南嶽禪師止觀序
Master Nanyue's Treatise on Calming and Insight
天竺寺沙門遵式述
Written by the Monk Zunshi of Tianzhu Temple
止觀用也本乎明靜。明靜德也本乎一性。性體本覺謂之明。覺體本寂謂之靜。明靜不二謂之體。體無所分則明靜安寄。體無不備則明靜斯在。語體則非一而常一。語德乃不二而常二。秖分而不分秖一而不一耳。體德無改疆名為萬法之性。體德無住疆名為萬法之本。萬法者復何謂也。謂舉體明靜之所為也。何其然乎。良由無始本覺之明疆照照生而自惑謂之昏。無始無住之本隨緣緣起而自亂謂之動。昏動既作萬法生焉。揑目空華豈是他物。故云。不變隨緣名之為心。隨緣不變名之為性。心昏動也性明靜也。若知無始即明而為昏故可了今即動而為靜。於是聖人見其昏動可即也明靜可復也。故因靜以訓止止其動也。因明以教觀觀其昏也。使其究一念即動而靜即昏而明。昏動既息萬法自亡。但存乎明靜之體矣。是為圓頓是為無作。是如來行是照性成修修成而用廢。誰論止觀體顯而性泯亦無明靜豁然。誰寄無所名焉為示物旨歸。止成謂之解脫。觀成謂之般若。體顯謂之法身。是三即一是一即三。如伊三點如天三目。非縱橫也非一異也。是為不思議三德是為大般涅槃也。嗚呼此法自鶴林韜光授大迦葉。迦葉授之阿難。阿難而下燈燈相屬至第十一馬鳴。鳴授龍樹。樹以此法寄言于中觀論。論度東夏獨淮河慧文禪師解之授南嶽大師。南嶽從而照心即復于性獲六根清淨位隣乎聖。斯止觀之用驗矣。我大師惜之無聞後代。從大悲心出此數萬言。目為大乘止觀亦名一乘亦名曲示心要。分為二卷。初卷開止觀之解。次卷示止觀之行。解行備矣猶目足焉。俾我安安不遷而運到清涼池。噫斯文也歲月遼遠。因韜晦于海外道將復行也。果咸平三祀日本國圓通大師寂照錫背扶桑杯汎諸夏。既登鄮嶺解篋出卷。天竺沙門遵式首而得之。度支外郎朱公頔冠首序。出俸錢模板廣而行之。大矣哉斯法也。始自西傳猶月之生。今復東返猶日之升。素影圓暉終環回於我土也。因序大略以紀顯晦耳。
The function of stopping and contemplation (zhi-guan) is grounded in clarity and stillness. The virtue of clarity and stillness is rooted in one ultimate nature. The essence of this nature is inherently awake—this is called clarity. The awoken essence is fundamentally still—this is called stillness. Clarity and stillness are not two separate things—this is called the essence.
Since the essence has no division, where could we locate clarity or stillness? Since the essence lacks nothing, clarity and stillness are right there within it. If we speak of the essence, it is not one yet always one. If we speak of its virtue, it is not two yet always two. It is divided yet undivided; it is one yet not one.
The essence and its virtue are unchanging, yet we provisionally name them "the nature of all phenomena." The essence and its virtue are without fixed abode, yet we provisionally name them "the ground of all phenomena." What do we mean by "all phenomena"? They are nothing other than the activities of this very essence in its clarity and stillness.
How can this be? From beginningless time, the original enlightened clarity shone forth. But when that brightness attempted to illuminate something, attachment arose, and self-delusion set in—this is called confusion. From beginningless time, the ground without fixed abode followed conditions. As conditions stirred, chaos ensued—this is called agitation. Once confusion and agitation appeared, all phenomena were born. This is like squeezing one's eyes to see spots in the sky—these spots are not separate things.
Thus it is said: "That which is unchanging yet follows conditions is called mind. That which follows conditions yet remains unchanging is called nature." The mind is confusion and agitation; the nature is clarity and stillness. If we realize that from beginningless time we have confused clarity for confusion, we can now transform agitation into stillness.
The sages saw that confusion and agitation can be directly worked with, and that clarity and stillness can be restored. Therefore, through stillness they taught stopping (zhi) to bring agitation to rest. Through clarity they taught contemplation (guan) to illuminate confusion. They instructed people to examine a single thought: within agitation, there is stillness; within confusion, there is clarity.
Once confusion and agitation cease, all phenomena naturally disappear. Only the essence of clarity and stillness remains. This is called perfect and sudden awakening. This is the non-fabricated path. This is the practice of the Tathagata. This is illuminating our nature to cultivate practice. When practice is perfected, its function is no longer needed—why speak of stopping and contemplation? When the essence manifests, nature itself vanishes—there is no clarity or stillness either. Suddenly, there is nothing left to rely on. Without any designation, we offer this as guide for all beings.
The completion of stopping is called liberation. The completion of contemplation is called wisdom. The manifestation of essence is called the truth-body. These three are one, and one is three. Like the three dots of the letter "伊" or the three eyes of Heaven—they are neither horizontal nor vertical, neither one nor different. This is the inconceivable threefold virtue. This is the great perfect nirvana.
Alas! This teaching was entrusted to Mahakashyapa after the Buddha's passing under the twin sal trees. Kashyapa passed it to Ananda. From Ananda onward, lamp after lamp transmitted it down to the eleventh patriarch, Ashvaghosha. Ashvaghosha taught it to Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna expressed this teaching in his Treatise on the Middle Way. When this treatise reached China, only Chan Master Huiwen of the Huai River region understood it. He taught it to Great Master Nanyue (Huisi). Nanyue, by contemplating his own mind, directly recovered his true nature, attained purity of the six senses, and approached sagehood—such was the power of stopping and contemplation in action.
My great master, Zhiyi, lamented that this teaching might be lost to future generations. Out of great compassion, he produced this text of tens of thousands of words, calling it the Great Calming and Contemplation (Mohe Zhiguan). It is also called the One Vehicle or a Special Exposition of the Mind's Essence. It is divided into two volumes: the first opens up the understanding of stopping and contemplation; the second shows their practice. With both understanding and practice complete, it is like having both eyes and feet. This allows us to stay steady and unmoved, yet be carried to the cooling pond of liberation.
Alas! After long years, this text was hidden overseas. But the Way was destined to return. In the third year of the Xianping era (1000 CE), the Japanese master Shaku (Shao)byō, a perfect and penetrating teacher, carried this text across the sea from Japan to China on a clay pot. When he arrived at Maoling Mountain, he opened his case and took out the scroll. Indian monk Shishi (Zunshī) was the first to receive it. Vice Minister Zhu (Di) of the Finance Ministry wrote the preface. With donated funds, he had it carved onto blocks and widely distributed.
Great indeed is this Dharma! At first it came from the West to the East, like the rising moon. Now it returns eastward, like the rising sun. The moon's clear disk and full radiance will ultimately revolve again on our soil. I have therefore written this brief preface to record its hidden and revealed history.