淨心誡觀法五字釋名法篇第一
Pure Mind Admonition on Dharma: Five Characters Explaining the Title, Chapter 1
淨心者，於汝現行煩惱諸部過患，教修對治，令汝即時隨分解脫。垢染漸滅，心轉明淨，發生定慧，起於大乘清淨信心，趣向菩提種性住處。以今微因後感當果，是故教汝察病對治，興隆功業，修入信境，成決定根力。其三賢十聖、無垢妙覺、四十二地空宗真理，唯可知聞影像麁相，下地凡夫力所未及，亦未能行。今唯使汝淨除業鏡客塵𪾼等，見汝身中少分佛性。汝可飲服般若甘露，洗蕩蓋纏漸顯淨心，心若清淨令眾生界淨，眾生既淨則佛土淨。始除煩惱令戒清淨，戒既完具定復清淨，以戒定淨令智慧淨，智既淨已顯自身源，有此義故名為淨心。已下諸篇，治過雖別，同名淨心。誡者，令汝識知對治初門，先除麁染根本惡業，知病知藥守心慎口，勵己修道離過患故名誡。觀者，察義，觀察此誡與佛法相應不相應，及障道過患，名字句偈審諦思量，如實解心得誡本意。又能隨順止觀二門，此二法者定始慧初，生長一切禪支道品，故名觀。法者，即此誡文首軸次第，慇懃曉示，欲使禁斷煩惱止諸惡業，加行勝進住不退心，故名為法。下諸篇中皆有此淨心誡觀法五義，當須知之。
**Purifying the Mind**
The various afflictions and faults within your current mental state are like an illness—the teachings provide the remedy, allowing you to be freed from them step by step. As stains gradually diminish, the mind becomes clearer and brighter, giving rise to concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (prajñā). This fosters a pure faith in the Mahāyāna path and directs you toward the bodhisattva's abode of enlightenment. Because a small cause now will yield a future effect, I teach you to recognize your illness and apply the cure, cultivate virtuous deeds, enter the stage of faith, and establish firm conviction and strength.
The stages of the Three Worthies, Ten Sages, the Undefiled Marvelous Enlightenment, and the Forty-two Grounds—these profound truths of emptiness can only be known or heard of as rough images; ordinary beings of lower capacities cannot reach or practice them. For now, I only help you to purify the mirror of karma, wiping away the dust of defilements, so that you may see a small portion of your own buddha-nature.
Drink the nectar of prajñā-wisdom. Let it wash away the veils and bonds, gradually revealing the pure mind. When the mind is pure, the realm of beings becomes pure. When beings are pure, the buddha-land is pure.
First, remove afflictions and purify your moral discipline. Once moral discipline is complete, concentration becomes pure. With purity in both moral discipline and concentration, wisdom becomes pure. Once wisdom is purified, you perceive your own original source. This is why it is called “purifying the mind.”
The following chapters address different faults, but they are all titled “Purifying the Mind.”
**Admonitions**—these teach you to recognize the initial methods of remedy. First, eliminate coarse defilements and fundamental evil deeds. Know the illness and know the medicine. Guard your mind and control your speech. Strive in self-cultivation along the path and distance yourself from faults. This is called “admonition.”
**Contemplation**—means examining meaning. Observe whether this admonition aligns with the Buddha’s teachings or not. Observe the faults that obstruct the path. Carefully consider the words, phrases, and verses, and understand their true intent with a clear mind. This allows you to follow the two gates of calming (śamatha) and insight (vipaśyanā). These two methods are the beginning of concentration and wisdom, and they give rise to all meditative factors and path-stages. Thus, this is called “contemplation.”
**Dharma**—refers to the orderly arrangement of these admonitory texts, from beginning to end. Sincerely and clearly explained, it seeks to prevent afflictions and stop all evil actions, urging you to advance diligently and abide in a non-retrogressing mind. Hence, it is called “dharma.”
Every chapter that follows contains these five aspects of the “Purifying the Mind Admonitions and Contemplation Dharma.” You should know this well.