參禅要先打地基

　　In Investigating Chan, First Lay the Foundation

　　地基沒打好，房子必不堅固，風一吹就倒，雨一沖就散。

　　If you don”t lay a good foundation, your house will not be sturdy;

　　the wind will blow it down and the rain will wash it away.

　　學佛的人，有人歡喜參禅，有人歡喜學教，講經說法，有人歡喜研究律宗，有人歡喜密宗，有人歡喜淨土宗。無論歡喜哪一宗，你都要專心致志，用功修行，才能達到目的，成就自己的希望。

　　Among the students of Buddhism, some like to investigate Chan; some like to study the teachings, speak the Dharma, and lecture on the sutras; some like to investigate the precepts; some enjoy cultivating the Secret School; and some like to practice the Pure Land School. No matter which school you like, you must concen-trate single-mindedly and cultivate with diligence. Then you will be able to achieve your goal and realize your hopes.

　　若不專心致志，學什麼也等于沒有學一樣。參了二天半禅，就想去念佛；念佛念了半天，又想去學律；學律不久，又想學密。常把自己的目標弄亂，而不能專一。爲什麼不能專一？就因爲向外馳求，腳踏兩條船，不知到江北好？或江南好？這樣就會自誤一生。

　　But if your mind isn”t concentrated, then no matter what you study, it”s the same as not studying. So after investigating Chan for two and a half days, you decide to recite the Buddha”s name; after reciting the Buddha”s name for half a day, you wish to study the Vinaya (moral code). After studying the Vinaya for a while, you decide to study in the Secret School. Since you keep changing your goal, you cannot concentrate. The reason you cannot concentrate is because you are seeking outside. You have your feet in two boats, and you can”t decide whether you want to go north or south on the river. In that way, you end up wasting your whole life.

　　所以參禅就要時時刻刻精進，一分一秒也不躲懶偷安。參到：

　　山窮水盡疑無路，

　　柳暗花明又一村。

　　In investigating Chan, you must be vigorous at all times; don”t be lazy for a single minute or second. You should investigate until:

　　The mountains disappear and the waters vanish, and you doubt there is a road ahead.

　　Beyond the dark willows and the bright flowers is another village.

　　就別有洞天，別有一種天然妙趣。但必定要參到極點，到登峰造極，然後才有一點點希望，但並不多。雖有一點點的希望，也不要抱著希望，否則又變成頭上安頭。參禅，就是要老實用功。

　　At that point there is another heaven, another natural paradise. But you must investigate to the utmost point and reach the summit. Then there”s a bit of hope, but not much. Although there”s a tiny bit of hope, don”t hang onto it, because that would be superfluous (adding a head on top of a head).

　　首先，要把腿練得聽話，不搗亂也不痛，怎麼腿會不痛？是否有個咒可以念一念，腿就不痛了？或者吃個什麼藥令它不痛？不是的。必須要經過這個痛，然後它才聽話不痛。你要是忍不住，一痛你就要換腿，休息一下，那麼腿永遠不會聽話，因你已慣壞它。它一痛，你就哄它，好像哄小孩子似的，小孩知道父母怎樣也舍不得他受苦，所以將來他就什麼苦也不能受了。腿也像小孩子一樣，你若怕它痛，它什麼時候都會痛，痛時也要痛，你不想痛時也要痛，就都因爲慣壞了它。

　　To investigate Chan, you must honestly put in the effort. First of all, you must practice sitting until your legs are compliant－until they don”t hurt or cause any trouble. How can you get your legs to stop hurting

　　 Is there a mantra you can recite to stop the pain

　　 Is there a medicine you can take to keep them from hurting

　　 No. You must endure the pain, and then they will become obedient and stop hurting. If you cannot endure it, and you move your legs and let them rest as soon as they start hurting, your legs will never become obedient because you are spoiling them. Whenever they hurt, you simply placate them as if placating an unhappy child. If the child knows his parents cannot bear to see him suffer, he won”t be able to endure any suffering in the future. Your legs are just like a child; if you fear the pain, they will hurt all the time, even when they aren”t supposed to hurt. That”s because you”ve spoiled them rotten.

　　你把腿練得聽話，把腰也練得聽話，不酸也不痛。眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意也都聽話，六根不向外馳求，不被色、聲、香、味、觸、法所轉，六根不爲六塵所轉，而能轉回來，這就是聽話了。所謂：

　　眼觀形色內無有，

　　耳聽塵事心不知。

　　You must train your legs and your back to be compliant, so that they won”t ache or hurt. When your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and mind are all compliant, so that they don”t seek after sights, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch, or dharmas; when you are not influenced by the six sense organs and six sense o…

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