[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) › [觀心論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2833) › 1.1.3 # 觀心論 1.1.3 觀心論 1.1.3 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2833.1.1.3) 竊見今時鈍根之輩眾生曾未內行唯執外求。 將質礙身遶世間塔。 日夜走驟徒自疲勞。 而於真性一無利益。 迷悟之甚誠可愍歟。 又持齋者當須達意。 其利徒爾虛功。 齋者齊也。 所謂齋整身心不令散亂。 持者護也。 所謂戒行如法護持必須禁六情制三毒勤覺察淨身心。 了如是義所名齋也。 又持齋者。 有五種。 一者法喜食。 所謂依如來正法歡喜奉行。 二者禪悅食。 所謂內外證寂身心悅樂。 三者念食。 所謂常念諸佛心口相應。 四者願食。 所謂行住坐臥常求善願。 五者解脫食。 所謂心常清淨不染俗塵。 此之淨食名為齋食。 若後有人不喰如是五清淨食。 外持齋者無有是處。 言斯食者。 於無明惡業之食若轉讀者。 破齋者云何獲福。 或有愚迷不會斯理。 身心放逸諸惡皆為。 貪慾恣情了無慚愧。 唯斷外食自謂持齋。 何異見爛壞死屍稱言有命。 必死見事。 又禮拜者。 當如法也。 必須理體內明隨事推變。 理恒不捨。 事有行藏。 會如是義乃名如法。 夫禮者敬也。 拜者所為。 恭敬真性屈伏無明。 為禮拜也。 以恭敬故不敢毀傷。 以屈伏故無令逸縱。 若能惡情永斷善念恒存。 雖不見相常名禮拜。 其事法者即身相也。 為欲令諸世俗表謙下心故。 須屈伏外心示恭敬相。 用之則顯。 捨之則藏。 覺外明內以相應也。 若復不行理法唯執事門內則故。 縱貪癡常為惡業。 外則空現身相。 無名禮拜。 無慚於聖。 縱誑於凡。 不免淪墜。 豈成功德。 既無所得。 云何救道　又問。 溫室經。 洗浴眾僧獲福無量。 此則憑何事法功德始成。 若唯觀心可相應不　答曰。 眾僧者非說世間有為事。 世尊當爾為諸弟子說溫室經。 欲令受持洗浴之法。 是故假諸世事比喻真宗。 說七事者。 第一淨水。 二者然火。 三者澡豆。 四者楊枝。 五者純灰。 六者蘇膏。 七者內衣。 舉此七事喻於七法。 一切眾生由此七法洗浴莊嚴能除三毒無明垢穢。 其七法者。 一為淨戒洗蕩身心。 如清淨水洗諸塵垢。 二謂智惠觀察內外。 猶如然火能溫其水。 三謂分別簡棄。 由如澡豆能除垢膩。 四謂真實斷諸妄語。 如嚼楊枝能消口氣。 五謂正信決無疑慮。 如灰磨身能避諸風。 六謂柔和諸剛強。 由如蘇膏通潤皮膚。 七謂慚愧悔諸惡業。 由如內衣遮蔽醜形。 如上七法並是經中祕密之義。 如來當爾為諸大乘利根者。 非為小智下劣凡夫。 所以令人無能悟解。 其溫室者。 即身是也。 所以然智慧火溫。 淨戒湯洗蕩身中佛性受持七法以自莊嚴。 當爾比丘聰明利智皆悟聖意。 以此修行功德成就。 但登聖果。 今時眾生愚癡鈍根。 莫測其事。 將世間水洗質礙身。 自謂依經。 豈非悟也。 且如佛性非是凡形。 煩惱塵埃本來無相。 豈可將有礙水洗無為身。 事不相應。 云何可得。 若言礙身清淨。 當觀此身無因貪欲不淨所生。 臭穢駢闐。 內外充滿。 若洗此身求於清淨者。 猶如洗塹泥盡應停。 以此驗之。 明知外洗非佛說也　又問。 經所說言至心念佛必得解脫　答曰。 夫念佛者。 當須正念為正。 不了義即為邪。 正念必得往生淨國。 邪念云何達彼。 佛者覺也。 所為覺察心源勿令起惡。 念者憶也。 謂堅持戒行不忘精懃了如來義。 名為正念。 故知念在於心不在於言。 因筌求魚。 得魚妄筌。 因言求言。 得意忘言。 既稱念佛。 云名須行念佛之體。 若心無實。 口誦空言。 徒念虛功。 有何成益。 且如誦之與念。 名義懸殊。 在口曰誦。 在心曰念。 故知念從心起。 名為覺行之門。 誦在口中。 即是音聲之相。 執相求福終無是乎。 故經云。 凡所有相皆是虛妄。 又云。 若以色見我。 以音聲求我。 是人行邪道不能見如來。 以此觀之。 乃知事相非真正也。 > I observe that nowadays foolish, dull-witted beings have never cultivated inwardly, but exclusively cling to seeking externally. They take their material bodies and circumambulate worldly stūpas, running day and night, merely fatiguing themselves in vain, while bringing not the slightest benefit to their true nature. Such profound delusion is truly pitiable! Furthermore, those who maintain the fast must understand its meaning; otherwise its benefit is mere vanity and empty effort. 'Fast' (zhai) means 'to regulate' (qi); that is, regulating body and mind so they are not scattered or confused. 'Maintaining' (chi) means 'protecting' (hu); that is, guarding and upholding moral conduct according to the Dharma: one must restrain the six senses, control the three poisons, diligently examine \[oneself\], and purify body and mind. Understanding this meaning is what is called fasting. Moreover, maintaining the fast has five kinds \[of food\]: First is the food of Dharma joy, which means happily practicing in accord with the Tathāgata's correct Dharma. Second is the food of dhyāna bliss, which means realizing inner and outer stillness, with body and mind joyful and glad. Third is the food of mindfulness, which means constantly being mindful of the Buddhas, with mind and speech in accord. Fourth is the food of vows, which means constantly seeking virtuous vows while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. Fifth is the food of liberation, which means the mind being ever pure and unstained by worldly defilement. These pure foods are called fasting foods. If there are people later who do not consume these five kinds of pure food, to keep the fast externally has no validity. As for this food: if one \[instead feeds on\] the food of ignorance and evil karma, how can one who breaks the fast obtain merit? Some are foolish and confused and do not comprehend this principle; with body and mind undisciplined, they commit every evil, indulging in greed and desire without any shame, and merely abstain from external food while calling themselves keepers of the fast. How is this different from seeing a decaying corpse and declaring it alive? Such a sight is utterly futile. Furthermore, prostration must be in accord with the Dharma. One must be inwardly clear about the essential principle while adapting to affairs; the principle is never abandoned, while affairs have their times of action and concealment. Comprehending this meaning is called being in accord with the Dharma. Now, 'propriety' (li) means respect, and 'bowing' (bai) is what is done: revering the true nature and subjugating ignorance—this constitutes prostration. Because of reverence, one does not dare to harm \[virtue\]; because of subjugation, one does not let \[afflictions\] run wild. If one can cut off evil sentiments forever and maintain wholesome thoughts constantly, though without visible signs, it is always called prostration. The phenomenal aspect is the bodily appearance; in order to show humility to the worldly, one subjugates the outer mind and displays the appearance of reverence. When employed, it is manifest; when discarded, it is concealed. Being aware externally and clear internally, they correspond to one another. If one again fails to practice the Dharma of the principle and only clings to the gate of external affairs, inwardly indulging greed and delusion and constantly committing evil karma while outwardly presenting an empty physical form, this cannot be called prostration. Lacking shame before the holy and deceiving ordinary people, one will not escape falling into ruin; how could this achieve merit? Since nothing is attained, how can it save one on the Path? Question: The Bathhouse Sūtra states that bathing the saṅgha yields immeasurable merit. Based on what phenomenal Dharma is such merit accomplished? Can this correspond only to contemplating the mind? Answer: 'The saṅgha' does not refer to worldly, conditioned affairs. At that time, when the World-Honoured One preached the Bathhouse Sūtra to his disciples, he wished for them to receive and uphold the method of bathing; therefore, he borrowed worldly affairs as an analogy for the true doctrine. He spoke of seven items: first, pure water; second, lighting a fire; third, bath-powder; fourth, willow twigs (tooth-sticks); fifth, pure ash; sixth, oil ointment; and seventh, an undergarment. Adducing these seven items serves as an analogy for seven dharmas. Through these seven dharmas, all sentient beings bathe and adorn themselves, capable of removing the stains and defilements of the three poisons and ignorance. These seven dharmas are: First, pure precepts wash and cleanse body and mind, just as clear, pure water washes away dust and grime. Second, wisdom examines inside and outside, just as lighting a fire can warm the water. Third, discrimination and selection discard \[the bad\], just as bath-powder can remove dirt and grease. Fourth, truthfulness cuts off all false speech, just as chewing a willow twig can dispel bad breath. Fifth, right faith is completely devoid of doubts, just as rubbing ash on the body can ward off cold winds. Sixth, gentleness softens rigidity, just as oil ointment moistens the skin. Seventh, shame and repentance cover over evil karma, just as an undergarment conceals an unsightly form. The seven dharmas above are all secret meanings within the sūtra. At that time, the Tathāgata spoke for those of Mahāyāna with sharp faculties, not for inferior ordinary persons of small wisdom; this is why people today cannot understand. The 'bathhouse' is the body itself. Thus, one lights the fire of wisdom to warm the water of pure precepts, washes away \[defilements\] to reveal the Buddha-nature within the body, and upholds the seven dharmas to adorn oneself. At that time, the monks were intelligent and sharp-witted, and all understood the holy intention; practicing this, their merit was accomplished, and they directly ascended to the holy fruition. Nowadays, beings are foolish and of dull faculties; unable to fathom these affairs, they take worldly water to wash their material bodies and claim to follow the sūtra—is this not delusion? Moreover, the Buddha-nature is not an ordinary form, and the dust of afflictions is fundamentally formless; how can one take water with material obstruction to wash a non-conditioned body? The matter does not correspond; how could it be possible? If one says the obstructed body is pure: consider that this body is produced from the impurities of greed and desire; foul and stinking, crowded inside and out. If one washes this body seeking purity, it is like digging a ditch to remove mud: when the mud is gone, one should stop. Verifying with this, one clearly knows that external washing was not what the Buddha taught. Question: The sūtra says that being mindful of the Buddha with an earnest mind will certainly bring liberation. Answer: In mindfulness of the Buddha, right mindfulness must be considered correct; not understanding the definitive meaning is wrong \[mindfulness\]. Right mindfulness will certainly bring rebirth in the pure land; how could wrong mindfulness reach it? 'Buddha' means awakened; it refers to examining the source of the mind so as not to let evil arise. 'Mindfulness' (nian) means recollection; it refers to firmly upholding moral conduct without forgetting it, striving diligently, and understanding the Tathāgata's meaning—this is called right mindfulness. Therefore, know that mindfulness lies in the mind, not in words. One uses a fish trap to catch fish; having caught the fish, one forgets the trap. One uses words to seek meaning; having grasped the meaning, one forgets the words. Since it is called mindfulness of the Buddha, one must practice the essence of mindfulness of the Buddha. If the mind lacks reality and the mouth chants empty words, one vainly practices empty effort; what benefit could it achieve? Furthermore, chanting and mindfulness differ greatly in name and meaning: what is in the mouth is called chanting; what is in the mind is called mindfulness. Therefore, know that mindfulness arises from the mind and is called the gate of awakened practice, whereas chanting is in the mouth and is merely the characteristic of sound. Clinging to characteristics to seek merit will never succeed. Thus the sūtra says, 'All characteristics are empty and false.' It also says, 'If one sees me by form or seeks me by sound, this person walks a heterodox path and cannot see the Tathāgata.' Viewing it from this, one knows that phenomenal characteristics are not the true reality. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2833.1.1.2) - [Next: 1.1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2833.1.1.4) - [Up: 1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2833.1.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2833~en-mt.1.1.3) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [少室六門](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2009.1.90) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2833.1.1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2833.1.1.3) · Pramāṇa