大慧普覺禪師語錄 26.19

26.19

黃面老子曰：「信為道元功德母，長養一切諸善法。」又云：「信能增長智功德，信能必到如來地。」欲行千里一步為初，十地菩薩斷障證法門，初從十信而入，然後登法雲地，而成正覺，初歡喜地因信而生歡喜故也。若決定竪起脊梁骨，要做世出世間沒量漢，須是箇生鐵鑄就底方了得，若半明半暗、半信半不信，決定了不得。此事無人情，不可傳授，須是自家省發始有趣向分，若取他人口頭辦，永劫無有歇時。千萬十二時中，莫令空過，逐日起來，應用處圓陀陀地，與釋迦、達磨無少異，自是當人見不徹、透不過，全身跳在聲色裏，却向裏許求出頭，轉沒交涉矣。此事亦不在久參知識，遍歷叢林而後了得。而今有多少在叢林頭白齒黃了不得底，又有多少乍入叢林，一撥便轉千了百當底。發心有先後，悟時無先後。昔李文和都尉參石門慈照，一句下承當，便千了百當，甞有偈呈慈照云：「學道須是鐵漢，著手心頭便判，直取無上菩提，一切是非莫管。」但從脚下崖將去，死便休，不要念後思前，亦不要生煩惱，煩惱則障道也。祝祝。

The Yellow-Faced Old Fellow said: 'Faith is the origin of the Way and the mother of merits, nurturing all good dharmas.' He also said: 'Faith can increase the merits of wisdom; faith can surely reach the Tathāgata's stage.' If you wish to travel a thousand leagues, the first step is the beginning. Bodhisattvas of the ten grounds sever obstacles and realize the dharma gates by entering first from the ten faiths, and afterward ascend to the Ground of the Dharma Cloud and achieve correct awakening; this is because the initial Joyful Ground produces joy on account of faith. If you are determined to straighten your backbone and become an immeasurable person beyond the world and within it, you must be cast of raw iron to accomplish it; if you are half-bright and half-dark, half-believing and half-unbelieving, you will definitely never accomplish it. This matter is without personal sentiment and cannot be transmitted; you must personally comprehend and awaken before you have a share in heading toward it. If you manage it from other people's mouths, there will be no rest for eternal eons. By all means, throughout the twelve periods of the day, do not let it pass in vain. Rising day after day, in your functional applications it is perfectly round and smooth, not the least bit different from Śākyamuni and Bodhidharma. It is simply that the person oneself does not see through it and does not penetrate it, leaping whole-bodied into sound and form, and then seeking to stick one's head out from within them—which misses the connection all the more. Nor does this matter lie in consulting spiritual friends for a long time and traversing the monasteries far and wide before one can accomplish it. How many are there nowadays in the monasteries whose hair is white and teeth yellow without accomplishing it, and how many are there who newly enter the monasteries, and with a single turning turn around with everything fully settled? There is earlier and later in generating the mind, but no earlier or later at the time of awakening. Formerly, Commandant Li Wenhe studied with Cizhao of Shimen; under a single phrase he undertook it and everything was fully settled. He once presented a verse to Cizhao, saying: / 'To study the Way, one must be a person of iron, / Taking hold, the mind-ground is at once settled; / Directly grasp supreme bodhi, / Never minding any right or wrong.' / Just press on from beneath your feet; once dead, then let it rest. Do not think behind or ponder ahead, and do not produce afflictions, for afflictions obstruct the Way. Take care, take care.