Recognizing our original face

　　認識本來的面目

　　When we participate in the Buddha recitation session, everyday we recite, “Namo Amitabha Buddha, Namo Amitabha Buddha …” Ultimately who is reciting the Buddha”s name

　　 Someone might say, “It is me!” Then who is “me”

　　 If this stinking skin bag of a body is really “me”, why does it decay when it dies

　　 If it is truly “me”, then I should be my own master. However, I cannot be my own master. My body does not follow my instructions. When you are old and sick, there is nothing left when it dies. Someone may say, “If there is nothing left, then what is the purpose of reciting the Buddha”s name

　　 Aren”t we cheating ourselves

　　” No. In fact, there must be something that controls this stinking skin bag. We should use the Chan topic, “Who is mindful of the Buddha

　　” to find out and thoroughly understand “who” is the one that is controlling us.

　　打佛七念「南無阿彌陀佛，南無阿彌陀佛……」天天這麼念，究竟是誰念的呢？有人說：「是我念的！」我又是誰呢？這個臭皮囊如果真是我，它死了之後，怎麼就會壞了呢？如果真是我，我應該做得了主；可惜我做不得主，它不聽自己的招呼，到時候又老又病，死了之後什麼都沒有。有人說：「什麼都沒有了，那念佛又有什麼用呢？這不是自己欺騙自己嗎？」不是的，這其中一定有支配臭皮囊的，這個「念佛是誰」我們要把它找出來，要研究明白了它。

　　If you can return the light, illumine within and recognize your original face, then you will know, “Who was I before I was born

　　 Who am I after I”m born

　　 When I grow up I become attached to this “self”, but in the twinkling of an eye I get confused, and who am I then

　　” You should investigate these questions. Everyday we eat in confusion and wear clothes in confusion, and at death we enter the coffin of confusion. Such a life is worthless. We should pay special attention to this.

　　你要能返本還原，回光返照，認識本來的面目，你才知道「未生以前誰是我？生我之後我是誰？長大成人執著我，轉眼朦胧又是誰？」你要研究這個問題，不是我們一天到晚胡塗吃、胡塗穿、臨死了還鑽到胡塗棺材裏去，這個人生就沒有什麼價值，我們對這點要特別注意。