達磨大師血脉論
The Bloodline Treatise of Great Master Bodhidharma
三界混起。同歸一心。前佛後佛以心傳心。不立文字。
The three realms arise in confusion, all returning to a single mind. Buddhas past and present transmit mind to mind, without establishing words.
問曰。若不立文字。以何為心。答曰。汝問吾即是汝心。吾答汝即是吾心。吾若無心。因何解答汝。汝若無心。因何解問吾。問吾即是汝心。從無始曠大劫以來。乃至施為運動。一切時中一切處所。皆是汝本心。皆是汝本佛。即心是佛亦復如是。除此心外。終無別佛可得。離此心外。覓菩提涅槃。無有是處。自性真實。非因非果法。即是心義。自心是涅槃。若言心外有佛及菩提可得。無有是處。佛及菩提皆在何處。譬如有人以手提虗空得否。虗空但有名。亦無相㒵。取不得捨不得。是捉空不得。除此心外見佛。終不得也。佛是自心作得。因何離此心外覓佛。前佛後佛只言其心。心即是佛。佛即是心。心外無佛。佛外無心。若言心外有佛。佛在何處。心外既無佛。何起佛見。𮞏相誑惑。不能了本心。被它無情物。攝無自由。若也不信。自誑無益。佛無過患。眾生顛倒。不覺不知自心是佛。若知自心是佛。不應心外覓佛。佛不度佛。將心覓佛。不識佛但是外。覓佛者盡是不識自心是佛。亦不得將佛禮佛。不得將心念佛。佛不誦經。佛不持戒。佛不犯戒。佛無持犯。亦不造善惡。若欲覓佛。須是見性。見性即是佛。若不見性。念佛誦經。持齋持戒亦無益處。念佛得因果。誦經得聰明。持戒得生天。布施得福報。覓佛終不得也。若自己不明了。須參善知識了却生死根本。若不見性。即不名善知識。若不如此。縱說得十二部經。亦不免生死輪迴。三界受苦。無出期時。昔有善星比丘。誦得十二部經。猶自不免輪迴緣。為不見性。善星既如此。今時人講得三五本經論。以為佛法者。愚人也。若不識得自心。誦得閑文書。都無用處。若要覓佛。直須見性。性即是佛。佛即是自在人。無事無作人。若不見性。終日茫茫。向外馳求覓佛。元來不得。雖無一物可得。若求會。亦須參善知識。切須苦求。令心會解生死事大。不得空過。自誑無益。縱有珍𤥖如山。眷屬如恒河沙。開眼即見。合眼還見麼。故知有為之法。如夢幻等。若不急尋師。空過一生。然即佛性自有。若不因師。終不明了。不因師悟者。萬中希有。若自己以緣會。合得聖人意。即不用參善知識。此即是生而知之勝學也。若未悟解。須勤苦參學。因教方得悟。若未悟了。不學亦得。不同迷人不能分別皂白。妄言宣佛勑。謗佛忌法。如斯等類。說法如雨。盡是魔說。即非佛說。師是魔王。弟子是魔民。迷人任它指揮。不覺墮生死海。但是不見性人。妄稱是佛。此等眾生是大罪人。誑它一切眾生。令入魔界。若不見性。說得十二部經教。盡是魔說。魔家眷屬。不是佛家弟子。既不辨皂白。憑何免生死。若見性即是佛。不見性即是眾生。若離眾生性別有佛性可得者。佛今在何處。即眾生性即是佛性也。性外無佛。佛即是性。除此性外。無佛可得。佛外無性可得。
Question: If we do not rely on written words, what can we take as the mind?
Answer: Your question to me is your own mind. My answer to you is my own mind. If I had no mind, how could I answer you? If you had no mind, how could you ask me? Asking me is your mind. From time without beginning, through vast kalpas, in all actions and activities, at all times and in all places—it is all your original mind, all your original Buddha. "The mind itself is Buddha" means just this. Apart from this mind, there is ultimately no other Buddha to be found. To seek enlightenment and nirvana apart from this mind is utterly mistaken.
The true nature is inherently real—it is not a dharma of cause or effect. This is the meaning of "mind." Your own mind is nirvana. If you say there is a Buddha or enlightenment to be found outside the mind, that is impossible. Where would the Buddha and enlightenment be? It is like trying to grasp empty space with your hand—can it be done? Space is merely a name; it has no form or appearance. You cannot take it, you cannot discard it—you simply cannot grasp empty space. Apart from this mind, to see the Buddha is ultimately impossible. The Buddha is made by your own mind—why seek the Buddha apart from this mind?
All Buddhas, past and present, speak only of the mind. Mind is Buddha; Buddha is mind. Outside the mind, there is no Buddha; outside the Buddha, there is no mind. If you say there is a Buddha outside the mind, where is that Buddha? Since there is no Buddha outside the mind, why give rise to views about Buddha? Deluded by appearances, you fail to realize your original mind and are controlled by insentient things, losing your freedom. If you do not believe this, you deceive yourself to no avail. The Buddha is without fault; it is sentient beings who are confused, unaware that their own mind is Buddha.
If you know your own mind is Buddha, you should not seek Buddha outside the mind. The Buddha does not save the Buddha. To seek Buddha with the mind is to not recognize that Buddha is within. Those who seek Buddha outside all fail to recognize that their own mind is Buddha. Nor should you worship Buddha with Buddha, or recite Buddha’s name with the mind. The Buddha does not recite sutras, the Buddha does not uphold precepts, the Buddha does not break precepts—for the Buddha there is no upholding or breaking, nor does the Buddha create good or evil.
If you wish to find Buddha, you must see your nature. Seeing your nature is Buddha. If you do not see your nature, reciting Buddha’s name, chanting sutras, observing precepts, or keeping vegetarian vows will be of no benefit. Reciting Buddha’s name brings karmic results; chanting sutras brings intelligence; upholding precepts leads to rebirth in heaven; giving brings blessings—but seeking Buddha in this way will never succeed.
If you yourself are not clear, you must seek a good teacher to resolve the root of birth and death. If one does not see their nature, they cannot be called a good teacher. Otherwise, even if they can expound all twelve divisions of the scriptures, they will still not escape the cycle of birth and death, suffering in the three realms without end. In the past, there was the monk Good Star, who could recite all twelve divisions of the scriptures, yet he still could not avoid rebirth—all because he did not see his nature. If even Good Star was like this, how much more so for people today who study a few sutras and treat it as the Buddha-Dharma—they are foolish indeed.
If you do not recognize your own mind, reciting idle texts is entirely useless. If you wish to find Buddha, you must directly see your nature. Nature is Buddha; Buddha is the person of freedom, the person of no-action and no-affair. If you do not see your nature, you will spend your days in confusion, seeking Buddha outwardly—ultimately finding nothing. Though there is not a single thing to be attained, if you wish to understand, you must still seek a good teacher and strive earnestly until your mind comprehends the great matter of birth and death. Do not pass your time in vain—deceiving yourself brings no benefit.
Even if you possess treasures piled high as mountains and relatives as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, when your eyes are open you see them, but when your eyes are closed, do you still see them? Thus, know that conditioned phenomena are like dreams and illusions. If you do not urgently seek a teacher, you will waste your life. Yet, the Buddha-nature is inherently present. Without a teacher, you will never truly understand. Those who awaken without a teacher are exceedingly rare—one in ten thousand.
If, through your own conditions, you happen to accord with the meaning of the sages, then you need not seek a good teacher. This is the superior knowledge of being born with understanding. But if you have not yet awakened, you must diligently study and practice, relying on teaching to attain awakening. If you are not yet awakened, not studying is also acceptable—but this is different from the deluded who cannot distinguish black from white, recklessly claiming to proclaim the Buddha’s decree, slandering the Buddha and rejecting the Dharma.
Those of such kind, even if they speak the Dharma like rain, are all speaking demonic words, not the Buddha’s words. The teacher is a demon king, the disciples are demon subjects. The deluded follow their direction, unaware they are falling into the sea of birth and death. Those who do not see their nature yet falsely claim to be Buddhas—such beings are great offenders, deceiving all sentient beings and leading them into the demon’s realm.
If you do not see your nature, even if you can expound all twelve divisions of the scriptures, it is all demonic speech. They belong to the demon’s family, not the Buddha’s disciples. Since they cannot distinguish black from white, how can they escape birth and death?
If you see your nature, you are Buddha; if you do not see your nature, you are a sentient being. If apart from the nature of sentient beings there were a Buddha-nature to be attained, where would that Buddha be now? The nature of sentient beings is itself the Buddha-nature. Outside nature, there is no Buddha; Buddha is nature. Apart from this nature, there is no Buddha to be found; outside Buddha, there is no nature to be attained.
問曰。若不見性。念佛誦經。布施持戒精進。廣興福利。得成佛否。答曰。不得。
Question: If one does not see their true nature, can they still attain Buddhahood by reciting the Buddha's name, chanting scriptures, practicing generosity, upholding precepts, and diligently cultivating extensive merit?
Answer: No, they cannot.
又問因何不得。答曰。有少法可得。是有為法。是因果。是受報。是輪迴法。不免生死。何時得成佛道。成佛須是見性。若不見性。因果等語。是外道法。若是佛不習外道法。佛是無業人無因果。但有少法可得。盡是傍佛。憑何得成。但有住著一心一能一解一見。佛都不許。佛無持犯。心性本空。亦非垢淨諸法。無脩無證。無因無果。佛不持戒。佛不脩善。佛不造惡。佛不精進。佛不懈怠。佛是無作人。但有住著心。見佛即不許也。佛不是佛。莫作佛解。若不見此義。一切時中。一切處處。皆是不了本心。若不見性。一切時中。擬作無作想。是大罪人。是癡人。落無記空中。昏昏如醉人。不辨好惡。若擬修無作法。先須見性。然後息緣慮。若不見性。得成佛道。無有是處。有人撥無因果。熾然作惡業。妄言本空作惡無過。如此之人。墮無間黑暗地獄。永無出期。若是智人。不應作如是見解。
Again, it was asked: "Why can one not attain it?" The answer was: "If there is even the slightest dharma to be attained, that is conditioned dharma. It is cause and effect. It is receiving retribution. It is the dharma of cyclic existence. It does not escape birth and death. When could one ever accomplish the Buddha Way? To accomplish Buddhahood, one must see the nature. If one does not see the nature, teachings about cause and effect and the like are the dharma of external paths. If one is a Buddha, one does not practice the dharma of external paths. A Buddha is a person without karma, without cause and effect. But if there is even the slightest dharma to be attained, it is entirely leaning on the Buddha—on what basis could one accomplish it? If there is any abiding, any grasping, any single mind, any single ability, any single understanding, any single view, the Buddha does not permit it. The Buddha has no upholding or violating. The mind-nature is originally empty; it is also not defiled or pure. All dharmas are without cultivation, without attainment, without cause, without effect. The Buddha does not uphold precepts. The Buddha does not cultivate good. The Buddha does not create evil. The Buddha is not diligent. The Buddha is not indolent. The Buddha is a person of non-action. But if there is any abiding, grasping mind, the Buddha does not permit it. The Buddha is not the Buddha—do not understand it as 'Buddha.' If one does not see this meaning, at all times, in all places, one fails to understand the original mind. If one does not see the nature, at all times, intending to think of non-action is a grave offender, a deluded person, falling into the emptiness of indeterminate neutrality, dim and confused like a drunkard, unable to distinguish good from evil. If one intends to cultivate the practice of non-action, one must first see the nature, and then cease conceptual thinking. If one does not see the nature, to accomplish the Buddha Way—there is no such possibility. There are those who deny cause and effect, fiercely creating evil karma, falsely claiming that since the original nature is empty, committing evil is without fault. Such people fall into the dark hell of uninterrupted suffering, never to emerge. If one is a person of wisdom, one should not hold such views."
問曰。既若施為運動。一切時中。皆是本心。色身無常之時。云何不見本心。答曰。本心常現前。汝自不見。
Question: If all actions and movements at all times are the original mind, then why don't we see this original mind when our physical body, which is impermanent, decays?
Answer: The original mind is always present and clear right before you. You simply do not see it yourself.
問曰。心既見在。何故不見。師曰。汝曾作夢否。答曾作夢。
Question: Since the mind exists right now, why can't it be seen?
Master said: Have you ever had a dream?
Answer: Yes, I have had dreams.
問曰。汝作夢之時。是汝本身否。答是本身 又問。汝言語施為運動與汝別不別。答曰。不別。
Question: When you dream, is it your own true self?
Answer: It is my own true self.
Question: Is the speaking, acting, and moving you do in the dream different from your waking self?
Answer: It is not different.
師曰。既若不別。即此身是汝本法身。即此法身是汝本心。此心從無始曠大劫來。與如今不別。未曾有生死。不生不滅。不增不減。不垢不淨。不好不惡。不來不去。亦無是非。亦無男女相。亦無僧俗老少。無聖無凡。亦無佛亦無眾生。亦無修證。亦無因果。亦無筋力。亦無相貌。猶如虗空。取不得捨不得。山河石壁。不能為礙。出沒往來。自在神通。透五蘊山。渡生死河。一切業抅此法身。不得此心微妙。難見此心。不同色心。此心是人皆欲得見。於此光明中。運手動足者。如恒河沙。及乎問著。總道不得。猶如木人相似。總是自己受用。因何不識。佛言。一切眾生盡是迷人。因此作業。墮生死河。欲出還沒。只為不見性。眾生若不迷。因何問著其中事。無有一人得會者。自家運手動足。因何不識。故知聖人語不錯。迷人自不會曉。故知此難明。惟佛一人。能會此法。餘人天及眾生等。盡不明了。若智慧明了。此心號名法性。亦名解脫生死。不抅一切法。抅它不得。是名大自在王如來。亦名不思議。亦名聖體。亦名長生不死。亦名大仙。名雖不同。體即是一。聖人種種分別。皆不離自心。心量廣大。應用無窮。應眼見色。應耳聞聲。應鼻嗅香。應舌知味。乃至施為運動。皆是自心。一切時中。但有語言道斷。即是自心。故云如來色無盡。智慧亦復然。色無盡是自心。心識善能分別一切。乃至施為運用。皆是智慧。心無形相。智慧亦無盡。故云如來色無盡。智慧亦復然。四大色身即是煩惱色身。即有生滅。法身常住。無所住。如來法身常不變異。故經云。眾生應知佛性本自有之。迦葉只是悟得本性。本性即是心。心即是性。性即此同諸佛心。前佛後佛只傳此心。除此心外。無佛可得。顛倒眾生。不知自心是佛。向外馳求。終日忙忙。念佛禮佛。佛在何處。不應作如是等見。但知自心心外。更無別佛。經云。凡所有相皆是虗妄。又云。所在之處即為有佛。自心是佛。不應將佛禮佛。但是有佛及菩薩相貌。忽爾見前。切不用禮敬我心。空寂本無。如是相㒵。若取相即是魔。盡落邪道。若是幻從心起。即不用禮。禮者不知。知者不禮。禮被魔攝。恐學人不知。故作是辨。諸佛如來本性體上。都無如是相㒵。切須在意。但有異境界。切不用採括。亦莫生怕怖。不要疑惑。我心本來清淨。何處有如許相㒵。乃至天龍夜叉鬼神帝釋梵王等相。亦不用心生敬重。亦莫怕懼。我心本來空寂。一切相㒵皆是妄相。但莫取相。若起佛見法見。及佛菩薩等相㒵。而生敬重。自墮眾生位中。若欲直會。但莫取一切相即得。更無別語。故經云。凡所有相皆是虗妄。都無定實。幻無定相。是無常法。但不取相。合它聖意。故經云。離一切相。即名諸佛。
問曰。因何不得禮佛菩薩等。答曰。天魔波旬阿脩羅示見神通。皆作得菩薩相㒵。種種變化。是外道。總不是佛。佛是自心。莫錯禮拜。佛是西國語。此土云覺性。覺者靈覺。應機接物。揚眉瞬目。運手動足。皆是自己靈覺之性。性即是心。心即是佛。佛即是道。道即是禪。禪之一字。非凡聖所測。又云。見本性為禪。若不見本性。即非禪也。假使說得千經萬論。若不見本性。只是凡夫。非是佛法。至道幽深。不可話會典教。憑何所及。但見本性。一字不識。亦得見性。即是佛聖體。本來清淨。無有雜穢。所有言說。皆是聖人。從心起用。用體本來空。名言猶不及。十二部經憑何得及。道本圓成。不用脩證。道非聲色。微妙難見。如人飲水。冷暖自知。不可向人說也。唯有如來能知。餘人天等類。都不覺知。凡夫智不及。所以有執相。不了自心本來空寂。妄執相及一切法。即墮外道。若知諸法從心生。不應有執。執即不知。若見本性。十二部經總是閑文字。千經萬論只是明心。言下契會。教將何用。至理絕言。教是語詞。實不是道。道本無言。言說是妄。若夜夢見樓閣宮殿象馬之屬。及樹木叢林池亭。如是等相。不得起一念樂著。盡是托生之處。切須在意。臨終之時。不得取相。即得除障。疑心瞥起即魔攝。法身本來清淨無受。只緣迷故。不覺不知。因茲故妄受報。所以有樂著不得自在。只今若悟得本來身心。即不染習。若從聖入凡。示見種種雜類。自為眾生。故聖人逆順皆得自在。一切業抅它不得。聖成久有大威德。一切品類業。被它聖人轉。天堂地獄。無柰何它。凡夫神識昏昧。不同聖人內外明徹。若有疑即不作。作即流浪生死。後悔無相救處。貧窮困苦皆從妄想生。若了是心。𮞏相勸勉。但無作而作。即入如來知見。初發心人。神識總不定。若夢中頻見異境。輙不用疑。皆是自心起故。不從外來。夢若見光明出現過於日輪。即餘習頓盡。法界性見。若有此事。即是成道之因。唯自知。不可向人說。或靜園林中。行住坐臥。眼見光明。或大或小。莫與人說。亦不得取。亦是自性光明。或夜靜暗中。行住坐臥。眼睹光明。與晝無異。不得怪。並是自心欲明顯。或夜夢中。見星月分明。亦自心諸緣欲息。亦不得向人說。夢若昏昏。猶如陰暗中行。亦是自心煩惱障重。亦自知。若見本性。不用讀經念佛。廣學多知無益。神識轉昏。設教只為標心。若識心何用看教。若從凡入聖。即須息業養神。隨分過日。若多嗔恚。令性轉與道相違。自賺無益。聖人於生死中。自在出沒。隱顯不定。一切業抅它不得。聖人破邪魔。一切眾生但見本性。餘習頓滅。神識不昧。須是直下便會。只在如今。欲真會道。莫執一切法。息業養神。餘習亦盡。自然明白。不假用功。外道不會佛意。用功最多。違肯聖意。終日驅驅念佛轉經。昏於神性。不免輪迴。佛是閑人。何用軀軀廣求名利。後時何用。但不見性人。讀經念佛。長學精進。六時行道。長坐不臥。廣學多聞。以為佛法。此等眾生。盡是謗佛法人。前佛後佛只言見性。諸行無常。若不見性。妄言我得阿耨菩提。此是大罪人。十大弟子。阿難多聞中得第一。於佛無識。只學多聞。二乘外道皆無識佛。識數脩證。墮在因果中。是眾生業報。不免生死。遠背佛意。即是謗佛眾生。殺却無罪過。經云。闡提人不生信心。殺却無罪過。若有信心。此人是佛位人。若不見性。即不用取次。謗它良善。自賺無益。善惡歷然。因果分明。天堂地獄只在眼前。愚人不信現墮黑暗地獄中。亦不覺不知。只緣業重故。所以不信。譬如無目人不信道有光明。縱向伊說亦不信。只緣盲故。憑何辨得日光。愚人亦復如是。現今墮畜生雜類。誕在貧窮下賤。求生不得。求死不得。雖受是苦。直問著。亦言我今快樂。不異天堂。故知一切眾生。生處為樂。亦不覺不知。如斯惡人。只緣業障重故。所以不能發信心者。不自由它也。若見自心是佛。不在剃除𩯭髮。白衣亦是佛。若不見性。剃除鬚髮亦是外道。
問曰。白衣有妻子。婬欲不除。憑何得成佛。答曰。只言見性。不言婬欲。只為不見性。但得見性。婬欲本來空寂。自爾斷除。亦不樂著。縱有餘習。不能為害。何以故。性本清淨故。雖處在五蘊色身中。其性本來清淨。染污不得。法身本來無受。無飢。無渴。無寒熱。無病。無恩愛。無眷屬。無苦樂。無好惡。無短長。無強弱。本來無有一物可得。只緣執有。此色身因。即有飢渴寒熱瘴病等相。若不執即一任作。若於生死中得自在。轉一切法。與聖人神通自在無礙。無處不安。若心有疑。決定透一切境界。不過不作。最好作了。不免輪迴生死。若見性。旃陀羅亦得成佛。
問曰。旃陀羅殺生作業。如何得成佛。答曰。只言見性。不言作業。縱作業不同。一切業抅不得。從無始曠大劫來。只為不見性。墮地獄中。所以作業輪迴生死。從悟得本性。終不作業。若不見性。念佛免報不得。非論殺生命。若見性。疑心頓除。殺生命亦不柰它何。自西天二十七祖。只是𮞏傳心印。吾今來此土。唯傳頓教大乘。即心是佛。不言持戒精進苦行。乃至入水火。登於劍輪。一食長坐不臥。盡是外道有為法。若識得施為運動靈覺之性。汝即諸佛心。前佛後佛只言傳心。更無別法。若識此法。凡夫一字不識亦是佛。若不識自己靈覺之性。假使身破如微塵。覓佛終不得也。佛者亦名法身。亦名本心。此心無形相。無因果。無筋骨。猶如虗空。取不得。不同質礙。不同外道。此心除如來一人能會。其餘眾生迷人不明了。此心不離四大色身中。若離是心。即無能運動。是身無知。如草木瓦礫。身是無性。因何運動。若自心動。乃至語言施為運動。見聞覺知。皆是動心動用。動是心動。動即其用。動用外無心。心外無動。動不是心。心不是動。動本無心。心本無動。動不離心。心不離動。動無心離。心無動離。動是心用。用是心動。動即心用。用即心動。不動不用。用體本空。空本無動。動用同心。心本無動。故經云。動而無所動。終日去來而未曾去。終日見而未曾見。終日㗛而未曾㗛。終日聞而未曾聞。終日知而未曾知。終日喜而未曾喜。終日行而未曾行。終日住而未曾住。故經云。言語道斷。心行處滅。見聞覺知。本自圓寂。乃至嗔喜痛痒何異木人。只緣推尋痛痒不可得。故經云。惡業即得苦報。善業即有善報。不但嗔墮地獄。喜即生天。若知嗔喜性空。但不執即業脫。若不見性。講經決無憑。說亦無盡。略標邪正如是。不及一二也。
頌曰。
心心心難可尋。寬時徧法界。窄也不容針。我本求心不求佛。了知三界空無物。若欲求佛。但求心只這心。這心是佛。我本求心心自持。求心不得待心知。佛性不從心外得。心生便是罪生時。
偈曰。
吾本來此土 傳法救迷情 一華開五葉
結果自然成
達磨大師血脉論(終)