---
title: "憨山老人夢遊全集 · 示玄機參禪人"
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/cmgmzo8k2073gl4040o0i0r02"
---

### 示玄機參禪人

禪人以持明為專行，從事者三十年，心地未有發明，乞老人指示持明與參究向上用心同異。老人因示之曰：「佛說：『修行之路，方便多門，歸源無二。』摠之一切行門，單以破煩惱、斷情根，發明本有而已。即參禪提話頭與念佛、持明皆無二法，第不善用心者不知借以磨煉習氣、破除妄想為要務，返以執著之心資無明，故用力多而收功少耳！原其此事如用瓦子敲門，只是要門開，不必計其手中瓦子何如也？以吾人無量劫來積集貪、嗔、痴、愛雜染種子，潛於藏識之中，深固幽遠無人能破，故聖人權設方便，教人提一則公案為話頭，重下疑情，把斷妄想關頭絲毫不放，久久得力，如逼狗跳墻，忽然藏識迸裂露出本來面目，謂之悟道。若是單單逼拶妄想不行，何必話頭？即婆子數炭團，專心不二亦能發悟，況念佛持咒有二法哉？禪人持明三十年不見效者，不是咒無靈驗，只是持咒之心未曾得力。尋常如推空車下坡相似，只管滾將去，何曾著力來？如此用心，不獨今生無驗，即窮劫亦只如此。及至陰境現前、生死到來，依然眼花撩亂，卻怪修行無下落，豈非自誤自錯耶？禪人從今不必改轉，就將持咒的心作話頭，字字心心著力挨磨，如推重車上坡相似，渾身氣力使盡，不敢放鬆絲毫，寸寸步步腳跟不空。如此用力時，只逼得妄想流注，塞斷命根更不放行。到此之時，就在正著力處重下疑情深深覷看，審問只這用力持咒的畢竟是個甚麼？覷來覷去，疑來疑去，如老鼠入牛角，直到轉身吐氣不得處，如此正是得力時節，切不可作休息想，亦不得以此為難生退息想。及逼到一念開豁處，乃是電光三昧，切不可作玄妙歡喜想。從此更著精彩拼命做去，不到忽然藏識迸裂虛空粉碎時決不放手。若能如此持咒，與參禪豈有二法耶？所以道：『俱胝只念三行咒，便得名超一切人。』便可證明。即親見佛祖，亦不易老人之說也。」

> The practitioner had made mantra recitation his sole practice for thirty years, yet his mind had not yet awakened. He asked the Elder for guidance on the similarities and differences between mantra practice and the inward investigation of meditation. The Elder said to him: "The Buddha taught that while there are many gates to cultivation, all paths return to the same source. Ultimately, every practice—whether Chan meditation, mindfulness of the Buddha, or mantra recitation—serves one purpose: to cut through afflictions, sever the roots of clinging, and reveal our inherent nature. The person who investigates a \*huatou\*, the one who recites the Buddha's name, and the one who chants mantras—these are not different methods. But those who don't practice skillfully fail to use these tools to polish away habitual tendencies and break through deluded thinking. Instead, they feed their ignorance with attachment, so they exert great effort yet reap little reward. Think of it this way: using a brick to knock on a door—the point is to get the door open, not to deliberate on the quality of the brick in your hand. Because we've accumulated beginningless habits of greed, anger, delusion, and attachment—seeds so deeply buried in the storehouse consciousness that nothing ordinary can break them open—the sages skillfully established expedient methods. They teach people to hold up a single \*gong'an\* as a \*huatou\*, to arouse deep doubt, and to seal off the gateway of delusion without the slightest gap. When you maintain this persistently, it's like cornering a dog until it jumps the wall—suddenly the storehouse consciousness bursts open and your original face appears. This is called awakening. If simply pressing down on thinking were enough, why would you need a \*huatou\* at all? Even an old woman who mindfully counts charcoal briquettes with unwavering focus can awaken. How could reciting the Buddha's name or chanting mantras be any different? You've been chanting mantras for thirty years without results—not because the mantra lacks power, but because the mind chanting it never truly engaged. Like pushing an empty cart downhill, you've simply let it roll along. Did you ever really put your back into it? If you keep practicing this way, not only will you see no results in this lifetime—you could continue for eons and still remain the same. When the appearance of the intermediate state comes, when birth and death arrive, you'll be dazed and confused, then blame the practice for failing you. Isn't that simply self-deception, a self-inflicted mistake? From now on, you don't need to change your method. Just take the very mind that recites the mantra and make it your \*huatou\*. Press forward word by word, thought by thought, like pushing a heavy cart uphill—expending every ounce of strength, not daring to relax for a moment, every inch a step with solid footing. When you exert yourself this way, the flow of deluded thought gets squeezed tight until its life-root is severed. At that point—in the very midst of pressing—arouse deep doubt and look sharply inward: 'What exactly is this that exerts itself in mantra recitation?' Look and look, doubt and doubt, like a mouse entering a cow's horn—until you reach a dead end where you can't turn around or even breathe. That's precisely the moment of real progress. Whatever you do, don't think of resting, and don't grow discouraged. When you're pushed to the point of a sudden opening—that's the lightning \*samadhi\*. Don't mistake it for something mystical or feel elated. From there, with even greater resolve, continue with full effort until the storehouse consciousness bursts open and empty space itself shatters. Do not let go until that happens. If you can recite mantras this way, is there any difference from Chan meditation? As it's said: \*Juzhi, reciting but a single line of mantra, surpassed everyone.\* That proves the point. Even if you met the Buddhas and patriarchs face to face, they would not change a word of what I've told you."