---
title: "憨山老人夢遊全集 · 示董智光"
description: "憨山老人梦游全集是明代高僧憨山德清所著的文集由弟子福善等编录憨山德清是明末四大高僧之一身处佛教复兴时期其著作涵盖经论注疏法语书信及诗文等内容涉及禅教性相诸宗融合儒释道三家思想体系博大精深该书不仅是研究憨山大师佛学思想的重要文献也是了解晚明佛教史与思想史的珍贵资料在汉传佛教中具有崇高地位对后世禅宗及佛教义理发展影响深远"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmgmzo6f306yol4046kq7cvnb"
---

### 示董智光

> A Message for Dong Zhiguang

董生斯張，生長富貴之室，早發求出生死之心，蓋夙習般若勝緣內薰之力也。先參雲棲大師，授淨土法門，未即卒業，頃參老人於雙徑，願受優婆塞戒。且自發露罪業深重，願求出苦之要，用何修習以滅罪愆？老人因示之曰：「學人即知罪根深重。古德教人：『隨時消舊業，切莫造新殃。』佛為業重眾生開懺悔一門，最是出苦方便。〈偈〉曰：『眾罪如霜露，慧日能消除，若欲懺悔者，端坐念實相。』是為正行，此外皆助方便也。眾生自性與佛平等，本來無染，亦無生死去來之相，但以最初不覺迷本自性，故號無明。因無明故起諸妄想，種種顛倒造種種業，妄取三界生死之苦，是皆無明不了自心隨妄想轉。如人熟睡作諸惡夢，種種境界、種種怖畏眾苦難堪，及至醒來求夢中事了不可得。是故眾生墮在無明夢中，隨妄想顛倒造種種業自取諸苦，醒眼看來諸顛倒狀豈可得耶？即今現在無明夢中，如何能得消舊業耶？須是以智慧光照破無明，的信自心本來清淨，不被妄想顛倒所使，則諸業無因，以妄想乃諸業之因也。此何以故？由無始來迷自本心，生生世世以妄想心造種種業，業習內積八識田中，以無明水而灌溉之，令此惡種發現業芽是為罪根，一切惡業從此而生。今欲舊業消除，先要發起大智慧光照破無明，不許妄想萌芽潛滋暗長。若能妄想起處一念斬斷，則舊積業根當下消除。所謂：『不怕念起，只怕覺遲。』覺照稍遲則被他轉矣！若能於日用起心動念處，念念覺察、念念消滅，此所謂：『眾罪如霜露，慧日能消除。』以無明黑暗唯智慧能破，是謂智慧能消除也。若晝夜不捨，勤勤觀察不可放行，但就妄想生處窮究，了無生起之相，看來看去畢竟不可得，久久純熟則自心清淨無物，無物之心是為實相。若常觀此心，又何妄想可容、積業可寄耶？如此用心是名觀照三昧。若自心煩惱麤重，無明障處不自覺知，如此則古德有教學人參究，即將念佛審實公案正當著力，提起一聲佛號橫在胸中，即便審究這念佛的畢竟是誰？如是隨提隨審並不放空，將此疑團橫在胸中，如己命根更不放捨。一切動靜閒忙去來坐立，唯此一事更無餘事。如此用心，纔見妄想起時，就將此話頭一拶，則當下粉碎，一切妄想自然掃蹤滅跡矣！以此話頭如日輪當空，無幽不照，只恐心力懈怠不肯著實提撕，故不能敵妄想耳！若敵得妄想消處，便是舊業消滅時也。捨此一著，更向心外別求，則諸佛出世亦無懺悔處，此在自力非他力可代也。若惡習強勝，力不能敵者，在昔佛有明誨：『若修行人習氣不除，應當一心誦我無為心佛所說心咒。』此實格外方便也。以各人藏識潛流習氣深厚，智力不到，不到之地必須仗佛心印以密破之。譬如難破之賊必請上方之劍，此須早晚二時自取方便，唯以參究工夫為第一義耳！老人以此指示，大似與盲人拄杖子，其實行在己躬，非師友可代也。以居士志歸法門，故名之曰福覺，要以覺照為行本也；字之曰智光，非智慧光又何以破癡暗耶？但須覺照不昧，智光現前，便是了業障出生死之時節也。」

> Dong Sheng Sizhang was born into a wealthy and noble family. From an early age, he awakened the aspiration to escape the cycle of birth and death—this was the power of deep karmic roots in Prajñā wisdom, ripening from within. He first studied under Master Yunqi, who taught him the Pure Land practice, but he did not complete that path. Later, he came to pay respects to the Elder at Mount Shuangjing, wishing to receive the Upāsaka precepts. He also confessed that his karmic offenses were deep and heavy, and asked what essential method could free him from suffering—what practice could extinguish his transgressions? The Elder then taught him, saying: "A practitioner who already knows the deep roots of his offenses should recall what the ancient masters taught: 'Clear away old karma as it comes; above all, do not create new misfortunes.' The Buddha opened the door of repentance for beings with heavy karma—this is the most direct expedient for escaping suffering. The verse says: 'All offenses are like frost and dew, Melted by the sun of wisdom. If you wish to repent, Sit upright and contemplate true reality.' This is the primary practice; everything else is but auxiliary means. The self-nature of all beings is equal to that of the Buddha. Originally it is unstained, with no appearance of birth, death, coming, or going. But because of an initial failure to awaken, beings became confused about their own nature—this is called ignorance. From ignorance arise all kinds of deluded thoughts; from these delusions, various inverted views create all sorts of karma, falsely grasping at the suffering of birth and death within the three realms. All of this comes from ignorance, from not understanding one's own mind and being carried away by deluded thoughts. It is like a person in deep sleep having frightful nightmares—all kinds of scenes, all kinds of terrors and unbearable suffering. But when they wake up, they cannot find any trace of the dream events. In the same way, beings have fallen into the dream of ignorance. Following deluded and inverted thoughts, they create all kinds of karma and bring suffering upon themselves. But when the eyes of awakening open, can any of those inverted states actually be found? So right now, while still in the dream of ignorance, how can one eliminate old karma? One must use the light of wisdom to break through ignorance. One must sincerely believe that the mind is originally pure, and not be controlled by deluded thoughts and inverted views. Then all karma has no basis—because deluded thoughts are the very root of all karma. Why is this so? Because since time without beginning, beings have been confused about their original mind. Life after life, with deluded thinking, they have created all kinds of karma. These karmic habits accumulate deep within the storehouse consciousness, watered by the moisture of ignorance, causing these evil seeds to sprout into karmic shoots. This is the root of offenses, and all evil karma arises from it. Now, if you wish to eliminate old karma, you must first arouse the great light of wisdom to break through ignorance, and not allow deluded thoughts to sprout or secretly grow. If, at the very moment a deluded thought arises, you cut it off with a single stroke of awareness, then the accumulated root of karma dissolves on the spot. This is what is meant by: 'Do not fear thoughts arising; only fear awakening too late.' If awakening and reflection are even slightly delayed, you will be turned by them. If, in your daily activities, at every point where thoughts arise, you investigate each thought with awareness and dissolve each one as it appears—this is what is meant by: 'All offenses are like frost and dew, Melted by the sun of wisdom.' For ignorance and darkness can only be broken by wisdom. This is what is meant by wisdom being able to eliminate them. If you practice day and night without ceasing, diligently investigating without letting go, then wherever deluded thoughts arise, you probe into them, seeing that they have no true origination. Keep looking, and ultimately nothing can be found. As this matures over time, the mind becomes naturally pure and empty of anything. This mind that is empty of anything is what is called true reality. If you constantly contemplate this mind, where can deluded thoughts find a place to stand? Where can accumulated karma find a place to dwell? Using the mind in this way is called the samādhi of illuminating contemplation. If your own mental afflictions are coarse and heavy, and the obstructions of ignorance are such that you cannot perceive them yourself, then the ancient masters taught practitioners to investigate. Take the mindfulness of Buddha as a living meditation topic. Raise the phrase 'Namo Amitabha Buddha' and hold it firmly in your chest. Then investigate: who is it that is reciting the Buddha's name? Investigate again and again, never letting it go slack. Keep this mass of questioning lodged in your chest as if your very life depended on it—do not release it. Whether moving or still, busy or idle, coming or going, sitting or standing—only this one matter exists; nothing else matters. When you practice like this, the moment a deluded thought arises, press this meditation topic against it, and it shatters on the spot. All deluded thoughts naturally vanish without a trace. This meditation topic is like the sun hanging in an empty sky, illuminating every hidden corner. The only danger is that your mental effort may grow lax, and you may not be willing to genuinely sustain it—then it cannot overcome deluded thoughts. But when you can overcome deluded thoughts to the point where they dissolve, that is precisely the moment when old karma is eliminated. If you abandon this key point and seek outside the mind, then even if all Buddhas appeared in the world, there would be no place of repentance for you. This depends on your own power; no one else can do it for you. If your evil habits are strong and your own strength cannot overcome them, the Buddha gave a clear teaching: 'If a cultivator's habitual tendencies are not removed, he should single-mindedly recite the mind-dharani spoken by my Unconditioned Mind Buddha.' This is truly an extraordinary expedient. When one's latent tendencies run deep in the storehouse consciousness, and one's wisdom cannot reach that depth, one must rely on the Buddha's mind-seal to secretly break through. It is like when facing a formidable bandit, you must request the imperial sword. This requires practicing in the morning and evening, adapting the expedient to your own situation. But ultimately, the practice of investigation is the primary principle. The Elder gave these instructions, which are like handing a walking stick to a blind person. In the end, the journey must be walked by yourself—no teacher or friend can do it for you. Since the layman has set his resolve on the Dharma, I name him Fu Jue (Awakened Bliss), meaning that illuminating awareness is the foundation of practice. And I give him the courtesy name Zhi Guang (Light of Wisdom)—for without the light of wisdom, how else could one break through the darkness of delusion? You must simply keep this awareness shining without interruption. When the light of wisdom appears before you, that is the very moment of dissolving karmic obstructions and transcending birth and death.