..续本文上一页he best way to get rid of desire.

　　We take "Purity" as our Guide, because it is the noblest quality of mankind.

　　Hereafter let Shakyamuni, the Enlightened One, be our guide and on no account should we listen to the suggestions of Mara, the evil one, of any heretic. We should testify to ourselves by constantly appealing to the "Three Gems" or our Essence of Mind, in which I advise you to take refuge. They are:

　　Buddha, which stands for Enlightenment;

　　Dharma, which stands for Orthodoxy;

　　Sangha, which stands for Purity.

　　To take refuge in Enlightenment so that evil and delusive notions do not arise, so that desire decreases, discontent becomes unknown, and lust and greed no longer bind us--this is the fruitage of Punya and Prajna. To take refuge in Orthodoxy so that from momentary sensation to another we will be free from wrong views--this is the best means of getting rid of desires. To take refuge in Purity so that no matter under what circumstance we may be, we will not become contaminated by wearisome sense objects, by craving nor by desire--this is the noblest quality of mankind. To practise the "Three-fold Guidance" as thus outlined means to take refuge in one”s Mind-essence. Ignorant people often take the "Three-fold Guidance" without understanding it. They say that they take

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　　refuge in Buddha: do they know where he is

　　 If they cannot conceive Buddha, how can they take refuge in him

　　 Would not such an assertion amount to self-deception

　　 Each of you should examine this point for himself, so that his energy may not be misapplied through ignorance. The Sutra distinctly says that each should take refuge in the Buddha within himself. It does not refer to any other Buddhas, hence if we do not take refuge in the Buddha of our own Mind-essence, there is nowhere else for us to go. Having cleared this point, let each of us take refuge in the "Three jewels" of his own mind. Within, each should control his own mind; without, each should be respectful toward others--this is the way to take refuge within ourselves.

　　I have a stanza, the reciting and practising of which will at once dispel the delusions and expiate the sins accumulated during many kalpas. This is the stanza:--

　　People under delusion accumulate tainted merit but tread not the Path.

　　They are under the illusion that to accumulate merit and to tread the Path are one and the same thing.

　　Their merit for alms-giving and offerings may be infinite,

　　But they fail to realise that the ultimate source of sin lies in the greed, hatred and infatuation within their own mind.

　　They expect to expiate their sin by the accumulation of merit,

　　Without knowing that the felicities to be gained thereby in future lives, p. 264

　　Have nothing to do with expiation of sin.

　　If we get rid of the sin within our own mind

　　Then it is a case of true repentance.

　　One who realises suddenly what constitutes true repentance in the Mahayana sense,

　　And who ceases to do evil and practises righteousness, is free from sin.

　　*

　　Essence of Mind (Tathata) is the real Buddha,

　　While heretical views and the three poisonous elements are Mara.

　　Enlightened by Right Views, we call forth the Buddha within us.

　　When our nature is dominated by the three poisonous elements, as the result of heretical views,

　　We are said to be possessed by Mara;

　　But when Right Views free our minds of these poison elements,

　　Mara will, be transformed into a real Buddha.

　　A follower of the Path who keeps constant watch on his Mind-essence

　　Is in the same class with the many Buddhas.

　　Our Patriarchs transmitted no other system but this of "Sudden Enlightenment."

　　If you are seeking Dharmakaya,

　　Search for it apart from the world of things and phenomena,

　　Then your mind will be pure and free.

　　Exert yourself in order to come face to face with Mind-essence and relax not;

　　For death may come suddenly and put an end to your earthly existence.

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　　Learned Audience:--All of you should recite this stanza and put it into practice. If you succeed in realising Essence of Mind, then you may think of yourselves as being in my presence though you may be a thousand miles away. But should you be unable to do so, though we were face to face with each other, we would really be thousands of miles apart. In that case what is the use of your taking the trouble to come here from such a long distance

　　 Take good care of yourselves. I bid you good-bye.

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　　Footnotes

　　257:1 NOTE BY EDITOR. in the text of the Discourse on Repentance there is a section on "The Three-fold Body of Buddha" which is evidently out of place. In the first place, the Discourse was delivered to a gathering of "Literary Men and Commoners," while the Three-body Discourse, being very metaphysical, is evidently intended for his advanced disciples. Moreover, while the prose section of the Repentance section has its following stanza, the Three-body section has none; hut strange to say, there is a stanza quite appropriate to it inserted in the Patriarch”s final words just before his death, where it is entirely out of place. The editor has taken the liberty of bringing the prose section and the stanza together in a chapter by themselves, which will follow this chapter.

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