---
title: "五燈會元 · 洪州法達禪師"
description: "五燈會元由宋代高僧普濟編撰，成書於南宋淳祐年間，是中國禪宗重要典籍之一。該書彙編了禪宗五家七宗的傳法譜系與公案語錄，包括法眼、雲門、曹洞、臨濟、溈仰五宗祖師的機鋒對話與悟道因緣，系統整理了禪宗從初祖達摩至唐宋時期的發展脈絡。全書共二十卷，以燈燈相傳為喻，展現了禪宗心法傳承的歷史軌跡。作為研究唐宋禪宗思想的核心文獻，五燈會元不僅是佛教史學的重要資料，更是禪門修行者參究心性的權威指南，在中國佛教史上具有不可替代的地位。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cma8xe4jt0jdpl404jp7ilvia"
---

### 洪州法達禪師者

> Master Fada of Hongzhou

洪州豐城人也。七歲出家。誦法華經。進具之後。禮拜六祖。頭不至地。祖訶曰。禮不投地。何如不禮。汝心中必有一物。蘊習何事邪。師曰。念法華經已及三千部。祖曰。汝若念至萬部。得其經意。不以為勝。則與吾偕行。汝今負此事業。都不知過。聽吾偈曰。禮本折慢幢。頭奚不至地。有我罪即生。亡功福無比。祖又曰。汝名甚麼。對曰。名法達。祖曰。汝名法達。何曾達法。復說偈曰。汝今名法達。勤誦未休歇。空誦但循聲。明心號菩薩。汝今有緣故。吾今為汝說。但信佛無言。蓮華從口發。師聞偈。悔過曰。而今而後。當謙恭一切。惟願和尚大慈。略說經中義理。祖曰。汝念此經。以何為宗。師曰。學人愚鈍。從來但依文誦念。豈知宗趣。祖曰。汝試為吾念一徧。吾當為汝解說。師即高聲念經。至方便品。祖曰。止。此經元來以因緣出世為宗。縱說多種譬喻。亦無越於此。何者。因緣唯一大事。一大事即佛知見也。汝慎勿錯解經意。見他道開示悟入。自是佛之知見。我輩無分。若作此解。乃是謗經毀佛也。彼既是佛。已具知見。何用更開。汝今當信。佛知見者。只汝自心。更無別體。葢為一切眾生自蔽光明。貪愛塵境。外緣內擾。甘受驅馳。便勞他從三昧起。種種苦口。勸令寢息。莫向外求。與佛無二。故云。開佛知見。汝但勞勞執念。謂為功課者。何異氂牛愛尾也。師曰。若然者。但得解義。不勞誦經邪。祖曰。經有何過。豈障汝念。只為迷悟在人。損益由汝。聽吾偈曰。心迷法華轉。心悟轉法華。誦久不明己。與義作讐家。無念念即正。有念念成邪。有無俱不計。長御白牛車。師聞偈再啟曰。經云諸大聲聞。乃至菩薩。皆盡思度量。尚不能測於佛智。今令凡夫但悟自心。便名佛之知見。自非上根。未免疑謗。又經說三車。大牛之車與白牛車如何區別。願和尚再垂宣說。祖曰。經意分明。汝自迷背。諸三乘人不能測佛智者。患在度量也。饒伊盡思共推。轉加懸遠。佛本為凡夫說。不為佛說。此理若不肯信者。從他退席。殊不知坐却白牛車。更於門外覔三車。況經文明向汝道。無二亦無三。汝何不省三車是假。為昔時故。一乘是實。為今時故。只教你去假歸實。歸實之後。實亦無名。應知所有珍財。盡屬於汝。由汝受用。更不作父想。亦不作子想。亦無用想。是名持法華經。從劫至劫。手不釋卷。從晝至夜。無不念時也。師既蒙啟發。踊躍歡喜。以偈贊曰。經誦三千部。曹谿一句亡。未明出世旨。寧歇累生狂。羊鹿牛權設。初中後善揚。誰知火宅內。元是法中王。祖曰。汝今後方可為念經僧也。師從此領旨。亦不輟誦持。

> Hongzhou, Fengcheng native. Left home at seven, recited the Lotus Sutra. After full ordination, came to bow to the Sixth Patriarch. His head didn't touch the ground. The Patriarch scolded him, saying, "If you bow without touching your head, better not to bow at all. There must be something in your mind—what practice have you been holding onto?" The master said, "I've recited the Lotus Sutra three thousand times." The Patriarch said, "If you recite it ten thousand times and grasp its true meaning, yet don't consider it a triumph, then you can walk with me. But now you're weighed down by this achievement, unaware of your fault. Listen to my verse: Bowing is meant to break pride's mast. Why doesn't your head touch the ground? With a self, offense arises; Forgetting merit, blessings beyond measure." The Patriarch then asked, "What's your name?" He replied, "My name is Fada." The Patriarch said, "Your name is Fada—'Dharma-Reached'—but have you ever reached the Dharma?" And he gave another verse: "Your name now is Fada, Diligent reciting without rest. Reciting hollowly just follows sound; Understanding mind is called Bodhisattva. Since you have conditions now, I'll speak this for you: Just trust that Buddha speaks nothing, And lotuses issue from your mouth." Hearing this verse, the master repented and said, "From now on, I'll be humble and respectful toward all. I only ask the Master, in great compassion, to briefly explain the essential meaning of the sutra." The Patriarch said, "When you recite this sutra, what do you take as its core?" The master said, "This student is dull-witted; I've only ever recited it by the text. How could I know its core intent?" The Patriarch said, "Try reciting it once for me, and I'll explain it for you." The master then recited in a loud voice. When he reached the Chapter on Skillful Means, the Patriarch said, "Stop. This sutra's core has always been: appearing in the world because of causes and conditions. However many parables it tells, none go beyond this. Why? Because the one great cause is a single great matter—and that great matter is the Buddha's knowledge and vision. Be careful not to misunderstand the sutra's meaning. When you see others speak of 'opening, showing, awakening, and entering,' that is the Buddha's knowledge and vision, and you might think it's not for us. But to interpret it that way is to slander the sutra and malign the Buddha. Since he is already Buddha, he already possesses that knowledge and vision—why would it need to be opened? You should now trust: the Buddha's knowledge and vision is just your own mind, nothing else. It's because all beings cover over their own light, clinging greedily to the dust of sense objects, letting inner and outer disturbances drive them, willingly enslaved—so the Buddha rises from samadhi and with all kinds of bitter words urges them to calm down and rest, not to seek outside. Then they're no different from Buddha. That's why it's called 'opening the Buddha's knowledge and vision.' But you, clinging to recitation as a meritorious task—how is that different from a yak loving its own tail?" The master said, "If that's so, then just understanding the meaning is enough—no need to recite the sutra?" The Patriarch said, "What fault does the sutra have? It doesn't obstruct your recitation. It's just that confusion or awakening depends on the person, gain or loss up to you. Listen to my verse: When mind is confused, the Lotus Sutra turns you; When mind awakens, you turn the Lotus Sutra. Reciting long without understanding self— That makes an enemy of meaning. Thought with no-mind is right; Thought with grasping is wrong. Neither existent nor non-existent— Ride the white ox cart forever." Hearing this verse, the master asked again, "The sutra says that even the great voice-hearers and bodhisattvas, exhausting their thought and measure, still cannot fathom the Buddha's wisdom. Now you say ordinary people need only awaken their own mind to be called the Buddha's knowledge and vision. Unless one has superior faculties, doubt and slander are inevitable. Also, the sutra speaks of three carts—how does the great ox cart differ from the white ox cart? I beg the Master to explain again." The Patriarch said, "The sutra's meaning is clear—you're the one confused and turning away. The reason those of the three vehicles can't fathom the Buddha's wisdom is that they try to measure it. The more they exhaust their thinking and joint speculation, the further they drift. The Buddha originally spoke for ordinary beings, not for Buddhas. If people won't accept this principle, they can leave the assembly. But they fail to realize they're already sitting in the white ox cart, still hunting for three carts outside the gate. And the sutra tells you plainly: 'There is no two, no three.' Why don't you see that the three carts are provisional, given for earlier times, while the one vehicle is real, given for now? It only teaches you to set aside the provisional and return to the real. And once you return to the real, even the real has no name. You should know: all the treasure belongs to you, for you to use freely—no more thought of 'father,' no thought of 'son,' not even a thought of 'using.' That is what it means to uphold the Lotus Sutra—from eon to eon, never putting the scroll down; from day to night, never a moment not reciting." Having received this awakening, the master leaped with joy and praised in verse: "Three thousand recitations of the sutra— One line from Caoxi and they're gone. Without understanding the meaning of arising, How could the madness of lifetimes cease? Sheep, deer, ox—provisional setups; Beginning, middle, end—all well proclaimed. Who would know inside the burning house Was always the king of Dharma?" The Patriarch said, "From now on you may truly be called a sutra-reciting monk." From then on, the master grasped the essential meaning and never stopped his recitation and practice.