行由第一
Chapter 1: The Story of My Awakening
時，大師至寶林。韶州韋刺史(名璩)與官僚入山請師，出於城中大梵寺講堂，為眾開緣說法。師陞座次，刺史官僚三十餘人，儒宗學士三十餘人，僧尼道俗一千餘人，同時作禮，願聞法要。
At that time, the Master arrived at Baolin. The prefect of Shaozhou, Wei Qu, along with his officials, went into the mountains to invite the Master to the city. He was asked to speak at the Great Fan Temple, where he would give a discourse for the assembly, opening the doors of Dharma for all. As the Master took his seat, the prefect and over thirty officials, more than thirty Confucian scholars, and over a thousand monks, nuns, and laypeople—both followers of the Way and ordinary folk—all bowed at once, wishing to hear the essentials of the Dharma.
大師告眾曰：「善知識！菩提自性，本來清淨，但用此心，直了成佛。善知識！且聽惠能行由，得法事意。惠能嚴父，本貫范陽，左降流于嶺南，作新州百姓。此身不幸，父又早亡。老母孤遺，移來南海，艱辛貧乏，於市賣柴。時，有一客買柴，使令送至客店；客收去，惠能得錢，却出門外，見一客誦經。惠能一聞經語，心即開悟，遂問：『客誦何經？』客曰：『《金剛經》。』復問：『從何所來，持此經典？』客云：『我從蘄州黃梅縣東禪寺來。其寺是五祖忍大師在彼主化，門人一千有餘；我到彼中禮拜，聽受此經。大師常勸僧俗，但持《金剛經》，即自見性，直了成佛。』惠能聞說，宿昔有緣，乃蒙一客，取銀十兩與惠能，令充老母衣糧，教便往黃梅參禮五祖。
The Master addressed the assembly, saying: "Good friends, the nature of Bodhi is originally pure. Just use this mind, and you can directly attain Buddhahood.
Good friends, now listen to Huineng's story of how he attained the Dharma. Huineng's father was originally from Fanyang, but due to a demotion, he was exiled to Lingnan and became a commoner in Xinzhou. Unfortunately, his father passed away early. His elderly mother was left alone, and they moved to Nanhai, where life was difficult and impoverished. Huineng sold firewood in the market to support them.
One day, a customer bought firewood and asked Huineng to deliver it to the inn. After the customer took the firewood and Huineng received the payment, as he was leaving, he saw another customer reciting a sutra. Upon hearing the words of the sutra, Huineng's mind was immediately awakened. He asked, 'What sutra are you reciting?'
The customer replied, 'The Diamond Sutra.'
Huineng asked further, 'Where did you come from, and how did you obtain this sutra?'
The customer said, 'I came from Dongchan Temple in Huangmei County, Qizhou. The temple is presided over by the Fifth Patriarch, Master Hongren, who has over a thousand disciples. I went there to pay my respects and received this sutra. The Master often advises both monastics and laypeople that by upholding the Diamond Sutra alone, one can see one's own nature and directly attain Buddhahood.'
Hearing this, Huineng felt a deep connection from past lives. Then, another customer generously gave him ten taels of silver to support his mother's clothing and food, and urged him to go to Huangmei to pay homage to the Fifth Patriarch."
「惠能安置母畢，即便辭違。不經三十餘日，便至黃梅，禮拜五祖。祖問曰：『汝何方人？欲求何物？』惠能對曰：『弟子是嶺南新州百姓，遠來禮師，惟求作佛，不求餘物。』祖言：『汝是嶺南人，又是獵獠，若為堪作佛？』惠能曰：『人雖有南北，佛性本無南北；獵獠身與和尚不同，佛性有何差別？』五祖更欲與語，且見徒眾總在左右，乃令隨眾作務。惠能曰：『惠能啟和尚，弟子自心，常生智慧，不離自性，即是福田。未審和尚教作何務？』祖云：『這獦獠根性大利！汝更勿言，著槽廠去。』惠能退至後院，有一行者，差惠能破柴踏碓。經八月餘，祖一日忽見惠能曰：『吾思汝之見可用，恐有惡人害汝，遂不與汝言。汝知之否？』惠能曰：『弟子亦知師意，不敢行至堂前，令人不覺。』
After settling his mother, Huineng took his leave. In less than thirty days, he arrived at Huangmei and paid homage to the Fifth Patriarch.
The Patriarch asked, "Where are you from, and what do you seek?"
Huineng replied, "I am a commoner from Xinzhou in Lingnan. I have come from afar to pay respects to the master, seeking only to become a Buddha—nothing else."
The Patriarch said, "You are from Lingnan, a barbarian from the south. How can you become a Buddha?"
Huineng answered, "Though people may be from the north or south, Buddha-nature knows no north or south. This barbarian's body may differ from the master's, but how could our Buddha-nature differ?"
The Fifth Patriarch wished to speak further with him, but seeing the disciples gathered around, he simply told him to join the others in their tasks.
Huineng said, "Master, this disciple's own mind constantly gives rise to wisdom. Not departing from one's own nature is itself a field of merit. May I ask what task the master would have me do?"
The Patriarch said, "This barbarian has a remarkably sharp capacity! Say no more. Go to the shed."
Huineng withdrew to the back courtyard, where an attendant assigned him to chop firewood and tread the rice-husking pedal. After more than eight months, the Patriarch one day suddenly saw Huineng and said, "I have been thinking that your insight is valuable, but I feared that wicked people might harm you, so I did not speak with you. Do you understand?"
Huineng replied, "This disciple also understood the master's intention and dared not come to the front hall, so as not to attract notice."
「祖一日喚諸門人總來：『吾向汝說，世人生死事大，汝等終日只求福田，不求出離生死苦海；自性若迷，福何可救？汝等各去，自看智慧，取自本心般若之性，各作一偈，來呈吾看。若悟大意，付汝衣法，為第六代祖。火急速去，不得遲滯，思量即不中用；見性之人，言下須見。若如此者，輪刀上陣，亦得見之。』(喻利根者)眾得處分，退而遞相謂曰：『我等眾人，不須澄心用意作偈，將呈和尚，有何所益？神秀上座，現為教授師，必是他得。我輩謾作偈頌，枉用心力。』餘人聞語，總皆息心，咸言：『我等已後依止秀師，何煩作偈？』神秀思惟：『諸人不呈偈者，為我與他為教授師；我須作偈，將呈和尚，若不呈偈，和尚如何知我心中見解深淺？我呈偈意，求法即善，覓祖即惡，却同凡心，奪其聖位奚別？若不呈偈，終不得法。大難！大難！』
One day, the Patriarch summoned all his disciples and said, "I have something to tell you. For ordinary people, the matter of life and death is of the utmost importance. Yet you all spend your days merely seeking blessings and merit, without seeking to escape the sea of suffering in the cycle of life and death. If your true nature is obscured, how can blessings save you? Each of you, go and look within for your own wisdom. Draw from the inherent Prajñā nature of your own mind, each compose a verse, and bring it to me. If you grasp the essential meaning, I will transmit to you the robe and the Dharma, making you the Sixth Patriarch. Go quickly, without delay. Deliberation and calculation are of no use. One who sees their true nature will realize it in the moment of speaking. If one is like this, even in the midst of battle with swords drawn, they can still see it." (This illustrates a person of sharp faculties.)
The assembly, having received these instructions, withdrew and said to one another, "There is no need for us to clear our minds and labor over composing verses to present to the Master. What good would it do? Venerable Shenxiu is our senior instructor; he is sure to attain it. If we hastily compose verses, we will only waste our effort." Hearing this, the others all gave up the idea, saying, "From now on, we will rely on Master Shenxiu. Why trouble ourselves with composing verses?"
Shenxiu reflected, "The others are not presenting verses because I am their instructor. I must compose a verse and present it to the Master. If I do not present one, how will the Master know the depth of my insight? My intention in presenting a verse is to seek the Dharma—that is good. But if it is to seek the Patriarch's position, that is wrong, no different from an ordinary mind contending for a holy seat. Yet if I do not present a verse, I will never attain the Dharma. This is extremely difficult! Extremely difficult!"
「五祖堂前，有步廊三間，擬請供奉盧珍，畫楞伽經變相，及五祖血脈圖，流傳供養。神秀作偈成已，數度欲呈，行至堂前，心中恍惚，遍身汗流，擬呈不得；前後經四日，一十三度呈偈不得。秀乃思惟：『不如向廊下書著，從他和尚看見，忽若道好，即出禮拜，云是秀作；若道不堪，枉向山中數年，受人禮拜，更修何道？』是夜三更，不使人知，自執燈，書偈於南廊壁間，呈心所見。偈曰：
In front of the Fifth Patriarch's hall, there was a corridor with three sections. It had been prepared for the artist Lu Zhen to paint scenes from the Lankavatara Sutra and a lineage chart of the Fifth Patriarch, so that they could be venerated and preserved. After Shenxiu completed his verse, he wanted to present it several times, but each time he reached the front of the hall, his mind became unsettled, his whole body broke out in sweat, and he couldn't bring himself to offer it. Over the course of four days, he attempted to present it thirteen times but never succeeded.
Shenxiu then thought to himself, "It would be better to write it on the corridor wall. Let the Master see it. If by chance he says it's good, I'll come forward, bow, and say it's my work. If he says it's inadequate, then all these years in the mountains, receiving respect from others, will have been in vain—what path have I been cultivating?"
That night, at the third watch, without letting anyone know, he took a lamp himself and wrote his verse on the south corridor wall, expressing what was in his heart. The verse said:
「身是菩提樹，心如明鏡臺，
時時勤拂拭，勿使惹塵埃。
"The body is a Bodhi tree, the mind a bright mirror stand. Constantly wipe it clean, let no dust alight."
「秀書偈了，便却歸房，人總不知。秀復思惟：『五祖明日見偈歡喜，即我與法有緣；若言不堪，自是我迷，宿業障重，不合得法。』聖意難測，房中思想，坐臥不安，直至五更。祖已知神秀入門未得，不見自性。
After Shenxiu had written his verse on the wall, he quietly returned to his room. No one else was aware of what he had done. Back in his room, Shenxiu pondered: “If the Fifth Patriarch is pleased with my verse tomorrow, it means I have a karmic connection with the Dharma. If he says it is inadequate, then it must be because I am still deluded, burdened by heavy karmic obstacles from past lives, and not yet ready to receive the Dharma.” The mind of a sage is hard to fathom. In his room, Shenxiu turned these thoughts over and over, unable to sit or rest peacefully, until the fifth watch of the night.
The Patriarch already knew that Shenxiu had not yet entered the gate of Dharma and had not seen his own true nature.
「天明，祖喚盧供奉來，向南廊壁間，繪畫圖相，忽見其偈，報言：『供奉却不用畫，勞爾遠來。經云：「凡所有相，皆是虛妄。」但留此偈，與人誦持。依此偈修，免墮惡道；依此偈修，有大利益。』令門人炷香禮敬，盡誦此偈，即得見性。門人誦偈，皆歎善哉。
At dawn, the Fifth Patriarch summoned the court painter Lu to the southern corridor to paint murals. Suddenly seeing the verse, he told him, "There is no need to paint anymore. You have come from afar for nothing. The sutra says, 'All forms are illusory.' Let this verse remain for people to recite and uphold. By practicing according to this verse, one can avoid falling into the evil realms; by practicing according to this verse, one gains great benefit." He then instructed his disciples to light incense, pay reverence, and recite this verse wholeheartedly, for through it they could realize their true nature. The disciples chanted the verse and all praised its excellence.
「祖，三更喚秀入堂，問曰：『偈是汝作否？』秀言：『實是秀作，不敢妄求祖位，望和尚慈悲，看弟子有少智慧否？』祖曰：『汝作此偈，未見本性，只到門外，未入門內。如此見解，覓無上菩提，了不可得；無上菩提，須得言下識自本心，見自本性不生不滅；於一切時中，念念自見萬法無滯，一真一切真，萬境自如如。如如之心，即是真實。若如是見，即是無上菩提之自性也。汝且去，一兩日思惟，更作一偈，將來吾看；汝偈若入得門，付汝衣法。』神秀作禮而出。又經數日，作偈不成，心中恍惚，神思不安，猶如夢中，行坐不樂。
The Patriarch summoned Shenxiu to his chamber at the third watch and asked, "Was that verse composed by you?"
Shenxiu replied, "It was indeed composed by me. I do not dare presume to seek the Patriarch's position. I only hope for your compassionate guidance to see if I possess any measure of wisdom."
The Patriarch said, "In composing this verse, you have not yet seen your true nature. You have only reached the gate, but have not yet entered within. With such understanding, to seek supreme enlightenment is utterly impossible. Supreme enlightenment must be realized in the moment of speaking—recognizing your own original mind, seeing your own original nature, which is neither born nor perishes. At all times, in every thought, perceive all phenomena without obstruction. When the one is true, all is true. All realms are as they truly are. Such a mind, as it truly is, is reality itself. If you see in this way, that is the original nature of supreme enlightenment. Go now, reflect for a day or two, and compose another verse. Bring it to me. If your verse enters the gate, I will transmit the robe and Dharma to you."
Shenxiu bowed and withdrew. After several more days, he could not compose a verse. His mind grew restless, his spirit uneasy, as if in a dream, finding no peace whether walking or sitting.
「復兩日，有一童子於碓坊過，唱誦其偈；惠能一聞，便知此偈未見本性，雖未蒙教授，早識大意。遂問童子曰：『誦者何偈？』童子曰：『爾這獵獠不知，大師言：「世人生死事大，欲得傳付衣法，令門人作偈來看。若悟大意，即付衣法為第六祖。」神秀上座，於南廊壁上，書無相偈，大師令人皆誦，依此偈修，免墮惡道；依此偈修，有大利益。』惠能曰：『(一本有我亦要誦此，結來生緣)上人！我此踏碓，八箇餘月，未曾行到堂前。望上人引至偈前禮拜。』童子引至偈前禮拜，惠能曰：『惠能不識字，請上人為讀。』時，有江州別駕，姓張名日用，便高聲讀。惠能聞已，遂言：『亦有一偈，望別駕為書。』別駕言：『汝亦作偈？其事希有。』惠能向別駕言：『欲學無上菩提，不得輕於初學。下下人有上上智，上上人有沒意智。若輕人，即有無量無邊罪。』別駕言：『汝但誦偈，吾為汝書。汝若得法，先須度吾。勿忘此言。』惠能偈曰：
Two days later, a young boy passed by the rice-hulling shed, chanting a verse. Upon hearing it, Huineng immediately knew that this verse had not yet grasped the true nature. Although he had not received formal instruction, he had long understood the essential meaning. He then asked the boy, “What verse are you chanting?”
The boy replied, “You, this southern barbarian, don’t know? The Great Master said, ‘For sentient beings, the matter of life and death is of utmost importance. I wish to pass on the robe and Dharma, so I have asked my disciples to compose verses for me to see. Whoever awakens to the essential meaning will receive the robe and Dharma and become the Sixth Patriarch.’ Senior Shenxiu wrote a verse of formlessness on the wall of the south corridor. The Great Master instructed everyone to chant it and practice according to it, so as to avoid falling into the evil paths. Practicing according to this verse brings great benefit.”
Huineng said, “(Another version adds: ‘I also wish to chant this verse to create a connection for future lives.’)Venerable one! I have been treading this rice huller for over eight months and have never gone to the front hall. I hope the venerable one can lead me to the verse so I may pay my respects.”
The boy led him to the verse to pay respects. Huineng said, “Huineng does not know how to read. Please, venerable one, read it for me.”
At that time, there was an official from Jiangzhou named Zhang Riyong, who read it aloud. After hearing it, Huineng said, “I also have a verse. I hope the official will write it down for me.”
The official said, “You can also compose a verse? That is rare indeed.”
Huineng said to the official, “If one wishes to learn the unsurpassed enlightenment, one must not look down upon beginners. The lowest person may possess the highest wisdom; the highest person may lack insight. To belittle others incurs immeasurable and boundless offenses.”
The official said, “Just recite your verse, and I will write it down for you. If you attain the Dharma, you must first liberate me. Do not forget these words.”
Huineng’s verse said:
「菩提本無樹，明鏡亦非臺；
本來無一物，何處惹塵埃？
The Bodhi tree is not a tree, The bright mirror is not a stand. Originally, there is not a single thing— Where could dust ever settle?
「書此偈已，徒眾總驚，無不嗟訝，各相謂言：『奇哉！不得以貌取人，何得多時使他肉身菩薩。』祖見眾人驚怪，恐人損害，遂將鞋擦了偈，曰：『亦未見性。』眾以為然。
After writing this verse, the assembly was astonished, and all sighed in amazement, saying to each other, "How remarkable! One should not judge by appearances. Who would have thought that for so long, we had a living Bodhisattva among us?"
Seeing the crowd's shock and concern, the Patriarch, fearing someone might harm him, wiped the verse away with his shoe and said, "He has not yet seen his true nature." The crowd accepted this as true.
「次日，祖潛至碓坊，見能腰石舂米，語曰：『求道之人，為法忘軀，當如是乎！』乃問曰：『米熟也未？』惠能曰：『米熟久矣，猶欠篩在。』祖以杖擊碓三下而去。惠能即會祖意，三鼓入室；祖以袈裟遮圍，不令人見，為說《金剛經》。至『應無所住而生其心』，惠能言下大悟，一切萬法，不離自性。遂啟祖言：『何期自性，本自清淨；何期自性，本不生滅；何期自性，本自具足；何期自性，本無動搖；何期自性，能生萬法。』祖知悟本性，謂惠能曰：『不識本心，學法無益；若識自本心，見自本性，即名丈夫、天人師、佛。』三更受法，人盡不知，便傳頓教及衣鉢，云：『汝為第六代祖，善自護念，廣度有情，流布將來，無令斷絕。聽吾偈曰：
The next day, the Patriarch secretly went to the threshing room. He saw Huineng pounding rice with a stone tied to his waist and said, "A seeker of the Way, who forgets his own body for the sake of the Dharma, should be just like this!" Then he asked, "Is the rice ready yet?"
Huineng replied, "The rice has been ready for a long time, but it still needs sifting."
The Patriarch struck the mortar three times with his staff and left. Huineng immediately understood his meaning. At the third watch of the night, he entered the Patriarch's chamber. The Patriarch covered them with his robe so no one could see and expounded the *Diamond Sutra* to him. When he reached the line, "One should give rise to a mind that abides nowhere," Huineng experienced a great awakening on the spot, realizing that all phenomena do not depart from one's own true nature.
He then addressed the Patriarch, saying, "Who would have thought that one's true nature is originally pure! Who would have thought that one's true nature is originally neither born nor extinguished! Who would have thought that one's true nature is originally complete in itself! Who would have thought that one's true nature is originally unmoving! Who would have thought that one's true nature can give rise to all phenomena!"
Knowing that Huineng had awakened to his fundamental nature, the Patriarch said to him, "If one does not recognize one's own original mind, studying the Dharma is of no benefit. If one recognizes one's own original mind and sees one's own true nature, then one is called a great being, a teacher of gods and humans, a Buddha."
He transmitted the teaching and the robe and bowl to Huineng in the third watch of the night, with no one else knowing, saying, "You are the Sixth Patriarch. Guard and nurture this well. Liberate all sentient beings widely, spread it for the future, and do not let it be cut off. Listen to my verse:"
「『有情來下種，因地果還生，
無情既無種，無性亦無生。』
"When sentient beings plant a seed, from the cause, the fruit will grow.
But what is without feeling has no seed, without nature, no birth."
「祖復曰：『昔達磨大師，初來此土，人未之信，故傳此衣，以為信體，代代相承；法則以心傳心，皆令自悟自解。自古，佛佛惟傳本體，師師密付本心；衣為爭端，止汝勿傳。若傳此衣，命如懸絲。汝須速去，恐人害汝。』惠能啟曰：『向甚處去？』祖云：『逢懷則止，遇會則藏。』惠能三更領得衣鉢，云：『能本是南中人，素不知此山路，如何出得江口？』五祖言：『汝不須憂，吾自送汝。』祖相送，直至九江驛。祖令上船，五祖把艣自搖。惠能言：『請和尚坐。弟子合搖艣。』祖云：『合是吾渡汝。』惠能云：『迷時師度，悟了自度；度名雖一，用處不同。惠能生在邊方，語音不正，蒙師傳法，今已得悟，只合自性自度。』祖云：『如是，如是！以後佛法，由汝大行。汝去三年，吾方逝世。汝今好去，努力向南。不宜速說，佛法難起。』
The Patriarch continued, "When the great master Bodhidharma first came to this land, people did not yet believe in him. Therefore, he passed down this robe as a token of faith, to be handed down from generation to generation. As for the Dharma, it is transmitted from mind to mind, leading each person to realize and understand for themselves. Since ancient times, Buddha has only transmitted the essence, and master has secretly entrusted the original mind. The robe has become a source of contention—let it stop with you and not be passed on. If you were to pass on this robe, your life would hang by a thread. You must leave quickly, for I fear others may harm you."
Huineng asked, "Where should I go?"
The Patriarch replied, "When you reach Huai, stop; when you meet Hui, hide."
At the third watch of the night, Huineng received the robe and bowl. He said, "I am originally from the southern region and have never known these mountain paths. How can I find my way to the river crossing?"
The Fifth Patriarch said, "Do not worry. I will see you off myself."
The Patriarch accompanied him all the way to the Jiujiang post station. He told Huineng to board the boat, and the Fifth Patriarch himself took up the oar to row.
Huineng said, "Please, Master, take a seat. It is fitting for the disciple to row."
The Patriarch replied, "It is I who should ferry you across."
Huineng said, "When one is deluded, the master guides; when one is awakened, one guides oneself. Though the word 'guide' is the same, its application differs. I was born in a remote region, and my speech is not refined. Thanks to my master’s transmission of the Dharma, I have now attained awakening. It is only fitting that I guide myself by my own nature."
The Patriarch said, "So it is, so it is! From now on, the Buddha-Dharma will flourish greatly because of you. Three years after you leave, I will pass away. Go now, and strive to head south. Do not speak of this too quickly, for the Dharma is difficult to establish."
「惠能辭違祖已，發足南行。兩月中間，至大庾嶺(五祖歸，數日不上堂。眾疑，詣問曰：『和尚少病少惱否？』曰：『病即無。衣法已南矣。』問：『誰人傳授？』曰：『能者得之。』眾乃知焉)。逐後數百人來，欲奪衣鉢。一僧俗姓陳，名惠明，先是四品將軍，性行麁慥，極意參尋。為眾人先，趁及惠能。惠能擲下衣鉢於石上，云：『此衣表信，可力爭耶？』能隱草莽中。惠明至，提掇不動，乃喚云：『行者！行者！我為法來，不為衣來。』惠能遂出，坐盤石上。惠明作禮云：『望行者為我說法。』惠能云：『汝既為法而來，可屏息諸緣，勿生一念。吾為汝說。』明良久。惠能云：『不思善，不思惡，正與麼時，那箇是明上座本來面目？』惠明言下大悟。復問云：『上來密語密意外，還更有密意否？』惠能云：『與汝說者，即非密也。汝若返照，密在汝邊。』明曰：『惠明雖在黃梅，實未省自己面目。今蒙指示，如人飲水，冷暖自知。今行者即惠明師也。』惠能曰：『汝若如是，吾與汝同師黃梅，善自護持。』明又問：『惠明今後向甚處去？』惠能曰：『逢袁則止，遇蒙則居。』明禮辭(明回至嶺下，謂趁眾曰：『向陟崔嵬，竟無蹤跡，當別道尋之。』趁眾咸以為然。惠明後改道明，避師上字)。
Huineng bid farewell to the Patriarch and set out on his journey south. After two months, he reached Dayu Ridge.
Hundreds of people pursued him, seeking to seize the robe and bowl. Among them was a monk whose lay surname was Chen, named Huiming. He had formerly been a fourth-grade general, rough and impulsive by nature, and was determined to track Huineng down. He led the others and was the first to catch up with Huineng.
Huineng threw the robe and bowl onto a rock and said, "This robe represents the transmission of faith. Can it be taken by force?" He then hid himself in the thick grass.
When Huiming arrived, he tried to pick up the robe and bowl but could not move them. He then called out, "Practitioner! Practitioner! I have come for the Dharma, not for the robe."
Huineng then came out and sat upon a flat rock. Huiming bowed and said, "I hope the Practitioner will expound the Dharma for me."
Huineng said, "Since you have come for the Dharma, you should quiet all conditions and not give rise to a single thought. I will explain it for you."
After Huiming remained silent for a long while, Huineng said, "Not thinking of good, not thinking of evil—at just this moment, what is your original face?"
At these words, Huiming was greatly enlightened. He then asked further, "Apart from the secret words and secret meaning just spoken, is there any further secret meaning?"
Huineng said, "What I have spoken to you is not secret. If you turn your light inward, the secret is with you."
Huiming said, "Although I was at Huangmei, I never truly understood my own original face. Now, having received this instruction, it is like a person drinking water—he alone knows whether it is cold or warm. Now you, Practitioner, are my teacher."
Huineng said, "If it is so, then you and I both take the Patriarch of Huangmei as our teacher. Take good care of yourself."
Huiming asked further, "Where should Huiming go from now on?"
Huineng said, "When you meet 'Yuan,' stop; when you encounter 'Meng,' dwell."
Huiming bowed and took his leave.
「惠能後至曹溪，又被惡人尋逐。乃於四會，避難獵人隊中，凡經一十五載，時與獵人隨宜說法。獵人常令守網，每見生命，盡放之。每至飯時，以菜寄煮肉鍋。或問，則對曰：『但喫肉邊菜。』
After Huineng arrived at Caoxi, he was once again pursued by those with ill intentions. He took refuge among a group of hunters in Sihui, where he remained for fifteen years. During this time, he would often explain the Dharma to the hunters in ways suited to their circumstances. The hunters often tasked him with watching their nets, but whenever he saw living creatures caught in them, he would release them all. When it came time for meals, he would cook his vegetables in the same pot used for meat. If someone asked him about this, he would reply, "I only eat the vegetables by the side of the meat."
「一日思惟：『時當弘法，不可終遯。』遂出至廣州法性寺，值印宗法師講《涅槃經》。時有風吹旛動，一僧曰：『風動。』一僧曰：『旛動。』議論不已。惠能進曰：『不是風動，不是旛動，仁者心動。』一眾駭然。印宗延至上席，徵詰奧義。見惠能言簡理當，不由文字，宗云：『行者定非常人。久聞黃梅衣法南來，莫是行者否？』惠能曰：『不敢。』宗於是作禮，告請傳來衣鉢出示大眾。宗復問曰：『黃梅付囑，如何指授？』惠能曰：『指授即無；惟論見性，不論禪定解脫。』宗曰：『何不論禪定解脫？』能曰：『為是二法，不是佛法。佛法是不二之法。』宗又問：『如何是佛法不二之法？』惠能曰：『法師講《涅槃經》，明佛性，是佛法不二之法。如高貴德王菩薩白佛言：「犯四重禁、作五逆罪，及一闡提等，當斷善根佛性否？」佛言：「善根有二：一者常，二者無常，佛性非常非無常，是故不斷，名為不二。一者善，二者不善，佛性非善非不善，是名不二。蘊之與界，凡夫見二，智者了達其性無二，無二之性即是佛性。」』印宗聞說，歡喜合掌，言：『某甲講經，猶如瓦礫；仁者論義，猶如真金。』於是為惠能剃髮，願事為師。惠能遂於菩提樹下，開東山法門。
One day, Huineng thought to himself: "Now is the time to spread the Dharma; I cannot remain hidden forever." So he went out and arrived at Faxing Temple in Guangzhou, where Master Yinzong was lecturing on the *Nirvana Sutra*. At that moment, a breeze stirred the temple banner. One monk said, "The wind is moving." Another said, "The banner is moving." They debated back and forth without reaching a conclusion. Huineng stepped forward and said, "It is not the wind moving, nor the banner moving—it is your minds that are moving." The entire assembly was astonished.
Yinzong invited Huineng to the seat of honor and questioned him on the profound meaning. Seeing that Huineng’s words were simple yet perfectly aligned with the truth, not relying on written texts, Yinzong said, "You, practitioner, are certainly no ordinary person. I have long heard that the robe and Dharma from Huangmei have come south—could it be you?" Huineng replied, "I dare not claim such honor." Yinzong then bowed respectfully and requested that the transmitted robe and bowl be shown to the assembly.
Yinzong further asked, "What instruction did Huangmei impart to you?" Huineng said, "There was no specific instruction; only discussion of seeing one’s true nature, not of meditation or liberation." Yinzong asked, "Why not discuss meditation and liberation?" Huineng replied, "Because those are dualistic methods, not the Buddha-Dharma. The Buddha-Dharma is the Dharma of non-duality."
Yinzong asked again, "What is the Dharma of non-duality?" Huineng said, "You, Master, lecture on the *Nirvana Sutra* and clarify the Buddha-nature—this is the Dharma of non-duality. As the noble Virtuous King Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: 'Those who commit the four grave offenses, the five heinous crimes, and the icchantikas—are they cut off from good roots and Buddha-nature?' The Buddha replied: 'Good roots are of two kinds: one is permanent, the other impermanent. But Buddha-nature is neither permanent nor impermanent; therefore it is not cut off. This is called non-duality. Good and not-good are dual, but Buddha-nature is neither good nor not-good. This is called non-duality. The aggregates and the realms—ordinary people see them as dual, but the wise understand that their nature is non-dual. This non-dual nature is precisely Buddha-nature.'"
Upon hearing this, Yinzong joyfully pressed his palms together and said, "My lecturing on the sutras is like rubble; your exposition of the meaning is like true gold." He then shaved Huineng’s head and asked to serve him as his teacher. Huineng then, beneath the Bodhi tree, opened the Dharma-gate of the Eastern Mountain.
「惠能於東山得法，辛苦受盡，命似懸絲。今日得與使君、官僚、僧尼、道俗同此一會，莫非累劫之緣，亦是過去生中供養諸佛，同種善根，方始得聞如上頓教得法之因。教是先聖所傳，不是惠能自智。願聞先聖教者，各令淨心，聞了各自除疑，如先代聖人無別。」
Huineng received the Dharma on Dongshan Mountain, enduring immense hardship, his life hanging by a thread. Today, I am able to gather here with you, officials, monks, nuns, and lay followers—this is no accident. It is due to karmic connections accumulated over countless lifetimes, and because in past lives we made offerings to the Buddhas and planted wholesome roots together. Only thus have we the opportunity to hear the teachings on the sudden enlightenment and the cause of attaining the Dharma. These teachings were transmitted by the ancient sages; they are not Huineng’s own wisdom. I ask all who wish to listen to the teachings of the sages to first purify your minds. After hearing, each of you should dispel your doubts, and you will be no different from the sages of old.
一眾聞法，歡喜作禮而退。
The assembly, having heard the teaching, rejoiced and withdrew with reverence.