No. 1182-A徹悟禪師語錄序
Master Chéngwù's Dharma Talks: Preface
世之稱淨業者。自晉遠法師始。仰體佛慈。大啟度門。鑿池植蓮。建堂立誓。於時十八賢眾百二十三人。得自在力。念而無念。無生而生。心印遞傳。迄至於今不墜。有徹悟禪師者。法門之元嗣也。夙具定慧。參契淵微。始則悟圓覺一經要義。繼則了解三藏十乘妙旨。盡棄舊習。專注淨業。虗其衷。平其氣。歷廿載如一日。無退轉心。克遂西生之願。是以圓信圓解饒益眾生者。即以之證彌陀法界。遺集具存。讀之而益信師之所言。曰願。曰信。曰行。曰罪業懺除。曰善根成熟。要惟兢兢於一心之生者。橫徧十方。竪窮三際。心之廣也。慮墜偏小。發大菩提。心之宏也。任運感業。合道轉業。心之權也。清珠濁水之投。種瓜種豆之穫。鑄金成麵之具。心之源也。經所稱是心作佛是心是佛二語。尤反覆求詳。三致意焉。又謂一寸時光。一寸命光。欲後之學者。於恒河沙數中。履捷行簡。速出生死之關。共證安樂之境。拯拔羣迷。胥登彼岸。其意亦何厚乎。師平昔於語言文字。不欲究心。然偶一拈唫大之總攝無餘。細之圓融無礙。對機立教。真理兼包。如阿伽陀藥。無病不療。如如意珠。無願不滿者。其如斯乎。余竊念宗教兩門。語錄浩如煙海。疏經注義。法旨昭明。而淨業之修。為入道之正軌。自龍舒大佑諸集外。言者闕如。宜師言之不可湮沒也。師之高弟松泉。以是集付刊。問序於余。余即師文之奧衍者。申言之。是為序。
In this world, those who cultivate the practice of rebirth in the Pure Land began with Master Huiyuan of the Jin Dynasty. Reverently embodying the Buddha’s compassion, he opened a great gateway to liberation: he dug ponds and planted lotuses, built a hall, and made a great vow. At that time, eighteen distinguished practitioners and one hundred twenty-three followers attained perfect freedom of mind. They were mindful, yet beyond mindful; born, yet beyond birth. The seal of the mind’s true nature has been handed down without interruption to this day.
Master Chewu, a true Dharma heir, had long possessed samadhi and wisdom, plumbing profound depths. First he awakened to the essential meaning of the *Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment*, then penetrated the subtle wonders of the three scriptural collections and the ten vehicles of practice. Completely abandoning his old habits, he focused exclusively on Pure Land cultivation. With an emptied heart and a settled spirit, for twenty years he practiced as one, never wavering, thus fulfilling his vow to be reborn in the West. With perfect faith and perfect understanding, he benefited beings and thereby realized the Samadhi of Amitabha’s Dharma realm. His collected writings survive. In reading them, one’s faith deepens: his teachings were about Vow, Faith, Practice, the purging of karmic offenses, and the maturation of virtuous roots. He was meticulous above all about the single-minded birth—the mind that pervades the ten directions horizontally and penetrates the three times vertically, such is the mind’s vastness. Guarding against falling into partial or small views, he aroused the great Bodhi mind, such is the mind’s breadth. By letting go and moving with karmic conditions, harmonizing with the Path and transforming karma, such is the mind’s freedom. Like a clear pearl dropped into muddy water, like planting melons yielding melons and planting beans yielding beans, like molten gold taking a shape—such is the mind’s source. The sutra says: “This mind makes the Buddha; this mind is the Buddha.” He elaborated on these two phrases again and again, stressing their importance. He also said, “An inch of time is an inch of life-grace.” He wished that later students, among the countless beings like grains of sand in the Ganges, could take the simplest and most direct path, swiftly pass the gate of birth and death, together realize the realm of peace and bliss, rescue all lost beings, and lead them to the Other Shore. How profound was his intention!
In his daily life, Master Chewu did not deeply focus on words and language. But when he did express himself, his words, great or small, totally encompassed everything without exception, and were perfectly harmonious without obstacle. Adapting teachings to the capacities of listeners, his words contained both truth and method. Like agada medicine—curing all illnesses—and like the wish-fulfilling jewel—fulfilling all aspirations—such was his teaching. I reflect that in both the meditation and scripture schools, the recorded sayings are vast as oceans, commentaries and explanations make the Dharma clear, but Pure Land cultivation is the true path to enlightenment. Apart from the works of Master Longshu and Master Dayou, there has been only silence. So Master Chewu’s words must not be lost. His senior disciple, Songquan, prepared this collection for publication and asked me for a preface. I have tried to bring out the profound meaning of his teaching—this is my preface.
三寶弟子誠安謹識
Respectfully recorded by Cheng An, a disciple of the Three Jewels.