[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) › [勅修百丈清規](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025) › 5.105 # 勅修百丈清規 5.105 勅修百丈清規 5.105 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [5.105](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.5.105) 坐禪儀 > gather for idle talk and laughter, perpetuating such behavior and making it an evil custom, and they disturb the quiet of Zen practice. The abbot as well as the primary seat official must especially strive to prohibit such behavior and reprimand anyone who acts otherwise. > > 2. The Manual of Zazen Practice > > Generally speaking, a bodhisattva who seeks the insight of prajñā should raise the mind of great compassion, issue forth the universal vow \[of liberation\], engage himself in the ardent practice of samādhi, and resolve to liberate sentient beings. He does not seek liberation merely for himself but > > renounces all causes of trouble and brings myriads of thoughts to rest, so as to unify body and mind and make no distinction between motion and stillness. He must measure each meal as to its adequacy and regulate hours of sleep and rest, prepare a thick seat cushion in a quiet environment and sit in the full cross-legged (lotus) position or in the half-lotus position. The left hand is placed on the right hand and the thumbs of both hands touch. The body is held straight in sitting, with \[the ears balanced in line with the shoulders\] and the nose and abdomen vertically aligned. The tongue rests on the upper palate, the lips and teeth are firmly closed, and the eyes remain slightly open so as to avoid falling asleep. > > When a practitioner realizes the state of concentration, he acquires the utmost superior power. In ancient times, those practitioners who were well trained in the practice of zazen always kept their eyes open while abiding in deep concentration. Zen Master Yuantong of Fayunshan is said to have scolded his students who sat with eyes closed. There is a deep meaning, therefore, in the expression, “Wherever there is a dark hill there lies a \[dark\] cave where devils abide.” One must not delve into thoughts that arise, whether good or bad. As soon as a thought arises, he must become aware of it. He must always be aware of what arises in the sphere of consciousness without losing clear discrimination, and without becoming dull or scattered. A myriad of years is nothing but one moment of thought, which is neither discontinuous nor continuous. This is the essential Way (or method) of Zen practice. > > Zazen is in itself the doctrinal gateway of “comfort and ease.” People, however, frequently hate it but this is no doubt because they have not realized its essence. Once one realizes it, one experiences all the elements of natural configuration \[of the four kinds of coarse elements\] becoming light and peaceful, and all the mental elements becoming refreshed and sharp. The taste of insight into the Dharma nourishes one’s spirituality, a quiescent state of everlasting illumination. Waking and sleeping are, as it were, identical, and life and death are as one. One must singularly manage one’s mind to have cognizance of this experience (kenxin), and never be blind to it. Nevertheless, it is often the case that when the path is lofty, one’s wayfaring is more likely to be even more intensely disturbed by devils in thousands of situations. > > If once, however, you can manage to bring right mindfulness (zhengnian) into your present consciousness, no obstacle can disturb or delay anything, just > > as it is explained in the Śūraṃgama-sūtra, in the Tiantai Practice of Śamatha and Vipaśyanā (Tiantaizhiguanfamen) by Zhiyi (538–597), and in the Manual of Practice and Realization (Xiuzhengyi) by Guifeng (Zongmi, 780–841). If one analyzes devilish disturbance in detail, one becomes aware that everything arises from one’s own mind and not from outside \[of it\]. When the power of samādhi and prajñā becomes superior, devilish obstruction disappears of its own accord. > > When you are ready to emerge from dhyāna, you should move your body slowly and arise from your seat with ease and grace, never abruptly and roughly. After coming out of a state of dhyāna, you should try to retain the power of concentration, contriving various means skillfully. > > Among all forms of practice, samādhi (meditative concentration, absorption) is regarded as the best. If one does not engage in meditation (dhyāna) and concentration (samādhi), one is bound to become totally lost in the triple world of existence, dallying in external causes. There is thus an instruction: If you want to gather pearls, you must first calm the waves. When the water is moving, it is difficult to look for pearls. The water of samādhi is clean and transparent and reveals the pearl of the mind of its own accord. Thus, it is said in the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment (Yuanjuejing) that the insight of prajñā, free from obstruction and spotlessly clean, arises on the basis of Zen concentration (samādhi; chanding). The Lotus Sutra also says that one should practice “mind concentration” in a tranquil environment and settle himself at ease, immovable like Mount Sumeru. > > This means that it is always on the basis of the condition of quiescence (jingyuan) that you may transcend the state of an ordinary person as well as that of a holy person. In the past, those who passed away while sitting crosslegged or while standing must have been firm in the power of concentration. Even as you strive to attain this state of concentration, it is feared that you might still stumble \[and not realize it\]. If you postpone or procrastinate in realizing it, how much less of a chance will you have to overcome the force of karma! My respected Zen colleagues, it would be my pleasure if you would > — Shohei Ichimura 2006, The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations - [Previous: 5.104](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.5.104) - [Next: 5.106](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.5.106) - [Up: 5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.5) ## Translations (2) - [The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-bdk.5.105) — Shohei Ichimura 2006, English - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt.5.105) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.5.105](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.5.105) · Pramāṇa