重故。所以不信。譬如无目人不信道有光明。纵向伊说亦不信。只缘盲故。凭何辨得日光。愚人亦复如是。现今堕畜生杂类。诞在贫穷下贱。求生不得。求死不得。虽受是苦。直问着。亦言我今快乐。不异天堂。故知一切众生。生处为乐。亦不觉不知。如斯恶人。只缘业障重故。所以不能发信心者。不 现代汉语译本 人破邪魔。一切众生但见本性（本来的自性）。余习（残余的习气）顿灭。神识（精神意识）不昧（不昏昧）。须是直下便会（当下领会）。只在如今。欲真会道。莫执一切法。息业（停止恶业）养神。余习亦尽。自然明白。不假用切（不需要刻意）。 外道不会佛意。用功最多。违肯圣意（违背圣人的意愿）。终日驱驱念佛转经。昏于神性。不免轮回。佛是闲人。何用躯躯广求名利。后时何用。但不见性人。读经念佛。长学精进。六时行道。长坐不卧。广学多闻。以为佛法。此等众生。尽是谤佛法人。前佛后佛只言见性。 诸行无常。若不见性。妄言我得阿耨菩提（无上正等正觉）。此是大罪。入十大弟子。阿难（Ananda，佛陀的十大弟子之一，以多闻第一著称）多闻中得第一。于佛无识。只学多闻。二乘外道皆无识佛。识数修证。堕在因果中。是众生业报。不免生死。远背佛意。即是谤佛众生。杀却无罪过。 经云。阐提人（icchantika，断善根的人）不生信心。杀却无罪过。若有信心。此人是佛位人。若不见性。即不用取次（随便）谤它良善。自赚无益。善恶历然。因果分明。天堂地狱只在眼前。愚人不信现堕黑暗地狱中。亦不觉不知。只缘业重故。所以不信。譬如无目人不信道有光明。纵向伊说亦不信。只缘盲故。凭何辨得日光。愚人亦复如是。 现今堕畜生杂类。诞在贫穷**。求生不得。求死不得。虽受是苦。直问着。亦言我今快乐。不异天堂。故知一切众生。生处为乐。亦不觉不知。如斯恶人。只缘业障重故。所以不能发信心者。不