六祖大師法寶壇經 1.54

1.54

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."