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 1.7

1.7

上座神秀思惟：「諸人不呈心偈，緣我為教授師，我若不呈心偈，五祖如何得見我心中見解深淺？我將心偈上五祖呈意，求法即善，覓祖不善，却同凡心奪其聖位。若不呈心偈，終不得法。」良久思惟，甚難甚難！夜至三更，不令人見，遂向南廊下中間壁上題作呈心偈，欲求衣法。「若五祖見偈，言此偈語，若訪覓我，我見和尚，即云是秀作。五祖見偈言不堪，自是我迷，宿業障重，不合得法，聖意難測，我心自息。」秀上座三更於南廊下中間壁上秉燭題作偈，人盡不知。偈曰：

The senior monk Shenxiu reflected: "The others do not present mind-verses because I am their instructor. If I do not present a mind-verse, how can the Fifth Patriarch see the depth of understanding in my mind? If I offer a mind-verse to present my understanding to the Fifth Patriarch, seeking the Dharma is good, but seeking patriarchship is not good—it would be like a worldly mind seizing the holy position. Yet if I do not present a mind-verse, I will never obtain the Dharma." After pondering for a long time, [he thought,] "How difficult, how difficult!" At the third watch of the night, not letting anyone see him, he went beneath the south corridor and wrote a verse presenting his mind upon the central wall, seeking to obtain the robe and Dharma: "If the Fifth Patriarch sees the verse and speaks well of its words, should he search for me, when I see the Venerable One I will say it was Xiu's work. If the Fifth Patriarch sees the verse and says it is unfit, it is simply because I am deluded and my past karmic hindrances are heavy, so that I ought not receive the Dharma. The holy intention is difficult to fathom, and my mind will naturally rest." At the third watch, holding a candle beneath the south corridor, Senior Xiu wrote the verse upon the central wall without anyone knowing. The verse read: