Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Raw draft

[0384c01] 問佛度眾生否。

Question: “Do Buddhas enlighten sentient beings (cross sentient beings over to the other shore of enlightenment)?”

師云。實無眾生如來度者。我尚不可得。非我何可得。佛與眾生皆不可得。

The Teacher said: “There are actually no sentient beings the Tathagata enlightens. Since ‘self’ cannot be attained, how so can what is ‘non-self’ be attained? Buddhas and sentient beings, all cannot be attained.”

云現有三十二相及度眾生。何得言無。

Question: “But there are the thirty-two characteristics of [Buddhas] and the enlightenment of sentient beings. How is it that you say there aren’t?”

師云。凡所有相皆是虛妄。若見諸相非相。即見如來。佛與眾生盡是汝作妄見。只為不識本心。謾作見解。纔作佛見便被佛障。作眾生見被眾生障。作凡作聖作淨作穢等見。盡成其障。障汝心故總成輪轉。猶如獼猴放一捉一無有歇期。一等是學。直須無學。無凡無聖。無淨無垢。無大無小。無漏無為。如是一心中。方便勤莊嚴。聽汝學得三乘十二分教。一切見解總須捨却。所以除去所有。唯置一床寢疾而臥。秖是不起諸見。無一法可得。不被法障。透脫三界凡聖境域。始得名為出世佛。所以云。稽首如空無所依出過外道。心既不異。法亦不異。心既無為法亦無為。萬法盡由心變。所以我心空故諸法空。千品萬類悉皆同。盡十方空界同一心體。心本不異法亦不異。秖為汝見解不同。所以差別。譬如諸天共寶器食隨其福德飯色有異。十方諸佛實無少法可得。名為阿耨菩提。秖是一心實無異相。亦無光彩。亦無勝負。無勝故無佛相。無負故無眾生相。

The Teacher said: “All that have characteristic are all empty illusions. If every characteristic is seen not as characteristic, then this is seeing the Tathagata. Buddhas and sentient beings are all delusive views you’ve constructed. Because there is no recognition of your original mind, you have been deceived into making viewpoints. Once you construct a view of Buddha, you are immediately obstructed by ‘Buddha’. Construct a view of sentient being and you are obstructed by ‘sentient being’. Construct the mundane, the holy, the pure, the filth and various such views, they all thus become their respective obstructions. These obstructions of your [original] mind altogether form a turning wheel, like a macaque monkey that is continuously releasing one and grabbing another without a moment of rest. This is equivalent to learning, when learning should be absent. Absent of mundaneness, absent of holiness. Absent of pureness, absent of filthiness. Absent of large, absent of small. Absent of defilement, absent of striving. As such in one-mind, expedient is the industry of vuyha (wondrous appearance/configuration/ornamentation).

I heard that you have learned the three vehicles and the twelve divisions of teachings. Yet all viewpoints should still be let go of. Therefore remove all there is. Only set a bed, resting the sickness by lying down, just to not arise any view. When not a single dharma can be attained, there is no obstruction by dharma. Penetrating free of the three realms’ boundary of mundaneness and holiness, one then attains to the name of ‘world-transcending Buddha’.

Therefore it is said: Kowtowing [to the Buddha] is like emptiness that’s without any dependence, that’s beyond any tirthika’s (heretic or non-buddhist’s) way. Since mind does not differ, dharma also does not differ. Since mind is absent of striving, dharma is also absent of striving. The ten-thousand dharmas are all changes of the mind. Therefore when my mind is empty, every dharma is empty. Regarding the thousand grades and ten-thousand classifications, know thoroughly they are all the same. Throughout all ten directions of the empty realm, it is the same one-mind-basis.

Mind originally does not differ; dharma also does not differ. It’s only because you hold differing viewpoints that they are discriminated upon. Like the devas sharing the same jewelled utensil at a meal. Following in accordance to their own karmic-blessing, the colour/form of their rice differs. The buddhas in all ten directions actually have not a bit of dharma you can gain. This is named anu-bodhi (unsurpassed perfect awakening). There is only the one-mind that is actually absent of any differing characteristic. Also absent of light and hue. Also absent of victory and defeat. Since victory is absent, Buddha characteristic is absent. Since defeat is absent, sentient being characteristic is absent.

云心既無相。豈得全無三十二相八十種好化度眾生耶。

Question: “Since mind is absent of characteristic, won’t it be like there’s totally no thirty-two characteristic and eighty types of good [markings] to transform and cross-over sentient beings?”

師云。三十二相屬相。凡所有相皆是虛妄。八十種好屬色。若以色見我。是人行邪道。不能見如來。

The Teacher said: “The thirty-two characteristics belong to characteristic. And all that have characteristic are all empty illusions. The eighty types of good [markings] belong to form. And if it is through forms to see me, then it is a person practising the crooked/improper way. The Tathagata can’t be seen [by him/her].”

[0384c27] 問佛性與眾生性。為同為別。師云。性無同異。若約三乘教。即說有佛性有眾生性。遂有三乘因果。即有同異。若約佛乘及祖師相傳。即不說如是事。唯有一心。非同非異。非因非果。所以云唯此一乘道。無二亦無三。除佛方便說。

Question: “Buddha-nature and sentient-being-nature, same or different?”

The Teacher said, “The nature is absent of sameness or differentness. According to the teachings of the three vehicles (Hearer's/Disciple’s Vehicle - Sravakayana, Solitary Conqueror's Vehicle - Pratyekabuddhayana, Bodhisattva's Vehicle - Mahayana), it is said that there is Buddha-nature and sentient-being-nature. Then there is cause-and-effect of the three vehicles, and so there is sameness and differentness. But according to the Buddha vehicle and the ancestral teachers’ transmission, such matters are not said. There is only one-mind, neither same nor different, neither a cause nor an effect. Therefore it is said, there is only this one vehicle way. Not two, not three, except Buddha’s expedient sayings.”

[0385a04] 問。無邊身菩薩。為什麼不見如來頂相。

Question: Body-of-no-sides bodhisattva, why can’t [he] see the appearance of Tathagata’s head-top1?

1.       In佛说无量寿经the body-of-no-sides bodhisattva tried to measure how high the top of Tathagata’s head was from the ground. He measured higher and higher to the heaven realm of Brahma but still couldn’t see the Tathagata’s head-top.

虗空無有邊。佛功德亦然。若有能量者。窮劫不可盡。

Empty space has no sides. Buddha’s merit is as such too. If it can be measured, [the measuring will take] countless kalpas without end.

• Related to the measuring of coastline experiment – fractals?

師云。實無可見。何以故。無邊身菩薩便是如來。不應更見。

Teacher said: It actually cannot be seen. Why so? Body-of-no-sides bodhisattva is [himself] the Tathagata, shouldn’t to further see [the Tathagata’s head-top].

秖教爾不作佛見不落佛邊。不作眾生見不落眾生邊。不作有見不落有邊。不作無見不落無邊。不作凡見不落凡邊。不作聖見不落聖邊。

Just to teach you – not producing a view of Buddha, not falling to the side of Buddha; not producing a view of sentient-being, not falling to the side of sentient-being; not producing a view of existence, not falling to the side of existence; not producing a view of non-existence, not falling to the side of non-existence; not producing a view of mundaneness, not falling to the side of mundaneness; not producing a view of holiness, not falling to the side of holiness.

但無諸見即是無邊身。若有見處即名外道。

Just have none of the various views, it is the body-of-no-sides. If there is a position of view, it is named tirthika2.

2.      Tirthika or outsider refers to non-buddhist.

外道者樂於諸見。菩薩於諸見而不動。如來者即諸法如義。所以云。彌彌亦如也。眾聖賢亦如也。如即無生。如即無滅。如即無見。如即無聞。如來頂即是圓見。亦無圓見故不落圓邊。所以佛身無為不墮諸數。

“Tirthikas delight in views, while bodhisattvas are unmoved with regards to views.3” “Tathagata is the various dharmas appearing as such.4” Therefore it’s said: “Maitreya is also as such. The holy sages are also as such.5”

Suchness is devoid of arising/birth. Suchness is devoid of passing-away/annihilation. Suchness is devoid of seeing/view. Suchness is devoid of hearing/known.

Tathagata’s head-top is complete seeing/view. Also without complete seeing/view, hence falling not to the side of completeness. Therefore Buddha’s body is unconditioned, descending not into various calculation.

3.      From Vimalakirti sutra.

4.      From Diamond sutra.

5.      From Vimalakirti sutra.

權以虛空為喻。圓同太虛無欠無餘。等閑無事莫強辯他境。辯著便成識。所以云。圓成沈識海。流轉若飄蓬。

Provisionally using empty space as an example, the complete is similar to grand emptiness – neither lacking nor in excess. Symmetrically at ease with no matter, don’t forcefully discern its visaya/state6. Once discerned, [it] thus becomes vijnana7. Therefore it’s said: “The complete becomes sunk [as] the sea of vijnana, the cycling flow8 is like floating/wandering weedgrass.”

6 Reminds of symmetry breaking. Also superposition breaking upon discernment.

7 Vijnana is divided dichotomised cognition.

8 Probably referring to samsara – the recursive cycle of cause-and-effect & birth-and-death, such that it is like the weedgrass caught in the flow of river-time.

秖道我知也學得也契悟也解脫也有道理也。強處即如意。弱處即不如意。似者箇見解有什麼用處。

Only saying/claiming, I know, [I’ve] learned already, [I’ve] accorded with enlightenment already, [I’m] liberated already, [I’ve understood] the reasons already, that it is superior when it is as [what I] intended, and inferior when it is not as [what I] intended. Interpretive views such as these, of what use are they?

我向汝道。等閑無事莫謾用心。不用求真。唯須息見。所以內見外見俱錯。佛道魔道俱惡。所以文殊暫起二見。貶向二鐵圍山。

Let me tell you, be symmetrically at ease with no matter, don’t deceptively use the mind. No need to seek the true. Should just extinguish views. Therefore inner views and outer views are both wrong. Buddha-way and Mara-way are both bad. Therefore Manjusri in temporarily arising dualistic views, is banished to the twin-iron-ringed mountain.

文殊即實智。普賢即權智。權實相對治究竟亦無權實。唯是一心。心且不佛不眾生無有異見。纔有佛見便作眾生見。有見無見常見斷見。便成二鐵圍山。被見障故。

Manjusri is the real-basis jnana; Samantabhadra is the provisional-expedient jnana. Real-basis and provisional-expedient mutually remediate, but in uttara there’s [actually] no real-basis and provisional-expedient. Only the one-mind, where mind is not Buddha and not sentient-being with no differing view.

Once there exists Buddha view, there is thus construction of sentient-being view, and existent view and non-existent view and permanency view and annihilation view, and thus establishing the twin-iron-ringed mountain because of view-obscuration.

祖師直指一切眾生本心。本體本來是佛。不假修成。不屬漸次。不是明暗。不是明故無明。不是暗故無暗。所以無無明亦無無明盡。入我此宗門。切須在意如此。見得名之為法。見法故名之為佛。佛法俱無。名之為僧。喚作無為僧。亦名一體三寶。夫求法者。不著佛求。不著法求。不著眾求。應無所求。不著佛求故無佛。不著法求故無法。不著眾求故無僧。

The Ancestral Teacher points directly to all sentient-beings’ original mind. The original basis is originally Buddha. It is not made/accomplished in dependence to practice. It does not belong to gradual levelling up.

It is not bright (enlightened) or dark (ignorant). It is not bright hence non-bright (avidya); it is not dark hence non-dark. Therefore [there is] no non-bright (no avidya) and thus also no ending of non-bright. [Those] entering this fundamental/lineage/temple door of mine, must take note of this.

Attaining seeing is named as dharma. Seeing dharma is named as Buddha. Buddha and dharma are both none, [which] is named as sangha/monk, [also] called the unconditioned sangha/monk. [It] is also named as one-body-three-jewels.

Regarding seeking dharma, be not attached to buddha-seeking, not attached to dharma-seeking, not attached to congregation/sangha-seeking. The seeking is to be of no position/thing – not attached to Buddha-seeking hence no Buddha – not attached to dharma-seeking hence no dharma – not attached to congregation-seeking hence no sangha/monk.

[0385b06] 問。和尚見今說法。何得言無僧亦無法。師云。汝若見有法可說。即是以音聲求我。若見有我即是處所。法亦無法。法即是心。所以祖師云。付此心法時。法法何曾法。無法無本心。始解心心法。實無一法可得名坐道場。道場者秖是不起諸見。悟法本空。喚作空如來藏。本來無一物。何處有塵埃。若得此中意。逍遙何所論。

[Someone] asked: “Upadhyaya, [you are] seen now speaking about the dharma, why say [there is] no sangha/monk and also no dharma?”

Teacher said:

“You, in viewing there is a dharma that can be spoken, is thus relying on sound-voice to seek me. In viewing there is a me, [there] is thus a dwelling-position/thing. [But when] dharma is no dharma, dharma is thus mind1.

“Therefore the Ancestral Teacher said: ‘At the moment of giving this mind-dharma, when is the dharma’s dharma a dharma?’ No dharma no original mind, [then there is] a beginning in understanding mind’s mind-dharma.

“[When there is] actually no single dharma that can be attained, [it is then] named sitting in bodhimanda. Bodhimanda is just not arising the various views, realising dharma’s original emptiness, which is called the empty tathagata-garbha (treasury/womb of the thus-come-one).

“Originally there isn’t any object, which place/position has dust speck. If the meaning in this is attained, of what position/thing is the unfettered-easefulness2 described/discoursed.”

1.   In the framework of the six ayatanas (six sense-spheres), dharma is the sense-object that mind cognizes. Just like sound is the sense-object that ear cognizes. So when dharma is no dharma, the mind’s sense-object ceases to be a sense-object, the mind cognizes itself as its sense-object. Dharma is thus mind.

2.   Unfettered-easefulness (逍遙 xiao yao) is a Daoist term from the book of Zhuangzi.

[0385b14] 問。本來無一物。無物便是否。師云。無亦不是。菩提無是處。亦無無知解。

[Someone] asked: “Originally there isn’t any object, so is ‘nothing (no-object)’ it?”

Teacher said:

“ ‘Nothing’ is also not it. Bodhi has no dwelling/position that is it, but is also not absent of interpretive knowing.” 

[0385b16] 問。何者是佛。師云。汝心是佛。佛即是心。心佛不異。故云即心是佛。若離於心別更無佛。

Asked: “Who/what is it that’s Buddha?”

Teacher said:

“Your mind is Buddha. Buddha is the mind. Mind and Buddha not differing, thus it’s said – ‘This mind is Buddha’. If departed from mind, there’s no other separate Buddha.”

云若自心是佛。祖師西來如何傳授。師云。祖師西來唯傳心佛。直指汝等心本來是佛。心心不異故名為祖。若直下見此意。即頓超三乘一切諸位。本來是佛不假修成。

Said: “If my mind itself is Buddha, how/what does the Ancestral Teacher coming from the west transmit and impart?”

Teacher said: “The Ancestral Teacher coming from the west only transmit mind-Buddha, directly pointing to all you people’s mind that’s originally Buddha. [When] mind after mind does not differ, it’s therefore named Ancestral/Ancestor. If in directly seeing this meaning now, there is thus a sudden/instant transcending of all the ranks/stages of the three vehicles, [that mind] is originally Buddha not made/accomplished in dependence to practice.

云若如此。十方諸佛出世說於何法。師云。十方諸佛出世。秖共說一心法。所以佛密付與摩訶大迦葉。此一心法體。盡虛空遍法界。名為諸佛理論。這個法豈是汝於言句上解得他。亦不是於一機一境上見得他。此意唯是默契得。這一門名為無為法門。若欲會得但知無心。忽悟即得。若用心擬學取。即轉遠去。若無岐路心一切取捨心。心如木石。始有學道分。

Said: “If it’s like this, what dharma does the appearance of the various Buddhas in the worlds of the ten directions speak of?”

Teacher said:

“The appearance of the various Buddhas in the worlds of the ten directions, [they] only collectively speak of the one-mind dharma. That’s why Buddha (Sakyamuni) esotericly gave Mahakasyapa this one-mind dharma basis, [which] is entirely empty pervading the dharma realm, [which] is also named as the various Buddha’s principle treatise.

“This dharma, how can it be understood upon [literal] words and statements. It’s also not seen upon any one device or visaya. The meaning of this is solely to attain through silent accord. This gate is named as unconditioned (unfabricated) dharma gate.

“If [one] wants to attain this, just know to be of no-mind, attaining in sudden enlightenment. If mind is used to draft out to learn to grasp [it], [this] turns further away instead. If there’s no splintering mind-paths, no mind of [selective] grasping-and-discarding, with the mind like wood and rock, [then] there’s the beginning of some semblance of learning the way [of the unconditioned dharma].”

Another question

云如今現有種種妄念。何以言無。師云。妄本無體。即是汝心所起。汝若識心是佛。心本無妄。那得起心更認於妄。汝若不生心動念。自然無妄。所以云。心生則種種法生。心滅則種種法滅。

Said: “As of now various types of delusive thoughts are manifested, how can it be said to be none?”

Teacher said:

“Delusion originally has no basis/body [of its own]. It’s just arisen due to your mind. If you recognise mind is buddha, that mind originally is of no delusion, where then is there an arising of mind to even identify as delusion.

“If you do not birth minds and activate thoughts, naturally by-itself [there’s] no delusion. Therefore it’s said, ‘mind is birthed thus various types of dharma are birthed; mind is extinguished thus various types of dharma are extinguished.”

Untranslated yet

云今正妄念起時。佛在何處。師云。汝今覺妄起時。覺正是佛。可中若無妄念佛亦無。何故如此。為汝起心作佛見。便謂有佛可成。作眾生見。便謂有眾生可度。起心動念總是汝見處。若無一切見。佛有何處所。如文殊纔起佛見便貶向二鐵圍山。

云今正悟時。佛在何處。師云。問從何來。覺從何起。語默動靜一切聲色。盡是佛事。何處覓佛。不可更頭上安頭嘴上加嘴。但莫生異見。山是山水是水。僧是僧俗是俗。山河大地日月星辰。總不出汝心。三千世界都來是汝箇自己。何處有許多般。心外無法滿目青山。虛空世界皎皎地。無絲髮許與汝作見解。所以一切聲色是佛之慧目。法不孤起仗境方生。為物之故有其多智。終日說何曾說。終日聞何曾聞。所以釋迦四十九年說。未甞說著一字。

云若如此。何處是菩提。師云。菩提無是處。佛亦不得菩提。眾生亦不失菩提。不可以身得。不可以心求。一切眾生即菩提相。云如何發菩提心。師云。菩提無所得。爾今但發無所得心。決定不得一法。即菩提心。菩提無住處。是故無有得者。故云。我於然燈佛所無有少法可得。佛即與我授記。明知一切眾生本是菩提。不應更得菩提。爾今聞發菩提心。將謂一箇心學取佛去。唯擬作佛。任爾三秖劫修。亦秖得箇報化佛。與爾本源真性佛有何交涉。故云。外求有相佛。與汝不相似。

[0386a03] 問。本既是佛。那得更無四生六道種種形貌不同。師云。諸佛體圓更無增減。流入六道處處皆圓。萬類之中個個是佛。譬如一團水銀分散諸處。顆顆皆圓。若不分時秖是一塊。此一即一切。一切即一。種種形貌喻如屋舍。捨驢屋入人屋。捨人身至天身。乃至聲聞緣覺菩薩佛屋。皆是汝取捨處。所以有別本源之性。何得有別。

[0386a11] 問。諸佛如何行大慈悲。為眾生說法。師云。佛慈悲者無緣。故名大慈悲。慈者不見有佛可成。悲者不見有眾生可度。其所說法無說無示。其聽法者無聞無得。譬如幻士為幻人說法。這個法若為道我從善知識言下領得。會也悟也這個慈悲。若為汝起心動念學得他見解。不是自悟本心。究竟無益。

[0386a18] 問。何者是精進。師云。身心不起。是名第一牢強精進。纔起心向外求者。名為歌利王愛游獵去。心不外遊。即是忍辱仙人身心俱無。即是佛道。

[0386a22] 問。若無心行此道得否。師云。無心便是行此道。更說什麼得與不得。且如瞥起一念便是境。若無一念便是境忘心自滅。無復可追尋。

[0386a26] 問。如何是出三界。師云。善惡都莫思量。當處便出三界。如來出世為破三有。若無一切心。三界亦非有。如一微塵破為百分。九十九分是無。一分是有。摩訶衍不能勝出。百分俱無。摩訶衍始能勝出。

Raw draft 2

[0386b02] 上堂云。即心是佛。上至諸佛。下至蠢動含靈。皆有佛性。同一心體。所以達摩從西天來。唯傳一心法。直指一切眾生本來是佛。不假修行。但如今識取自心見自本性。更莫別求。云何識自心。即如今言語者正是汝心。若不言語又不作用心體。如虛空相似。無有相貌亦無方所。亦不一向是無有而不可見。故祖師云。真性心地藏。無頭亦無尾。應緣而化物。方便呼為智若不應緣之時。不可言其有無。正應之時。亦無蹤跡。既知如此。如今但向無中棲泊。即是行諸佛路。經云。應無所住而生其心。一切眾生輪迴生死者。意緣走作心。於六道不停。致使受種種苦。淨名云。難化之人心如猿猴。故以若干種法制禦其心。然後調伏。所以心生種種法生。心滅種種法滅。故知一切諸法皆由心造。乃至人天地獄六道修羅。盡由心造。 

Huangbo ascended the hall and said:

“This very mind is Buddha. From every buddha up high, to the wriggling spiritual creature down low, all have Buddha-nature, sharing the one-mind-basis. Therefore Bodhidharma came from the west, only to transmit this dharma of one-mind – directly pointing out that all sentient beings are originally Buddha without any reliance on practices. So if as of now, your own mind is recognised and your own original nature is seen, then you don’t have to seek anything else.

“What is it said that’s recognising your own mind? These very verbal words right now are your mind. If words are not spoken and the mind-basis not used, then it’s almost like the empty sky, absent of appearance and absent of dimension. Yet it isn’t always absent of existence and cannot be seen. For as what the (26th) Patriarch said: true nature is hidden in the mind-ground, headless and also tail-less; but when transforming things according to condition, it is expediently called wisdom. When not responding to condition, it can’t be said to be present or absent. When responding, it is absent of any traces. Just know it as such. If right now you proceed towards abiding in this absence, you are practising the very path of every buddha. As the sutra states: dwell in the absence of all to arise this [clear/pure] mind.

All sentient beings in the samsaric cycle of birth and death – their manas1 conditions a running wild mind, [rebirthing] nonstop in the six ways2. This results in them experiencing the various types of suffering. Vimalakirti states: People who are difficult to convert, their minds are like apes/monkeys. Therefore different types of dharma are used to control such a mind first, then to tame it later3. Hence when [such a monkey-like4] mind arises, these different types of dharma arise; when [such a monkey-like] mind ceases, these different types of dharma cease. Therefore, know that all different types of dharma are constructed because of mind [arising]. Even the six ways – ranging from humans, gods, hells to asuras – they are all constructed because of mind [arising].

1)      Manas is one of the six sense roots described in the Buddhist teaching of ayatana (sense sphere).

2)      Six ways refer to the six samsara ways of existence: hellish-being (naraka), hungry ghost (preta), animal (tiryag), human (manusya), demi-god (asura) and heavenly-being (deva).

3)      This is a quote from Chapter 10 of Vimalakirti Sutra where Vimalakirti was asked why Shakyamuni taught the dharma to sentient beings. Vimalakirti’s reply was that sentient beings of our world are stubborn and difficult to convert, hence different types of dharma are taught to first subdue their minds, then to tame and pacify them. He then gave the example of how wild elephants and horses are controlled and tamed through the infliction of torturous pain.

4)      This monkey-like mind seems similar to what’s said earlier in the text where Huangbo describes the macaque monkey to be continuously releasing one thing in its grip only to grab on to another thing. Perhaps this is also what’s meant by the running wild mind at the start of this paragraph – a continuously running after of one thing to another.

如今但學無心頓息諸緣。莫生妄想分別。無人無我。無貪瞋無憎愛無勝負。但除却如許多種妄想。性自本來清淨。即是修行菩提法佛等。若不會此意。縱爾廣學勤苦修行。木食草衣。不識自心皆名邪行。盡作天魔外道水陸諸神。如此修行。當復何益。 

So as of now just learn no-mind, resting immediately every condition [that leads to the arising of mind]. Don’t give rise to delusive thinking of separation/discrimination/duality. No self, no others. No greed and aversion, no hatred and love, no victory and defeat. Just remove the likes of all these many delusive thinking. The nature by itself is originally clear/pure. Such is the practice of Bodhi, dharma, Buddha and so on. If this intention/meaning is not understood, even if you study widely and practise diligently, eating only plants/fruits and wearing only grass clothes, without recognising your own mind, all these are called improper practices. These just work to produce devas, demons, non-Buddhists, and the various spirits of water and land. Practising like these, what beneficial return is there?

志公云。本體是自心作。那得文字中求。如今但識自心。息却思惟。妄想塵勞自然不生。淨名云。唯置一床寢疾而臥。心不起也。如今臥疾。攀緣都息。妄想歇滅。即是菩提。

Zhigong states: The original basis is your own mind. How can it be sought for in written words? Recognise your own mind now. Rest and cease discursive thinking. Delusions and afflictions would on their own not arise. Vimalakirti Sutra states: Only set a bed, resting the sickness by lying down. Mind thus does not arise. As of now, lay the sickness down. Climbing/clinging conditions are all rested. Delusive thinking is extinguished in repose. This is Bodhi (awakening).

如今若心裏紛紛不定。任爾學到三乘四果十地諸位。合殺秖向凡聖中坐。諸行盡歸無常。勢力皆有盡期。猶如箭射於空。力盡還墮。却歸生死輪迴。如斯修行不解佛意。虛受辛苦。豈非大錯。志公云。未逢出世明師。枉服大乘法藥。如今但一切時中行住坐臥但學無心。亦無分別亦無依倚。亦無住著。終日任運騰騰。如癡人相似。世人盡不識爾。爾亦不用教人識不識。心如頑石頭都無縫罅。一切法透汝心不入。兀然無著。如此始有少分相應。透得三界境過名為佛出世。不漏心相名為無漏智。不作人天業。不作地獄業。不起一切心。諸緣盡不生。即此身心是自由人。不是一向不生。秖是隨意而生。經云。菩薩有意生身是也。忽若未會無心。著相而作者。皆屬魔業。乃至作淨土佛事。並皆成業。乃名佛障。障汝心故。被因果管束。去住無自由分。所以菩提等法。本不是有。如來所說。皆是化人猶如黃葉為金權止小兒啼。故實無有法名阿耨菩提。如今既會此意。何用區區。但隨緣消舊業。更莫造新殃。心裏明明。所以舊時見解總須捨却。淨名云。除去所有。法華云。二十年中常令除糞。秖是除去心中作見解處。又云。蠲除戲論之糞。所以如來藏本自空寂并不停留一法。故經云。諸佛國土亦復皆空。

Yet if right now, within the mind there is numerous unsettled confusion, even if you have learned and attained the three vehicles’ four fruits, ten bhumis and every rank, in the end you would still be sitting only between mundaneness and holiness. These various practices all belong to impermanence. Every momentum/force all eventually expires. Just like an arrow shot to the sky. When the force is exhausted, it drops. One still returns to the cycle of birth and death. When practising like this without understanding the Buddha’s intention/meaning, one suffers needlessly. Isn’t that a big mistake? Zhigong states: Not yet encountering a wise renunciant teacher, taken in vain is the Mahayana dharma-medicine.

Yet as of now, at all times, whether walking-standing-sitting-reclining, learn no-mind. Which is also no-discrimination, also no-dependence, also no-attachment. Throughout the day freely let the function be robust. Like an idiot almost you are. All the worldly people can’t recognise you, and you also have no need of them recognising you or not. With the mind like a hard rock, totally without gap or crack, all dharma can’t penetrate through to enter your mind. And suddenly, attachment is no more. Only like this is it the beginning of some samyutta (resonance).

Having transcended all objects of the three realms, it is named as ‘out-in-the-world Buddha’. Having an undefilable appearance of mind, it is named as undefiled wisdom. Don't incur human or heaven karma. Don't incur hell karma. Don't give birth to all minds. Should each and every condition not be born, this mind-body is then a free person. It's not that there will never be birth, just that birth follows the will. The sutra states: Bodhisattva can assume a body at will. If no-mind is not yet realised, acting in attachment to appearances, all activities belong thus to demon karma. Even to the extent of performing buddhist activities of Pureland, all thus become karma. This is named buddha-hindrance. Because your mind is hindered, you are controlled by cause-and-effect, there is no freedom in choosing to leave or to stay.

Therefore the various dharma of bodhi are originally not in existence. What the Tathagata said are all for the purpose of educating/transforming people, much like yellow leaves are employed as gold to expediently stop the crying of a small child. Thus really, there is no dharma named *anuttarasamyaksambodhi*. So now, once you have understood this, why use the trivial? Just accord with conditions to exhaust old karma. Even more so, do not build new calamity (karma). Be luminously clear in the mind, therefore all interpretive views formerly held should be totally forsaken. The Vimalakirti Sutra states: Remove everything. The Lotus Sutra states: In all twenty years, there is the constant removal of shit, just to rid that where views are made in the mind. The Lotus Sutra also states: Eliminate the shit of papañca (conceptual/intellectual proliferation). Therefore the womb of the Tathagata is originally empty and still, stopping not or retaining a single dharma. Therefore the sutra states: The various Buddha-lands all return to their total emptiness.

若言佛道是修學而得。如此見解全無交涉。或作一機一境揚眉動目。秖對相當便道契會也。得證悟禪理也。忽逢一人。不解便道。都無所知對他。若得道理。心中便歡喜。若被他折伏不如他。便即心懷惆悵。如此心意學禪。有何交涉。任汝會得少許道理。即得個心所法。禪道總沒交涉。所以達摩面壁。都不令人有見處。故云妄機是佛道。分別是魔境。此性縱汝迷時亦不失。悟時亦不得。天真自性本無迷悟。盡十方虛空界元來是我一心體。縱汝動用造作。豈離虛空。虛空本來無大無小。無漏無為。無迷無悟。了了見無一物。亦無人亦無佛。絕纖毫的量是無依倚無[米*古]綴。一道清流是自性。無生法忍何有擬議。真佛無口不解說法。真聽無耳其誰聞乎。珍重。 

If it is said that Buddha’s way is attained by study-practice, then such an opinion has no association [with Buddha’s way] at all. Perhaps you try to work a function and an object, raising the brow and moving the eye, thinking you have responded in a fairly appropriate manner and thus proclaiming to have understood, to have attained a proof of awakening to zen’s principle. Until one day when you suddenly encounter a person. Without understanding the expedient way, you actually don’t have anything to respond to him with.

But maybe you attained some principle of the way [in this encounter], and thus there is celebratory joy in your mind. Or maybe you were subdued by this person, not comparable to him, thus there is melancholy in your mind. With such an intention to learn zen, what association is there [with Buddha’s way]? Even if you understood some small portion of the way’s principle, attained some specific cetasika (mental factor/state), there is still no association/interaction with the way of zen/meditation.

Therefore Bodhidharma faced the wall, not allowing people to have a viewpoint at all. Hence it is said: Forgetting the function is Buddha’s way; discriminating is demon’s state. This nature is not lost even when you are confused. It is not gained even when you are awakened. The honest-pure nature itself is fundamentally without confusion and awakening. In all ten directions the anantakasa (boundless space) originally is my one-mind-basis. Even if you activate the utilization of formation/fabrication, how can it be apart from space? Space is fundamentally without big or small, without defilement or doing, without confusion or awakening. Clear-realised seeing is without a thing. Also without people, also without Buddha. Extinction of this tiniest bit of quantifying is without any supporting dependence or attaching decoration. A stream of pure flow is this self-nature. How can anutpattika-dhama-kṣānti (endurance of non-arising dharma) be conceived of to talk about. The true Buddha has no mouth to explain this dharma. The true listening has no ear so who’s hearing? Take care.

[0387a10] 師一日上堂。開示大眾云。

[0387a11] 預前若打不徹。獵月三十夜到來。管取爾熱亂。有般外道纔見人說做工夫。他便冷笑。猶有遮箇在。我且問爾。忽然臨命終時。爾將何抵敵生死。爾且思量看。却有個道理。那得天生彌勒自然釋迦。有一般閑神野鬼。纔見人有些少病。便與他人說。爾只放下著。及至他有病。又却理會不下。手忙脚亂。爭柰爾肉如利刀碎割做。主宰不得。萬般事須是閑時辦得下。忙時得用。多少省力。休待臨渴掘井。做手脚不辦。遮場狼藉。如何迴避前路黑暗。信采胡鑽亂撞。苦哉苦哉。平日只學口頭三昧。說禪說道。喝佛罵祖。到遮裏都用不著。平日只管瞞人。爭知道今日自瞞了也。阿鼻地獄中決定放爾不得。而今末法將沈。全仗有力量。兄弟家。負荷續佛慧命莫令斷絕。今時纔有一個半個行脚。只去觀山觀景。不知光陰能有幾何。一息不回便是來生。未知甚麼頭面。嗚呼。勸爾兄弟家。趁色力康健時。討取個分曉處。不被人瞞底一段大事。遮些關棙子。甚是容易。自是爾不肯去下。死志做工夫。只管道難了又難好。教爾知那得樹上自生底木杓。爾也須自去做箇轉變始得。若是箇丈夫漢。看箇公案。僧問趙州。狗子還有佛性也無。州云無。但去二六時中看箇無字。晝參夜參行住坐臥。著衣吃飯處。阿屎放尿處。心心相顧。猛著精彩。守箇無字。日久月深打成一片。忽然心花頓發。悟佛祖之機。便不被天下老和尚舌頭瞞。便會開大口。達摩西來無風起浪。世尊拈花一場敗缺。到這裏說甚麼閻羅老子千聖尚不柰爾何。不信道。直有遮般奇特。為甚如此。事怕有心人。

[0387b13] 頌曰。塵勞迥脫事非常。緊把繩頭做一場。不是一翻寒徹骨。爭得梅花撲鼻香。

If earlier preparation is not thorough, when the final night of the final month arrives, you will surely be in a hot mess.

[Yet] there’s this type of tirthika (outsider), who upon hearing someone says ‘*do practice*’, will then coldly sneer: “There is still this?”

Let me ask you, when suddenly facing the end of life, just how would you fight against birth-and-death? Why don’t you think about it, to see if there’s a principle to this. For where is there any inborn Maitreya and natural Sakyamuni?

[And] there’s this type of loafing deity and wild ghost, who when seeing a slightly ill person, would simply say: “[All you need to do] is just let go.”

Then the person becomes really ill and can’t put down [his] concerns, panicky and helpless against the sharp swords that slice and chop his flesh into seemingly minced meat. He won’t be master [of the situation].

Many matters must be settled in [your] free time so that there can be usage in times of urgency. Energy can [then] be saved.

Don’t wait till thirsty before digging a well. [Such last-minute] tampering would not work. The whole situation will be a mess as [you] try desperately crawling and crashing all over to avoid the dark path ahead.

Suffering ah, suffering!

Day-in and day-out, learning only of mouth-samadhi, rambling on and on about zen and dao, shouting at Buddhas, scolding the Ancestors. In the end, all is useless. If [you’ve] always cheated and lied [your way] through life, [you will] know on this [final] day [you’re] only cheating yourself. The hell of Avici will definitely not let you off.

And now the dharma-ending age is soon sinking in. There can only be energetic strength to rely on. Brother renunciants, bear the continuity of Buddha’s wisdom. Don’t let it be terminated.

Nowadays, there is just one or *half* a travelling practitioner, going around only to enjoy the mountains and sceneries, not knowing time is limited. A single breath that does not return, and it’s the next life already. No inkling what the head-face is – sad!

[I’m] urging you brother renunciants, make use of the time when the form-energy (body) is still healthy. Attain the position of discernment, where [you] will not be cheated/deceived by others in this stretch of great matter.

These crucial matters are rather easy. It’s only because you are not willing to make that death-will to do practice, only complaining it’s difficult yet more difficult, [that failure happens]. Just so you know, there are no trees which sprout wooden scoops on their own. You have to make the transformation on your own to thus attain it.

If you are a man, watch this koan:

“A monk asked Zhaozhou: ‘Doggy still have Buddha-nature or not?’ Zhaozhou said: ‘No.’”

Just throughout the two six-period, watch this word ‘no’. Investigate/meditate [on it] day and night. [In] walking-standing-sitting-reclining, wearing clothes and eating meals, shitting and peeing, mind mutually looking after mind, vigorously with enthusiasm, guard this word ‘no. As days and months go by, [allow everything] to hit together as one.

Then suddenly, the mind-flower blossoms in an instant. [You will be] enlightened to the pivotal mechanism of Buddhas and Ancestors, and thus won’t be cheated and deceived by the tongues of all the old monks in the world anymore.

And [you] will be able to open [your] big mouth: “Bodhidharma’s coming from the west [is but] making waves when there’s no wind; the World-Honoured-One holding a flower [is but] a scene of flawed failure.”

By then, say what Yama old guy, even a thousand sages can’t contain you.

Don’t believe that it’s actually so special? Why is it so? [This] matter can’t withstand people of determination.

Verse:

*The matter of transcending worldly trouble is extraordinary*

*Have to do it once through gripping the rope's head tight*

*Not till the freezing chill penetrates through into the bone*

*Can there be the scent of plum blossom bursting to the nose*