---
title: "破山禪師語錄 · 開禪堂緣起"
description: "破山禅师语录是清代临济宗高僧海明禅师的言行录，由弟子印正等人编集，印峦等辑录年谱，印绬等编纂。海明禅师生活于明末清初，身处社会动荡时期，他继承并发展了临济宗风，以棒喝峻烈、禅风朴实著称。语录内容涵盖其开示、法语、机缘对答及年谱，全面展现了其禅法思想和修行实践。作为明清之际禅宗重要文献，该书对研究临济宗传承、明清佛教史及禅学思想具有重要价值，是了解当时禅宗风貌的核心典籍之一。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmgn0yhj21arfjl04k9m4269g"
---

### 開禪堂緣起

> Origin of the Meditation Hall

蓋聞佛法無主，要假人弘，得人則興、失人則廢，所以達人不可無也。是人也，非生而知之者也。吾教建叢林、立規矩，意在養育賢才，陶鑄後學，繼往開來，如日月昭示乎天下也。奈何海內叢林悉忘此意，予不得不犯天下所忌，敢以古今興廢試一論之。

> It is said that the Dharma has no fixed master—it depends on people to spread it. When the right people are found, it flourishes; when they are lost, it declines. This is why wise and capable people are indispensable. Such people, however, are not born with this knowledge. Our tradition establishes monasteries and sets down rules, with the aim of nurturing worthy talent, molding future students, and carrying on the past while opening the way for what comes next—shining on the world like the sun and moon. Yet sadly, monasteries throughout the land have all forgotten this purpose. I have no choice but to go against what the world disapproves of, and dare to offer a discussion on how things rise and fall, past and present.

上古叢林聚眾朝夕激揚，使悟本心，冀各為一方眼目，輾轉傳化，續佛慧燈，故古時穎脫者不知其數。此佛法得人，所以興也。邇來叢林雖在，古法盡忘，招賢弘教，杳絕無聞，自愚愚人，輾轉蒙昧，致使初學有志者無處栖泊、無人薰陶，蹉跎白首，不知佛義。此佛法失人，所以廢也。不思叢林者何所取義？如來無量劫中修行難得無上菩提，演布三藏，欲後人講誦參討，自見本心。古人知此，所以建禪堂安學者身心，使用力於此，即知是中代出高人，如林內具諸棟木，故以叢林立號。豈如今日驅賢養愚，忘本逐末，以了叢林之事？此非木之叢，實艸之叢也。況諸施中，法施為最。如來為法降生，為佛子者不知本末先後，謂之倒置，致佛日不明者，誰之咎與？故知達人必出叢林。興廢關乎主者，唯主人權柄在手，指呼是從，蒞是位不行是道，佛祖寧不皺眉耶？

> In the ancient monasteries, people gathered morning and evening to inspire one another, helping each person realize their true mind. The hope was that each would become a guiding light for their own corner of the world, passing the teaching along and keeping the Buddha's lamp of wisdom burning. That is why in ancient times, those who stood out in talent were countless. This is how the Dharma gained worthy people and flourished. In recent times, although monasteries still stand, the ancient ways have been completely forgotten. Inviting the wise and spreading the teachings—nothing is heard of this anymore. People fool themselves and fool others, passing down ignorance from one to the next. As a result, beginners with sincere aspirations have nowhere to settle and no one to learn from. They waste away until their hair turns white, never understanding the Buddha's meaning. This is how the Dharma loses people and declines. Have you never considered what "monastery" truly means? The Tathagata, through countless eons of spiritual practice, attained the unsurpassed Enlightenment. He expounded the Three Baskets of scripture so that later generations might recite, study, and investigate them, and thereby see their own original mind. The ancients understood this, which is why they built meditation halls to settle practitioners' bodies and minds, so they could devote their energy to this pursuit. One knows that from these places, great figures emerged generation after generation—like fine timber gathered within a forest. That is why the name "monastery" was given, meaning "a grove of trees." How could it be like today, where the worthy are driven out and the foolish are kept, where the root is forgotten and the branch is chased, all in the name of "getting monastery affairs done"? This is not a grove of trees—it is a grove of weeds. Moreover, among all forms of giving, the giving of Dharma is the highest. The Tathagata was born into this world for the sake of the Dharma. When children of the Buddha do not understand what comes first and what comes last, what is fundamental and what is secondary, this is called putting things upside down. And when the sun of Buddhahood grows dim—whose fault is that? Therefore, know that true masters must come from the monastery. Whether it thrives or declines depends on the one in charge. Only the abbot holds authority in hand, and all follow his direction. If one occupies this position but does not practice this Way, would the Buddhas and Patriarchs not frown?

明自參學以來，經歷多載，見今思古，每自傷歎，何今古相反若是？古亦人也、今亦人也，古人何增？今人何減？特因昧本忘恩，不思不行而已。若海內叢林一一皆能體佛心而行佛事，則天下咸成佛國，何今古之間然？況今教、禪、律人各執一邊，互相矛盾，鮮窺大全，豈知無上妙道出於口為教、運於心為禪、軌乎身為律，三法本一人行，今乃分疆自畫，去佛法遠矣。

> Since I began my studies and training, many years have passed. Looking at the present and reflecting on the past, I often grieve and sigh—why is it that the present is so contrary to the past? People in ancient times were also human; people today are also human. What did the ancients gain? What do people today lack? It is simply because we are blind to our true nature and forget our blessings, neither reflecting nor practicing. If every monastery throughout the land could embody the Buddha's mind and carry out the Buddha's work, then the whole world would become a Buddha land—why would there be such a gap between past and present? Moreover, today those who study the teachings, those who practice meditation, and those who observe the precepts each cling to their own side, contradicting one another, rarely seeing the whole picture. They fail to realize that the supreme wondrous path, when expressed through speech, is the teachings; when put into practice in the mind, is meditation; and when manifested in conduct, is the precepts. These three are originally practiced by one person. Now they divide the territory and draw boundaries themselves, drifting far from the Buddha Dharma.

明不揣薄劣，憂佛道之不行、慮人心之忘古，欲於通津大郡建一學業叢林，集有志緇流究性相之深詮、窮離文之妙旨，破目前之堅礙、消歷劫之固執，融五教十玄於毛孔之中、會六相五宗於揚眉之處，通變自在迥異常情。達磨不向東來、釋迦未曾出世，以斯先覺復教後覺，內外典籍貴以貫融，罷參者休心無事、初進者勵志向前，不計歲月，以徹為期，圓性達人，必從此出。心包法界，體合真空。即一切、非一切，雖度生而無生可度；佛即我、我即佛，雖成佛而無佛可成。佛法之興，安有涯量？故曰：「佛法興，莫先於得人；得人，莫先整叢林以教後學。」捨此而欲佛法興者，吾莫知之也。

> I understand my limited abilities, but I worry that the Buddha's path is not being practiced and that people's minds are forgetting the ancient ways. I wish to establish a monastic training center in a major crossroads city, gathering monks who aspire to practice—to explore the profound meanings of essence and characteristics, to penetrate the subtle teachings beyond words, to break through present obstacles, to dissolve stubborn attachments accumulated over kalpas, to merge the five teachings and ten mysteries within a single pore, to unite the six characteristics and five schools in a single raised eyebrow, to attain freedom and flexibility beyond ordinary understanding. Were it not for Bodhidharma coming from the East, and Shakyamuni having appeared in the world, the already awakened would teach the yet-to-be-awakened. Both Buddhist and non-Buddhist texts should be studied and integrated. Those who have finished their training can rest with a peaceful mind; beginners should strive diligently and move forward, not counting the years but taking complete penetration as their goal. Those who perfect their nature and attain understanding will surely emerge from here. The mind encompasses the entire dharma realm; the essence unites with true emptiness. It is all things, yet not all things—though saving beings, there is no being to save. Buddha is I, I am Buddha—though attaining Buddhahood, there is no Buddhahood to attain. How can the flourishing of the Dharma have any limit? Therefore it is said: "For the flourishing of the Dharma, nothing comes before gaining the right people; to gain the right people, nothing comes before organizing a monastic center to teach later students." To abandon this and still wish for the Dharma to flourish—I do not know how that could be.

由是觀之：無賢主則不出達人，無達人則不興佛法，反覆推尋，主人為最，此位任大，毋自抑小，宜去高去慢，虛心待物，視此身為天下學人之父母，視天下學人皆我一家之子弟。內則為之聚糧、辦衣、供油，以資其歲月朝夕之需；外則為之請出世名宿，以作模範，薰之陶之，日益日損，方不失為主人之實。

雖然，明更有說焉。如來昔以佛法付囑國王大臣，誠有見於末法之弊，非主持世道者不能弘揚吾教。願今舉世宰官達士，世道既平，亦宜傍興佛法。蓋三寶乃世間福田，下得一種，收得一斛。諺云：「山中無老僧，朝中無宰相。」安知滿朝文武非昔修行苦行僧耶？惟冀不忘前因，各出手眼，共報佛恩，使天下叢林俱興佛法，賢者進而愚者化，佛教則煥然一新，王道亦不教而善，此二教兼化並行而不悖也。願與同志共遵之，無負靈山之付囑也已。