六祖大師法寶壇經 1.54

1.54

師曰：「實無功德，勿疑先聖之言。武帝心邪，不知正法。造寺度僧、布施設齋，名為求福，不可將福便為功德。功德在法身中，不在修福。」師又曰：「見性是功，平等是德。念念無滯，常見本性，真實妙用，名為功德。內心謙下是功，外行於禮是德。自性建立萬法是功，心體離念是德。不離自性是功，應用無染是德。若覓功德法身，但依此作，是真功德。若修功德之人，心即不輕，常行普敬。心常輕人，吾我不斷，即自無功；自性虛妄不實，即自無德。為吾我自大，常輕一切故。善知識！念念無間是功，心行平直是德。自修性是功，自修身是德。善知識！功德須自性內見，不是布施供養之所求也。是以福德與功德別。武帝不識真理，非我祖師有過。」

The Master said: "Truly there is no merit and virtue; do not doubt the words of the former sage. Emperor Wu's mind was deluded and did not know the true Dharma. Building temples, ordaining monks, practicing giving, and hosting vegetarian feasts are called seeking blessing; you cannot take blessing to be merit and virtue. Merit and virtue reside within the dharmakāya, not in cultivating blessing." The Master also said: "Seeing into one's nature is merit; equality is virtue. When thought after thought is without obstruction, and one constantly sees the original nature with true, marvelous function, it is called merit and virtue. Humility in the inner mind is merit; outward practice of propriety is virtue. Svabhāva establishing the myriad phenomena is merit; the mind-essence being free of thought is virtue. Not departing from svabhāva is merit; functioning responsively without defilement is virtue. If you seek the dharmakāya of merit and virtue, simply act according to this, and it is true merit and virtue. If someone cultivates merit and virtue, their mind will not look down on others, and they will constantly practice universal respect. If one's mind constantly looks down on others, and self and other are not cut off, then one naturally has no merit; if svabhāva is false and unreal, then one naturally has no virtue. This is because arrogance of self and other constantly looks down on everything. Good friends! Unbroken continuity of thought after thought is merit; straight and even mental conduct is virtue. Cultivating the nature oneself is merit; cultivating the body oneself is virtue. Good friends! Merit and virtue must be seen within svabhāva; they are not sought through giving and making offerings. Thus blessing and virtue differ from merit and virtue. Emperor Wu did not recognize the true principle; our ancestral master was not at fault."