【第四折】
Act 4
五祖忽於一日喚門人盡來，門人集訖。五祖曰：「吾向汝說，世人生死事大。汝等門人，終日供養，只求福田，不求出離生死苦海。汝等自性迷，福門何可救汝？汝等且歸房自看，有智慧者，自取本性般若之智，各作一偈呈吾。吾看汝偈，若悟大意者，付汝衣法，稟為六代。火急作！」
One day, the Fifth Patriarch suddenly summoned all his disciples. When they had gathered, he said to them: "I tell you, the matter of birth and death is of the utmost importance for all people in this world. You disciples spend all day making offerings, but you only seek to plant fields of blessings—you do not seek to escape from the bitter ocean of birth and death. If your own nature is deluded, how can the field of blessings save you? Go back to your rooms and examine yourselves. Those of you who have wisdom—use your own intrinsic Prajñā wisdom to compose a verse and present it to me. When I see your verse, if anyone has realized the great meaning, I will pass on to him the robe and the Dharma, and appoint him as the Sixth Patriarch. Hurry, hurry!"