---
title: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論 · 法語一"
description: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論是明末高僧智旭的著作。明末佛教面臨內部僵化與外部挑戰，智旭大師立足天台宗，主張禪教律淨融合，回應時代弊病。該書匯集其書信、註疏與開示，系統闡述性相融通、淨土為歸的佛學思想，強調解行並進與實踐修行。作為中國佛教史上承先啟後的巨著，它深刻影響了後世漢傳佛教的發展，尤其對淨土宗的推廣貢獻卓著，被尊為淨土宗第九祖的智旭，其思想透過此論成為明清佛教的重要指南。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmgn46ayh0mu9k104s4d3fdhs"
---
## 靈峰蕅益大師宗論卷第二之一
> Collected Works of Master Ouyi from Lingfeng, Volume 2, Part 1
古歙門人成時編輯
> Edited by Cheng Shi, a Disciple from Ancient She
### 法語一
> Dharma Talk 1
示印海方丈先開見地，後可言修證。欲開見地，不得姑待異日。夫決擇身心，無過師友商確，經論尋討。今商確僅作言談會，尋討僅作文字會，必待冷坐，方名工夫成片。縱得成片，動靜依然兩橛，況動既不能隨處體會，靜又安保成片哉？真工夫不然，無論世法、佛法，動靜順逆語默，但發慧眼、鎔習氣，磨礪身心，增益我所不到者，即實工夫。只期本分相應，更無動靜之別。儻不向本分會取，徒謝絕人事，枯守蒲團，敢保驢年無相應分，況塵緣無盡邪？應以猛切心，治姑待心，常念時不待人，一蹉便成百蹉，以殷重心，治輕忽心，一言有益於己，便應著眼銘心。以深廣心，治將就心，期待誓同先哲，舉措莫類時流。三若缺一，學道難矣。
> To Abbot Yin Hai First clarify your insight, then you can speak of cultivation and realization. To clarify your insight, do not postpone it for another day. When it comes to examining body and mind, nothing surpasses consulting with teachers and friends and studying the scriptures. Yet today, consultation often becomes mere conversation, and study becomes mere textual analysis. People think they must sit in cold solitude before they can call their practice “unified.” Even if they achieve some unity, activity and stillness remain split in two. How can one truly embody the teaching in activity if, in stillness, one merely clings to a sense of wholeness? True practice is not like this. Whether in worldly affairs or the Dharma, in activity or stillness, favorable or adverse conditions, speech or silence— whenever you bring forth wisdom-eye, melt habitual tendencies, temper body and mind, and strengthen where you are lacking— that is genuine practice. Just aim to accord with your fundamental nature—there is no distinction between activity and stillness. If you do not turn toward this fundamental understanding, but instead withdraw from human affairs and dryly cling to your meditation cushion, I dare say you will never attain accord, even in a donkey’s year—how much less when worldly conditions are endless? Therefore: Use a fierce and urgent mind to cure a procrastinating mind. Always remember: time waits for no one. One misstep leads to a hundred. Use a sincere and earnest mind to cure a careless and neglectful mind. If even one word benefits you, take it to heart and engrave it in your memory. Use a deep and broad mind to cure a compromising and perfunctory mind. Aspire to match the sages of old; do not act like the ordinary people of today. If any one of these three is missing, the path of learning will be difficult.
示法源念佛工夫，秖貴真實信心。第一要信我是未成之佛，彌陀是已成之佛，其體無二。次信娑婆的是苦，安養的可歸，熾然欣厭。次信現前一舉一動，皆可迴向西方，若不迴向，雖上品善，亦不往生。若知迴向，雖誤作惡行，速斷相續心，起殷重懺悔，懺悔之力亦能往生。況持戒修福，種種勝業，豈不足莊嚴淨土？只為信力不深，勝業淪於有漏，又欲捨此別商，誤之誤矣。但加真信，一切行履，更不須改也。
> Explaining the Source of the Dharma The practice of mindfulness of the Buddha lies solely in genuine faith. First, you must believe that I am a Buddha yet to be realized, and Amitabha is a Buddha already realized—their essence is not two. Next, believe that this Saha world is truly suffering, and the Land of Bliss is truly a place to return to—thus giving rise to ardent joy and renunciation. Next, believe that every single thought and action in the present moment can be dedicated toward rebirth in the Western Pure Land. If you do not dedicate it, even the highest grade of good deeds will not lead to rebirth. If you understand dedication, even if you mistakenly commit unwholesome actions, quickly cut off the continuity of that mind, give rise to sincere and earnest repentance, and the power of repentance can also lead to rebirth. How much more so with upholding precepts, cultivating blessings, and all kinds of sublime practices—are they not sufficient to adorn the Pure Land? It is only because faith is not deep enough that these sublime practices become tainted and defiled. Moreover, if you wish to abandon this and seek another path, that would be a grave mistake. Simply add genuine faith, and there is no need to change any of your conduct or practice.
示初平人知宗者佛心，教者佛語，不知戒者佛身也。盧舍那佛，以戒為體，惡無不止故淨，善無不行故滿。儻身既不存，心將安寄，語將安宣。縱透千七百公案，通十二部了義，止成依草附木無主孤魂而已。
> To Shi Chuping People understand that the essence is the Buddha’s mind, the teachings are the Buddha’s words, but they do not realize that the precepts are the Buddha’s body. Vairocana Buddha takes the precepts as his very substance: because no evil is left unrestrained, purity is attained; because no good is left unpracticed, perfection is fulfilled. If the body is not preserved, where will the mind reside? Where will the words be spoken? Even if one penetrates a thousand seven hundred koans or masters the twelve divisions of the definitive teachings, it will only amount to a rootless, masterless wandering spirit clinging to grass and wood.
示陳受之聖賢皆以同體大悲，為學問綱宗。儒謂萬物皆備於我，釋謂心佛眾生三無差別。推惻隱之心，可保四海，極大悲之量，遍周法界，故曰，天地之大德曰生。儻殺戒不持，豈名一日克己復禮，天下歸仁乎。願即向儒門實究，必能奮然頓決於一日，位天地，育萬物，取諸片念而有餘矣。
> Written for Chen Shouzhi All sages and worthies take the great compassion of shared essence as the guiding principle of their learning. Confucianism says, "All things are complete within me." Buddhism says, "Mind, Buddha, and sentient beings are not three different things." Extend the heart of compassion, and you can protect all within the four seas. Expand the measure of great compassion, and it pervades the entire Dharma realm. Therefore it is said, "The great virtue of Heaven and Earth is giving life." If one does not uphold the precept against killing, how can it be called "subduing oneself and returning to propriety for a single day, so that all under Heaven turn to benevolence"? I hope you will immediately seek the truth within the Confucian gate—you will certainly be able to resolutely and suddenly resolve this in a single day. To take your place with Heaven and Earth, to nurture all things—this can be achieved with a single thought and to spare.
示羅性嚴剃髮染衣，會有良時。歸戒聞修，不勞諏日。非歸戒無以為出要之本，非聞修無以開出要之門。佛法染神既深，解脫機緣自湊。否則前牽後引，歲復一歲，淨信初心，漸至牿亡，非丈夫所以自奮也。
> Shiluo Xingyan shaved his head and dyed his robes, awaiting the right moment. To take refuge, receive precepts, hear the teachings, and cultivate—these need not wait for an auspicious day. Without taking refuge and receiving precepts, there is no foundation for liberation; without hearing the teachings and cultivating, there is no gateway to liberation. Once the Dharma has deeply dyed the spirit, the conditions for liberation will naturally arise. Otherwise, dragged along by past and future, year after year, the pure faith of one’s initial resolve will gradually fade and perish—this is not how a true practitioner rouses himself.
示沈驚百世出世，固不可判作兩橛，亦不可混作一事，蓋儒佛下手，同要歸異。雖從真儒下手處下手，學道有基，不向真佛要歸處要歸，真性不顯。東坡學佛，然後知儒，以宣聖出春秋世，眾生根性機緣未熟，一往且就倫常指點。五乘格之，僅屬人乘，閒露極談，終不彰著。復被宋儒知見覆蔽，遂使道脈湮埋。非藉三藏十二部教，求開眼目，不唯負己靈，宣尼亦受屈多矣。
> A note to Shen Jingbai The worldly and the transcendent should not be treated as two separate things, nor should they be confused as one and the same. Confucianism and Buddhism share the same starting point, but their ultimate aims differ. Even if one begins with the genuine Confucian approach and builds a foundation for spiritual practice, if one does not ultimately aim for the true goal of Buddhism, one’s true nature will not be revealed. Su Dongpo understood Confucianism only after studying Buddhism. In the time of Confucius, during the Spring and Autumn period, people’s capacities and conditions were not yet ripe. Confucius therefore taught primarily through the lens of ethics and social relations. Measured by the Five Vehicles, this belongs only to the Human Vehicle. Although he occasionally hinted at deeper truths, they were never fully revealed. Later, the insights of the Song Confucians further obscured this, causing the true path to become buried. Without relying on the teachings of the Three Baskets and the twelve divisions of scripture to open one’s eyes, one not only betrays one’s own spirit—Confucius himself would be deeply wronged.
示沈清彥人不知本地風光，天地萬物，俱成芻狗，位育事業，徒有虛名。凡夫如井蛙夏蟲，豈信大海非誑，永劫不誣？欲入此信門，應觀現前一念，前不得其始，後不得其終，現莫窮涯際。設追尋，絕無蹤跡；言其無，不可斷滅。禪家謂之淨裸裸、赤灑灑，尚冤不少，況紫陽謂虛靈不昧，稟得於天，非戲論妄想邪？急從良師友，快讀了義經，薦取本來面目，掀翻流俗知見。勉之。
> To Shen Qingyan People do not recognize their original nature. Heaven, earth, and the myriad things all become like straw dogs; the work of nurturing and ordering the world is but an empty name. Ordinary beings are like frogs at the bottom of a well or summer insects—how could they believe that the great ocean is not a lie, or that the eternal kalpas are not false? If you wish to enter this gate of faith, you should observe the present thought-moment: you cannot find its beginning in the past, nor its end in the future; in the present, you cannot exhaust its boundaries. If you try to trace it, it leaves no trace; if you say it is nothing, it cannot be cut off or extinguished. Chan masters call it "utterly pure, stark naked, and completely exposed"—yet even this still falls short. How much more so when Ziyang speaks of "the luminous, unclouded mind, received from Heaven"—is this not just idle talk and deluded thought? Hasten to follow a good teacher and friend, quickly read the definitive sutras, recognize your original face, and overturn the conventional views of the world. Strive diligently.
示范明啟三寶深理，非庸儒所知，大智丈夫，乃能諦信。余少時亦拘虛於程朱，後廣讀內典，稍窺涯畔，莫窮源底，方知有真實心性之學。唯以超方眼，觀究竟理，庶不墮井蛙夏蟲之誚也。
> The profound principles of the Three Jewels are not something ordinary scholars can comprehend; only those of great wisdom and courage can truly believe. In my youth, I too was confined by the teachings of Cheng and Zhu, but later, I extensively studied Buddhist scriptures and began to glimpse their vastness, though I could not fathom their depths. Only then did I realize the existence of the genuine study of mind and nature. Only by viewing ultimate truth with a transcendent perspective can one avoid the ridicule of being like a frog in a well or a summer insect.
示王稚炎喻義喻利，在心術不在形骸。果聖賢自期，功名亦道德之用。儻志在目前，不求上達，雖駕言理學，止富貴之媒而已。今以孝父母、和兄弟、致君澤民三種心持準提咒，豈非大乘願力。精勤一致，始終不渝，君子喻於義，利亦化為義矣。
> Demonstrated to Wang Zhiyan Whether one is guided by righteousness or by profit lies in the heart’s intent, not in outward appearance. If you truly aspire to be a sage or a worthy, then fame and achievement can become instruments of virtue. But if your ambition is fixed on immediate gains and you do not seek higher understanding, even if you speak of principle and learning, they will merely become stepping‑stones to wealth and rank. Now, if you recite the Cundi Mantra with these three intentions—to honor your parents, to harmonize with your siblings, and to serve your sovereign and benefit the people—is that not the very power of a great vehicle vow? Persist diligently and single‑mindedly, unwavering from beginning to end. When a noble person is guided by righteousness, even profit is transformed into righteousness.
示無雲舉手低頭，皆成佛道。開示悟入，妙在不別覓玄奧。無相不離有相，解脫不離文字，究竟不異初心。若以生滅心觀一切法，設有一法過涅槃者，亦是生滅數。若以不生滅心會一切法，是法住法位，世閒相常住。豈得漫云塔是土木，經是紙墨邪？急薦取可也。
> Shi Wuyun Raising a hand or bowing the head—all can lead to the path of Buddhahood. To reveal, to show, to awaken, to enter—the wonder lies in not seeking some separate, mysterious profundity. The formless does not depart from the formed; liberation does not depart from words; the ultimate is not different from the initial mind. If you observe all phenomena with a mind of birth and death, even if there were a dharma surpassing Nirvana, it too would fall within the realm of birth and death. If you meet all phenomena with a mind free from birth and death, then phenomena abide in their own nature, and worldly appearances are eternally present. How can one carelessly say, “A stupa is merely earth and wood, a sutra is merely paper and ink”? You should urgently grasp this truth.
示夢西欲坐斷凡聖情解，頓明佛祖心源，不可絲毫夾雜。然所謂夾雜，正不在看經尋論，乃在世閒利名煩惱，我慢慳嫉放不下。嘗見主宗乘者，動以經論為雜毒，反置習氣於不訶，豈知古英傑凡情先盡，故但埽其聖解。今人濁智流轉，不向痛處加錐，云何出得生死？且如婆子燒菴公案，須向自己腳跟下理會。可笑世人，欲代轉語，望婆子供養，面皮厚多少哉。須不欺心，的的覤破那僧及婆子落處，即自己落處，便是出生死真實路頭。切不可向解路卜度，失卻自己鼻孔。其二六時中，用心方便，妙在從緣薦得，不宜固守枯寂，塞妙悟門，直拶碎虛空，再來理會。
> To sit and sever the ordinary and holy, to suddenly illuminate the ancestral source of the buddhas and patriarchs—there must not be the slightest trace of impurity. Yet what is meant by impurity is not found in reading sutras or seeking discussions, but rather in the worldly entanglements of fame, profit, vexations, arrogance, stinginess, and jealousy that one cannot let go of. I have seen those who uphold the ancestral school often dismiss sutras and treatises as poisonous distractions, while turning a blind eye to their own habitual tendencies. How could they not know that the ancient heroes had first exhausted their ordinary feelings, and thus only swept away their holy interpretations? Today’s people, with their turbid intellects flowing in circles, do not apply the awl to the sore spot—how then can they escape birth and death? Take, for example, the case of the old woman burning the hermitage. One must look into it at one’s own feet. It is laughable how people in the world wish to offer clever replies, hoping for the old woman’s support—how thick-skinned can one be? One must not deceive the mind. Truly see through where that monk and the old woman stumble—that is precisely where you yourself stumble. This is the genuine path out of birth and death. Do not, by any means, speculate along the path of intellectual understanding and thereby lose hold of your own nostrils. As for the twenty-four hours of the day, the skillful means of applying the mind lie in awakening through conditions. It is not beneficial to stubbornly cling to barren stillness, blocking the gate of wondrous awakening. Only when you shatter emptiness to pieces should you come back and look into it.
示方暉元浩然之氣，人皆性具。雖云集義所生，實非有生。但念念以聖賢自期，則本性日顯，氣自充矣。若一念餒，便名自棄。所貴豪傑之士，無待而興也。
> The vast and noble spirit is inherent in everyone's nature. Although it is said to be cultivated through accumulating righteous deeds, it is not something that is newly created. Simply by constantly aspiring to be a sage or a worthy person, one's inherent nature gradually reveals itself, and the spirit naturally becomes full. If even a single thought becomes timid or discouraged, it is called self-abandonment. What is truly valuable are those heroic individuals who rise to greatness without waiting for external conditions.
示攝三聽講不得徒事口耳，先應諦思，佛為何事說經？我為何事學經？若知佛所為何事，則不耽著文言；若知我當為何事，則不貪逐名利。不逐名利，則杜外謗；不著文言，則善悟理。悟理則本立而道生，杜謗則德孚而物化，可以自利，可以利他。不然，學問愈多，去道愈遠，學人愈盛，法門愈衰。師蟲之記，良足畏也。
> On the Threefold Approach to Learning When listening to a lecture, do not merely engage your ears and mouth. First, you should reflect deeply: For what purpose did the Buddha speak this scripture? For what purpose am I studying it? If you understand why the Buddha taught it, you will not become attached to the words and phrases. If you understand what I ought to do with it, you will not chase after fame and gain. Not chasing fame and gain prevents external criticism; not clinging to the words allows you to grasp the principle well. Grasping the principle establishes the foundation and gives rise to the Way; preventing criticism nurtures virtue and transforms others. This can benefit oneself and benefit others. Otherwise, the more learning you accumulate, the farther you stray from the Way; the more students flourish, the more the Dharma declines. The warning about the “bookworm” is truly something to heed.
示律堂大眾流俗知見，不可入道。我慢習氣，不可求道。未會先會，不可語道。宴安怠惰，不可學道。顧是惜非，不可謀道。自信己意，不可問道。捨動求靜，不可養道。棄教參禪，不可得道。依文解義，不可會道。欲速喜近，不可悟道。隔小於大，不可見道。執穢為淨，不可知道。厭常喜新，不可趨道。樂簡畏繁，不可明道。將就苟且，不可修道。得少為足，不可證道。惟超群拔俗，謙己虛心，忍苦捍勞，親近知識，觸處體會，以教印心，廣大悠久，事理雙備，棲神淨域，履蹈典型，博通古今，特達勇銳，深心無極，誓窮法海源底，乃真實男子，出世丈夫。
> To the assembly in the Hall of Discipline: Common worldly views cannot lead to the Way. The habit of arrogance cannot seek the Way. Assuming understanding before truly learning cannot discuss the Way. Indulging in comfort and laziness cannot study the Way. Cherishing what is right while resenting what is wrong cannot plan for the Way. Trusting only one’s own ideas cannot inquire about the Way. Abandoning activity to seek stillness cannot nurture the Way. Rejecting the teachings to practice meditation alone cannot attain the Way. Interpreting texts literally without insight cannot comprehend the Way. Desiring quick results and shortcuts cannot awaken to the Way. Separating the small from the great cannot perceive the Way. Holding impurity as purity cannot know the Way. Disliking the ordinary and craving the new cannot approach the Way. Preferring simplicity and fearing complexity cannot illuminate the Way. Settling for compromise and carelessness cannot cultivate the Way. Being content with little and stopping short cannot realize the Way. Only those who rise above the crowd, humble themselves with an open mind, endure hardship and toil, draw close to wise teachers, reflect deeply in every situation, verify their understanding with the teachings, embrace both breadth and depth, unify principle and practice, dwell in purity, follow the noble examples, study widely across past and present, demonstrate exceptional courage and sharp insight, harbor a boundless, profound resolve, and vow to reach the very source of the Dharma ocean—only such individuals are true men of integrity, genuine heroes who transcend the world.
示存朴夫比丘者，體預僧寶之尊，職紹佛法之種，須超群拔俗，迥脫流俗知見，方無愧厥名。儻故轍不改，則一舉一動，罪案如山。一旦業風吹去，袈裟下失卻人身，苦中之苦。人閒五十年，四王天一晝夜，有何實法可戀？若不急尋出要，寧唯一錯百錯，塵沙劫數，未有了期。血性漢子，能勿悚然在念乎。
> To show the preservation of simplicity A monk embodies the noble status of the Sangha Jewel and bears the responsibility of continuing the lineage of the Buddha’s Dharma. He must rise above the crowd, transcend worldly views, and break free from common perceptions—only then can he live up to this name. If he stubbornly clings to old ways, then every single action will pile up sins like a mountain. Once the winds of karma blow, he may lose his human form beneath the monastic robe—the greatest suffering among sufferings. Fifty years in the human realm is but a single day and night in the Heaven of the Four Kings. What real thing is there to cling to? If one does not urgently seek a way out, not only will one mistake lead to a hundred more, but through countless kalpas like grains of sand, there will be no end. A person of true courage—can they not feel a shudder of urgency in their heart?
示真學真學以解行雙到為宗趣，非開解無以趨道，非力行無以證道。而解行又有大小、漸頓不同。若但求一出生死法門自度脫者，小解小行也。若遍通一切法門自利利他者，大解大行也。若先解後行者，漸也。若知解行同時，隨文入觀，不離語言而得解脫者，頓也。如兵卒習一伎，可殺一賊，取一賞，糊數口。又市醫僅知一方，可療一病，取一直，資厥身。則聲聞緣覺是也。若任大將，作大醫者，必盡知韜略，遍達方味，然後向無不克，治無不驗。圓頓行人，通達萬法，圓悟一心，自行則無惑不破，化他則無機不接。今欲遍通一切法門，雖三藏十二部，言言互攝互融，然必得其要緒，方能勢如破竹。為聖賢者，以六經為楷模，而通六經，必藉註疏開關鑰。為佛祖者，以《華嚴》、《法華》、《楞嚴》、《唯識》為司南，而通此諸典，又藉天台、賢首、慈恩為準繩。蓋悉教網幽致，莫善玄義，而釋籤輔之。闡圓觀真修，莫善《止觀》，而《輔行》成之。極性體雄詮，莫善《雜華》，而《疏鈔》、《懸談》悉之。辨法相差別，莫善《唯識》，而《相宗八要》佐之。然後融入《宗鏡》，變極諸宗，並會歸於淨土。以此開解，即以此成行，教觀齊彰，禪淨一致，遠離擔板之病，不墮數寶之譏，可謂慶快生平，卓絕千古者矣。
> True learning takes understanding and practice as its core purpose. Without understanding, one cannot approach the Way; without diligent practice, one cannot realize the Way. Furthermore, understanding and practice themselves differ in scope and approach—there are lesser and greater, gradual and sudden. If one merely seeks a single method to escape birth and death for one's own liberation, that is lesser understanding and lesser practice. If one comprehensively masters all methods for the benefit of both self and others, that is great understanding and great practice. If understanding comes first and practice follows, that is the gradual approach. If one knows that understanding and practice are simultaneous, entering contemplation with the words, attaining liberation without leaving language behind, that is the sudden approach. It is like a soldier mastering a single skill to kill one enemy, earn one reward, and feed a few mouths. Or like a market doctor who knows only one prescription to treat one illness, earn one fee, and sustain himself. Such are the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas. But to be a great general or a great physician, one must fully understand all strategies and be thoroughly versed in all remedies. Only then can one be invincible in battle and infallible in healing. Practitioners of the complete and sudden path comprehend all dharmas and fully awaken to the One Mind. In their own practice, no confusion remains unbroken; in guiding others, no capacity goes unmet. Now, to master all methods comprehensively, even though the Three Baskets and twelve divisions of scripture are mutually encompassing and interpenetrating, one must grasp the essential thread to break through like splitting bamboo. For Confucian sages, the Six Classics serve as the model, and to understand the Six Classics, one must rely on commentaries and subcommentaries as keys. For Buddhist patriarchs, the \*Avataṃsaka Sūtra\*, the \*Lotus Sūtra\*, the \*Śūraṅgama Sūtra\*, and the \*Vijñaptimātratā\* teachings serve as the compass. And to understand these classics, one relies on the standards set by the Tiantai, Huayan, and Cien (Faxiang) schools. To fully grasp the profound meaning of the teachings, nothing surpasses the \*Profound Meaning\* (of the Lotus Sūtra), supported by the \*Explanatory Notes\*. To elucidate true practice through complete contemplation, nothing surpasses the \*Great Calming and Contemplation\*, completed by the \*Auxiliary Practices\*. To exhaustively express the majestic exposition of the nature-reality, nothing surpasses the \*Flower Garland\* (Avataṃsaka), fully detailed in the \*Commentary and Subcommentary\* and \*Suspended Discussions\*. To discern the distinctions of dharma-characteristics, nothing surpasses the \*Vijñaptimātratā\*, assisted by the \*Eight Essentials of the Characteristic School\*. Then, integrate all into the \*Mirror of the Source\*, transforming and exhausting all schools, and converge them all in the Pure Land. With this, understanding is opened; with this, practice is accomplished. Teaching and contemplation shine together; Chan and Pure Land are one. Far from the sickness of carrying a plank (one-sided view), free from the ridicule of counting treasures (without using them), one may be said to rejoice swiftly in this life and stand unparalleled through the ages.
示萬韞玉受一非餘，固為魔攝。無端泛涉，不入聞持。既知心學淵源、工夫次第，則隨閱一書，必徹頭徹尾，巨細畢明，庶無擇不精、語不詳之患。仍須捨盡舊時知見，方有格外新得。唯道集虛，虛乃心齋。儻陳見橫於意中，一芥翳天、一塵覆地矣。
> To Wan Yunyu To grasp one thing while discarding all others is to fall under the sway of demons. To wander aimlessly, without focus, is to fail to retain what you hear. Once you understand the deep source of the mind’s learning and the proper sequence of practice, then whenever you study a text, you must go through it from beginning to end, clarifying every detail, great and small. Only then can you avoid the pitfalls of careless selection and superficial understanding. You must also let go of all your former views and knowledge— only then will you gain fresh insight beyond the ordinary. The Way gathers where there is emptiness; emptiness is the fasting of the heart. If old opinions remain entrenched in your mind, even a speck can obscure the sky, a single grain of dust can cover the earth.
示王簡在有出格見地方有千古品格，有千古品格方有超方學問，有超方學問方有蓋世文章。今文章學問不從立品格始，品格不從開見地始，是之楚而北其轅也。嗚呼！習俗移人，賢知不免，狃一時耳目，忘曠劫因緣。非以理奪情、以性違習，安能洞開見地，使文章事業一以貫之也哉？
> Shown to Wang Jianzai Only with extraordinary insight can one achieve a timeless character; only with a timeless character can one attain transcendent learning; only with transcendent learning can one produce world‑class writings. Today, people pursue writings and learning without first establishing their character; they seek to build character without first opening their insight—this is like heading for Chu but driving the chariot north. Alas! Custom molds people, and even the wise and discerning are not spared. Obsessed with the sights and sounds of the moment, they forget the causes and conditions spanning countless kalpas. If one does not use principle to overcome habit and use true nature to oppose ingrained tendencies, how can one thoroughly open up insight and make writings, learning, and life’s work all flow from the same source?
示王心葵《法華》一經，殷勤稱歎方便。須知有世閒方便，布施愛語，孝悌忠信等是也。有出世閒方便，苦空無常，無我不淨，數息因緣，遠離知足等法門是也。有出世上上方便，十波羅密，四攝四辯，八萬四千三昧，總持等是也。有不思議勝異方便，信自性中實有西方，現成佛道之彌陀如來，唯心中實有莊嚴之極樂世界，深心弘願，決志求生。不唯上上方便是其資糧，將世出世一切方便，無非往生左券。此法門中，點鐵成金手段，不歷僧祇，頓階不退，名絕待妙法也。
> To Wang Xinkui The \*Lotus Sutra\* repeatedly praises skillful means. We must understand that there are worldly skillful means—such as generosity, kind words, filial piety, brotherly respect, loyalty, and trustworthiness. There are otherworldly skillful means—such as the teachings on suffering, emptiness, impermanence, non-self, and impurity, as well as mindfulness of breathing, dependent origination, seclusion, and contentment. There are supreme otherworldly skillful means—such as the ten perfections, the four ways of gathering disciples, the four kinds of eloquence, the eighty-four thousand meditative concentrations, and dhāraṇīs. And there is an inconceivable, extraordinary skillful means: Believing that within our own nature there truly exists the Western Pure Land, That the Amitābha Buddha who accomplished the way is already present, That within our mind alone there truly exists the gloriously adorned Land of Ultimate Bliss, And with deep faith and vast vows, firmly resolving to seek rebirth there. Not only are the supreme skillful means provisions for this path— All worldly and otherworldly skillful means become the very pledge of rebirth. In this Dharma gate, the method that turns iron into gold, Without passing through countless eons, one immediately attains the stage of non-retrogression— This is called the unparalleled, wondrous Dharma.
示廣戒無量法門，不出三學。一往戒定屬緣因，慧學為了因。實三學之中，三因圓具。又次第則因戒生定，因定發慧，後後勝前。推本則戒無定慧，猶剋善果，定慧無戒，必落魔邪。思之思之。
> The vast teachings of the Dharma all arise from the three trainings. At first glance, precepts and concentration are the supporting conditions, while wisdom is the ultimate cause. Yet in truth, within the three trainings, all three causes are perfectly present. In sequence, precepts give rise to concentration, and concentration gives rise to wisdom—each surpassing the one before. At their foundation, precepts without concentration and wisdom can still yield wholesome results, but concentration and wisdom without precepts will inevitably lead to demonic and misguided paths. Reflect on this deeply.
示慧含習氣不除，無出生死分。然習氣熏染，非一朝一夕之故，不痛加錐拶，何由頓革。須猛念身世無常，幻緣虛假，人道難生，佛乘難遇。失此不求度脫，千生萬劫何期。便將是非人我，體面界牆，身見慢幢，愛染情性，全體放下，不復躊躇。將如來出世要法，徹底承當，愛樂受持，精勤趨向，自然福慧增長，日造深微。而出要無奇，正在平常日用閒。切不可離事覓理，捨麤求精，厭動求靜，喜順惡逆；或鑽他故紙，認指為月；或枯守蒲團，釘樁搖櫓。此近世禪講學人，膏肓痼疾，習氣最惡毒者。設不深自省察，力加剋除，愈趨愈下，無救無歸。當知此輩，若劣有微福，必作魔家眷屬，萬行若荒，直感三塗劇苦。吾人暗識相傳，長夜不曉。今得人身，不值正法，魔外充斥，無從問津。幸善根未絕，獲聞遺教，何容更悠悠視作等閒。生大慚愧，嘗膽臥薪，一念便應決斷，想道不由別人也。
> To HuihanIf habitual tendencies are not eliminated, there is no way out of birth and death. Yet these tendencies, accumulated through conditioning, are not formed in a single day or night. Without applying intense and painful pressure, how can they be suddenly uprooted? You must fiercely reflect on the impermanence of this body and life, on the illusory and empty nature of all conditioned phenomena, on the difficulty of obtaining a human birth, and on the rarity of encountering the Buddha's teaching. If you miss this chance to seek liberation, when will you ever have another opportunity across countless lifetimes and eons? You should completely let go of all notions of right and wrong, self and others, the walls of reputation and status, the pride of self-view, and the clinging of desire and emotional nature—without the slightest hesitation. Thoroughly embrace the essential Dharma taught by the Tathagata for the sake of the world, cherish it, accept and uphold it, and diligently strive toward it. Naturally, your wisdom and merit will grow, and each day you will penetrate more deeply. Yet the essential path is not extraordinary; it lies precisely within ordinary daily activities. You must never seek truth apart from phenomena, abandon the coarse for the refined, dislike activity and crave stillness, prefer smoothness and resent adversity; nor should you merely pore over old texts, mistaking the finger pointing at the moon for the moon itself, or rigidly cling to your meditation cushion, like nailing a pole to row a boat. These are the deep-seated, chronic maladies and most virulent habitual tendencies among recent generations of Chan practitioners and Dharma lecturers. If you do not deeply examine yourself and strive to overcome them, you will sink lower and lower, with no salvation and no refuge. Know that such people, if they possess even slight worldly fortune, are bound to become followers of Mara. If all virtuous practices are neglected, they will directly bring upon themselves the intense suffering of the three wretched realms. We beings, inheriting deluded consciousness, wander in long darkness without awakening. Now that we have obtained a human body, if we do not encounter the true Dharma—amid a world filled with Mara's followers and external paths, with no one to guide us—it is only due to our remaining good roots, not yet exhausted, that we have heard these surviving teachings. How can we continue to idly regard them as ordinary? Give rise to great shame and remorse, taste bitterness and sleep on firewood—with a single thought, you should make a decisive resolution. Realize that the path does not depend on anyone else.
示定西儒者民胞物與，盡此身命，尚不可不弘毅，況塵剎不隔毫端，十世不離當念者乎。夫真弘者，聲聞緣覺，權乘果位，猶不足挂懷，安問世閒名利。真毅者，百劫千生，不生一念退失，安問現在境緣。今時釋子，只圖作宗法律師，設無出頭一著，雖頓超佛地者，亦不顧矣。本發心，原非為菩提大道，曠劫遠猷，故一受戒，兢兢缽杖表相；一聽講，孜孜消文為事；一參禪，念念機鋒是務。至應期禁足閉關等，皆百年活計，人世公案，本分事千萬重矣。彼於微妙佛道，僅從經本上依稀聞解，未嘗親知灼見，終屬半信半疑；於眼前活計，未嘗諦觀三界空苦無常，終覺放他不下。雖學成語，陵駕佛祖，實一時高興，或初生牛犢不畏虎，或童豎戲劇自稱天王，未嘗以佛祖自期也。閒有發勝志者，不能到底唯為菩提一事，或被名利改節，雖云漸變初心，仍是因中夾帶，不可不慎思而痛勵也。
> The Confucian ideal of "all people are my siblings, all things are my companions" urges one to exhaust this life in its pursuit—how much more so for the truth that all worlds are not separated by a hair's breadth, and all time is contained in the present moment? Truly great aspiration does not cling even to the attainments of sages and awakened ones, let alone worldly fame and profit. True perseverance does not give rise to a single thought of retreat across countless lifetimes—how could it be swayed by present circumstances? Today's monastics often aim only to become masters of doctrine or discipline. Without the ultimate aim of liberation, even the sudden realization of Buddhahood would not satisfy them. Their original intention was never for the great path of enlightenment or the vast, timeless vision; thus, upon taking precepts, they cling anxiously to the outer forms of robe and bowl; upon hearing teachings, they labor merely to parse the words; upon practicing meditation, they chase after clever exchanges. Even retreats and secluded practice often become mere lifelong projects, worldly endeavors—while the fundamental matter is buried beneath layers of distraction. They have only a vague, textual understanding of the subtle Buddha-way, never having seen it clearly for themselves; thus they remain half in doubt. Toward their immediate concerns, they fail to contemplate deeply the emptiness, suffering, and impermanence of the three realms, and so cannot truly let go. Though they may learn lofty phrases to rival the Buddhas and patriarchs, it is often just a momentary fervor—like a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger, or a child play-acting as a king—never truly aspiring to become a Buddha. Occasionally, some may awaken a noble resolve, but if they cannot persist solely for the sake of enlightenment, they may be turned by fame or gain. Though they may say their initial mind has gradually changed, it is still mixed with impurities. This demands careful reflection and earnest effort.
示一念不可不趨向者，中行之道；不可稍夾帶者，鄉愿之心。然狂狷似與中行遠，而實不遠；鄉愿似與中行近，而實天懸。良以學道所最嚴者，在毫釐心術之辨。佛法中，亦有狂狷中行。鄉愿創自凡夫，始聞妙法，直下以諸佛自期，乃至權乘小道，亦所不願，是名真狂。既趨佛乘，九界事業，皆所不屑，是名真狷。了達心佛眾生三無差別，以心即佛故，上求無厭，與大智相應；以生同佛故，下化無疲，與大悲相應。念念悲智，隨四悉檀，善自護亦善護他，是名真實中行。儻名關未破，利鎖未開，藉言弘法利生，止是眼前活計。一點偷心，萬劫纏繞，縱透盡千七百公案，講盡三乘十二分教，興崇梵剎如給孤獨園，廣收徒眾如無相好佛，無明業識不斷，俱為自誑自欺。況一知半解，沾沾自足，是望鄉愿為極果，僅成鄉愿真因而已。
> What must be earnestly pursued is the path of the Middle Way; what must be utterly avoided is the heart of the hypocrite. Though the passionate and the restrained may seem far from the Middle Way, they are not truly distant; while the hypocrite may seem close to it, they are in fact worlds apart. This is because the most crucial distinction in the practice of the Way lies in the subtlest intentions of the mind. In the Dharma, there are also those of passion, restraint, and the Middle Way. The hypocrite arises from ordinary beings who, upon first hearing the profound Dharma, immediately aspire to become Buddhas themselves, even disdaining lesser vehicles and paths—this is called true passion. Once committed to the Buddha-vehicle, they regard all endeavors of the nine realms as unworthy—this is called true restraint. Fully realizing the non-duality of mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, they ceaselessly seek awakening, aligning with great wisdom, and tirelessly liberate others, aligning with great compassion. With every thought imbued with wisdom and compassion, they skillfully protect themselves and others according to the four means of benefitting beings—this is the true Middle Way. If fame is not relinquished or profit not abandoned, and one claims to propagate the Dharma and benefit beings merely for worldly gain, then even a trace of deceitful intent will bind one for countless eons. Even if one masters a thousand koans, expounds all the teachings of the three vehicles and twelve divisions of scriptures, builds monasteries like the Jetavana Grove, or gathers disciples as numerous as the Buddha without marks, if the ignorance and karmic consciousness remain unbroken, it is all self-deception. How much more so for those with shallow understanding, smug and self-satisfied, mistaking the hypocrite’s path for the ultimate fruit—this only becomes the very cause of becoming a true hypocrite.
示元白學道，一要真為生死，二要具足剛骨，三要開發見識。無真實為生死心，饒你有志氣力量，只作世閒豪傑，斷不能為出世聖賢。無真實剛骨，饒你要出生死，決被情欲牽、熟境迷，利名移奪、魔患埋沒去。無真正見識，饒你怖生死，勇猛直前，必被邪師惡友，引誘輕安、少得縈惑，或墮光影門頭，或坐知見窠臼，乃至或以味禪為功德，或以空寂為家鄉極勝，亦流入二乘權曲境界，無由直趨菩提。良由眾生心性，雖與佛等，無始迷妄，積習深厚，欲返本源，殊非容易。果能念念觀察世間苦空無常無我不淨，下從地獄，上至非非想，總非究竟安寧地。儻不誓求出要，三界流轉，有甚了期。生不知來處，死不知去處，茫茫苦海，言之痛心，豈容為生死心不切。既生死心切，視世閒一切事，那件出得生死？那件稍有真實？便痛發省悟，向千纏萬繞中，努力一踴，直得殺父婬母，他家活計，將無始恩愛，眼前活計，盡情割斷。如悉達初出家，即誓云：「設骸骨枯腐，不盡生老病死之源，終不返還。」如此志氣，方不被一切業境奪去，方名具大剛骨。既離愛網，專求出要，必應甄別邪正，洞明權實，了悟頓漸。若不遇真師匠，唯應讀誦大乘，深求至理，不依文解義，不離經穿鑿，法法會歸自己，處處體認心性，自於真宗，漸堪趨入。儻遇明師良友，不問聖凡，但具正見，知如來祕密藏者，即可依之人，放下身心，不惜體面，不辭勞苦，不畏饑寒，乃至不吝身命，畢生服役，咨稟法要，自然福至心靈，感應交徹，如螟蛉克肖，時雨化生。以得親近善知識故，則能親近最上妙乘；以得習學上乘法故，則能出生廣大圓滿智慧。切莫高推聖境，自處凡愚，戀剎那幻境，忘曠劫遠猷，自暴自棄，非才之罪也。重說偈曰：
> Instructions for Yuanbai To study the Way, one must first have a genuine resolve to transcend birth and death. Second, one must possess a firm and unwavering character. Third, one must develop correct insight and understanding. Without a genuine resolve to transcend birth and death, no matter how much willpower or strength you have, you will only become a worldly hero, never a sage who transcends the world. Without a genuinely firm character, no matter how much you desire to escape birth and death, you will inevitably be dragged down by desires and attachments, deluded by familiar habits, swayed by fame and profit, and buried by demonic afflictions. Without genuine insight, no matter how fearful you are of birth and death and how courageously you charge forward, you will certainly be misled by false teachers and bad friends, lured by shallow comfort and minor attainments, or fall into the trap of mere appearances and intellectual views. You might even mistake meditative bliss for true merit, or take emptiness and stillness as the ultimate home. In the end, you will drift into the lesser, provisional paths of the Two Vehicles, unable to directly approach true Enlightenment. This is because, although the nature of the mind of sentient beings is equal to that of a Buddha, beginningless delusion and deep-seated habits make it extremely difficult to return to the source. If one can truly observe, moment by moment, that the world is marked by suffering, emptiness, impermanence, selflessness, and impurity—from the hells below to the highest heavens above, none is a place of ultimate peace—then how can one not vow to seek liberation? To drift through the Three Realms without end, not knowing where we come from at birth or where we go at death, is a vast sea of suffering. To speak of it is heartbreaking. How can one's resolve to transcend birth and death not be urgent? Once this resolve is urgent, look at all worldly affairs: which one can help you transcend birth and death? Which one has any true substance? Then, with deep and painful awakening, amidst countless entanglements, strive with one great leap to sever all ties—even the most fundamental bonds like those to parents and family, cutting off all beginningless attachments and present-day concerns. Just as Prince Siddhartha vowed upon leaving home: "Even if my bones wither and decay, I will not return until I have exhausted the source of birth, old age, sickness, and death." Only with such determination can one not be swayed by any karmic circumstance; only this can be called possessing a great and firm character. Having left the net of attachment and single-mindedly seeking liberation, one must then discern between the false and the true, thoroughly understand the provisional and the ultimate, and clearly realize the sudden and gradual paths. If one has not yet met a true teacher, one should devote oneself to reading and reciting the Mahayana sutras, deeply seeking the ultimate principles. Do not interpret the words literally, nor deviate from the scriptures with forced explanations. Relate every teaching back to oneself; in every situation, recognize the nature of your own mind. Gradually, you will be able to enter the true path. If you encounter a wise teacher or a good friend—regardless of whether they are considered a sage or an ordinary person—as long as they possess correct views and understand the Buddha's secret treasury, you can rely on them. Lay down your body and mind, disregard face and reputation, do not shun hardship or toil, do not fear hunger or cold, and even do not begrudge your own life. Serve them wholeheartedly for your entire life, inquiring about the essential Dharma. Naturally, blessings will arrive and your mind will become spiritually attuned; resonance and response will interpenetrate. Like the wasp transforming the caterpillar, or like plants growing under timely rain, through close association with a virtuous guide, you will be able to draw near the supreme, wonderful vehicle. By studying and practicing this supreme Dharma, you will give rise to vast, perfect Wisdom. Do not, on the contrary, loftily push the sage's state away as something unreachable and resign yourself to being ordinary and foolish. Do not cling to fleeting, illusory states and forget the great, long-term aim cultivated over countless eons. To abandon yourself is not the fault of your inherent capacity. I reiterate in verse:
佛性眾生性，一性無二性。迷之沈六道，悟之為三乘。迷雖無量惑，厥病唯有三。一者戀世閒，不知世閒苦。二者雖知苦，苟且自因循。三者雖勇猛，得少便為足。以此三病故，長夜在生死，或復出生死，亦墮權小乘。我依諸佛語，為設三妙藥。一者怖生死，對治根本病，念念如救頭，莫復存餘想。二者奮剛勇，降伏愛見魔，五欲不能牽，八風不能動。三者開正見，遠離諸邪曲，根選擇圓通，現生成正覺。此三或自具，或復藉餘緣，唯有明師友，名為真實救。策發生死心，鍛鍊純剛骨，開示真實乘，令行稱性修。修性不相離，斯名正覺印。迷性言修習，修墮有為功。廢修談法性，自然外道同。是故佛與祖，垂訓咸雙顯。雖或性奪修，而非不修習。雖或不言性，而性在修中。性非修不顯，修非性不立，但以生死心，勇猛不退心，廣大弘遠心，親師習正法，必能親悟入，知我言不誣。
> The Buddha-nature and the nature of sentient beings are one and the same, not two. Confused, one sinks into the six realms; awakened, one attains the three vehicles. Though confusion holds countless delusions, its sickness boils down to three: First, clinging to the world, unaware of its suffering. Second, though aware of suffering, one procrastinates and indulges. Third, though courageous, one settles for small gains. Because of these three sicknesses, one wanders long in birth and death, or even if freed from birth and death, falls into expedient or lesser paths. Following the words of the Buddhas, I offer three wondrous medicines: First, fear birth and death—this counters the root sickness. Be mindful as if saving your head from fire, leaving no room for other thoughts. Second, summon fierce courage to subdue the demons of craving and views. Let neither the five desires bind you, nor the eight winds sway you. Third, open true insight, far from all distortions and crooked paths. Choose the faculties wisely, perfect penetration, and attain awakening in this very life. These three may arise within, or be aided by external conditions, but only a wise teacher or friend offers true salvation. They spur the resolve to transcend birth and death, forge a will of unyielding strength, reveal the true vehicle, and guide practice in harmony with one’s nature. When practice and nature are not separated, this is the seal of true awakening. To speak of practice while ignoring nature is to fall into conditioned effort. To speak of nature while discarding practice is to join the path of naturalist outsiders. Thus, Buddhas and ancestors have taught both in unison. Though at times nature may overshadow practice, it does not mean practice is abandoned. Though at times nature is not spoken of, it is present within practice. Nature is not revealed without practice; practice cannot stand without nature. Therefore, with the heart that fears birth and death, the courage that never retreats, and the vast, far-reaching resolve, draw close to teachers, learn the true Dharma, and you will surely awaken directly— know that my words do not deceive.
示法雨悲智相應，名菩提心。發此心已，方得無作戒。又須二六時，常自省察。念念相應，即念念成佛，稍不合，便於菩薩戒得失意罪，在慎思而力行之。
> The compassionate wisdom that manifests as Dharma rain is called the Bodhi mind. Only after giving rise to this mind can one attain the effortless precepts. Moreover, one must constantly reflect upon oneself throughout the day and night. When every thought aligns, every thought becomes enlightenment. If there is even the slightest discrepancy, one commits the offense of negligence in the Bodhisattva precepts. Therefore, be careful in your contemplation and diligently put it into practice.
示西瞻有三障，能敗戒德，使信心退沒。一瞋恚，橫於自他而生惱害；二我慢，於諸僧寶而生輕忽；三懈怠，於諸妙法不肯學習。三法有一，牽入惡道，忘失信心。
> Shown to XizhanThere are three hindrances that can ruin one's moral discipline and cause faith to decline and fade. The first is anger—a hostile resentment that brings harm and vexation to oneself and others. The second is arrogance—a contemptuous disregard for the community of noble practitioners. The third is laziness—an unwillingness to study and practice the profound teachings. If even one of these three is present, it can drag one into the evil destinies and cause one to lose faith.
示費智瀾學不難努力自修，難親近知識；不難高談名理，難實踐躬行。蓋單恃己靈，錯修多端。尊師取友，熏習成性。空談玄妙，畫餅不益饑腸；剋實行持，觸處無非緣了。願以放生寡欲為要，長壽之因，養身之道，能達無緣大慈，成清淨梵行。以此銘心，久久自成法種。
> To Fei ZhilanLearning is not hard—what is hard is diligently cultivating oneself; it is not hard to discuss lofty principles—what is hard is putting them into practice. Relying solely on one's own intelligence often leads to many errors in cultivation. Respecting teachers and befriending the wise allows one to be gradually shaped by their influence. Empty talk about profound mysteries is like drawing a cake—it cannot satisfy hunger; only earnest practice makes every encounter an opportunity for awakening. I urge you to prioritize releasing life and reducing desires—these are the causes of longevity and the way to nourish the body. By realizing unconditional great compassion, you will achieve pure and noble conduct. Keep this in mind, and over time, it will naturally become the seed of Dharma.
示慈門達磨一宗，超情離見，迥出格量。近世各立門庭，競生窠臼，認話頭為實法，以棒喝作家風，穿鑿機緣，杜撰公案，謗讟古人，增長戲論，不唯承虛接響，且類優人俳說。言之可恥，思之可傷。唯憨翁具金剛眼，鑒時流弊，說方便語，作救病藥，寧註經造論，以觸時諱，終不據曲盝木，弄鬼眼睛，使狂穢藉口。噫！此大菩薩護法苦心也。開士侍大師，又遊雲門博山閒。夫識取綱宗，本無實法，藥非定藥、病非定病，善用諸方，短處皆成長，不善用大師，長處亦成短。學人不具參方眼，纔除一病，一病旋生。須脫流俗窠臼，的向腳跟下打透，真禪真教真律，方不負為大師親侍也。
> \*\*Showing the Path of Compassion\*\* The lineage of Bodhidharma transcends worldly feelings and perceptions, standing far beyond ordinary measures. In recent times, various schools have each set up their own gates and courtyards, competing to create rigid patterns. They mistake the "critical phrase" for a fixed truth, take shouting and striking as the family style, force interpretations of encounters, fabricate koans, slander the ancients, and increase idle debate. This not only echoes emptiness but resembles actors performing farces. To speak of it is shameful; to think of it is sorrowful. Only the Venerable Hanshan possessed the diamond eye to see the flaws of the age. He spoke expedient words as medicine to cure the sickness, preferring to comment on sutras and compose treatises—even at the risk of offending contemporary taboos—rather than cling to a crooked staff and play with ghostly eyes, giving the arrogant and impure an excuse. Alas! This is the profound, protective compassion of a great bodhisattva. The practitioner served the great master and also wandered between Yunmen and Boshan. Understand that grasping the essential principle, there is no fixed dharma. Medicine is not predetermined, sickness is not fixed. Skillfully applying all methods, even shortcomings can become strengths; unskillfully applying the great master’s teachings, even strengths can turn into weaknesses. If learners lack the eye to discern, as soon as one ailment is removed, another quickly arises. One must break free from the rigid patterns of convention, truly penetrate to the very root. Only then—with true Chan, true teaching, and true discipline—will one not fail the intimate guidance of the great master.
示彭雙泉既具生死心、參方眼，不可不及時努力，隨事著眼，從緣薦取。夫本地風光雖沈埋，而處處迸露，只為眼遲腳慢，錯過多端。能向塵勞，輕輕覷破，菩提涅槃，正在煩惱生死中全身顯現。若的見菩提涅槃正因真性，便能稱性起緣了二修。今於緣了二因，拈出最要二種，為出生死方便。一發菩提心，受菩薩戒。二熾然作福。於正因拈出最實一事，為歸趨之方，所謂淨土。以二要行，趨一實地，隨觀行淺深，任運淨於四土。至三惑盡、二死亡，則究竟寂光上上品也。
> To Peng Shuangquan Since you already possess the mind that sees through life and death, and the eye that discerns the path, you must not delay your effort. Pay attention in every situation, and grasp the opportunity as it arises. The original, luminous nature is always present, though it may seem buried. It reveals itself everywhere, yet we often miss it because our vision is dull and our steps are slow, letting countless chances slip by. If you can gently see through the toils of the world, you will find that enlightenment and nirvana fully manifest right within suffering and the cycle of life and death. Once you truly see the fundamental true nature—the very cause of enlightenment and nirvana—you can then, in accordance with this nature, engage in the two cultivations of conditions and realization. Now, from these two causes—conditions and realization—I will point out the two most essential practices as the means to transcend life and death: 1. Arouse the Bodhi Mind and receive the Bodhisattva Precepts. 2. Diligently and fervently cultivate merit. And from the fundamental cause, I will point out the most authentic practice as the direction to head toward: that is, the Pure Land. With these two essential practices, you proceed toward that one true ground. Depending on the depth of your contemplation and practice, you will naturally be purified within the Four Pure Lands. When the three delusions are exhausted and the two deaths cease, you will ultimately reach the highest grade of the Land of Eternal Stillness and Light.
示象巖如來謂出家三種事業，坐禪、讀誦、營眾福業。隨修一種，皆超生脫死，成就菩提。而修必隨機，藥病不投，徒增穴結。或一門到底，或展轉助成，然自無道眼，須善友教。如重病者，須信良醫。若信己意，應服不服、應忌不忌，小疾尚致死，痼疾寧有瘳？今時喪心病狂，無恥禪和，影響竊掠，聽其言，超佛祖之先；稽其行，落狗彘之下。復有一輩怯弱之人，我相習氣放不下，名利關鎖打不開，希望討一適性便宜的路頭，不肯徹底向一門中透去。禪不禪，教不教，律不律，行門不行門，依稀彷彿，將就苟且，混過一生，毫無實益，百千萬劫，依然還在生死。若的確求出生死、證菩提，先將近時禪講流弊盡情識破，自己從來杜撰主意盡情放捨，軟煖習氣盡情打埽乾淨，夢幻身命盡情拌得拋得。種種惡逆境界盡情看作真實受益之處。名利聲色、飲食衣服、讚譽供養，種種順情境界盡情看作毒藥毒箭。能如此降伏，不坐一炷香，看一句經，保出生死有分。儻不痛處加錐，欲向法邊起見，假饒坐斷八萬四千劫，通盡三藏十二部經，只好向無事中過日。一遇順緣，依舊牽去；一遇逆緣，依舊打失；一不覺察，依舊落在無記。如何出得生死，到得西方，成無上菩提？《圓覺經》云：「末世眾生，無令求悟，唯益多聞，增長我見，但當精勤，降伏煩惱。」須知坐禪讀誦作福，皆可增長我見，可降伏煩惱，但審自己何事最切近，最對病根。今在汝數年，作學問不成，一旦願齋僧而就，便是夙緣有在。又身見重者，宜苦行消之。貪愛強者，宜苦境鍊之。人我山高者，逆緣挫之。體面心重者，忍辱治之。一意向此門打徹，自能游戲百千三昧，通達無量法門，較枯守蒲團，咿唔章句，不可同劫語矣。
> The Tathagata taught that for those who have left home, there are three main endeavors: seated meditation, reciting and studying the scriptures, and engaging in meritorious deeds for the community. By diligently practicing any one of these, one can transcend birth and death and achieve enlightenment. However, practice must be suited to one's individual capacity. If the remedy does not match the illness, it only adds to the knots and tangles. Some may follow one path all the way through; others may progress through various methods that support one another. Yet without the eye of true insight oneself, one must rely on the guidance of wise friends. It is like a person with a serious illness who must trust a good physician. If one trusts only one's own ideas—taking what should not be taken, avoiding what should not be avoided—even a minor ailment can become fatal; how then could a chronic disease ever be cured? Nowadays there are those who have lost their minds and integrity—shameless meditation practitioners who mimic and steal the appearance of practice. Listening to their words, they seem to surpass even the Buddhas and patriarchs; but examining their conduct, they fall lower than dogs and pigs. Then there is another type: timid and weak people whose attachment to self, habitual tendencies, cannot be put down, and whose locks of fame and profit cannot be opened. They hope to find a comfortable, convenient shortcut and are unwilling to penetrate deeply through a single gate. Neither truly practicing meditation, nor study, nor discipline, nor any specific practice—vague, approximate, making do and muddling through, they pass a lifetime without any real benefit. For hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands of kalpas, they remain trapped in birth and death. If you genuinely seek to escape birth and death and realize enlightenment, first thoroughly see through the current flaws and corruptions in meditation and teaching circles. Completely let go of all the self-made opinions and plans you've always held. Sweep clean all the soft, comfortable habits. Be willing to stake and cast aside this dream-like body and life. Regard all kinds of adverse, difficult circumstances as the very places where you truly gain benefit. See all favorable conditions—fame, profit, sensual pleasures, food, drink, clothing, praise, offerings—as poison and poisoned arrows. If you can subdue your mind in this way, even without sitting for a single incense stick or reading a single line of scripture, you have a share in transcending birth and death. But if you do not apply the sharp goad where it truly hurts, and instead try to form views based on the Dharma, even if you sit through eighty-four thousand kalpas and exhaustively study the three baskets and twelve divisions of scriptures, you will merely pass your days in idleness. When favorable conditions arise, you will still be dragged away by them; when adverse conditions strike, you will still lose your footing; if you are not vigilant, you will still fall into dull indifference. How then can you escape birth and death, reach the Western Pure Land, and achieve unsurpassed enlightenment? The \*Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment\* says: "For beings in the degenerate age, do not let them seek awakening only through intellectual understanding, for that merely increases learning and inflates self-view. They should instead diligently apply themselves to subdue their afflictions." Understand that seated meditation, reciting scriptures, and performing meritorious deeds can all increase self-view, and can all subdue afflictions. But examine yourself: which matter is most urgent and directly addresses your root illness? In your case, after years of academic study without success, you once made a vow to provide meals for monks and accomplished it—this shows there is a karmic connection from past lives. Moreover, for those with heavy attachment to the body, ascetic practice is suitable to dissolve it. For those with strong greed and craving, harsh conditions are suitable to temper it. For those with a towering mountain of self and others, adverse conditions are suitable to wear it down. For those with a deep concern for face and reputation, the practice of patience is suitable to cure it. Direct your mind single-pointedly to penetrate this gate thoroughly. Then naturally you will be able to play freely in hundreds and thousands of samadhis and master innumerable Dharma gates. This cannot be spoken of in the same breath as dryly clinging to a meditation cushion or mumbling over texts and phrases.
示韞之討究佛法，第一要務，諸佛所師，所謂法也，況弟子乎。雖勝義法性，貴在親證，儻非黃卷赤牘，作標月指，示真實修行出要，何由得證勝義。試觀外道，亦出家求出生死，不知正法，求昇反墜，故不留心教典，饒勇猛精進，定成魔外。脅尊八十出家，晝觀三藏，夜習禪思，乃有濟。有謬云：「年少力強，宜習教典；年衰力弱，只堪念佛。」豈年少不必念佛，年老不可習教？將謂如來教法，僅同舉子業，博名利於半生者乎？一歷耳根，永為道種，大士所以捨全身求半偈也。今佛法流布，賴迦葉阿難二祖，徹底悲心，人皆視作等閒，殊不知恒沙世界，無量劫中，妙法名字，不可得而聞也。
> In the study of Buddhist teachings, the foremost priority is the Dharma, which is the master of all Buddhas—how much more so for their disciples. Although the profound truth of Dharma-nature is best realized through personal experience, without the guidance of scriptures—like a finger pointing to the moon—to show the true path of practice and liberation, how could one ever attain that profound truth? Consider the non-Buddhist ascetics who also renounce the world seeking liberation from birth and death. Not knowing the true Dharma, they strive for ascent but end up falling. Therefore, if one does not pay attention to the teachings, even with fierce diligence, one will surely become a demon or an outsider. The Venerable Upagupta took ordination at eighty, studying the Tripitaka by day and practicing meditation by night, and thus attained realization. Some mistakenly say, "When young and strong, one should study the teachings; when old and weak, one should just recite the Buddha's name." Does this mean the young need not recite the Buddha's name, and the old cannot study the teachings? Would you say the teachings of the Tathagata are merely like the studies of scholars, pursued for fame and profit in half a lifetime? Once the Dharma enters the ear, it becomes an eternal seed of the Way. This is why the great bodhisattvas would sacrifice their whole bodies for half a verse. Today, the spread of the Buddha-Dharma relies on the two patriarchs Mahakasyapa and Ananda, whose compassion is boundless. People often take this for granted, not realizing that throughout countless worlds and immeasurable eons, the name of the wondrous Dharma is hard to come by.
示閱藏四則一、須體如來說法本意，要人超生脫死，非為口耳活計，句句消歸自心，如說修行，方不受說食數寶之誚。其一
> Four Guidelines for Reading the CanonFirst, you must grasp the original intent of the Buddha’s teaching: it is to help people transcend birth and death, not to become a matter of mere words and hearing. Every phrase should be absorbed into your own mind. Practice as taught—only then will you avoid the mockery of “counting another’s treasure while starving.”First
一、學問之道，貴下學上達，所以如來施教，必有次第。今人空腹高心，但圖圓頓之名，無力飲河，詎能吞海。必先閱《律藏》，稔知佛世芳規，深鍊為僧要務。次閱《四阿含》，了正因緣境，為圓妙三觀之本。次留心台教，深知如來說法所以然之妙，及四悉檀巧被之致，然後將此法界匙鑰，遍開不思議經論之鎖，勢如破竹矣。其二
> First, the path of learning values progressing from the basics to the profound. Therefore, the Buddha's teachings are imparted in a clear sequence. Nowadays, people often have empty minds but lofty ambitions, merely chasing the reputation of sudden enlightenment. Without the strength to drink from a river, how can they swallow the sea? One must first study the Vinaya Pitaka to become thoroughly familiar with the noble conduct of the Buddha's time and deeply cultivate the essential duties of a monastic. Next, study the Four Agamas to understand the true causes and conditions, which serve as the foundation for the profound and wondrous threefold contemplation. Then, devote attention to the Tiantai teachings to deeply grasp the profound reasons behind the Buddha's teachings and the skillful means of the four siddhāntas. Only after this should one use this key to the Dharma realm to unlock the gates of the inconceivable sutras and treatises, advancing with unstoppable momentum.
一、閱律，首《四分》，次《僧祇》，次《十誦》，次《根本》，次《五分》，次及《善見毗尼母》等。諸家傳受不同，各有源委線索，須細尋之，無執一非餘，亦無猶豫兩楹，在得意善用，大意如《問辯》所明。莫謂此小乘法，不足久久留心，當捨之別參上乘。是末世癡人，邪慢惡見，牽人墮惡道深坑，不可信也。其三
> First, study the Vinaya. Begin with the Four-Part Vinaya, then the Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya, followed by the Ten-Recitation Vinaya, the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, the Five-Part Vinaya, and then works like the Shan Jian Pi Ni Mu, among others. Each tradition has its own lineage and distinct methods of transmission, so it is essential to examine them carefully. Do not cling rigidly to one while dismissing the others, nor hesitate indecisively between them. The key lies in grasping their essence and applying it skillfully, as clarified in texts like the Questions and Answers. Do not dismiss this as merely the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle, unworthy of prolonged study, thinking you should abandon it to pursue the Greater Vehicle. Such views are the deluded, arrogant, and misguided notions of people in this degenerate age, leading others into the deep pit of evil destinies. They must not be trusted.
一、大小經律論，雖字字明珠、言言見諦，然各就習氣所重、對治所宜，或隨時弊不同，救拯有異，不妨摘出要語，期自利利他。如雪山無非藥，採者期於對病；寶山無非寶，取之先擇摩尼。只此成錄，足驗手眼。其四
> First, although every word in the great and small sutras, vinayas, and treatises is like a precious pearl, and every phrase reveals the truth, each text addresses the specific habits and tendencies of its audience, offering remedies suited to the needs of the time and the prevailing faults of the era. Therefore, it is entirely appropriate to extract the essential teachings, with the aim of benefiting both oneself and others. Just as the snowy mountains are full of medicinal herbs, one gathers them to treat specific illnesses; and as a treasure mountain is filled with jewels, one first selects the most precious gems. This compilation alone is enough to demonstrate discernment and insight.Fourth
示朗融萬法本融，由迷情執而成礙。如一指能蔽山岳，認漚必遺大海，不惟埋沒己靈，亦冤屈六塵境界。詎思六塵非能惑人，人自妄惑，根根幻馳、識識紛動，仔細推求，塵既不居其咎，根亦豈職其愆，識寧獨當其罪？三科分析，既無真主，縱令共合，那有實法？而於此虛妄法中，著我著人，分取分捨，猶如捏目，亂華發生，更欲分別花相，妍醜大小，不益惑乎？惟將身心世界全體放下，作一超方特達之觀，譬如為天下者不顧家，則智眼昭明，一切境界無非真實受用處矣。
> All phenomena are fundamentally harmonious. It is only due to our deluded attachments that they become obstacles. Just as a single finger can block out mountains, or mistaking a bubble for the ocean causes us to miss the vast sea, we not only bury our own innate wisdom but also wrongfully blame the objects of the six senses. Have we ever considered that the six sense objects are not the ones that delude us? It is we who delude ourselves. Our senses chase after illusions, and our consciousness stirs in confusion. If we examine carefully, the sense objects bear no fault, the senses themselves are not to blame, and consciousness alone cannot take the guilt. When these three categories are analyzed, there is no true master to be found. Even if they are combined, where is there any solid reality? Yet within this realm of delusion, we cling to self and others, grasping and rejecting. It is like pressing on your eyes and seeing phantom flowers, then trying to distinguish their shapes, beauty, ugliness, or size—does that not only deepen the confusion? Only by completely letting go of body, mind, and the entire world, and adopting a perspective that transcends all ordinary limits—like a ruler of the world who does not cling to his own household—will the eye of wisdom become clear. Then, every single circumstance will be nothing other than a place of genuine benefit and true use.
示三止惺惺寂寂是，無記寂寂非，寂寂惺惺是，妄想惺惺非。此四語，叢席爭誦，然悟惺寂源頭，方不墮守精魂窠臼。如儒亦言：明鏡止水。豈慎獨便是奢摩他妙修行路邪？祖云：觀者何人，心是何物。此二語，直得遍計妄想百雜粉碎，以此體真、以此方便隨緣、以此息二邊分別，一句中有三玄，一玄中具三要，喚甚麼作獨？將誰去慎？不惟妄想無記無容身，惺寂亦并無處著落。非惺非寂，是謂寂寂惺惺、惺惺寂寂，喚作不二，早已二也，況雙修並運哉。悟此成修，是一心三止。
> The clear and alert state within stillness is correct; The dull and blank state within stillness is not. The still and tranquil state within alertness is correct; The deluded and scattered state within alertness is not. These four phrases are widely recited in monastic circles, yet only by understanding the source of clarity and stillness can one avoid falling into the trap of clinging to mere mental energy. As Confucianism also says: "A clear mirror, still water." But does careful self-restraint alone constitute the wondrous path of shamatha practice? The patriarch said: "Who is the observer? What is the mind?" These two questions shatter all deluded thoughts and attachments into pieces. Through this, one embodies truth, adapts to conditions with skillful means, and ceases dualistic discrimination. In a single phrase, there are three mysteries; In a single mystery, there are three essentials. What is this "self" to be restrained? Who is it that practices restraint? Not only do delusion and dullness find no place to dwell— Even clarity and stillness have nowhere to settle. Neither alert nor still— This is what is called "stillness within alertness, alertness within stillness." To call it "non-dual" is already duality— How much more so is the practice of cultivating both simultaneously? To realize this is to practice— This is the threefold cessation within one mind.
示文約做工夫人，每被昏散所擾，久便退悔。不知昏散根源，全由迷己作物。《楞嚴經》云：「認悟中迷，晦昧為空，乃至昏擾擾相，以為心性。」夫昏障慧，擾障定，定慧既障，則睡眠與散亂雜呈。若欲去其根源，須識取心性本體從來明靜，諸佛證之為定慧，行人修之為止觀。止觀之功，全即明靜之體，惟靜故明，惟明故靜，既非二致，豈有前後？但約對治法門，昏重者觀起之，散多者止息之。然息散之止非無觀，起昏之觀非無止。止觀不二，勤修不息，自然本體漸露，客塵漸銷。者著工夫不段，閒斷不得，性急不得。然欲除昏蓋，直須打起精神，不可貪戀蒲團穩坐。欲除散亂，正不必厭惡妄想，直須覷破妄想無性。僧問巖頭：「起滅不停時如何？」「咄，是誰起滅？」此明心見性者第一先鋒也。
> When practicing meditation, practitioners are often troubled by dullness and distraction, and over time, they become discouraged and give up. They do not realize that the root cause of dullness and distraction lies entirely in losing oneself and creating objects. The \*Śūraṅgama Sūtra\* says: "Mistaking confusion within awakening, taking dimness as emptiness, and even regarding the restless, disturbed state as the nature of the mind." Dullness obstructs wisdom, and restlessness obstructs concentration. When both concentration and wisdom are obstructed, sleepiness and scattered thoughts arise together. To eliminate the root cause, one must recognize that the nature of the mind is originally clear and tranquil. The Buddhas realize this as concentration and wisdom, while practitioners cultivate it as śamatha and vipaśyanā. The practice of śamatha and vipaśyanā is none other than the inherently clear and tranquil nature. It is precisely because it is tranquil that it is clear, and precisely because it is clear that it is tranquil. Since these are not two separate things, how can there be a sequence? However, in terms of remedial methods, those with heavy dullness should cultivate vipaśyanā, while those with excessive distraction should practice śamatha. Yet, the śamatha that calms distraction is not without vipaśyanā, and the vipaśyanā that dispels dullness is not without śamatha. Śamatha and vipaśyanā are non-dual. Diligently practice without ceasing, and naturally, the original nature will gradually reveal itself, while adventitious defilements will gradually diminish. This practice must be continuous—it cannot be interrupted, nor can it be rushed. However, to remove the veil of dullness, one must rouse the spirit and not cling to the comfort of sitting still on the cushion. To eliminate distraction, there is no need to resent wandering thoughts; instead, one must see through their insubstantial nature. A monk asked Yantou: "When thoughts arise and cease without stopping, what should I do?" "Hey! Who is it that arises and ceases?" This is the foremost key for those who seek to realize the mind and see its nature.
示慧幢予讀子輿氏書，至舜盡事親之道，而瞽瞍底豫，見圓頓觀心要旨焉。夫父雖至頑，不可別覓他父，又不可如傲象之順命為惡。現前介爾一念，無明頑父，即法性真父。順無明流，造業流轉，則是傲象。捨妄覓真，別觀法性，又成背父逃逝。善惡稍殊，均為不孝。六道凡夫，順無明而為惡者也。藏通別三種行人，捨無明逃逝者也。若知焚廩掩井之瞽瞍，即允若底豫之瞽瞍，則必盡事親之道於己躬，肯作順逆兩法，以虧天性邪？所謂盡事親之道者，亦只深信父實生我，除此父外，別無真父。然斷不可從命為惡，須竭怨慕之誠以格之，則頑如瞽瞍，亦可回心，況未必如瞽瞍者哉。觀心亦爾，深信現前一念，全體法界，離波覓水，終不可得。然斷不可隨其生滅，不事觀察。須以不思議一心三觀，深體達之，則惡無記心，尚成不思議境，況善心哉。知一念圓具三德，事理兩重三千，互遍互融，深生信解，名為慕。此境不現，是止觀力微，發勤精進，誓以十法成乘，名為怨。如此努力，鈍逾般陀，發明有日。儻悠悠忽忽，縱利如藍弗、敏過達多，無濟也。
> In reading the works of Mencius, I came to the passage where Shun fulfilled the way of serving his parents, and his blind father, Gusou, was brought to joy. Here I saw the essential meaning of the perfect and immediate contemplation of mind. Now, although a father may be extremely stubborn, one cannot seek another father elsewhere, nor can one, like the arrogant Xiang, obey his commands to do evil. The present fleeting thought—the ignorant, stubborn father—is precisely the true father of Dharma-nature. To follow the flow of ignorance and create karma that leads to transmigration is to be like Xiang. To abandon the false and seek the true, separately contemplating Dharma-nature, becomes like turning one’s back on the father and fleeing. Whether good or evil, if they differ slightly, both are unfilial. Beings in the six realms are those who follow ignorance and commit evil. Practitioners of the Tripitaka, Shared, and Distinct teachings are those who abandon ignorance and flee. If one knows that the blind father who set fire to the granary and covered the well is the same blind father who was brought to joy through compliance, then one must exhaust the way of serving parents in oneself. How could one willingly follow both compliant and rebellious methods, thereby damaging one’s inherent nature? What is called exhausting the way of serving parents is simply to deeply believe that the father truly gave birth to me, and apart from this father, there is no other true father. Yet one must absolutely not obey commands to do evil. One must exhaust the sincerity of longing and remembrance to move him. Then even one as stubborn as Gusou can change his mind—how much more those who are not necessarily like Gusou! Contemplating the mind is also like this. Deeply believe that the present single thought is entirely the Dharma-realm. To seek water apart from waves is ultimately impossible. Yet one must absolutely not follow its arising and ceasing without engaging in contemplation. One must use the inconceivable single mind of threefold contemplation to deeply realize and penetrate it. Then even evil and neutral minds can become inconceivable realms—how much more good minds! Knowing that a single thought perfectly possesses the three virtues, and that the two aspects of phenomena and principle—the three thousand realms—mutually pervade and interpenetrate, one deeply gives rise to faith and understanding. This is called “longing.” If this realm does not appear, it is because the power of śamatha and vipaśyanā is weak. One arouses diligent vigor and vows to accomplish the vehicle through the ten dharmas. This is called “remembrance.” Striving in this way, even one duller than Bhadra will one day attain realization. But if one drifts along carelessly, even if sharp like Lanfu or surpassing in intelligence like Devadatta, it will be of no avail.
示未能夫幻境侵奪，不惟順流俗而俱化也，即厭流俗而切思遠離，亦名侵奪。以一切境界，全是無明變現。無明變現之性，全即法性，由不達故，橫生欣厭。趨無上菩提者，不得隨順幻境，亦不得厭離幻境，但了幻境即法性，悲長夜之在迷。以悲迷故，起無作二誓，欲拔性德之苦；以了性故，起無作二誓，欲與性德之樂。發此心已，則一切不如法境界，觸目警心，無非助發菩提資糧。《起信論》云：「菩薩見法欲滅，護正法故，發菩提心。」有見眾生苦，而發菩提心，正謂此也。
> This shows the inability. The invasion of illusory realms is not only about following worldly currents and being transformed by them; even if one detests worldly currents and earnestly seeks to distance oneself from them, that too is called an invasion. For all realms are entirely the manifestation of ignorance. The nature of ignorance’s manifestation is wholly identical with the nature of reality. Because one fails to realize this, one arbitrarily gives rise to attraction and aversion. Those who aspire to unsurpassed enlightenment must neither follow along with illusory realms nor reject and withdraw from them. They should simply understand that illusory realms are the nature of reality, and grieve for the long night of delusion. Out of this grief for delusion, they give rise to the two vows of non-action, desiring to uproot the suffering inherent in the nature of virtue. By understanding the nature, they give rise to the two vows of non-action, desiring to bestow the joy inherent in the nature of virtue. Having awakened this mind, then all states that are not in accord with the Dharma, when encountered, alert the mind, and none fail to assist in developing the provisions for enlightenment. The \*Awakening of Faith\* states: “Bodhisattvas, seeing the Dharma about to perish, and wishing to protect the true Dharma, give rise to the mind of enlightenment.” Some, seeing the suffering of beings, give rise to the mind of enlightenment—this is precisely what is meant here.
示慈昱佛法大海，信為能入，智為能度。信如堅舟，智如柁師，餘五度萬行，皆舟中器具也。須時時念生死苦，警悟無常，不得沈迷五欲，執著世情。知世情定了我生死不得，五欲定牽入放逸坑，墮惡道苦。此生死長夜中真實信心，發此心已，急求智慧以為導師。第一親近明師良友，第二讀誦方等大乘。非明良決不能益我身心，非大乘決無有出世正楷。人有信心而無智慧，則能增長煩惱；有智慧而無信心，則能增長邪見。故知船及柁師，相須度險，缺一不可，況俱乏邪。
> The Dharma is a vast ocean. Faith is what allows us to enter it, and wisdom is what enables us to cross it. Faith is like a sturdy boat; wisdom is like the helmsman. The other five perfections and all virtuous practices are the tools and supplies aboard the vessel. We must constantly remember the suffering of birth and death, and be alert to the truth of impermanence. We must not sink into the delusion of the five desires or cling to worldly attachments. Know that worldly attachments certainly bind us to the cycle of birth and death, and the five desires inevitably drag us into the pit of heedlessness, leading to the suffering of the lower realms. Within this long night of birth and death, a genuine, sincere faith must arise. Once this mind is awakened, we must urgently seek wisdom to be our guide. First, draw close to wise teachers and virtuous friends. Second, study and recite the Mahayana sutras. Without wise and virtuous guides, our body and mind cannot truly benefit. Without the Mahayana, there is certainly no true path to liberation. If a person has faith but lacks wisdom, it only increases their afflictions. If a person has wisdom but lacks faith, it only increases their wrong views. Therefore, understand that both the boat and the helmsman are essential for crossing perilous waters; one cannot be lacking. How much more so if both are absent?
示迦提法華妙旨，惟令眾生開示悟入佛之知見。佛知見，現前一念心之實性是也。現前介爾一念，不自生，不他生，不共生，不無因生。未生無潛處，欲生無來處，正生無住處，生已無去處。心無心相，其性無生。無生故，無住、無異、無滅。無生住異滅，即真法性，橫遍豎窮，不可思議。若於此無相妙心，妄謂有心相可得，則佛知見便成眾生知見；若即妄相幻心，達其本非有相，則眾生知見便成佛之知見。心性既舉體全空，亦復即假即中。以三諦宛然，故三觀法爾。以法爾之三觀，照宛然之三諦，能所不二，境智互融。於此信解，名為隨喜。解義觀文，名讀誦。轉示他人，名講說。歷事煉心，名兼修正修。有相無相二安樂行，一串穿卻，秖貴篤信力行，別無奇巧方便也。
> The profound essence of the Lotus Sutra is solely to enable all beings to open, reveal, realize, and enter the Buddha's wisdom and insight. The Buddha's wisdom and insight is the true nature of the single thought-moment manifesting right now. This single, subtle thought-moment present right now does not arise from itself, does not arise from another, does not arise from both, and does not arise without a cause. Before it arises, there is no hidden place; when about to arise, there is no source from which it comes; while arising, there is no abiding place; and after having arisen, there is no destination to which it goes. The mind has no mark of mind; its nature is unarisen. Because it is unarisen, it is non-abiding, non-changing, and non-ceasing. This absence of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing is the true Dharma-nature, pervading horizontally and extending vertically, inconceivable. If, regarding this markless, wondrous mind, one mistakenly believes there is a mark of mind that can be grasped, then the Buddha's wisdom and insight becomes the wisdom and insight of ordinary beings. If, regarding these delusive marks and illusory mind, one realizes they are fundamentally without marks, then the wisdom and insight of ordinary beings becomes the Buddha's wisdom and insight. The nature of mind is entirely empty in its totality, yet it is also precisely provisional and precisely the Middle Way. Because the Three Truths are vividly present, the Three Contemplations are naturally so. Using the naturally present Three Contemplations to illuminate the vividly present Three Truths, subject and object are non-dual, object and wisdom interpenetrate. Having faith and understanding regarding this is called "rejoicing." Understanding the meaning and contemplating the text is called "reading and reciting." Explaining it to others is called "preaching and explaining." Refining the mind through experiences and affairs is called "concurrent practice and proper practice." The two practices of the Peaceful and Joyful Conduct—with marks and without marks—are strung together on one thread. What is truly valued is sincere faith and diligent practice; there is no other special, clever expedient.
示乳生夫置身海州，而伯牙善琴，其情移也。望似木雞，而餘雞卻走，其神全也。世閒小技，尚非聊爾，況學出世太道，仔肩如來正法者乎？圓頓十乘觀法，必先以二十五前方便，所謂具五緣，訶五欲，棄五蓋，調五事，修五法。就二十五事，各具表法及觀心法門，然後正助合行，事理雙備，足目並運，安隱入清涼池。後來禪士講徒，率情任意，逞一得之見，罔達大方軌則。以此蔑裂學問，求世伎術，戛戛乎難之，投足宗教兩塗，思自利利他，誠奚望也。真正學人，必先移夙情，則神自全。情之所牽，雖萬別千差，總不出色聲香味觸五種。神之所虧，雖受病不等，總不外貪瞋睡掉疑五種，急須訶棄，則聖賢可階梯而至矣。
> Showing the milk-born To place oneself in the ocean of states, yet Bo Ya excelled at the qin—his spirit was moved. To gaze like a wooden rooster, yet the other chickens fled—his spirit was whole. Even worldly minor arts are not casually mastered, how much more so the great Way beyond the world, shouldering the true Dharma of the Tathagata? The perfect and immediate tenfold contemplation method must first be preceded by twenty-five preliminary expedients: namely, possessing the five conditions, admonishing the five desires, abandoning the five hindrances, adjusting the five matters, and cultivating the five dharmas. Within these twenty-five matters, each includes symbolic methods and contemplation methods of the mind. Only then can proper and auxiliary practices be combined, both phenomena and principle be fully prepared, feet and eyes move together, and one safely enter the cool, clear pond. Later Chan practitioners and lecture masters often act according to their own whims, flaunting a single gained insight, failing to comprehend the broad, proper rules. With this, they scorn and fragment learning, seeking worldly skills and techniques—how difficult it is indeed! Setting foot on the two paths of doctrine and meditation, thinking to benefit oneself and others—how can one truly hope for this? A genuine learner must first shift their long-held attachments, then the spirit will naturally become whole. What the attachments cling to, though myriad and diverse, ultimately do not go beyond the five kinds: form, sound, scent, taste, and touch. Where the spirit is deficient, though the afflictions vary, ultimately do not go beyond the five kinds: greed, anger, sleepiness, restlessness, and doubt. These must urgently be admonished and abandoned—then the steps to sagehood and worthiness can be ascended.
示懸鏡奮發之心，人皆有之，不能不藉於外緣。羞惡之心，人皆有之，不能不汩於惡習。嗚呼！善友罕逢，惡緣偏盛，非咬釘嚼鐵，刻骨鏤心，何以自拔哉。
> The heart that aspires to rise is something everyone possesses, yet it cannot flourish without external support. The heart that knows shame and aversion is something everyone possesses, yet it cannot remain untainted by bad habits. Alas! True friends are rare, while harmful influences abound. If one does not bite down on nails and chew iron, engraving it in bone and carving it into the heart, how can one free oneself?
## 靈峰蕅益大師宗論卷第二之一
> The Collected Works of Master Ouyi from Lingfeng, Volume 2, Part 1
## 靈峰蕅益大師宗論卷第二之二
> Spiritual Peak Master Ouyi's Collected Works, Volume 2, Part 2