Thousands of “Do Nots”

　　有幾千萬個不行

　　Those who investigate in Chan have to endure thirst, hunger and cold. They must use patience and cultivate whole-heartedly. In the summer, when it is so hot everyday, what use do we have for a blanket

　　 This shows that you do not know the rules and are just dragging your heels. Meditation is somthing we can practice any time and any place. We do not need to bring a blanket everywhere to sit in meditation. That is a hangup and is not something that cultivators should have. You could simply wear extra trousers and your feet will not feel cold anymore. There is no need to bring blankets to the Hall and make it look like a blanket shop. That is wrong.

　　參禅的人要忍渴、忍餓、忍饑、忍寒，一切都要用忍耐心來用功修行。夏天天氣這麼熱，要毯子做什麼？這就是不懂規矩，拖泥帶水，拖拖拉拉的。坐禅是隨時隨地都可以坐，不是到什麼地方都帶個毯子去打坐，那就是有所罣礙，這不是修行人該有的。你可以多穿一條褲子，腿就不冷了，不須要帶著毯子到禅堂，弄得禅堂好像賣毯子店，這是不應該有的。

　　Do not pamper your stinking skin-bag, to the point that it cannot suffer being a little cold or a little warm, a little hungry or thirsty. Everyday, you have thousands of “cannots.” How can you cultivate

　　 When genuine, hardworking cultivators sit in meditation, they do not doze off. If you want to sleep, you should stand up. Do not be stubborn and continue to sleep, thinking that you are sitting in meditation. That is wrong. Entering samadhi is not the same as falling asleep. If you are in samadhi, that is a different story altogether.

　　不要把自己的臭皮囊看得太嬌貴，冷也不行，熱也不行，渴也不行，餓也不行，一天有幾千萬個「不行」。這怎麼用功呢？用功的人坐禅，絕對不可以睡覺的；你想睡覺就站起來，不可以任性「我在這坐禅呢！」然後就睡著了，這是不可以；入定並不是睡覺，你要是入定，那又不同。