少室六門 1.118

1.118

問曰。因何不得禮佛菩薩等。答曰。天魔波旬阿修羅示見神通。皆作得菩薩相貌。種種變化。皆是外道。總不是佛。佛是自心。莫錯禮拜。佛是西國語。此土云覺性。覺者靈覺。應機接物。揚眉瞬目。運手動足。皆是自己靈覺之性。性即是心。心即是佛。佛即是道。道即是禪。禪之一字。非凡聖所測。直見本性。名之為禪。若不見本性。即非禪也。假使說得千經萬論。若不見本性。只是凡夫。非是佛法。至道幽深。不可話會。典教憑何所及。但見本性。一字不識亦得。見性即是佛。聖體本來清淨。無有雜穢。所有言說皆是聖人。從心起用。用體本來空名。言尚不及。十二部經憑何得及。道本圓成。不用修證。道非聲色。微妙難見。如人飲水冷暖自知。不可向人說也。唯有如來能知。餘人天等類。都不覺知。凡夫智不及。所以有執相。不了自心本來空寂。妄執相及一切法。即墮外道。若知諸法從心生。不應有執。執即不知。若見本性。十二部經總是閑文字。千經萬論只是明心。言下契會。教將何用。至理絕言。教是言詞。實不是道。道本無言。言說是妄。若夜夢見樓閣宮殿象馬之屬。及樹木叢林池亭。如是等相。不得起一念樂著。盡是託生之處。切須在意。臨終之時。不得取相。即得除障。疑心瞥起。即被魔攝。法身本來清淨無受。只緣迷故。不覺不知。因茲故妄受報。所以有樂著不得自在。只今若悟得。本來身心。即不染習。若從聖入凡。示現種種雜類等。自為眾生。故聖人逆順皆得自在。一切業拘他不得。聖成久矣。有大威德。一切品類業。被他聖人轉。天堂地獄。無奈他何。凡夫神識昏昧。不同聖人內外明徹。若有疑即不作。作即流浪生死。後悔無相救處。貧窮困苦皆從妄想生。若了是心。遞相勸勉。但無作而作。即入如來知見。初發心人神識總不定。若夢中頻見異境。輒不用疑。皆是自心起故。不從外來。夢若見光明出現過於日輪。即餘習頓盡。法界性見。若有此事。即是成道之因。唯可自知。不可向人說。或靜園林中。行住坐臥。眼見光明。或大或小。莫與人說。亦不得取。亦是自性光明。或靜暗中。行住坐臥。眼見光明。與晝無異。不得怪。並是自心欲明顯。或夜夢中。見星月分明。亦自心諸緣欲息。亦不得向人說。夢若昏昏。猶如陰暗中行。亦是自心煩惱障重。亦可自知。若見本性。不用讀經念佛。廣學多知無益。神識轉昏。設教只為標心。若識心。何用看教。若從凡入聖。即須息業養神隨分過日。若多嗔恚。令性轉與道相違。自賺無益。聖人於生死中自在。出沒隱顯不定。一切業拘他不得。聖人破邪魔。一切眾生但見本性。餘習頓滅。神識不昧。須是直下便會。只在如今。欲真會道。莫執一切法。息業養神。餘習亦盡。自然明白。不假用功。外道不會佛意。用功最多。違背聖意。終日區區念佛轉經。昏於神性。不免輪迴。佛是閑人。何用區區廣求名利。後時何用。但不見性人。讀經念佛。長學精進。六時行道。長坐不臥。廣學多聞。以為佛法。此等眾生。盡是謗佛法人。前佛後佛只言見性。諸行無常。若不見性。妄言我得阿耨菩提。此是大罪人。十大弟子中。阿難多聞第一。於佛無識。只學多聞。二乘外道皆無識佛。識數修證。墮在因果。是眾生報。不免生死。違背佛意。即是謗佛眾生。殺却無罪過。經云。闡提人不生信心。殺却無罪過。若有信心。此人是佛位人。若不見性。即不用取次謗他良善。自賺無益。善惡歷然。因果分明。天堂地獄只在眼前。愚人不信。現墮黑暗地獄中。亦不覺不知。只緣業重故。所以不信。譬如無目人不信道有光明。縱向伊說亦不信。只緣盲故。憑何辨得日光。愚人亦復如是。現今墮畜生雜類。誕在貧窮下賤。求生不得。求死不得。雖受是苦。直問著亦言。我今快樂。不異天堂。故知一切眾生。生處為樂。亦不覺不知。如斯惡人。只緣業障重故。所以不能發信心者。不自由他也。若見自心是佛。不在剃除鬢髮。白衣亦是佛。若不見性。剃除鬚髮亦是外道。

Question: Why must one not pay homage to buddhas, bodhisattvas, and the like?

Answer: The heavenly demon Pāpīyān and the asuras display supernatural powers and can all manifest the forms of bodhisattvas; their various transformations are all non-Buddhists, none of them are the Buddha. The Buddha is your own mind; do not bow in error. 'Buddha' is a Western language; here we say 'nature of awakening.' Awakening is spiritual awareness: responding to situations and engaging with things, raising eyebrows and blinking eyes, moving hands and walking—all are one's own nature of spiritual awareness. The nature is the mind; the mind is the Buddha; the Buddha is the Way; the Way is Chan. The single word 'Chan' cannot be measured by mortals or sages. Directly seeing one's original nature is called Chan. If one does not see one's original nature, it is not Chan. Even if one could preach a thousand sūtras and ten thousand treatises, if one does not see one's original nature, one is merely an ordinary person, not the Buddha-Dharma. The ultimate Way is profound and subtle, beyond verbal understanding; how could scriptural teachings reach it? Just see the original nature; even if you do not know a single word, it is still attained. Seeing the nature is itself the Buddha. The sacred body is originally pure, without any defilement. All speech comes from the sage's mind giving rise to function; the essence of function is originally empty, beyond the reach of words—how could the twelve divisions of scriptures reach it? The Way is originally complete and perfect, needing no cultivation or realization. The Way is neither sound nor form; it is subtle and hard to see, like a person drinking water knowing for themselves whether it is cold or warm—it cannot be told to others. Only a tathāgata can know it; other beings among humans and devas do not perceive or know it at all. Ordinary people's wisdom does not reach it, so they cling to forms. Failing to understand that their own mind is originally empty and tranquil, they falsely cling to forms and all phenomena, thus falling into non-Buddhist ways. If you know that all phenomena arise from the mind, you should not have clingings; if you cling, you do not know. If you see the original nature, the twelve divisions of scriptures are merely idle writings. A thousand sūtras and ten thousand treatises only clarify the mind; once you accord and understand upon hearing the word, what use is teaching? The ultimate truth is beyond words; teachings are words and phrases, not the true Way. The Way is originally wordless; verbal explanations are delusion. If at night you dream of multistoried pavilions, palaces, elephants, horses, and the like, as well as groves of trees, thickets, ponds, and pavilions—with such appearances, you must not give rise to a single thought of delight and attachment; these are all places of rebirth. You must be extremely mindful of this: at the time of death, do not grasp at forms, and then you will eliminate hindrances. If a doubt momentarily arises, you will be seized by demons. The dharmakāya is originally pure and without sensation; only due to delusion are you unperceptive and unknowing, and on this account you falsely receive retribution. Therefore, by having delight and attachment, you do not attain liberation. If right now you awaken to the original body and mind, you will not be defiled by habits. If, from being a sage, one enters the ordinary, manifesting various mixed categories [of beings] for the sake of sentient beings, the sage is completely at ease in both adverse and favorable situations; no karma can bind them. Sages have been accomplished for a long time; they possess great majesty and virtue. All types of karma are transformed by the sage; heaven and hell can do nothing to them. Ordinary people's consciousness is dim and dark, unlike the sage's inner and outer lucidity. If you have doubt, do not act; if you act, you will drift in birth and death, and later regrets will offer no salvation. Poverty and hardship all arise from delusion. If you understand this mind, mutually encourage one another; simply act without action, and you will enter the knowledge and vision of the Tathāgata. The consciousness of a beginner is generally unsettled. If you frequently see extraordinary realms in dreams, by no means have doubt; they all arise from your own mind and do not come from outside. If in a dream you see a light appearing that surpasses the sun's disc, your residual habits are instantly exhausted, and the nature of the dharmadhātu is seen. If this happens, it is a cause for realizing the Way; it can only be known by oneself and cannot be told to others. Or, in a quiet grove, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, your eyes see a light, either large or small—do not tell others, nor grasp at it; it is also the radiance of your own nature. Or, in the quiet darkness, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, your eyes see a light no different from daytime—do not find it strange; it is all your own mind wishing to reveal its clarity. Or, in a dream at night, seeing the stars and moon distinctly also means that all conditions of your own mind are about to cease; do not tell others either. If dreams are dim and gloomy, like walking in darkness, this also means that the defilement hindrances of your own mind are heavy; this too can be known by oneself. If you see your original nature, you need not read sūtras or recite the Buddha's name. Extensive learning and much knowledge are of no benefit; they only make consciousness dimmer. Setting up teachings was only to indicate the mind; if you recognize the mind, what use is looking at teachings? If you pass from ordinary to sage, you must cease karmic activity, nourish the spirit, and spend your days according to your lot. If you have much anger and resentment, it will make your nature turn contrary to the Way, deceiving yourself without benefit. Sages are at ease within birth and death; their appearing and disappearing, hiding and manifesting are unfixed; no karma can bind them. Sages destroy demonic obstacles. If sentient beings only see the original nature, residual habits are instantly destroyed and consciousness will not be dim. You must understand it directly, right in the present moment. If you wish to truly understand the Way, do not cling to any phenomena. Cease karmic activity and nourish the spirit; residual habits will also be exhausted, and it will naturally become clear without relying on effort. Non-Buddhists do not understand the Buddha's intention; they exert the greatest effort, yet run contrary to the sage's intention, spending all day in trivial toil reciting the Buddha's name and turning sūtras, dimming their spiritual nature and failing to escape saṃsāra. The Buddha is an unburdened person; why engage in trivial toil widely seeking fame and fortune? What use will it be in the future? Only those who do not see their nature read sūtras, recite the Buddha's name, perpetually study with vigor, practice the Way in the six periods, perpetually sit without lying down, and seek extensive learning and much hearing, taking these to be the Buddha-Dharma. Such sentient beings are all people who slander the Buddha-Dharma. Buddhas of the past and buddhas of the future only speak of seeing the nature. All conditioned things are impermanent; if you do not see the nature and falsely claim, 'I have attained anuttarā-[samyak-saṃ]bodhi,' you are a person of great sin. Among the ten great disciples, Ānanda was foremost in learning, yet he had no recognition of the Buddha; he only studied much hearing. Those of the two vehicles and non-Buddhists all have no recognition of the Buddha; recognizing numbers, cultivation, and realization, they fall into cause and effect. This is the retribution of sentient beings, unable to escape birth and death. To run contrary to the Buddha's intention is to be a sentient being who slanders the Buddha; killing them incurs no sin. A sūtra says: 'An icchantika does not generate faith; killing them incurs no sin.' If one has faith, this person belongs to the station of a buddha. If you do not see the nature, do not carelessly slander good and virtuous people; deceiving yourself is of no benefit. Good and evil are distinct; cause and effect are clear. Heaven and hell are right before your eyes. Foolish people do not believe, and right now fall into the dark hells, yet they do not perceive or know it; only because their karma is heavy do they not believe. For example, a person without eyes does not believe that there is light; even if you speak to them, they will not believe it—only because they are blind, how could they discern the sunlight? Foolish people are also like this: right now they fall among the various species of animals or are born poor and lowly, unable to live when seeking life, unable to die when seeking death; though suffering this pain, if directly asked, they still say, 'I am happy now, no different from heaven.' Hence know that all sentient beings take their place of birth as happiness, neither perceiving nor knowing it. Such evil people, only because their karmic hindrances are heavy, are unable to generate faith; they are not their own masters. If you see that your own mind is the Buddha, it does not depend on shaving your hair; a layperson is also a buddha. If you do not see the nature, shaving your beard and hair is also a non-Buddhist.