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 1.37

1.37

"Kalyāṇamitras! When I was with Master [Hong]ren, upon hearing one sentence I had a great awakening and suddenly saw the original nature of tathatā. Therefore I have caused the Dharma teaching of sudden awakening to circulate for later generations, so that students of the Way may suddenly awaken to bodhi, each examine their own mind, and cause their own original nature to suddenly awaken. If you cannot awaken by yourself, you must seek a great kalyāṇamitra to indicate the Way and see the nature. What is called a great kalyāṇamitra? One who understands the Dharma of the Supreme Vehicle and directly indicates the correct path is a great kalyāṇamitra, a great causal condition. That which is called indicating the Way causes one to attain seeing the nature. This is because all good phenomena are able to be brought forth by a great kalyāṇamitra. The Buddhas of the three periods of time and the twelve divisions of scriptures are originally fully present within human nature. If you cannot awaken to the own-nature by yourself, you must find a kalyāṇamitra to indicate the Way and see the nature. If you awaken by yourself, you do not rely on seeking a kalyāṇamitra externally. If you insist on seeking a kalyāṇamitra externally in the hope of attaining liberation, there is no such possibility. Recognize the kalyāṇamitra within your own mind, and you will attain liberation. If your own mind is deluded with false thoughts and inversions, even if an external kalyāṇamitra gives instruction, you cannot be saved. If you cannot attain awakening by yourself, you should give rise to contemplative illumination with prajñā; in a kṣaṇa, false thoughts are all extinguished, and this is your own true kalyāṇamitra; with one awakening, you immediately arrive at the Buddha ground. In the mind-ground of the own-nature, through contemplative illumination with wisdom, inside and outside are bright and lucid, and you recognize your own original mind. If you recognize your original mind, this is liberation. Having attained liberation, this is the prajñā-samādhi. Awakening to the prajñā-samādhi is being free from thought. What is called being free from thought? The Dharma of being free from thought means seeing all phenomena without clinging to any phenomena; pervading all places without clinging to any places. Constantly purifying the own-nature, causing the six thieves to run out from the six gates, neither departing from nor being tainted among the six dusts, coming and going freely—this is the prajñā-samādhi, sovereign liberation, and is called the practice of being free from thought. Do not think of nothing at all and cause thoughts to be cut off; that is Dharma-bondage and is called extreme view. One who awakens to the Dharma of being free from thought completely penetrates the myriad phenomena; one who awakens to the Dharma of being free from thought sees the realm of the Buddhas; one who awakens to the sudden Dharma of being free from thought arrives at the Buddha stage.