[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) › [禪林寶訓](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2022) › 2.23 # 禪林寶訓 2.23 禪林寶訓 2.23 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2022.2.23) 靈源曰。學者舉措不可不審。言行不可不稽。寡言者未必愚。利口者未必智。鄙樸者未必悖。承順者未必忠。故善知識不以辭盡人情。不以意選學者。夫湖海衲子誰不欲求道。於中悟明見理者。千百無一。其間修身勵行聚學樹德。非三十年而不能致。偶一事過差而叢林棄之。則終身不可立。夫耀乘之珠。不能無纇。連城之璧。寧免無瑕。凡在有情安得無咎。夫子聖人也。猶以五十學易無大過為言。契經則曰。不怕念起惟恐覺遲。況自聖賢以降孰無過失哉。在善知識曲成。則品物不遺矣。故曰巧梓順輪桷之用。枉直無廢材。良御適險易之宜。駑驥無失性。物既如此人亦宜然。若進退隨愛憎之情。離合繫異同之趣。是由捨繩墨而裁曲直。棄權衡而較重輕。雖曰精微不能無謬矣。 > Lingyuan said, "A student's conduct cannot but be scrutinized; their words and deeds cannot but be examined. One who is sparing with words is not necessarily foolish; one who is glib is not necessarily wise. The rustic and simple are not necessarily rebellious; the obedient and compliant are not necessarily loyal. Therefore, a kalyāṇamitra does not exhaust people's true sentiments through words alone, nor select students by subjective impression. Among the patch-robed monks of the lakes and seas, who does not wish to seek the Way? Yet among them, those who awaken clearly and see the principle are not one in a thousand or a hundred. Meanwhile, to cultivate the self, exert oneself in conduct, gather learning, and establish virtue cannot be achieved in less than thirty years. If, through a single chance error, the monastic grove abandons them, they will be unable to establish themselves for the rest of their life. Indeed, a pearl that can illuminate a carriage cannot be without flaws; how can a jade disk worth multiple cities be free of defects? Among sentient beings, how could anyone be without fault? The Master \[Confucius\] was a sage, yet he still spoke of studying the \*Changes\* at fifty so as to be free of great faults. The scriptures say, 'Fear not the arising of thoughts; fear only being slow to become aware.' How much more so from the sages and worthies on down—who is without faults? When a kalyāṇamitra accommodates and completes them, then no variety of being is abandoned. Therefore it is said: 'A skillful carpenter adapts to the uses of wheels and rafters, so neither crooked nor straight wood is wasted; a good charioteer adapts to the conditions of perilous and easy terrain, so neither a nag nor a thoroughbred loses its nature.' If this is so for things, it should be likewise for people. If advancement and dismissal follow feelings of love and hate, and union and separation depend on preferences for sameness and difference, this is like casting aside the ink-line to cut the crooked and straight, or throwing away the balance-scale to judge heavy and light. Though one may claim it to be refined and subtle, it cannot be without error." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2022.2.22) - [Next: 2.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2022.2.24) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2022.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2022~en-mt.2.23) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2022.2.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2022.2.23) · Pramāṇa