六祖大師法寶壇經 1.76

1.76

「善知識！既懺悔已，與善知識發四弘誓願，各須用心正聽。自心眾生無邊誓願度，自心煩惱無邊誓願斷，自性法門無盡誓願學，自性無上佛道誓願成。善知識！大家豈不道，眾生無邊誓願度。恁麼道，且不是惠能度。善知識！心中眾生，所謂邪迷心、誑妄心、不善心、嫉妬心、惡毒心，如是等心，盡是眾生。各須自性自度，是名真度。何名自性自度？即自心中邪見煩惱愚癡眾生，將正見度。既有正見，使般若智打破愚癡迷妄眾生，各各自度。邪來正度，迷來悟度，愚來智度，惡來善度；如是度者，名為真度。又煩惱無邊誓願斷，將自性般若智，除却虛妄思想心是也。又法門無盡誓願學，須自見性，常行正法，是名真學。又無上佛道誓願成，既常能下心，行於真正，離迷離覺，常生般若。除真除妄，即見佛性，即言下佛道成。常念修行，是願力法。

jealousy, we disciples repent all our transgressions of jealousy and evil actions from the past. We beseech that [our transgressions] all be instantly eliminated, never to arise again.’

“Good friends, the above are the formless repentances. What is it that is called ‘repentance’ (chan)? What is it that is called ‘remorse’ (hui)? Repentance is to repent past licentiousness. One should repent completely for all one’s evil actions from the past, one’s transgressions of stupidity, pride and deception, jealousy, and so on, so that they will never arise again. This is called ‘repentance.’ Remorse is to have remorse for future errors, those from now on. Since you have become enlightened [to them] now, all one’s evil actions from the past, one’s transgressions of stupidity, deceitfulness, jealousy, and so on, are eradicated forever, never to be committed again. This is called ‘remorse.’ Therefore, it is called ‘repentance and remorse’ (chanhui).

“Ordinary people are stupid and only know they should repent for their past licentiousness—they do not know they should feel remorse for future errors. Because they do not have such remorse, their previous licentiousness is not extinguished and future errors continue to be generated. With previous licentiousness not extinguished and future errors continuing to be generated, how can this be called repentance?

“Good friends, now that we have done the repentances, I will express for you the four great vows. You should all listen closely: the sentient beings of our own minds are limitless, and we vow to save them all. The afflictions of our own minds are limitless, and we vow to eradicate them all. The teachings of our own minds are inexhaustible, and we vow to learn them all. The enlightenment of buddhahood of our own minds is unsurpassable, and we vow to achieve it.

“Good friends, why don’t we all say [simply] ‘sentient beings are limitless, and we vow to save them all’? How should we say it? Certainly it’s not me who’s doing the saving!

“Good friends, the ‘sentient beings of our own minds’ are the mental states of delusion, confusion, immorality, jealousy, and evil. All these are sentient beings, and we must all [undergo] automatic salvation of the selfnature. This is called true salvation.

“What is ‘automatic salvation of the self-nature’? It is to use correct views to save the sentient beings of false views, afflictions, and stupidity within our own minds. Having correct views, we may use the wisdom of prajñā to destroy the sentient beings of stupidity and delusion, automatically saving each and every one of them.When the false occurs, it is saved by the

correct. When delusion occurs, it is saved by enlightenment. When stupidity occurs, it is saved by wisdom. When evil occurs, it is saved by good. Salvation such as this is called true salvation.

“Further, [with the vow] ‘the afflictions are limitless, and we vow to eradicate them all,’ one uses the prajñā wisdom of the self-nature to eradicate false and empty thoughts. And with ‘the teachings are inexhaustible, and we vow to learn them all,’ one should see the nature oneself and always practice the correct Dharma. This is called true learning. With ‘the enlightenment of buddhahood is unsurpassable, and we vow to attain it,’ one should constantly be able to practice the true and correct with a humble mind. Transcending delusion and transcending enlightenment, one should always generate prajñā. Eradicating the true and eradicating the false, one sees the buddha-nature. This is to accomplish the enlightenment of buddhahood upon hearing these words. Always mindful of one’s cultivation, this is the Dharma of the power of the vows.

“Good friends, we have now finished the four great vows. Next I will bestow upon you the formless precepts of the triple refuge. “Good friends, take refuge in the Two-legged Honored One of Enlightenment. Take refuge in the Honored One of the Correct Transcendence of Desire. Take refuge in the Honored One within the Pure Assembly. From today onward, call on realization as your teacher and do not take refuge any longer in the hereti-