..续本文上一页 are you doing kneeling here

　　"

　　神光说：「恳求和尚慈悲，传授躲阎王之法。」

　　Master Shenguang replied, "I sincerely hope the Venerable One will be compassionate and transmit to me the method for getting free from King Yama."

　　达摩说：「求法不是容易事，等天降红雪时，再传法给你。」

　　Patriarch Bodhidharma said, "It”s no simple matter to seek the Dharma. Wait until the snow falls red, and then I”ll transmit it to you."

　　神光一想：「释迦牟尼佛在往昔作菩萨时，为求半句偈，宁舍身命。」这念一起，他福至心灵，见石壁上挂了一把戒刀，乃取下来，砍断自己的左臂，血涌如泉，于是将雪染成红雪。他捧红雪来到达摩面前，请求传法。

　　Master Shenguang reflected, "Shakyamuni Buddha, while culti-vating the Bodhisattva path in the past, gave up his life in exchange for only half a verse of Dharma." As soon as this thought occurred to him, another idea dawned, and seeing a precept knife hanging on the cliff wall, he seized it and slashed off his left arm. Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the snow on the ground bright red. He scooped up a handful and took it to show Patriarch Bodhidharma and requested him to transmit the Dharma.

　　达摩说：「你为法断臂，求法真诚。」于是将不立文字，教外别传，直指人心，见性成佛之法传授于神光，并改其名为慧可。

　　Patriarch Bodhidharma said, "Since you can cut off your own arm for the sake of the Dharma, your sincerity must be genuine." There-upon, he transmitted to Master Shenguang the method of "seeing the nature and becoming a Buddha," the method that points directly to the mind, the special transmission apart from the teachings, the Dharma that words cannot contain. He then changed Master Shen-guang”s name to Huike (Wise and Able).

　　慧可又问：「我心未宁，乞师与安。」

　　Master Huike said, "My mind is not at peace. Can the Master please quiet it for me

　　"

　　达摩祖师说：「将心来，与汝安。」

　　Patriarch Bodhidharma answered, "Fetch your mind, and I”ll quiet it for you."

　　慧可沉默良久，然后才说：「觅心了不可得。」

　　Master Huike thought this over for a long time and then said, "I”ve looked, but my mind cannot be gotten at anywhere."

　　达摩祖师说：「我与汝安心竟。」

　　Patriarch Bodhidharma replied, "I”ve already quieted it for you!"

　　慧可豁然大悟，成为禅宗第二祖。后将衣钵心法传授于三祖僧璨大师，三祖又传四祖道信大师，四祖再传于五祖弘忍大师，五祖传于六祖惠能大师，此时禅宗分为两派。北宗以神秀为代表，主张「拂尘看净，成为渐悟」，他的偈颂：

　　身是菩提树，

　　心如明镜台；

　　时时勤拂拭，

　　勿使惹尘埃。

　　Master Huike suddenly experienced a great awakening and became the Second Patriarch of the Chan School. Later, he transmitted the robe and bowl and the Mind Dharma to the Third Patriarch, Great Master Sengcan (Sangha Gem), who then passed it on to the Fourth Patriarch, Great Master Daoxin (Faith in the Path), who further passed it on to the Fifth Patriarch, the Great Master Hungren (Vast Patience). Then it was transmitted to the Sixth Patriarch, the Great Master Huineng (Kind and Capable). At that point, the Chan School pided into two regional groups. It was represented in the North by Venerable Shenxiu (Divine Talent). He advocated "sweeping away the dust and observing the remaining purity," and this was called "the gradual enlightenment method." He wrote the verse:

　　The body is a Bodhi-tree,

　　The mind a mirror-stand bright.

　　Time and again wipe it clean;

　　Let no dust alight.

　　南宗以惠能为代表，主张「立即开悟，成为顿悟」，他的偈颂：

　　菩提本无树，

　　明镜亦非台；

　　本来无一物，

　　何处惹尘埃？

　　The Southern School”s representative was Great Master Huineng, who advocated immediate awakening, and this was called "the sudden enlightenment method." His verse says:

　　Originally there is no Bodhi-tree,

　　Nor any mirror-stand bright.

　　Originally there is nothing at all.

　　Where could the dust alight

　　南宗后来分为五宗，就是沩仰宗、临济宗、曹洞宗、云门宗、法眼宗。

　　根据达摩的偈颂说：

　　吾本来兹土，

　　传法救迷情；

　　一华开五叶，

　　结果自然成。

　　The Southern School later pided into five sects: the Weiyang, the Linji, the Caodong, the Yunmen, and the Fayen.

　　The Venerable Bodhidharma wrote a verse about this that goes,

　　My purpose in coming to this land,

　　Was to transmit the Dharma and rescue

　　confused beings.

　　One flower blossoms with five petals,

　　And the fruit will come ripe all by itself.

　　果然到了六祖时，分为五宗。这种法在中国一代一代传承下来，现在又把这法传到美国来，但是不需要跪求，只要诚心修行，就可以得到这种法要。

　　And as it turned out, when the Sixth Patriarch”s era came, the School did pide into five sects. The Dharma was transmitted in China from generation to generation, and now it has come to America. No one has to kneel to request it, however. All you need to do is to cultivate sincerely, and the essential teachings of this Dharma can be yours.

　　一九八○年禅七十二月开示

　　A talk given in December, 1980,

　　during a Chan session

《菩提达摩祖师来中国 The Patriarch Bodhidharmas Advent in China》全文阅读结束。