[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [六祖大師法寶壇經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008) › 1.93 # 六祖大師法寶壇經 1.93 六祖大師法寶壇經 1.93 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.93](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.93) 「心迷法華轉，心悟轉法華， 誦經久不明，與義作讎家。 無念念即正，有念念成邪， 有無俱不計，長御白牛車。」 > the world. There can be no parables that surpass this. > > “What are the causes and conditions? The sutra says, ‘The buddhas and > > World-honored Ones only appear in the world through the causes and con- > > ditions of the one great affair.’ The one great affair is the perceptual under- > > standing of the buddhas. The people of this world are delusively attached to > > characteristics externally and delusively attached to emptiness internally. If > > one is able to transcend characteristics within characteristics and to tran- > > scend emptiness within emptiness, this is to be undeluded both externally > > and internally. If you are enlightened to this teaching, your mind will open > > up \[in enlightenment\] in a single moment of thought. This is ‘to open the > > perceptual understanding of the buddhas.’ > > “‘Buddha’ \[means\] enlightenment. This may be divided into four teachings: to open the perceptual understanding of enlightenment, to manifest the perceptual understanding of enlightenment, to be enlightened to the perceptual understanding of enlightenment, and to enter the perceptual understanding of enlightenment. If one hears of opening and manifesting, one should be able to be enlightened and enter. Thus perceptual understanding of enlightenment is fundamentally the true nature becoming manifest. You should be careful not to misinterpret the sutra and have a mistaken view of some other path. Opening and manifesting, being enlightened and entering, are themselves the perceptual understanding of the buddhas. And \[those in\] our school are no different. To interpret \[the sutra\] the way you do is to revile the sutra and vilify the buddhas. That \[mind\] is buddha, \[fully\] endowed with perceptual understanding. What use would there be of any further opening? > > “You should have faith that the perceptual understanding of the buddhas is only your own mind. There is no other buddha. It is only that all the sentient beings obstruct their own brilliance by the sensory realms of desire. Externally conditioned and internally disrupted, they take hectic delight in sensation. Then they belabor other World-honored Ones to arise from their samādhi and use various harsh words to get them to stop! Don’t seek outside yourself—you’re no different from the buddhas! Therefore \[the Lotus Sutra\] says, ‘Open the perceptual understanding of the buddhas.’ > > “I also exhort all of you to always open the perceptual understanding of the buddhas within your own minds. The minds of people of this world are \[given to the\] false, and they stupidly commit transgressions. With good in their mouths and evil in their minds, they are lustful, angry, jealous, obsequious, and conceited, injuring people and damaging things. They open the perceptual understanding of sentient beings. If you are able to always generate wisdom in a correct \[state of \] mind, contemplating your own mind, stopping evil and practicing good: this is to open the perceptual understanding of the buddhas. You should open the perceptual understanding of the buddhas in every moment of thought; do not open the perceptual understanding of sentient beings. To open the perceptual understanding of the buddhas is to transcend the world. To open the perceptual understanding of sentient beings is to be in the world. If you only struggle to grasp at thoughts as your task \[in life\], how would this be any different from a yak loving \[its own\] tail?”107 > > Fada said, “If this is so, then should one just understand the meaning > > and not bother to recite the sutras?” > > The master said, “Can the sutras be in error? How could they impede > > your mindfulness? It is just that delusion and enlightenment are in the per- > > son, that harm and benefit depend on oneself. To recite with the mouth and > > practice in the mind is to turn the sutra. To recite with the mouth without prac- > > ticing in the mind is to be turned by the sutra. Listen to my verse, which says: > > Deluded in mind, one is turned by the Lotus. > > Enlightened in mind, one turns the Lotus. > > To recite the sutra without ever understanding > > Is to be an enemy of its meaning. > > Be without thought and one’s thoughts are correct; > > Be with thought and one’s thoughts become false. > > If one considers neither with nor without, > — John R. McRae 2000, The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch - [Previous: 1.92](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.92) - [Next: 1.94](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.94) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1) ## Translations (2) - [The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-bdk.1.93) — John R. McRae 2000, English - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-mt.1.93) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [景德傳燈錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2076.5.25) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.93](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.93) · Pramāṇa