English
English version: The Zen master said that enlightenment is for liberation. The Zen master said: 'Those who are deluded and pursue the six senses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) are called the six teachers (six kinds of heretics). Seeking the Buddha outside of one's own mind is called an external path. If one is attached when giving alms, it cannot be called a field of merit. If one develops greed when receiving offerings, one will fall into the three evil realms (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals). If you can slander the Buddha, it means you are not seeking the Buddha with attachment. Slandering the Dharma means you are not seeking the Dharma with attachment. Not joining the Sangha means you are not seeking the Sangha with attachment.' Those who ultimately cannot attain liberation are those whose wisdom cannot manifest before their eyes. If someone understands in this way, they can obtain the food of Dharma joy and Zen bliss. A practitioner asked: 'Someone asks the Buddha, and the Buddha answers; asks the Dharma, and the Buddha answers. This is called the one-word Dharma gate, I don't know if it is correct?' The Zen master said: 'It is like a parrot learning human speech, but it cannot express itself, because it has no wisdom.' Therefore, it is like washing water with water, or burning fire with fire, which is meaningless. Someone asked: 'Are 'speech' and 'language' the same or different?' The Zen master said: 'They are the same. What is called 'speech' becomes 'language' when it forms a sentence.' For example, skillful eloquence is滔滔不绝 (tāo tāo bù jué, a continuous flow), like the flowing water of a great river; sharp wit emerges one after another, like pearls pouring from a round vessel. Therefore, it can encompass all phenomena, called a hanging river, analyzing the ocean of meaning. This is language. Speech, a single word can express the mind. Inwardly it contains profound principles, outwardly it manifests subtle images. Ten thousand machines disturb but do not cause confusion, clarity and turbidity mix but remain distinct. The King of Qi was still ashamed of the words of the 大夫 (dà fū, high-ranking official), and Manjushri Bodhisattva also praised Vimalakirti's teachings. How can ordinary people understand this? Lawyer Yuan asked: 'The Zen master often talks about 'the mind itself is the Buddha', which is unreasonable. Not to mention that a first-ground Bodhisattva can manifest bodies in hundreds of Buddha worlds, and each ground increases tenfold compared to the previous ground. Zen master, can you try to show me your supernatural powers?' The Zen master said: 'Are you yourself, 阇梨 (shélí, acharya, meaning 'teacher'), an ordinary person or a sage?' Yuan Lawyer said: 'I am an ordinary person.' The Zen master said: 'Since you are an ordinary monk, you can ask about such a state. The scriptures say: 'The mind of the benevolent one has high and low distinctions, and does not rely on the wisdom of the Buddha.' This is what it means.' He also asked: 'The Zen master often says that if enlightenment manifests before you, the body can be liberated, which is unreasonable.' The Zen master said: 'If someone does good deeds all their life, and suddenly steals something, is that person immediately a thief?' Yuan Lawyer said: 'Of course, I know it is not.' The Zen master said: 'Now that you clearly see your nature, why can't you be liberated?' Yuan Lawyer said: 'It is certainly impossible now, it must go through...' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
三大阿僧祇劫始得。师曰。阿僧祇劫还有数否。源抗声曰。将贼比解脱。道理得通否。师曰。阇梨自不解道。不可障一切人解。自眼不开。瞋一切人见物。源作色而去云。虽老浑无道。师曰即行去者是汝道。 讲止观慧座主问。禅师辨得魔否。师曰。起心是天魔。不起心是阴魔。或起不起是烦恼魔。我正法中无如是事。曰一心三观义又如何。师曰。过去心已过去。未来心未至。现在心无住。于其中间更用何心起观。曰禅师不解止观。师曰座主解否。曰解。师曰。如智者大师说止破止。说观破观。住止没生死。住观心神乱。为当将心止心。为复起心观观。若有心观是常见法。若无心观是断见法。亦有亦无成二见法。请座主子细说看。曰。若如是问。俱说不得也。师曰何曾止观。 人问般若大否。师曰大。曰几许大。师曰无边际。曰般若小否。师曰小。曰几许小。师曰看不见。曰何处是。师曰何处不是。 维摩座主问。经云。诸菩萨各入不二法门。维摩默然是究竟否。师曰。未是究竟。圣意若尽。第三卷更说何事。座主良久曰。请禅师为说未究竟之意。师曰。如经第一卷是引众呼十大弟子住心。第二诸菩萨各说入不二法门。以言显于无言。文殊以无言显于无言。维摩不以言不以无言。故默然收前言语也 现代汉语译本 三大阿僧祇劫（Asankhyeya kalpas，极长的时间单位）始得。师问：‘阿僧祇劫还有数吗？’源大声反驳道：‘将贼比作解脱，道理说得通吗？’师说：‘你（阇梨，Acarya，意为导师）自己不理解道，不要阻碍所有人理解。自己眼睛没睁开，就嗔怪所有人看见东西。’源恼怒地离开，说：‘虽老了却完全没有道。’师说：‘正要离开的那个就是你的道。’ 讲《止观》（Śamatha-Vipassanā，止息和观照）的慧座主问：‘禅师能辨别魔吗？’师说：‘起心是天魔（deva-māra，天界的魔），不起心是阴魔（skandha-māra，五蕴之魔），或起或不起是烦恼魔（kleśa-māra，烦恼之魔）。我正法中没有这样的事。’座主问：‘一心三观（Tri-saṃdarśana-citta，于一心中同时具足空、假、中三观）的意义又是什么？’师说：‘过去的心已经过去，未来的心还没到来，现在的心没有停留。在这些中间还要用什么心来起观？’座主说：‘禅师不理解止观。’师说：‘座主理解吗？’座主说：‘理解。’师说：‘如智者大师说止破止，说观破观。执着于止就陷入生死，执着于观就心神紊乱。是用心来止心，还是起心来观观？如果有心观，那是常见法（śāśvata-dṛṣṭi，认为事物恒常存在的错误见解）；如果无心观，那是断见法（uccheda-dṛṣṭi，认为事物断灭的错误见解）；亦有亦无就成了二见法（dvaya-dṛṣṭi，同时执着于有和无的错误见解）。请座主仔细说说看。’座主说：‘如果这样问，那就都说不出来了。’师说：‘那又何曾懂得止观呢？’ 有人问：‘般若（Prajñā，智慧）大吗？’师说：‘大。’问：‘有多大？’师说：‘无边际。’问：‘般若小吗？’师说：‘小。’问：‘有多小？’师说：‘看不见。’问：‘般若在哪里？’师说：‘哪里不是？’ 维摩座主问：‘经上说，诸菩萨各入不二法门（advaya-dharma-mukha，超越二元对立的真理之门），维摩（Vimalakīrti，著名的在家菩萨）默然是究竟吗？’师说：‘还不是究竟。圣人的意思如果已经完全表达，第三卷还说什么呢？’座主沉默良久，说：‘请禅师说说未究竟的意思。’师说：‘如经的第一卷是引导大众呼唤十大弟子来安住其心。第二卷诸菩萨各说入不二法门，用言语来显示无言。文殊（Mañjuśrī，文殊菩萨）用无言来显示无言。维摩不以言也不以无言，所以默然是为了收摄前面的言语。’
English
English version It takes three great Asankhyeya kalpas (immeasurably long eons) to achieve. The master asked, 'Are Asankhyeya kalpas countable?' Yuan retorted loudly, 'Is it reasonable to compare a thief to liberation?' The master said, 'You (Acarya, teacher) yourself do not understand the Way, do not obstruct everyone else from understanding. Your own eyes are not open, yet you resent everyone else seeing things.' Yuan turned pale and left, saying, 'Although old, he is completely without the Way.' The master said, 'The very act of leaving is your Way.' The lecturer on Śamatha-Vipassanā (calm abiding and insight meditation), Seat Master Hui, asked, 'Can the Zen master discern demons?' The master said, 'Arising thoughts are deva-māra (demons of the heavens), non-arising thoughts are skandha-māra (demons of the aggregates), or arising and non-arising are kleśa-māra (demons of afflictions). There is no such thing in my true Dharma.' The Seat Master asked, 'What is the meaning of Tri-saṃdarśana-citta (one mind with three contemplations)?' The master said, 'The past mind has already passed, the future mind has not yet arrived, and the present mind does not abide. In between, what mind do you use to contemplate?' The Seat Master said, 'The Zen master does not understand Śamatha-Vipassanā.' The master said, 'Does the Seat Master understand?' The Seat Master said, 'I understand.' The master said, 'As Master Zhiyi said, 'Using cessation to break cessation, using contemplation to break contemplation. Abiding in cessation drowns you in birth and death, abiding in contemplation confuses your mind.' Is it using the mind to stop the mind, or arising the mind to contemplate contemplation? If there is mindful contemplation, it is śāśvata-dṛṣṭi (the view of permanence); if there is no mindful contemplation, it is uccheda-dṛṣṭi (the view of annihilation); having both or neither becomes dvaya-dṛṣṭi (the view of both or neither). Please, Seat Master, explain it carefully.' The Seat Master said, 'If asked in this way, then nothing can be said.' The master said, 'Then how have you ever understood Śamatha-Vipassanā?' Someone asked, 'Is Prajñā (wisdom) great?' The master said, 'Great.' The person asked, 'How great?' The master said, 'Without boundaries.' The person asked, 'Is Prajñā small?' The master said, 'Small.' The person asked, 'How small?' The master said, 'Invisible.' The person asked, 'Where is it?' The master said, 'Where is it not?' Vimalakīrti (a famous lay Buddhist), Seat Master, asked, 'The sutra says, 'All Bodhisattvas each enter the advaya-dharma-mukha (non-dual dharma gate).' Is Vimalakīrti's silence the ultimate?' The master said, 'It is not the ultimate. If the saint's meaning were fully expressed, what would the third volume say?' The Seat Master was silent for a long time, then said, 'Please, Zen master, explain the meaning of 'not ultimate'.' The master said, 'As the first volume of the sutra guides the assembly to call upon the ten great disciples to settle their minds. The second volume has all the Bodhisattvas each speaking of entering the non-dual dharma gate, using words to reveal the wordless. Mañjuśrī (Manjushri Bodhisattva) uses the wordless to reveal the wordless. Vimalakīrti uses neither words nor the wordless, so his silence is to gather up the preceding words.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。第三卷从默然起说。又显神通作用。座主会么。曰奇怪如是。师曰亦未如是。曰何故未是。师曰。且破人执情作如此说。若据经意。只说色心空寂。令见本性。教舍伪行入真行。莫向言语纸墨上讨意度。但会净名两字便得。净者本体也。名者迹用也。从本体起迹用。从迹用归本体。体用不二。本迹非殊。所以古人道。本迹虽殊。不思议一也。一亦非一。若识净名两字假号。更说什么究竟与不究竟。无前无后。非本非末。非净非名。只示众生本性不思议解脱。若不见性人。终身不见此理。 僧问。万法尽空。识性亦尔。譬如水泡。一散更无再合。身死更不再生。即是空无。何处更有识性。师曰。泡因水有。泡散可即无水。身因性起。身死岂言性灭。曰。既言有性。将出来看。师曰。汝信有明朝否。曰信。师曰我将明朝来看。曰。明朝实是有。如今不可得。师曰。明朝不可得。不是无明朝。汝自不见性。不可是无性。今见着衣吃饭行住坐卧。对面不识。可谓愚迷。汝欲见明朝。与今日不异。将性觅性。万劫终不见。亦如有人不见日。不是无日。 讲青龙疏座主问。经云。无法可说是名说法。禅师如何体会。师曰。为般若体毕竟清净。无有一物可得。是名无法。即于般若空寂体中。具河沙之用。即无事不知。 现代汉语译本：第三卷从默然开始说起，又显示神通的作用。座主明白了吗？（座主：指讲经的僧人，此处指提问者） 座主说：‘奇怪是这样。’ 师父说：‘也还不是这样。’ 座主说：‘为什么还不是这样？’ 师父说：‘只是为了破除人们的执着之情才这样说。如果按照经文的意义，只是说色（物质现象）和心（精神现象）都是空寂的，让人见到本性，教导人们舍弃虚伪的行为，进入真实的修行，不要在言语纸墨上寻求意义。只要理解‘净名’（Vimalakirti）这两个字就明白了。‘净’是本体，‘名’是迹用（现象和作用）。从本体产生迹用，从迹用回归本体。本体和迹用不是两个，根本和现象没有区别。所以古人说，‘根本和现象虽然不同，但不可思议地是一体的。’这个‘一’也不是一个。如果认识到‘净名’这两个字的假名，还说什么究竟不究竟呢？没有前没有后，不是根本也不是末端，不是‘净’也不是‘名’，只是向众生展示本性不可思议的解脱。如果是不见本性的人，终身也不会明白这个道理。’ 有僧人问：‘万法皆空，识性（consciousness）也是这样，譬如水泡，一旦破灭就不会再聚合，身体死亡也不会再次产生，这就是空无，哪里还有识性呢？’ 师父说：‘水泡因为水而产生，水泡破灭可以说没有水了吗？身体因为本性而产生，身体死亡难道能说本性也灭亡了吗？’ 僧人说：‘既然说有本性，请拿出来看看。’ 师父说：‘你相信有明天吗？’ 僧人说：‘相信。’ 师父说：‘我把明天拿给你看。’ 僧人说：‘明天确实是有的，但现在得不到。’ 师父说：‘明天现在得不到，但不是没有明天。你自己不见本性，不能说没有本性。现在看见你穿衣吃饭、行走坐卧，面对面却不认识，真是愚昧迷惑。你想要看见明天，和今天没有什么不同。用本性去寻找本性，万劫也终究见不到。也像有人看不见太阳，但不是没有太阳。’ 讲解《青龙疏》（Qinglong Commentary）的座主问：‘经文说，没有法可以说，这叫做说法，禅师如何体会？’ 师父说：‘因为般若（Prajna，智慧）的本体毕竟是清净的，没有一物可以得到，这叫做无法。就在般若空寂的本体中，具备像恒河沙一样多的作用，也就是没有事情不知道。’