【第七折】
Chapter 7
神秀上座題此偈畢，卻歸房臥，並無人見。
五祖平旦，遂喚盧供奉來南廊下，畫楞伽變。五祖忽見此偈，讀訖，乃謂供奉曰：「弘忍與供奉錢三十千，深勞遠來，不畫變相也。《金剛經》云：『凡所有相，皆是虛妄。』不如留此偈，令迷人誦。依此修行，不墮三惡；依法修行，有大利益。」
At dawn, the Fifth Patriarch summoned the artisan Lu to the South Corridor to paint a scene from the Lankavatara Sutra. Suddenly noticing this verse, he read it through and then said to the artisan, "Hongren will give you thirty thousand coins for your trouble in coming from afar, but the painting is no longer needed. The Diamond Sutra says, 'All forms are illusory.' Better to leave this verse here for the confused to recite. Those who cultivate according to it will not fall into the three lower realms; those who practice in accordance with the Dharma will gain great benefit."
大師遂喚門人盡來，焚香偈前，眾人見已，皆生敬心。弘忍曰：「汝等盡誦此偈者，方得見性，依此修行，即不墮落。」門人盡誦，皆生敬心，喚言善哉！
The Master then called all his disciples to come forward, and offered incense before the verse. When everyone saw it, they were filled with reverence. Hongren said, "If all of you recite this verse, you will come to see your true nature. By practicing in accordance with it, you will not fall into delusion." The disciples all recited it, their hearts filled with respect, and they exclaimed, "Wonderful!"
五祖遂喚秀上座於堂內，問：「是汝作偈否？若是汝作，應得我法。」
秀上座言：「罪過！實是神秀作。不敢求祖，願和尚慈悲，看弟子有小智慧識大意否？」
五祖曰：「汝作此偈，見解只到門前，尚未得入。凡夫依此偈修行，即不墮落；作此見解，若覓無上菩提，即不可得。要入得門，見自本性。汝且去，一兩日思維，更作一偈來呈吾，若入得門，見自本性，當付汝衣法。」秀上座去數日，作偈不得。