南宗頓教最上大乘摩訶般若波羅蜜經六祖惠能大師於韶州大梵寺施法壇經 1.3

1.3

能大師言：「善知識！淨心念摩訶般若波羅蜜法。」大師不語，自淨心神，良久乃言：「善知識靜聽：惠能慈父，本官范陽，左降遷流嶺南，作新州百姓。惠能幼小，父亦早亡。老母孤遺，移來南海。艱辛貧乏，於市賣柴。忽有一客買柴，遂領惠能至於官店，客將柴去。惠能得錢，却向門前，忽見一客讀《金剛經》。惠能一聞，心明便悟。乃問客曰：『從何處來，持此經典？』客答曰：『我於蘄州黃梅縣東馮茂山，禮拜五祖弘忍和尚，現今在彼，門人有千餘眾。我於彼聽見大師勸道俗，但持《金剛經》一卷，即得見性，直了成佛。』惠能聞說，宿業有緣，便即辭親，往黃梅馮茂山禮拜五祖弘忍和尚。」

Master Neng said: "Kalyāṇamitras! With a pure mind, be mindful of the teaching of the mahāprajñāpāramitā." The Master fell silent, purifying his own mind and spirit. After a good while he spoke: "Kalyāṇamitras, listen quietly. Huineng's kind father was originally an official in Fanyang; he was demoted and exiled to Lingnan, becoming a commoner of Xinzhou. Huineng was young when his father also died early. Leaving behind his aging mother alone, we moved to Nanhai. In hardship and poverty, I sold firewood in the marketplace. Suddenly a customer bought firewood and led Huineng to an official lodging; the customer took the firewood away. Having received the money, Huineng turned toward the front gate, where he suddenly saw a customer reciting the Vajracchedikā. Upon hearing it once, Huineng's mind became clear and he awakened at once. He then asked the customer: 'From where have you come, and why do you uphold this scripture?' The customer answered: 'At Dongfengmao Mountain in Huangmei County, Qizhou, I paid homage to the Fifth Patriarch, the Venerable Hongren. He is there at present, with a community of over a thousand disciples. There I heard the Master urge both clergy and laity that merely by upholding a single scroll of the Vajracchedikā, one will immediately see the nature and directly and completely achieve buddhahood.' Hearing this, Huineng, having karmic connections from past lives, immediately took leave of his mother and went to Fengmao Mountain in Huangmei to pay homage to the Fifth Patriarch, the Venerable Hongren."