禅堂是選佛的道場

　　The Meditation Hall Is a Way-place Where Buddhas Are Selected

　　要回光返照，認清自己的過錯，痛改前非，不要緊抱著臭習氣而放不下。

　　If you always wear a phony mask to cover yourself, you”ll never get selected to be a Buddha.

　　大家在禅堂裏，參禅打坐，就是考試，看誰能考上佛的果位？怎樣才能考上呢？就要內無身心，外無世界，所謂：

　　視之不見，

　　聽之不聞，

　　嗅之無味。

　　有了這種功夫，才有被錄取的希望。

　　People who meditate in the Chan Hall are actually taking a test. They are seeing whether or not they qualify for Buddhahood. How can they pass this test

　　 Reach the state where, "Inside there is no body or mind, and outside there is no world."

　　It”s a state of:

　　Looking, but not seeing;

　　Hearing, but not listening;

　　Smelling, but not noticing the scent.

　　Only a person who possesses this kind of skill can hope to pass the test.

　　爲什麼說：視之不見？因爲回光返照。爲什麼說：聽之不聞？因爲反聞聞自性。爲什麼說：嗅之無味？因爲收攝身心，不爲味塵所轉。這時，眼觀色而無色，耳聽聲而無聲，鼻嗅香而無香，舌嘗味而無味，身覺觸而不著觸，意知法而不著法。到了這種境界，才有被選爲佛的希望。不到爐火純青的時候，不到登峰造極的時候，不到百尺竿頭更進一步的時候，那是沒有希望的。所以在禅堂裏，不要把寶貴的光陰空過。

　　Why is it described as "looking, but not seeing"

　　 Because the person is "returning the light to shine within," and introspecting. Why is it "hearing, but not listening"

　　 Because he is "turning the hearing back to listen to his own nature." Why does it say, "smelling, but not noticing the scent"

　　 Because he has gathered back his body and mind, and is not disturbed any longer by scents. At this time, the cultivator”s eyes contemplate physical forms, but the forms don”t exist for him. His ears hear sounds, but the sounds don”t exist for him. His nose smells scents, but those scents don”t exist for him. His tongue tastes flavors, but for him, those flavors don”t exist. His body feels sensations, but does not attach itself to those sensations. His mind knows of things (dharmas), but does not attach to them. Only when one reaches this kind of state does one have any hope of being chosen as a Buddha. Before you reach perfection, before you reach the highest summit, before you "climb to the very top of a hundred-foot pole, and take one further step," you have no hope at all of qualifying. Therefore, don”t waste your precious time here in the meditation hall.

　　古人說：

　　一寸光陰一寸金，

　　寸金難買寸光陰；

　　失落寸金容易得，

　　光陰過去難再尋。

　　Ancient cultivators had a proverb that goes,

　　An instant of time is worth more than an

　　ounce of gold.

　　You can”t buy an instant of time with an

　　ounce of gold.

　　An ounce of gold, if lost, can be easily

　　replaced.

　　But once time has gone by, you can”t bring

　　it back again.

　　我們要把握時機，認真用功修行。修行之法甚多，唯獨「參禅」這個法門，是最高無上的法門。這個法門，如果用功用到相當時，能回過頭來，能轉過身，背塵合覺，被選爲佛。

　　We must make the most of our opportunity to work hard and diligently cultivate. There are many ways to cultivate, but Chan meditation is surely the most lofty and supreme Dharma-door. When your efforts in cultivating this Dharma-door reach maturity, you”ll be able to turn around, so that you "turn your back on the dust and unite with enlightenment," and get selected as a Buddha.

　　修菩薩道的人，外能舍國城妻子，內能舍頭目腦髓，只要有人需要，他一切皆布施，絕不悭吝，他只知道利益衆生，而不爲自己打算。能有這樣的思想，在選佛場中才有希望被選中。大家要知道，這是諸佛來選拔，絕對是大公無私的，沒有人可以僥幸被錄取，這完全要靠真功夫的。

　　People who cultivate the Bodhisattva Path are able to renounce their external wealth, such as their countries, cities, wives, and children. They”re also able to renounce their internal wealth, such as their heads, eyes, brains, and bone marrow. Bodhisattvas are able to give people anything they need; they are never stingy. A Bodhisattva”s sole concern is to aid people; he doesn”t calculate on his own behalf. Only one with this kind of attitude has hope of being chosen for Buddhahood here in the "Buddha-selecting field." Everyone should know that the selection is done by the Buddhas, and they are completely unbiased and impartial. No one can hope to attain Buddhahood by chance or luck. The only criterion is true spiritual skill.

　　佛來選佛，而不是魔來選佛，可是魔來助佛。佛是在正面教化衆生，魔在反面教化衆生，反面來鼓勵你，給你機會發大願力，用功修行。所以魔是反面的…

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