二 簡器
2. Selecting the Vessel
(若簡三期坐禪之器。僧尼士女互不相通。僧及男子許同。尼及女人許同。若簡三七日禮懺之器。則四眾皆通。但尼及俗眾。須在壇外。餘堪與不堪等。如文中自述)。堪任入道場禮懺人。略有三類。一起行入證。二滅業成信。三熏種結緣。初中欲修證者。必須先訪真善知識。如達磨心地宗中代代承稟正解悟者。或天台宗中精通三觀三諦者。諮求秘妙。乞示心法。令自分明了達心性。然後聽受圓覺經疏。首未通會。無所疑慮。又僧尼士女。各依本戒。受持清淨。然後可入道場專志尅證。何以故。緣此禮懺詞句。一一是觀智之境。稱性之文。若不通經悟心。則難得文意。但成聲韻不印自心。觀行無由成就。若在道場。方得法主開示。即纔貪領義。何暇安禪。若破戒不悔。即心畜垢念。何堪習定。欲求證相之人。必先慧解明白。志行清潔 二滅業成信者。謂有或僧或俗。未悟自心。未聽經疏。但汎爾信此教法。是出凡入聖之門。因遇道場。願同修習。屏絕諸緣。決志依期。於諸戒品。則或受未受。或持或犯。然道場限內。誓不為非。又有明師。始終教授。設有破戒之罪。或業道罪。亦的擬於道場禮念發露懺除。如是之人。亦可隨清淨眾同入行道。雖難得如經證驗。亦必得信根成就。滅諸罪業。永不退心。便成累生修行基本。若未誓心的不造業。則塵境緣想。住運潛流。難得觀行成就 三熏種結緣者。復有或僧或俗。未曾於此教發心。但汎信三寶是所歸仗。亦不辨何門最深。何法最真。偶遇道場便隨喜欲入。但意在三七禮懺。長福消殃。不能終期。坐禪決志修道者。則法主須為說。此本是禪觀。道場禮懺者。蓋是方便。即時既未能依教修習。須重發誓願。或他日或他生。決定屏緣修之。今日諦聽詞句。以熏智種。至誠禮念。以結良緣。願與此一道場人。此生他世。永同法行。先得道者願相濟拔。宿生多障。願得除滅。如此一一興說勝事。令一一曉會大意。一一領受因緣。即他生。與道場中修行者。必相會遇故。今亦容入道場。三七日禮懺。若三七日後。即尼女悉不通也。若是尼眾道場。則不論禮懺坐禪。其僧眾都不合入也。尼眾位卑僧。不合却隨文禮懺。受教戒故。除上三類之人。即入道場無益。法主切不得為人情利養。容入等閑之流。既慢心未除。信心未發。三業懈怠。惑亂諸徒。賢聖不喜。神祇不祐。思之思之。
(To briefly categorize those suitable for sitting meditation retreats: monks and nuns, laymen and laywomen should not mix. Monks and male practitioners may sit together; nuns and female practitioners may sit together. When selecting participants for a 21-day repentance retreat, all four groups are allowed, but nuns and laypeople must remain outside the ritual platform. As for who is or isn't suitable, the text explains itself.)
Those suitable for entering the practice space to perform repentance and worship fall into three categories:
First, those who practice to realize enlightenment. Those who seek to cultivate realization must first visit a true spiritual guide—someone like a teacher in the Bodhidharma lineage who has inherited correct understanding and awakening, or someone in the Tiantai tradition who has mastered the Three Contemplations and Three Truths. They should consult on secret and profound teachings, seek instructions on the mind, and gain clear understanding of their own mind-nature. Only then should they listen to and study the *Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment* and its commentaries, thoroughly comprehending from beginning to end without any doubt. Additionally, whether monks, nuns, laymen, or laywomen, each must observe their own precepts purely. Only then can they enter the practice space with single-minded dedication to realize enlightenment. Why? Because the words of this repentance ritual are all objects of insight and contemplation—expressions that accord with one's true nature. Without understanding the sutras and awakening the mind, it's difficult to grasp the meaning of these words; they become mere sound and rhythm that don't imprint the mind, and insight practice cannot succeed. If someone waits until they are in the practice space to receive instructions from the teacher, they'll be too busy grasping meanings to have time for meditation. If one has broken precepts without repentance, their mind harbors defilements—how can they be fit for meditation? Those seeking realization must first have clear wisdom and pure conduct.
Second, those who eliminate karma and establish faith. Some practitioners, whether monastic or lay, have not awakened their own mind nor studied the sutras and commentaries. They simply have general faith that this teaching is the gate to transcend the ordinary and enter the sacred. When they encounter a practice space, they wish to join and cultivate. They renounce all worldly entanglements and commit to following the schedule. Regarding the precepts, they may or may not have received them; they may observe or violate them—yet within the retreat's duration, they vow not to commit wrongs. With a qualified teacher instructing them throughout, even if they have crimes of broken precepts or karmic offenses, they can genuinely repent and confess during the repentance sessions. Such people may join the pure assembly and enter practice. Though they may not achieve scriptural verification, they will certainly establish faith, eliminate sins, become irreversible in aspiration, and lay the foundation for many lifetimes of practice. If someone hasn't vowed not to create harm, worldly conditions and thoughts will flow unconsciously, making insight practice difficult.
Third, those who plant seeds and create connections. There are also practitioners, monastic or lay, who haven't generated aspiration toward this teaching but generally trust the Three Jewels as their refuge. They don't distinguish which tradition is deepest or which teaching truest. When they happen upon a practice space, they joyfully wish to enter, simply intending to perform 21 days of repentance practice to increase merit and eliminate misfortune—without committing to the full schedule of meditation and determined cultivation. The teacher should explain to them: This is fundamentally a meditation practice; the repentance ritual is a skillful means. Since they cannot yet practice according to the teaching, they must renew their vows: in this life or a future one, they will definitely renounce all distractions and cultivate. Today, let them listen attentively to these words to plant seeds of wisdom, and with sincerity perform repentance and worship to create wholesome connections. Let them vow: May those in this practice space, in this life and the next, forever share the same Dharma practice; may those who awaken first help rescue the others; may their many karmic obstacles from past lives be eliminated. Thus, explain these noble matters point by point, helping each person understand the meaning and embrace the causes and conditions. Then in future lives, they will surely meet again with those who practice here. So now they too may enter the practice space for 21 days of repentance. After those 21 days, however, nuns and laywomen are not allowed.
If it's a nuns' retreat, monastics of the opposite sex cannot participate, whether for repentance or meditation. Because nuns are junior in rank, monks should not follow them in liturgical worship, as they are the ones who give precepts and teachings. Aside from these three categories, entering the practice space yields no benefit. The teacher must not admit idle people out of personal connections or material gain. Those whose arrogance remains unsubdued, whose faith hasn't arisen, whose three actions are slothful, and who disturb the assembly—holy beings won't delight in them, and spirits won't protect them. Think on this carefully.