..續本文上一頁 are you doing kneeling here

　　"

　　神光說：「懇求和尚慈悲，傳授躲閻王之法。」

　　Master Shenguang replied, "I sincerely hope the Venerable One will be compassionate and transmit to me the method for getting free from King Yama."

　　達摩說：「求法不是容易事，等天降紅雪時，再傳法給你。」

　　Patriarch Bodhidharma said, "It”s no simple matter to seek the Dharma. Wait until the snow falls red, and then I”ll transmit it to you."

　　神光一想：「釋迦牟尼佛在往昔作菩薩時，爲求半句偈，甯舍身命。」這念一起，他福至心靈，見石壁上挂了一把戒刀，乃取下來，砍斷自己的左臂，血湧如泉，于是將雪染成紅雪。他捧紅雪來到達摩面前，請求傳法。

　　Master Shenguang reflected, "Shakyamuni Buddha, while culti-vating the Bodhisattva path in the past, gave up his life in exchange for only half a verse of Dharma." As soon as this thought occurred to him, another idea dawned, and seeing a precept knife hanging on the cliff wall, he seized it and slashed off his left arm. Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the snow on the ground bright red. He scooped up a handful and took it to show Patriarch Bodhidharma and requested him to transmit the Dharma.

　　達摩說：「你爲法斷臂，求法真誠。」于是將不立文字，教外別傳，直指人心，見性成佛之法傳授于神光，並改其名爲慧可。

　　Patriarch Bodhidharma said, "Since you can cut off your own arm for the sake of the Dharma, your sincerity must be genuine." There-upon, he transmitted to Master Shenguang the method of "seeing the nature and becoming a Buddha," the method that points directly to the mind, the special transmission apart from the teachings, the Dharma that words cannot contain. He then changed Master Shen-guang”s name to Huike (Wise and Able).

　　慧可又問：「我心未甯，乞師與安。」

　　Master Huike said, "My mind is not at peace. Can the Master please quiet it for me

　　"

　　達摩祖師說：「將心來，與汝安。」

　　Patriarch Bodhidharma answered, "Fetch your mind, and I”ll quiet it for you."

　　慧可沈默良久，然後才說：「覓心了不可得。」

　　Master Huike thought this over for a long time and then said, "I”ve looked, but my mind cannot be gotten at anywhere."

　　達摩祖師說：「我與汝安心竟。」

　　Patriarch Bodhidharma replied, "I”ve already quieted it for you!"

　　慧可豁然大悟，成爲禅宗第二祖。後將衣缽心法傳授于叁祖僧璨大師，叁祖又傳四祖道信大師，四祖再傳于五祖弘忍大師，五祖傳于六祖惠能大師，此時禅宗分爲兩派。北宗以神秀爲代表，主張「拂塵看淨，成爲漸悟」，他的偈頌：

　　身是菩提樹，

　　心如明鏡臺；

　　時時勤拂拭，

　　勿使惹塵埃。

　　Master Huike suddenly experienced a great awakening and became the Second Patriarch of the Chan School. Later, he transmitted the robe and bowl and the Mind Dharma to the Third Patriarch, Great Master Sengcan (Sangha Gem), who then passed it on to the Fourth Patriarch, Great Master Daoxin (Faith in the Path), who further passed it on to the Fifth Patriarch, the Great Master Hungren (Vast Patience). Then it was transmitted to the Sixth Patriarch, the Great Master Huineng (Kind and Capable). At that point, the Chan School pided into two regional groups. It was represented in the North by Venerable Shenxiu (Divine Talent). He advocated "sweeping away the dust and observing the remaining purity," and this was called "the gradual enlightenment method." He wrote the verse:

　　The body is a Bodhi-tree,

　　The mind a mirror-stand bright.

　　Time and again wipe it clean;

　　Let no dust alight.

　　南宗以惠能爲代表，主張「立即開悟，成爲頓悟」，他的偈頌：

　　菩提本無樹，

　　明鏡亦非臺；

　　本來無一物，

　　何處惹塵埃？

　　The Southern School”s representative was Great Master Huineng, who advocated immediate awakening, and this was called "the sudden enlightenment method." His verse says:

　　Originally there is no Bodhi-tree,

　　Nor any mirror-stand bright.

　　Originally there is nothing at all.

　　Where could the dust alight

　　南宗後來分爲五宗，就是沩仰宗、臨濟宗、曹洞宗、雲門宗、法眼宗。

　　根據達摩的偈頌說：

　　吾本來茲土，

　　傳法救迷情；

　　一華開五葉，

　　結果自然成。

　　The Southern School later pided into five sects: the Weiyang, the Linji, the Caodong, the Yunmen, and the Fayen.

　　The Venerable Bodhidharma wrote a verse about this that goes,

　　My purpose in coming to this land,

　　Was to transmit the Dharma and rescue

　　confused beings.

　　One flower blossoms with five petals,

　　And the fruit will come ripe all by itself.

　　果然到了六祖時，分爲五宗。這種法在中國一代一代傳承下來，現在又把這法傳到美國來，但是不需要跪求，只要誠心修行，就可以得到這種法要。

　　And as it turned out, when the Sixth Patriarch”s era came, the School did pide into five sects. The Dharma was transmitted in China from generation to generation, and now it has come to America. No one has to kneel to request it, however. All you need to do is to cultivate sincerely, and the essential teachings of this Dharma can be yours.

　　一九八○年禅七十二月開示

　　A talk given in December, 1980,

　　during a Chan session

《菩提達摩祖師來中國 The Patriarch Bodhidharmas Advent in China》全文閱讀結束。