---
title: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論 · 除夕荅問"
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/cmgn46fpf0nork104ctvxraz9"
---

### 除夕荅問

維那問：「臘月三十日，請師直拈向上一著。」荅：「本具現成，不從人得。」西堂問：「本具現成，因甚欲證而不能即證？」荅：「何勞欲證？」良久曰：「欲證者稀。」乃曰：「文殊起佛見法見，世尊貶向二鐵圍山。高峰云：『今日有起佛見法見，便應合掌讚歎。何以故？時節若到，其理自彰。』世尊貶文殊，為誡心外求佛法者。高峰讚二見，為勸甘棄佛法者。惟達心外別無佛法，方可熾然求於佛法。古人不著佛法僧求，如是而求，豈似今人，才說求佛求法，便昧性具之宗；才說無佛無法，便欲全廢修證。偏邪之見，何預圓宗？」眾居士問：「大慧荅中庸首三句為三身，有過無過？」荅：「宗眼圓通，隨拈皆得，灼然無過。然是大慧之中庸，非子思之中庸也。」進問：「何故清涼國師謂，妄欲和融儒釋者，應墮無閒？」荅：「儒是世閒法，執同則謗出世法，所以犯墮。今稟《華嚴》事事無礙之宗，如遍行外道，同證解脫，又稟《法華》開顯之旨，治世語言，皆順正法，故無過也。惺谷禪師云：『為門外人說同句不同，彼必反生疑謗；為入門人說異句不異，彼必狃於舊習；為升堂人說雙亦句，令知差別源委；為入室人說雙非句，麤言細語，同歸第一義諦。』儒釋但假立名字，有何同異可論哉？」進問：「且如喜怒哀樂之未發謂之中，與一念未生為同為別？」荅：「若熾然喜怒哀樂時，仍是未發之中，可謂一念不生全體現。若離現前一念，別求一念未生前，謂是向上，全墮滅相法塵。當知念即無念，故云未生；喜怒哀樂即無喜怒哀樂，故云未發。恁麼會得，方許說同；其或不然，四句俱謬。」又問：「菩提流支是大乘法師，何於達磨興毒？」荅：「南嶽思大師亦受七毒，此皆二義，約實則權位大士，不達圓乘，如增上慢四眾，打常不輕是也。約權則正顯南嶽、達磨之妙，如調達真善知識是也。」西堂問：「既云教外別傳，何復云《楞伽》四卷可以印心？」荅：「教外別傳，即教內真傳，如因指見月，指非是月，不謂所指非月也。離經一字，即同魔說，不以經卷印心，何名傳佛心印？又吾宗乘妙處，奪情不奪法，執著文字，須云不立。若執不立，妙藥反成大病，卻是依文解義，三世祖冤，所以仍須以教印心也。凡看宗語，須具超方眼目。且如神秀偈，五祖教人禮拜持誦，依此修行，可作佛祖；六祖書偈，以鞋抹之，云亦未見性。人皆謂與奪互換，又詭護六祖。不知此時，佛法尚盛，人情尚淳，彼追逐者，皆英傑為法而然，絕非爭虛名虛位，何必如兵不厭詐之局，貽羞法門哉？當知秀偈，雖涉漸修，千穩百當；祖偈雖甚圓頓，毫釐有差，天地懸隔，得則直超，失則永墜。五祖賞則真賞，罰則真罰，非詭態也。且必密付信衣，遣令他去者，正欲與六祖共扶圓門漸修之慧命，不忍使現在未來眾生，誤墮坑塹，乃為密護神秀故，致六祖備受逋逃驅逐之苦。使一時表彰，分以半座，何得有此？豈五祖亦曾受金幣故，法嗣不厭眾心；六祖亦以薦書得法故，雖受源流，而心虛膽怯，不能登座揮麈哉？若能於語錄看出文外之旨，亦能於千經萬論看出文外之旨，便不是依文解義，亦復不離經論一字。如或不然，三藏十二部，千七百公案，皆標月指。認祖指為月，與認佛指為月，何以異哉？」

> The rector asked: "On the last day of the twelfth month, please directly point out the ultimate principle." Reply: "It is inherently complete and present, not obtained from anyone else." The West Hall master asked: "If it is inherently complete and present, why does one wish to realize it but cannot immediately do so?" Reply: "Why bother with the desire to realize it?" After a long pause, he said: "Few truly desire realization." Then he said: "Manjushri gave rise to views of Buddha and views of Dharma, and the World-Honored One relegated him to two Iron Encircling Mountains. Master Gaofeng said: 'Today, if someone gives rise to views of Buddha and views of Dharma, one should join palms and praise them. Why? When the time comes, the principle naturally manifests. The World-Honored One relegated Manjushri as a warning to those who seek Buddha and Dharma outside the mind. Gaofeng praised these two views as encouragement for those who willingly abandon Buddha and Dharma. Only one who realizes that there is no Buddha or Dharma outside the mind can fervently seek Buddha and Dharma. The ancients did not seek based on Buddha, Dharma, or Sangha—such seeking is unlike people today. As soon as they speak of seeking Buddha or Dharma, they obscure the principle of inherent nature; as soon as they speak of no Buddha or no Dharma, they wish to completely abandon cultivation and realization. How can such biased views be relevant to the perfect teaching?" The laypeople asked: "The Great Master Dahui responded that the first three phrases of the \*Doctrine of the Mean\* correspond to the three bodies. Is this correct or mistaken?" Reply: "With the penetrating eye of the school, whatever is picked up is valid—clearly there is no mistake. However, this is Dahui's \*Doctrine of the Mean\*, not Zisi's \*Doctrine of the Mean\*." They further asked: "Why did the National Teacher Qingliang say that those who foolishly try to harmonize Confucianism and Buddhism should fall into the Avici Hell?" Reply: "Confucianism is a worldly teaching. Holding it as identical with Buddhism slanders the transcendental teaching, hence the offense. Now, in accordance with the \*Avatamsaka\* principle of non-obstruction of all phenomena, even a heretic who acts everywhere can attain liberation. Also, following the \*Lotus Sutra\*'s disclosure, worldly speech is all in accord with the true Dharma, so there is no fault. Master Xinggu said: 'For those outside the gate, say "same" or "different"—they will only be suspicious and slander. For those who have entered the gate, say "different" or "not different"—they will cling to old habits. For those who have ascended the hall, say "both are and are not," so they know the origin of differences. For those who have entered the chamber, say "neither," so that coarse or subtle words all return to the ultimate truth.' Confucianism and Buddhism are merely provisional names—what sameness or difference can be discussed?" They further asked: "For example, is the 'unexpressed state before joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure arise' (the Mean) the same as or different from 'the moment before a single thought arises'?" Reply: "If, even when joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure are fervently present, it is still the unexpressed Mean, then it can be said that when no thought arises, the whole essence manifests. If you seek a state before the present thought, separate from the present thought, and consider that as the ultimate, you are entirely falling into the dharma-object of extinction. Know that thought is no thought—hence it is said 'not yet arisen'; joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure are no joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure—hence it is said 'not yet expressed.' Only if you understand it this way can you speak of sameness. Otherwise, all four formulations are mistaken." Another asked: "Wasn't Bodhiruci a Mahayana teacher? Why did he poison Bodhidharma?" Reply: "The Great Master Nanyue Huisi also received poison seven times. There are two meanings here. From the ultimate perspective, those in provisional positions who do not comprehend the perfect vehicle are like the arrogant fourfold assembly who beat the Ever-Not-Disparaging Bodhisattva. From the provisional perspective, it precisely reveals the wonder of Nanyue and Bodhidharma, just as Devadatta was a true good friend." The West Hall master asked: "Since it is said to be a separate transmission outside the teachings, why is it also said that the four-roll \*Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra\* can seal the mind?" Reply: "The separate transmission outside the teachings is the true transmission within the teachings. It is like using a finger to point at the moon—the finger is not the moon, but that does not mean the pointed-to moon is not the moon. If you depart from the scriptures by even one word, it becomes demonic speech. If you do not seal the mind with scriptures, how can it be called transmitting the Buddha-mind seal? Furthermore, the subtle point of our school is to remove attachment to emotions, not to deny the Dharma. If one clings to words, we must say 'not established.' But if one clings to 'not established,' the wonderful medicine turns into a serious disease. That would be relying on the text to interpret the meaning, becoming an enemy of the patriarchs for three generations. Therefore, we still need to seal the mind with the teachings. When reading patriarchs' sayings, one must have an eye that transcends worlds. For example, when Shenxiu wrote his verse, the Fifth Patriarch told people to bow to it, recite it, and cultivate according to it, and they could become Buddhas and patriarchs. When Huineng wrote his verse, he wiped it with his shoe, saying 'he has not yet seen the nature.' People all think it was a game of giving and taking, or a trick to protect Huineng. They do not realize that at that time, the Dharma was still flourishing, and people's hearts were still simple. Those who chased after them were all heroes seeking the Dharma, not fighting for fame or position. Why would they need to use tactics like 'all is fair in war,' bringing shame to the Dharma gate? You should know that although Shenxiu's verse touched on gradual cultivation, it was a thousand times stable and reliable. Huineng's verse, though perfectly sudden, was such that a hair's breadth of difference would separate heaven and earth. If attained, one directly transcends; if missed, one sinks forever. The Fifth Patriarch's praise was true praise, his punishment true punishment—not a deceptive maneuver. Moreover, he secretly entrusted the robe and sent Huineng away precisely because he wanted to work together with Huineng to support the gradual cultivation of the sudden school's wisdom-life, and could not bear to let sentient beings of the present and future fall into pits and traps. It was precisely to secretly protect Shenxiu that Huineng endured the suffering of being pursued and driven away. If he had publicly praised Huineng and given him half the seat, how could this have happened? Was the Fifth Patriarch bribed with gold, so that his Dharma heir would not satisfy the assembly? Or did Huineng obtain the Dharma through a recommendation letter, so that even though he received the transmission, his mind was timid and he could not ascend the seat and wield the flywhisk? If you can see the meaning beyond the words in the recorded sayings, you can also see the meaning beyond the words in the thousands of sutras and countless treatises. Then you are not interpreting the text literally, yet you are not departing from a single word of the scriptures. If not, the entire Tripitaka and the seventeen hundred public cases are just fingers pointing at the moon. How is mistaking the patriarch's finger for the moon different from mistaking the Buddha's finger for the moon?"