---
title: "憨山老人夢遊全集 · 示魏聖期"
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/cmgmzo8k2073tl404i7g2v95j"
---

### 示魏聖期

> Demonstration for the Holy Period of Wei

聖期居士，少年切志向上建立三寶，延道上座為方外友。頃以書來請益云：「某邇來雖惕然於生死大事，欲隨處解脫，惟橫逆忽來，不能當下消受，雖旋能覺知，王人已彼牽纏矣！」觀此來意，乃真切有志於生死大事者，第未遇善知識指點心地工夫，故無把柄耳！蓋吾人從來只認妄想為心，不知本有佛性，故一向只在世情逆順境界上起好惡憎愛種種分別知見以為正事，殊不知此等憎愛喜怒之情念是生死根株，舉世之人未有不在此中一生交滾者，所謂虛生浪死為日用而不知有者矣！古德教人參禪了生死，不是離此別有玄妙，只是在此等境界上，憎愛之心看破便是了生死，以此憎愛妄想從來習染純熟深厚，若無方便法門豈能敵得？所以參禪看話頭之說正是破煩惱之利具耳！所以被他牽纏者，直為無此話頭作主宰耳！只如僧問趙州：「狗子還有佛性也無？州曰：『無。』」即將此一「無」字懷在胸中作話頭、下疑情，念念不忘、心心不昧，一切閒忙動靜應酬忽遽中，只提此一語，重下疑情審問因甚道「無？」即閒時回看一念起處，不論善惡是非，直便就當下疑問因甚道「無？」尋常二六時中疑來疑去，只有一個話頭現前。縱是看書纔放下書本，回頭一看便下疑情，此疑堅固，切不可作道理思量解會，只要一個疑念真切久久純熟，但見心中妄念起時，如此一問當下冰消。既於胸中敵得妄想消，則於一切逆順境界至時自然易破，而心中所起喜怒只是一妄想耳！以先有此話頭作主宰，及境界至時一到即看破，當下冰消全不用力。如此做工夫，不但敵破境界，抑有了悟之時，但切不可作玄妙道理思量，恐返誤也。

> Venerable Shengqi, in his youth you were determined to establish the Three Jewels and took the esteemed elder as a friend beyond worldly ties. Recently you wrote seeking guidance, saying: "Though I am deeply vigilant about the great matter of birth and death, and wish to be liberated in every situation, when adversity suddenly arrives I cannot readily accept it. Though I quickly become aware, the master has already been dragged along!" Looking at your intention, you are truly sincere in pursuing the great matter of birth and death. It's just that you haven't yet met a true teacher to guide you in the work of the mind, and so you lack a handle! The reason is that from beginningless time, we only recognize our deluded thinking as the mind, unaware that we inherently possess the Buddha-nature. Thus we constantly dwell in the realms of worldly favorable and unfavorable conditions, generating likes, dislikes, love, hate, and countless discriminating views, taking these as our real business. Little do we realize that these emotions of love, hate, joy, and anger are the very roots of birth and death. No one in this world escapes being churned within them throughout life. This is what is meant by "living in vain and dying in confusion"—going through daily life without knowing this truth! The ancient masters taught people to investigate Chan as a way to end birth and death. This is not about seeking something mystical apart from these very conditions. Rather, it is about seeing through the mind of love and hate within these very situations—this is what ending birth and death truly means. Because these habits of love and hate have been deeply ingrained and matured through countless lifetimes, without a skillful method, how could they be overcome? This is why the teaching of investigating the meditation topic (hua tou) with the great question is precisely the sharp weapon for severing afflictions! You are being dragged along because you lack this meditation topic as your master. For instance, when a monk asked Zhaozhou: "Does a dog have Buddha-nature?" Zhaozhou replied: "No!" Take this single word "No" and hold it in your chest as your meditation topic. Generate a profound doubt about it. Be mindful of it in thought after thought, never forgetting it. Whether busy or idle, in motion or stillness, in social interactions or sudden rush—only raise this one phrase, deeply questioning: "Why did he say 'No'?" When at leisure, look back at where a thought arises—regardless of good or evil, right or wrong—immediately question: "Why did he say 'No'?" In all hours of the day, keep doubting back and forth, with only this one topic present before you. Even when reading, the moment you put down the book, turn back and raise the doubt at once. This doubt must be solid—do not analyze it with reasoning or try to understand it intellectually. Only the sincere, single-minded questioning matters. As it matures through long practice, when you notice deluded thoughts arising in your mind, this one question will instantly melt them like ice. Once you can overcome delusions in your chest, then when faced with any favorable or unfavorable condition, it will naturally be easy to break through. The joy or anger that arises in your mind is just another delusion—since you already have this meditation topic as your master, the moment a situation arrives you see through it, and it melts immediately without any effort. Practicing this way not only overcomes external conditions but also brings moments of awakening. Just be careful not to speculate about mystical theories, for that may lead you astray.