[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) › [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-mt) › 1.22 # 六祖大師法寶壇經 1.22 English (machine translation) 1.22 - **Language:** English ### [1.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-mt.1.22) "One day the Patriarch summoned all his disciples to assemble: 'I say unto you: for people in this world, birth and death is a momentous matter. All day long you seek only fields of merit, not release from the bitter sea of birth and death. If you are deluded about your svabhāva, how can merit save you? Go each of you, examine your own wisdom, take the prajñā nature of your own original mind, and compose a verse to present to me. If you have awakened to the great meaning, I shall transmit the robe and the Dharma to you, and you will become the Sixth Patriarch. Go with extreme haste, brook no delay! Cogitation is of no use: a person who sees into their nature must see it upon the word. If one is like this, even when wheeling a blade onto the battlefield, one can still see it.' (An analogy for those of sharp faculties.) Having received these instructions, the assembly withdrew and said among themselves: 'There is no need for us to settle our minds and apply our thoughts to compose verses to present to the Upādhyāya; what benefit would there be? The Senior Monk Shenxiu is currently the instructor; he will surely get it. For us to compose verses would be an empty waste of mental effort.' Hearing these words, the rest all laid the matter to rest, saying together: 'Henceforth we will rely on Master Xiu; why trouble ourselves to compose verses?' Shenxiu reflected: 'The reason the others do not present verses is that I am their instructor. I must compose a verse and present it to the Upādhyāya. If I do not present a verse, how will the Upādhyāya know whether the understanding in my mind is shallow or deep? In my intention to present a verse, seeking the Dharma is good, but seeking the patriarchate is evil—that would be like an ordinary mind, and how would it differ from usurping the sacred position? Yet if I do not present a verse, in the end I will not receive the Dharma. How difficult! How difficult!' - [Previous: 1.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-mt.1.21) - [Next: 1.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-mt.1.23) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-mt.1) ## Linked texts (1) - [六祖大師法寶壇經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008.1.22) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-mt.1.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2008~en-mt.1.22) · Pramāṇa