---
title: "憨山老人夢遊集 · 與陳劒南貳師"
description: "憨山老人夢遊集是明代高僧憨山德清的著作集，由侍者福善日錄、门人通炯编辑整理。憨山德清是明末四大高僧之一，主张禅净双修，对佛教中国化有深远影响。该书收录了他的诗文、法语、书信等，内容涵盖禅宗思想、净土修行和佛教义理，展现了其圆融各宗的智慧。作为明代佛教重要文献，夢遊集不仅反映了当时佛教的发展状况，也为后世研究明代佛教思想提供了珍贵资料，在佛教史上具有重要地位。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmclqlk8400sjl704kbq3oyjr"
---

### 與陳劒南貳師

> With Chen Jiannan, the Second Teacher

承示近日於楞伽壇經探討。工夫頗進。此則大為足下慶幸。古人云。生平無限傷心事。不向空門何處消。以諸苦皆生於有。故佛說三界苦趣。謂之三有。所言空門。非空無之空。乃刳空之空。龐居士云。但願空諸所有。謂內空諸想。外空諸緣。內外皆空。心境俱泯。則諸苦自絕。此禪門出生死之捷徑也。所云淨土文。此又出苦海之要津。安可以淺近視之。試為足下略言之。佛者覺也。即吾人本有靈明性耳。吾心本來是佛。即六祖所云。本來無一物。若了此本來無物。即頓見自心本來佛性。是名成佛頓教法門。此外非別有佛可成也。言淨土者。有二種。謂事土理土。在事則涉有相修為。種種行門。即龍舒淨土文所說。乃接引中下根人之祕訣。所言理土。乃諸佛諸祖自受用之境界。名常寂光。言常則不變。寂則不動。光則不昧。即吾人自性之本體也。故云唯心淨土。自性彌陀。又云。心淨則佛土淨。又云。生則決定生。去則實不去。此乃上上根人所證境界。壇經淨土之旨。蓋謂此也。所云修淨土者。以念佛為主。蓋淨自心之方法耳。吾人日用萬苦交錯。穢濁本心。如污濁水。若急流猛𦦨。念佛一聲。則五內清涼。諸苦頓歇。此即佛救眾生之苦也。以念佛故。心垢頓除。一念清淨。所遇之境無非極樂。風聲月色無非真境。觸目無非淨土。舉念皆見彌陀。又何待三寸氣消。過十萬八千佛土之遠哉。此種法門。第一要決定志。第二要放得下。第三要隨得緣。然隨緣即安命也。第四要認得真。即不惑也。第五要厭苦切。然厭苦心切。則慾念自除。不退屈也。以此五訣。單持一念。如大將身陷重圍。決志突出。一人單刀與萬人敵。勇決如此。則生死怨賊。眾苦魔軍。不戰而自退。此所謂真將軍也。佛經云。與煩惱魔死魔共戰。有大功勛。出三界。破魔網。爾時如來一大歡喜。此正所謂向空門而消豪傑之氣者也。貧道自幼離俗。即切志此事。生平所遇魔壘甚多。皆力戰而退。然雖未出重圍。今可自稱佛門上將。不啻李廣飛騎。此事如人飲水。冷暖自知。安敢向俗人道。以此事。臣不得獻於君。子不得獻於父。又安敢為世俗友人乎。今足下猛然發此信心。蓋宿種有在。只待時而發。今見淨土一書。蓋春雨也。如膏之澤。潤已蕉之芽。此造化之機甚微。是亦足下受福之始也。貧道嘗謂。吾人處世。日用不過一飽食。一安眠耳。此外皆長物也。今既不得飽食安眠。且又拌死營營。以求悅人之耳目。以增自己之苦海。此可稱智人乎。既不得世閒受用。而出世之樂。又茫然不知。誠可憫耳。世閒事求之於人。出世事求之於己。在我所可必得者。捨之而不為。可為癡之至矣。如所云云者。皆貧道生平出家所證實到境界。殆非常流口舌者比。今計從十九歲出家。至五十八歲。四十年來。皆此一念。即今遭此大譴。於大苦猛火烈𦦨之中。得清涼地者。非別有方法耳。此事非足下有此大緣。必不敢道。恐掩口而笑耳。只如向來文字語言。種種皆從此中流出。自知就裏之妙。亦不能言。世人以文字目之。特淺淺耳。舉世法眼者稀。貧道年來混俗和光。此四字從小知妙。生平力學。近於十年之內。苦心操切。又今三年之內。稍得相應。可見涉世之難。至人不易學。不易至也。此獨與足下道耳。較之此事。全在逆境中做出。更見受用。且功更大。日劫相倍。此須大力量人。乃可為之。昔人有言。有將相之骨。無出家之福。此語不淺。然出家之難。亦非細事。貧道生平之苦。不啻足下萬倍。然受苦之志則與足下霄壤矣。貧道自出家以來。凡所稱謂。與人未嘗言兄弟二字。何也。其心志在於獨行獨步。不與世俗為伍。此乃向上出世志也。今三年之內。方與交遊。稱兄弟。正是混俗和光。得力最初一步工夫。是知菩薩應世之心。妙在無方無住。為最上乘。六祖一聞應無所住而生其心。則頓悟本來。曠劫生死苦輪頓息。此豈小丈夫哉。此則貧道自知。向皆住於偏枯空寂之地。即若世人住於煩惱海中。無二致也。足下乃向住於有者。與貧道住空無異。今能翻然一蹋便破。即頓超貧道三十年工夫。可稱一超直入。此非拋却現前境界。別求出路。若捨却目前。別求解脫。則非愚即狂。永嘉云。棄有著空病亦然。猶如避溺而投火。正謂此也。以與足下見面時難。前札蓋先已作。臨封復讀足下來書。感激過越。乃對使據案草草。不覺葛藤如許。蓋慣曾為侶偏憐客耳。足下發此無上心。乃出世因緣也。又安可以世俗泛泛而應。故披瀝如此。足下以此劄參之。以消日月。未必不為清涼散也。

> I have received your letter and learned that you have recently been delving into the \*Lankavatara Sutra\* and the \*Platform Sutra\*, making significant progress in your practice. This is truly something to celebrate. As the ancients said, "In this life of endless sorrows, if not within the gate of emptiness, where else can they be dispelled?" All suffering arises from attachment to existence, which is why the Buddha spoke of the three realms of suffering as the "three existences." The "gate of emptiness" mentioned here is not the emptiness of nothingness, but the emptiness that hollows out clinging. Layman Pang said, "I only wish to empty all that exists," meaning to empty internal thoughts and external conditions. When both inside and outside are emptied, mind and objects both vanish, and all suffering naturally ceases. This is the Chan path's shortcut to transcending birth and death. As for the \*Pure Land Texts\* you mentioned, they are another essential gateway out of the sea of suffering—how can they be regarded as shallow? Allow me to explain briefly. "Buddha" means "awakened," which is the inherent luminous nature within each of us. Our mind is originally Buddha, as the Sixth Patriarch said, "Originally there is not a single thing." If one realizes this original nothingness, one immediately sees the inherent Buddha-nature of one's own mind. This is called the sudden teaching of attaining Buddhahood. There is no other Buddha to attain apart from this. Regarding the Pure Land, there are two kinds: the phenomenal Pure Land and the principle Pure Land. On the phenomenal level, it involves practices with form, various methods of cultivation, as described in the \*Longshu Pure Land Texts\*. These are secret keys for guiding those of medium and lower capacities. The principle Pure Land is the realm of self-enjoyment of all Buddhas and patriarchs, called the "Eternal Still Light." "Eternal" means unchanging, "still" means unmoving, and "light" means unobscured—this is the original essence of our own nature. Thus it is said, "The Pure Land is only mind, Amitabha is self-nature." Also, "When the mind is pure, the Buddha-land is pure," and "Birth is definitely attained, yet going is actually not going." This is the realm realized by those of the highest capacity. The essence of the Pure Land in the \*Platform Sutra\* refers precisely to this. Practicing the Pure Land primarily involves Buddha-recitation, which is a method to purify one's own mind. In our daily lives, myriad sufferings intertwine, defiling our original mind like muddy water. But with a single, urgent and intense recitation of the Buddha's name, the five viscera become cool and refreshed, and all sufferings instantly cease. This is how the Buddha saves beings from suffering. Through Buddha-recitation, mental defilements are suddenly removed. With a single thought of purity, every encountered realm becomes the Land of Ultimate Bliss; the sound of wind and the light of the moon all become true reality. Wherever the eyes fall is the Pure Land; with every thought, Amitabha is seen. Why wait until the breath ceases to travel far across tens of thousands of Buddha-lands? For this Dharma gate, the first essential is resolute determination. The second is the ability to let go. The third is to accord with conditions—which is to accept one's lot. The fourth is to recognize truth—that is, to be free from confusion. The fifth is to deeply detest suffering. When the aversion to suffering is keen, desires naturally subside, and one does not retreat. With these five keys, single-mindedly maintain one thought. Like a great general trapped in a heavy siege, determined to break out, wielding a single blade against ten thousand foes—with such courage and resolve, the thieves of birth and death and the demon armies of suffering will retreat without a fight. This is what is called a true general. The sutras say, "To battle together with the demons of affliction and death, achieving great merit, transcending the three realms, and breaking the demon's net—at that time, the Tathagata is greatly delighted." This is precisely what is meant by "using the gate of emptiness to dissolve the hero's spirit." Since leaving the household life in my youth, I have earnestly devoted myself to this matter. Throughout my life, I have encountered many demonic fortresses, all of which I fought and repelled through sheer effort. Although I have not yet broken out of the heavy siege, I can now call myself a top general in the Buddha's gate, no less than Li Guang on his flying steed. This matter is like drinking water—one knows for oneself whether it is cold or warm. How dare I speak of it to worldly people? This is something a minister cannot offer to his sovereign, nor a son to his father—how much less dare I offer it to worldly friends? Now that you have suddenly aroused this faith, it must be due to seeds planted in the past, awaiting the right time to sprout. Encountering the Pure Land texts now is like spring rain, a rich moisture reviving a withered sprout. The workings of destiny are subtle—this is also the beginning of your good fortune. I have often said that in our life in the world, our daily needs are no more than a full meal and a peaceful sleep. Everything beyond that is superfluous. Yet now we not only lack sufficient food and rest, but also exhaust ourselves to the point of death, striving to please others' eyes and ears, thereby only deepening our own sea of suffering. Can this be called wise? Since we cannot enjoy worldly pleasures, and are utterly ignorant of the joy beyond the world, it is truly pitiable. Worldly matters depend on others; matters beyond the world depend on oneself. To neglect what I can certainly attain—is this not the height of folly? What I have described are all realms I have personally realized and reached through my life of leaving home. They are hardly comparable to the empty talk of ordinary people. Counting from when I left home at nineteen to my current age of fifty-eight, for forty years this single thought has been my focus. Even now, facing this great tribulation, finding a place of coolness within the great suffering and fierce flames of fire is due to no other method. Were it not for your great affinity, I would never dare speak of this, fearing people would cover their mouths and laugh. All the writings and words I have produced flow from this source. I know the wonder within, yet cannot fully express it. The world sees them merely as writings—a shallow view indeed. Those with the Dharma-eye are rare in this world. In recent years, I have "mixed with the mundane and harmonized with the light." These four words I understood as wonderful from a young age. I have striven diligently all my life, and in the past ten years, with intense and earnest effort—and particularly in the last three years—I have gradually attained some correspondence. This shows how difficult it is to navigate the world; becoming a perfected one is not easy to learn nor to achieve. This I share with you alone. Compared to this, the entire matter is accomplished within adverse conditions, making the enjoyment even greater and the merit vastly multiplied, with days and kalpas differing by multiples. This requires a person of great strength to accomplish. An ancient saying goes, "One may have the bones of a general or minister, yet lack the fortune to leave home." These words are profound. Yet the difficulty of leaving home is also no small matter. The suffering in my life is no less than ten thousand times yours, yet my determination to endure suffering is worlds apart from yours. Since leaving home, in all my interactions, I have never addressed anyone as "brother." Why? Because my mind was set on walking alone, not mingling with the worldly crowd. This was the aspiration to transcend the world. Only in the past three years have I begun to socialize and use terms like "brother." This is precisely "mixing with the mundane and harmonizing with the light"—the initial step where effort bears fruit. Thus we know the mind of a bodhisattva responding to the world is wondrous in being unconstrained and unattached, belonging to the highest vehicle. When the Sixth Patriarch heard "produce the mind that abides nowhere," he immediately awakened to the original nature, and the wheel of birth and death through countless kalpas instantly ceased. Was this the work of a petty person? This I know myself. Previously, I dwelled in a one-sided, barren emptiness—just as worldly people dwell in a sea of afflictions; there is no difference. You used to dwell in existence, just as I dwelled in emptiness. Now you can suddenly break through with a single step, immediately surpassing thirty years of my effort. This can be called a direct leap. This is not about discarding the present realm to seek another way out. If you abandon the immediate to seek liberation elsewhere, you are either foolish or mad. Yongjia said, "To reject existence and cling to emptiness is likewise a sickness, like fleeing drowning only to leap into fire." This is exactly what it means. Since meeting you is difficult, I had already written the previous letter. Before sealing it, I reread your letter and was deeply moved, so I hastily added these words at my desk. Unconsciously, the vines have grown this long—perhaps it's because, having been a companion myself, I particularly empathize with the traveler. Your arousal of this unsurpassed mind is a cause for transcending the world. How could I respond with mere worldly pleasantries? Therefore, I have laid bare my heart like this. Take this letter and reflect on it to pass the days—it may well serve as a dose of cooling medicine.

又。

前得來書。有歸心淨土之說。足下猛利如此。因而對使。據案草草盈紙。不知所云。大段極言。勸足下著實在不如意中。討個安樂地。所遇境緣難處。就在難處中。放下身心。任他呼牛呼馬。在我無可不可。此段受用。惟老子能之。即夫子未得此法門。未免處世為難。及見老子之後。被他痛處一錐。直透到底。當便得無量受用。至若對門弟子說。毋意毋必毋固毋我。與夫空空如也。此段皆了悟後的話頭。決不是在前頭巾語也。吾人心中不淨。只是者些人我是非。執情放不下。意必固我。定要依我。方是好事。且我既要依我。而人豈不要依他人乎。此皆苦海穢土中事。只放下此心。心中便乾乾淨淨。快活無喻。何為而不可。坦坦蕩蕩。即此便與佛心相應。以此心念佛。則心心皆彌陀。念念皆淨土也。

> I received your previous letter, which mentioned your aspiration to turn your heart toward the Pure Land. With such resolute determination, I took the opportunity to write back immediately, filling the page with hasty thoughts—I’m not even sure what I said. In essence, I strongly encourage you to truly seek a place of peace and joy right within life’s dissatisfactions. When you encounter difficult circumstances, simply let go of body and mind right there in the midst of the difficulty. Let others call you an ox or a horse—to you, it makes no difference. This kind of ease is something only Laozi truly mastered. Even Confucius, before learning this method, found navigating the world quite challenging. But after meeting Laozi, he was struck right at his core, pierced through to the bottom, and instantly gained immeasurable ease. Later, when Confucius spoke to his disciples about “having no arbitrary ideas, no inflexible expectations, no stubbornness, no ego,” and about being “empty and open,” these were all expressions born of deep realization—certainly not mere scholarly talk before awakening. The impurity in our minds comes precisely from these notions of self and others, right and wrong, and the attachments we can’t let go of. We cling to our ideas, insist on our ways, and stubbornly hold to our egos, believing things must go our way to be good. But if I insist on having my way, wouldn’t others also want things their way? All of this belongs to the realm of suffering, the defiled land. Simply let go of this mind, and your heart will become clean and clear, indescribably joyful and free. Why wouldn’t you choose this? Open and unobstructed, this very mind aligns with the Buddha’s heart. With this mind, recite the Buddha’s name, and every thought becomes Amitabha, every moment becomes the Pure Land.

又。

> Furthermore.

在省臨行。種種夢事。據其所述。了然目前。雖未盡信。蓋於言外。已得其微旨。大為快事。自古操行之士。慮其人品未定。罹患難者。恐其功罪不明。貧道今已兩得之。幸之幸也。即老死溝壑。又何憾焉。是故休老曹谿。志願益堅。儻徼六祖之靈。借一掊土。掩此枯骨。更復何慕。以此修崇之舉。其功雖鉅。不以歲月計其速成。此心頗覺自寬。且法門佛事。如空中雲。原無定相。如亢陽禱雨。以精誠之至。無不尅應。天時人事。其致一也。曉公天性敦篤。忠實君子。即名教中所難得者。惜乎氣過於躁。而心過於慈。故於小人之言。易動而無斷。貧道感知己之遇。且為地方作福。橫身於百折之鋒。而與生民除其害之大者。幸亦催僅自免。今區區力已竭矣。而事方無涯。安能以有限之精神。泛無涯之毒海。豈有智者所甘心耶。去歲非貧道在。則地方大有可畏者。今秋極欲邀貧道往。故力辭之耳。貧道自視此身。為法門所繫。將徼佛祖之靈。託之以為萬世功德。是大有過於此者。敢不自愛。今多方委曲。始遂藏迹之計。況自今以望。故吾不遠。豈忍蒙不潔。又為淨土之污辱乎。鳥不厭高。魚不厭深。曹谿將為邱隅也。足下知我者。以為何如。承示念佛。須持數珠。此繫念工夫最親切。向日不敢言者。恐足下有恥心在耳。今既須之。謹將自持伽南香珠一串奉上。但把持已久。香氣雖無。而精神已滿。知足下得此。必能頓入歡喜藏也。

> Before my departure, I recounted various dream experiences. Though not entirely convinced, I grasped their subtle meaning beyond words, which brought me great joy. Throughout history, those who uphold virtue worry about their character being unsettled; those facing adversity fear their merits and faults remain unclear. Now, I have attained both—what fortune indeed! Even if I were to grow old and die in a ditch, what regret would I have? Therefore, my resolve to retire at Caoxi grows ever firmer. If, by the grace of the Sixth Patriarch, I may borrow a handful of earth to cover these old bones, what more could I desire? Though the task of restoration is great, I do not measure its completion by days or months. This heart feels quite at ease. Moreover, the affairs of the Dharma are like clouds in the sky—without fixed form. Just as sincere prayers for rain during a drought will surely be answered, so too do heavenly timing and human affairs share the same principle. Master Xiao is by nature sincere and honest—a gentleman rare even within the confines of conventional teachings. Yet, alas, his temper is too hasty and his heart too compassionate, making him easily swayed by petty words and indecisive. I am grateful for the bond of mutual understanding and, for the sake of the local community's welfare, have thrown myself into the midst of countless dangers to rid the people of great harm. Fortunately, I have narrowly escaped. Now, my strength is exhausted, yet the troubles are boundless. How can one with limited energy navigate an endless sea of poison? Would any wise person willingly do so? Had I not been here last year, the region would have faced great peril. This autumn, they urgently wished to summon me, but I firmly declined. I regard this body as bound to the Dharma, entrusted by the grace of the Buddhas and patriarchs to accomplish merits for ten thousand generations—a far greater purpose than this. How could I not cherish it? After much deliberation, I have finally settled on a plan to withdraw from sight. Looking ahead, my former self is not far off—how could I bear to defile it and bring disgrace upon the Pure Land? Birds do not tire of heights; fish do not tire of depths. Caoxi shall become my refuge. You, who know me well—what do you think? You mentioned that reciting the Buddha's name requires a mala—this is the most intimate practice for maintaining mindfulness. Previously, I hesitated to speak of it, fearing it might cause you shame. Now that you need one, I respectfully offer you a string of agarwood beads I have long used. Though their fragrance may have faded, their spirit is full. I trust that with these, you will swiftly enter the treasury of joy.