參禅是開悟的方法
Chan Meditation Is the Method for Attaining Enlightenment
參話頭的功夫，需要經過長時間，才能有所成就。
To reach success with the method of investigating the meditation topic, we must work at it for a long time.
佛教傳到中國之後，演變成五宗，就是禅、教、律、淨、密。禅是禅定，教是教理，律是戒律，淨是淨土，密是持咒。現在是打禅七期間，只講禅的道理，其他四宗，暫且不談。
When Buddhism spread to China, it developed into the Five Schools: the Chan School, the Teachings School, the Vinaya School, the Pure Land School, and the Secret School. The Chan School investigates Chan samadhi (meditative concentration); the Teachings School studies the doctrines; the Vinaya School studies the moral precepts; the Pure Land School practices Buddha recitation; and the Secret School recites mantras. We are now holding a Chan session, so for the time being, we discuss only the principles of Chan meditation and not the other four schools.
禅那，譯爲「思惟修」，就是常想這件事。什麼事？就是話頭。研究「念佛是誰？」這句話，這叫參禅。其實參話頭也是妄想，不過這是以妄製妄，以毒攻毒的辦法，用一個妄想來消滅多個妄想。參話頭的功夫，需要經過長時間才能有所成就，所謂「久參有禅」。
Chan translates as "thought-cultivation," because one is always contemplating the matter of meditation. What matter is that
It is simply the meditation topic one is investigating. We look into the question, "Who is reciting the Buddha”s name
" This single sentence is the topic in our investigation of Chan. In fact, investigating this topic is another kind of idle thinking. This method is known as "fighting fire with fire." We set one idle thought in action to wipe out many idle thoughts. To reach success with this method, we must work at it for a long time. A saying goes, "After long-term cultivation, there will be Chan."
「參」好像用錐子來錐木頭一樣，不透不停止，不可半途而廢，否則就前功盡棄了。參禅，第一要忍耐，忍耐到最高峰，就能一念不生。一念不生，就能開悟，所謂「百尺竿頭，更進一步」，在百尺竿頭上，再向前邁進一步，這時十方世界現全身。可是這個法門，要念茲在茲才有效，不能放松，不能放逸。在《證道歌》上說：
頓覺了，如來禅，
六度萬行體中圓；
夢裏明明有六趣，
覺後空空無大千。
"Investigation" is similar to drilling wood: you don”t stop until the drill bit makes a hole all the way through the wood. If you stop halfway, then your earlier efforts will all have been in vain. The first priority in Chan meditation is patience. When you can be patient to the extreme point, then you can reach a state of "not even one thought arising." When not even one thought arises, you can get enlightened. As the saying goes, "Take one more step from the top of the hundred-foot pole." At that time, when you can take yet another step from the very top of a hundred-foot pole, "the worlds throughout the ten directions manifest in their entirety." To gain success, however, you must apply yourself constantly, in thought after thought, without any laziness or slacking off. A verse in the Song of Enlightenment says:
When you suddenly awaken to the Chan of the Tathagatas, Then the Six Paramitas and the Myriad Practices are complete within your substance.
In a dream, very clearly, you perceive all the Six Realms of Rebirth.
When you awaken, then you see all as empty and void, and not one bit of the universe exists at all.
頓，就是立刻覺悟一個理，所謂「理可頓悟，事須漸修。」在「事」上要一步一步修，在「理」上要立刻就明白。頓悟的時候，知道井在那裏，可以去取水。沒有頓悟的時候，常聽辘轳(汲水的工具)響，但不知井在何處？這個譬喻，是說明佛性從什麼地方來的？怎能證得佛性？證佛性別無二法，唯一的方法，就是參禅打坐。
"Suddenly" here means that you immediately understand a principle. As it”s said, "We may awaken to the truth of a principle suddenly, but we must cultivate the specifics gradually." The specifics must be cultivated one step at a time, yet the principle may be awakened to all of a sudden. For instance, after enlightenment, we know there is a well nearby from which we can draw water. Before our enlightenment, we may have heard the sound of the wellpulley and rope for a long time, and yet not have known where the well was located. This analogy explains where the Buddha-nature comes from. How do we realize this Buddha-nature
There is no other method to realize it: it can only be realized through Chan meditation.
六度，是菩薩修行的法門。布施…
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