六祖大師法寶壇經 1.153

1.153

大師，先天二年癸丑歲八月初三日（是年十二月改元開元），於國恩寺齋罷，謂諸徒眾曰：「汝等各依位坐，吾與汝別。」法海白言：「和尚！留何教法，令後代迷人得見佛性？」師言：「汝等諦聽！後代迷人，若識眾生，即是佛性；若不識眾生，萬劫覓佛難逢。吾今教汝。識自心眾生，見自心佛性。欲求見佛，但識眾生。只為眾生迷佛，非是佛迷眾生。自性若悟，眾生是佛；自性若迷，佛是眾生。自性平等，眾生是佛；自性邪險，佛是眾生。汝等心若險曲，即佛在眾生中；一念平直。即是眾生成佛。我心自有佛，自佛是真佛。自若無佛心，何處求真佛？汝等自心是佛，更莫狐疑。外無一物而能建立，皆是本心生萬種法。故經云：『心生種種法生，心滅種種法滅。』吾今留一偈與汝等別，名自性真佛偈。後代之人，識此偈意，自見本心，自成佛道。偈曰：

On the third day of the eighth month in the guichou year, the second year of the Xiantian era (in the twelfth month of this year the era name was changed to Kaiyuan), the Great Master, having finished the noon meal at Guon Temple, addressed his disciples: "Each of you take your seat according to rank; I am taking leave of you." Fahai said: "Upādhyāya! What teaching do you leave so that deluded people of future generations may see the buddha-nature?" The Master said: "Listen carefully! Deluded people of future generations, if they recognize sentient beings, that very recognition is the buddha-nature; if they do not recognize sentient beings, they will seek the Buddha for myriad kalpas and find him difficult to meet. Now I teach you: recognize the sentient beings of your own mind, and see the buddha-nature of your own mind. If you wish to seek to see the Buddha, merely recognize sentient beings. It is only that sentient beings are deluded about the Buddha, not that the Buddha is deluded about sentient beings. If one's svabhāva is awakened, sentient beings are the Buddha; if one's svabhāva is deluded, the Buddha is sentient beings. When one's svabhāva is impartial, sentient beings are the Buddha; when one's svabhāva is crooked and perilous, the Buddha is sentient beings. If your minds are treacherous and crooked, then the Buddha is among sentient beings; if in a single thought it is impartial and upright, then sentient beings attain buddhahood. My mind has its own Buddha; one's own Buddha is the true Buddha. If oneself does not have the Buddha-mind, where can the true Buddha be sought? Your own mind is the Buddha; have no further doubts. Outside there is not a single thing that can be established; all the myriad dharmas are born from the original mind. Therefore the sūtra says: 'When the mind arises, all dharmas arise; when the mind ceases, all dharmas cease.' Now I leave a verse to take leave of you, named the 'Verse on the True Buddha of Svabhāva.' If people of future generations understand the meaning of this verse, they will see their own original mind and attain the Buddha Path on their own. The verse says: