禪關策進 1.86

1.86

果欲了脫生死。先須發大信心。立弘誓願。若不打破所參公案。洞見父母未生前面目。坐斷微細現行生死。誓不放捨本參話頭。遠離真善知識。貪逐名利。若故違此願。當墮惡道。發此大願。防護其心。方堪領受公案。或看無字。要緊在因甚狗子無佛性上著力。或看萬法歸一。要緊在一歸何處。或參究念佛。要緊在念佛的是誰。回光返照深入疑情。若話頭不得力。還提前文。以至末句。使首尾一貫方有頭緒。可致疑也。疑情不斷。切切用心。不覺舉步翻身。打箇懸空筋斗。却再來吃棒。

"If you truly wish to be liberated from birth and death, you must first bring forth great faith and establish great vows: 'If I do not smash the gongan I investigate, clearly see the original face before father and mother gave birth, and cut off subtle active birth and death, I vow never to abandon the fundamental huatou I investigate, depart from a true kalyāṇamitra, or greedily pursue fame and profit. If I intentionally violate this vow, may I fall into the evil destinies!' Arousing this great vow to guard and protect the mind, one is then fit to receive a gongan. If you inspect 'the character Wu,' the essential point is to apply effort on 'Why does a dog have no Buddha-nature?' If you inspect 'The ten thousand dharmas return to the one,' the essential point is on 'Where does the one return?' If you investigate buddhānusmṛti, the essential point is on 'Who is the one reciting the Buddha?' Turn the light inward to illuminate within, deepening the feeling of doubt. If the huatou lacks strength, bring up the preceding words all the way to the final line, so that from beginning to end it is consistent; only then will there be a clue to arouse doubt. When the feeling of doubt is uninterrupted, earnestly apply your mind; without realizing it, you will raise your foot and turn around, doing a somersault in midair—then come back to take the staff!"