Being in the Chan Hall Is Upholding the Precepts

　　在禅堂就是持戒

　　We are holding precepts when we are in the Chan hall. This is called “Upholding without upholding,” and “Having precepts without precepts.” Why

　　 Everyday we walk and sit in meditation. Walking meditation exercises the body, and sitting meditation calms the body. Walking meditation can regulate the body as the blood circulation flows and thus prevents sickness. Sitting meditation trains our mind. It can stop our false thoughts from arising and enable our wisdom to manifest. When we train our body and mind, this will cause samadhi to arise from holding the precepts. And then wisdom manifest from samadhi. The Chan session is the foremost method of cultivation and the foremost way of applying effort. One who lacks good roots will not be able to bear it. Some people cannot endure even one period of sitting. They either get pain in their legs, backaches, or stomachaches. Some feel pains in their pores, hair tips, or even their eyebrows or all over the body. You should know that if you don”t endure suffering, you cannot become an honorable person. A skyscraper is built upwards from the foundation, and great merit and virtue comes from the fundamentals. Investigating Chan is a way to build this foundation. If you lay a good foundation, the house will not topple. If the foundation is not solid, if there is gusty wind or heavy rain, the house will fall apart. The purpose of investigating Chan is to lay the groundwork for cultivation.

　　我們在禅堂就是持戒，這是「不持之持，不戒之戒」。爲什麼呢？每一天跑香、坐香，跑香就是運動你的身，坐香就是安定你的心。跑香運動你的身，令氣血調和百病不生；坐香鍛煉你的心，令你的心妄想不生，智慧現前。調身調心，令你由戒生定，由定而發慧。打禅七是修行的第一法門，第一個用功的法門，可是沒有善根的人，就覺得受不了，甚至坐一支香也坐不了，有的腿痛，有的腰痛，有的肚子痛，有的連汗毛稍、頭發尖、眉毛稍也痛，周身都不自在了。你要知道：「不受苦中苦，難爲人上人」。萬丈高樓是從地面建築起來，萬德圓融是從根本上建立。打禅七，就是建築這個根本。就好像房子的地基要是打好了，這棟樓就不會坍塌損壞；你要是基礎不做好，刮一刮風、下一下雨，房子或者就會倒坍了。我們參禅，就是造好修行的基礎。