大慧普覺禪師語錄 20.18

20.18

Emperor Wu of Liang asked Bodhidharma: "I have built temples and ordained monks beyond count; what merit is there?" Bodhidharma said: "No merit." The Emperor asked: "Why is there no merit?" Bodhidharma said: "These are only the lesser fruits of humans and gods, causes with outflows, like a shadow following the body: though they exist, they are not real." The Emperor asked: "What is true merit?" He answered: "Pure wisdom, wondrous and round, its essence naturally empty and serene—such merit cannot be sought through the worldly." The Emperor then asked: "What is the primary truth of the holy truths?" He answered: "Empty, with nothing holy." The Emperor asked: "Who is facing me?" He answered: "I do not know." The Emperor did not accord with it, so Bodhidharma crossed the river to Wei. Nowadays, if you want to see true merit, there is no need to seek elsewhere; just take it in directly at the point of 'I do not know.' If you can penetrate these two words, your lifelong pursuit of study will be completed.