（三）
(3)
祖問曰。汝何方人。來到此山禮拜。今向吾邊欲求何物。
The Patriarch asked, "Where are you from, that you have come to this mountain to pay your respects? Now that you are here before me, what is it that you seek?"
惠能對云。弟子是嶺南新州百姓。遠來禮師。唯求作佛。不求餘物。
Huineng replied: "This disciple is a commoner from Xinzhou in Lingnan. I have come from afar to pay respects to you, Master. I seek only to become a Buddha, nothing else."
五祖言。汝是嶺南人。又是獦獠。若為堪作佛。
The Fifth Patriarch said, "You are from Lingnan, and you are a Geliaoliao. How could you possibly become a Buddha?"
惠能言。人雖有南北。佛性本無南北。獦獠身與和尚不同。佛性有何差別。
Huineng said: Although people may come from the north or the south, the Buddha-nature itself has no north or south. The body of a Ge-liao may be different from that of Your Reverence, but what difference is there in the Buddha-nature?
大師更欲共惠能久語。且見徒眾總在身邊。乃令隨眾作務。
The Master wanted to speak with Huineng at greater length, but seeing that his disciples were all gathered around, he told him to join the community in their work.
惠能啓和尚言。弟子自心常生智慧。不離自性。即是福田。未審和尚教作何務。
Huìnéng said to the Master: "In the disciple's own mind, wisdom constantly arises. Never departing from the self-nature — that itself is a field of merit. But I do not yet know what task the Master instructs me to do."
五祖言。這獦獠。根性大利。汝更勿言。且去後院。
The Fifth Patriarch said, "This barbarian is exceptionally sharp by nature. Say no more. Go to the rear courtyard."
有一行者。差惠能破柴踏碓。八箇餘月。
A practitioner was assigned to Huineng to split firewood and pound rice. More than eight months passed.
五祖一日忽見惠能言。吾思汝之見可用。恐有惡人害汝。遂不與汝言。知之否。
One day the Fifth Patriarch suddenly saw Huineng and said, "I have been thinking that your understanding is usable. But I feared that wicked people might harm you, so I did not speak with you. Do you understand?"
惠能言。弟子亦知師意。不敢行至堂前。令人不覺。
Huineng said: "I too understood the Master's intention, so I did not dare go to the front of the hall, hoping that no one would notice."