悟性論
夫道者。以寂滅為體。修者。以離相為宗。故經云。寂滅是菩提。滅諸相故。佛者覺也。人有覺心。得菩提道。故名為佛。經云。離一切諸相。即名諸佛。是知有相是無相之相。不可以眼見。唯可以智知。若聞此法者。生一念信心。此人以發大乘。乃超三界。三界者。貪嗔癡是。返貪嗔癡為戒定慧。即名超三界。
然貪嗔癡亦無實性。但據眾生而言矣。若能返照。了了見貪嗔癡性即是佛性。貪嗔癡外更無別有佛性。經云。諸佛從本來。常處於三毒。長養於白法。而成於世尊。三毒者。貪嗔癡也。言大乘最上乘者。皆是菩薩所行之處也。無所不乘。
亦無所乘。終日乘未嘗乘。此為佛乘。經云。無乘為佛乘也。
若人知六根不實。五蘊假名。遍體求之。必無定處。當知此人解佛語。經云。五蘊窟宅。是名禪院。內照開解即大乘門。可不明哉。不憶一切法。乃名為禪定。若了此言者。行住坐臥皆禪定。知心是空。名為見佛。何以故。十方諸佛皆以無心不見於心。名為見佛。捨身不吝。名大布施。離諸動定。名大坐禪。何以故。凡夫一向動。小乘一向定。謂出過凡夫小乘之坐禪。名大坐禪。若作此會者。一切諸相不求自解。一切諸病不治自差。此皆大禪定力。
凡將心求法者為迷。不將心求法者為悟。不著文字名解脫。不染六塵名護法。出離生死名出家。不受後有名得道。不生妄想名涅槃。不處無明為大智慧。無煩惱處名般涅槃。無心相處名為彼岸。迷時有此岸。若悟時無此岸。何以故。為凡夫一向住此。若覺最上乘者。心不住此。亦不住彼。故能離於此彼岸也。若見彼岸異於此岸。此人之心已得無禪定。
煩惱名眾生。悟解名菩提。亦不一不異。只隔其迷悟耳。迷時有世間可出。悟時無世間可出。平等法中。不見凡夫異於聖人。經云。平等法者。凡夫不能入。聖人不能行。平等法者。唯有大菩薩與諸佛如來行也。若見生異於死。動異於靜。皆名不平等。不見煩惱異於涅槃。是名平等。何以故。煩惱與涅槃。同是一性空故。
是以小乘人妄斷煩惱。妄入涅槃。為涅槃所滯。菩薩知煩惱性空。即不離空。故常在涅槃。涅槃者。涅而不生。槃而不死。出離生死。名般涅槃。心無去來。即入涅槃。是知涅槃即是空心。諸佛入涅槃者。為在無妄想處。菩薩入道場者。
即是無煩惱處。
空閑處者。即是無貪嗔癡也。貪為欲界。嗔為色界。癡為無色界。若一念心生。即入三界。一念心滅。即出三界。是知三界生滅。萬法有無。皆由一心。凡言一心者。似破瓦石竹木無情之物。若知心是假名無有實體。即知自家之心亦是非有亦是非無。何以故。凡夫一向生心名為有。小乘一向滅心名為無。菩薩與佛未曾生心。未曾滅心。名為非有非無心。非有非無心。此名為中道。是知持心學法。則心法俱迷。不持心學法。則心法俱悟。
凡迷者迷於悟。悟者悟於迷。正見之人。知心空無。即超迷悟。無有迷悟。始名正解正見。色不自色。由心故色。心不自心。由色故心。是知心色兩相俱生滅。有者有於無。無者無於有。是名真見。夫真見者。無所不見。亦無所見。見滿十方。未曾有見。何以故。無所見故。見無見故。見非見故。
凡夫所見。皆名妄想。若寂滅無見。始名真見。心境相對。見生於中。若內不起心。則外不生境。故境心俱淨。乃名為真見。作此解時。乃名正見。不見一切法。乃名得道。不解一切法。乃名解法。何以故。見與不見。俱不見故。解與不解。俱不解故。無見之見。乃名真見。無解之解。乃名真解。
夫真見者。非直見於見。亦乃見於不見。真解者。非直解於解。亦乃解於無解。凡有所解。皆名不解。無所解者。始名正解。解與不解。俱非解也。經云。不捨智慧名愚癡。以心為空。解與不解俱是真。以心為有。解與不解俱是妄。若解時法逐人。若不解時人逐法。若法逐於人。則非法成法。若人逐於法。則法成非法。若人逐於法。則法皆妄。若法逐於人。則法皆真。
是以聖人亦不將心求法。亦不將法求心。亦不將心求心。亦不將法求法。所以心不生法。法不生心。心法兩寂。故常為在定。眾生心生則佛法滅。眾生心滅則佛法生。心生則真法滅。心滅則真法生。已知一切法各各不相屬。是名得道人。
知心不屬一切法。此人常在道場。
迷時有罪。解時無罪。何以故。罪性空故。若迷時無罪見罪。若解時即罪非罪。何以故。罪無處所故。經云。諸法無性。真用莫疑。疑即成罪。何以故。罪因疑惑而生。若作此解者。前世罪業即為消滅。迷時六識五陰皆是煩惱生死法。悟時六識五陰皆是涅槃無生死法。
修道人不外求道。何以故。知心是道。若得心時。無心可得。若得道時。無道可得。若言將心求道得者。皆名邪見。迷時有佛有法。悟無佛無法。何以故。悟即是佛法。夫修道者。身滅道成。亦如甲折樹。生此業報身念念無常。無一定法。但隨念修之。亦不得厭生死。亦不得愛生死。但念念之中。不得妄想。則生證有餘涅槃。死入無生法忍。
眼見色時。不染於色。耳聞聲時。不染於聲。皆解脫也。眼不著色。眼為禪門。耳不著聲。耳為禪門。總而言之。見色有見色性不著常解脫。見色相者常繫縛。不為煩惱所繫縛者。即名解脫。更無別解脫。善觀色者。色不生心。心不生色。即色與心俱清淨。
無妄想時。一心是一佛國。有妄想時。一心是一地獄。眾生造作妄想。以心生心。故常在地獄。菩薩觀察妄想。不以心生心。故常在佛國。若不以心生心。則心心入空。念念歸靜。從一佛國。至一佛國。若以心生心。則心心不靜。念念歸動。從一地獄。歷一地獄。
若一念心起。則有善惡二業。有天堂地獄。若一念心不起。即無善惡二業。亦無天堂地獄。為體非有非無。在凡即有。在聖即無。聖人無其心。故胸臆空洞。與天同量。此以下並是大道中證，非小乘及凡夫境界也。心得涅槃時。即不見有涅槃。何以故。心是涅槃。若心外更見涅槃。此名著邪見也。
一切煩惱為如來種心。為因煩惱而得智慧。只可道煩惱生如來。不可得道煩惱是如來。故身心為田疇。煩惱為種子。智慧為萌芽。如來喻於穀也。佛在心中。如香在樹中。煩惱若盡。佛從心出。朽腐若盡。香從樹出。即知樹外無香。心外無佛。若樹外有香。即是他香。心外有佛。即是他佛。
心中有三毒者。是名國土穢惡。心中無三毒者。是名國土清淨。經云。若使國土不淨。穢惡充滿。諸佛世尊於中出者。無有此事。不淨穢惡者。即無明三毒是。諸佛世尊者。即清淨覺悟心是。一切言語無非佛法。若能無其所言。而盡日言是道。若能有其所言。即終日默而非道。是故如來言不乘默。默不乘言。言不離默。悟此言默者。皆在三昧。若知時而言。言亦解脫。若不知時而默。默亦繫縛。是故言若離相。言亦名解脫。默若著相。默即是繫縛。
夫文字者。本性解脫。文字不能就繫縛。繫縛自本來未就文字。法無高下。若見高下。非法也。非法為筏。是法為人筏者。人乘其筏者。即得渡於非法。則是法也。若以世俗言之。即有男女貴賤。以道言之。即無男女貴賤。是以天女悟道。不變女形。車匿解真。寧移賤稱乎。此蓋非男女貴賤。皆由一相也。天女於十二年中求女相。了不可得。即知於十二年中求男相。亦不可得。十二年者。即十二入是也。
離心無佛。離佛無心。亦如離水無冰。亦如離冰無水。凡言離心者。非是遠離於心。但使不著心相。經云。不見相名為見佛。即是離心相也。離佛無心者。言佛從心出。心能生佛。然佛從心生。而心未嘗生於佛。亦如魚生於水。水不生於魚。欲觀於魚。未見魚而先見水。欲觀佛者。未見佛而先見心。即知已見魚者忘於水。已見佛者忘於心。若不忘於心。尚為心所惑。若不忘於水。尚被水所迷。
眾生與菩提。亦如水與冰。為三毒所燒。即名眾生。為三解脫所淨。即名菩提。為三冬所凍。即名為冰。為三夏所消。即名為水。若捨卻冰。即無別水。若棄卻眾生。則無別菩提。明知冰性即是水性。水性即是冰性。眾生性者。即菩提性也。眾生與菩提同一性。亦如烏頭與附子共根耳。但時節不同。迷異境故。有眾生菩提二名矣。是以蛇化為龍。不改其鱗。凡變為聖。不改其面。（但知心者智內照。身者戒外貞。）
眾生度佛。佛度眾生。是名平等。眾生度佛者。煩惱生悟解。佛度眾生者。悟解滅煩惱。是知非無煩惱。非無悟解。是知非煩惱無以生悟解。非悟解無以滅煩惱。若迷時佛度眾生。若悟時眾生度佛。何以故。佛不自成。皆由眾生度故。諸佛以無明為父。貪愛為母。無明貪愛皆是眾生別名也。眾生與無明。亦如左掌與右掌。更無別也。迷時在此岸。悟時在彼岸。若知心空不見相。則離迷悟。既離迷悟。亦無彼岸。如來不在此岸。亦不在彼岸。不在中流。中流者。小乘人也。此岸者。凡夫也。彼岸者。菩提也。
佛有三身者。化身報身法身。化身亦云應身。若眾生常作善時即化身。現修智慧即報身。現覺無為即法身。常現飛騰十方隨宜救濟者。化身佛也。若斷惑即是雪山成道者。報身佛也。無言無說無做無得湛然常住者。法身佛也。若論至理。
一佛尚無。何得有三。此謂三身者。但據人智也。人有上中下說。下智之人妄興福力也。妄見化身佛。中智之人妄斷煩惱。妄見報身佛。上智之人妄證菩提。妄見法身佛。
上上智人內照圓寂。明心即佛不待心而得佛智。知三身與萬法皆不可取不可說。此即解脫心成於大道。經云。佛不說法。不度眾生。不證菩提。此之謂矣。眾生造業。業造眾生。今世造業。後世受報。無有脫時。唯有至人。於此身中。不造諸業。故不受報。經云。諸業不造。自然得道。豈虛言哉。人能造業。業不能造人。人若造業。業與人俱生。人若不造業。業與人俱滅。是知業由人造。人由業生。人若不造業。即業無由生人也。亦如人能弘道。道不能弘人。今之凡夫。往往造業。妄說無報。豈不苦哉。
若以至理而論之。前心造後心報。何有脫時。若前心不造。即後心無報。復安妄見業報。經云。雖信有佛。言佛苦行。是名邪見。雖信有佛。言佛有金鏘馬麥之報。是名信不具足。是名一闡提。解聖法者。名為聖人。解凡法者。名為凡夫。但能捨凡法就聖法。即凡夫成聖人矣。
世間愚人。但欲遠求聖人。不信慧解之心為聖人也。經云。無智人中。莫說此經。經云。心也法也。無智之人。不信此心解法。成於聖人。但欲遠求外學愛慕空中佛像光明香色等事。皆墮邪見。失心狂亂。經云。若見諸相非相。即見如來。八萬四千法門。盡由一心而起。若心相內淨。由如虛空。即出離身心內八萬四千煩惱為病本也。凡夫當生憂死。臨飽愁飢。皆名大惑。所以聖人不謀其前。不慮其後。無戀當今。念念歸道。（若為悟此大理者，即須早求人天之善，無令兩失。
夜坐偈云
一更端坐結跏趺 怡神寂照泯同虛 曠劫由來不生滅 何須生滅滅無餘
一切諸法皆如幻 本性自空那用除 若識心性非形像 湛然不動自真如
二更凝神轉明淨 不起憶想同真性 森羅萬像併歸空 更執有空還是病
諸法本自非空有 凡夫妄想論邪正 若能不二其居懷 誰道即凡非是聖
三更心淨等虛空 遍滿十方無不通 山河石壁無能障 恒沙世界在其中
世界本性真如性 亦無無性即含融 非但諸佛能如此 有情之類並皆同
四更無滅亦無生 量與虛空法界平 無去無來無起滅 非有非無非暗明
不起諸見如來見 無名可名真佛名 唯有悟者應能識 未會眾生由若盲
五更般若照無邊 不起一念歷三千 欲見真如平等性 慎勿生心即目前
妙理玄奧非心測 不用尋逐令疲極 若能無念即真求 更若有求還不識
Wake-up Sermon
The essence of the Way is detachment. And the goal of those who practice is freedom from appearances. The sutras say, Detachment is enlightenment because it negates appearances. Buddhahood means awareness Mortals whose minds are aware reach the Way of Enlightenment and are therefore called Buddhas. The sutras say, “Those who free themselves from all appearances are called Buddhas.” The appearance of appearance as no appearance can’t be seen visually but can only be known by means of wisdom. Whoever hears and believes this teaching embarks on the Great Vehicle” and leaves the three realms. The three realms are greed, anger, and delusion. To leave the three realms means to go from greed, anger, and delusion back to morality, meditation, and wisdom. Greed, anger, and delusion have no nature of their own. They depend on mortals. And anyone capable of reflection is bound to see that the nature of greed, anger, and delusion is the buddha-nature. Beyond greed, anger, and delusion there is no other buddha-nature. The sutras say, “Bu as have only become buddhas while living with the three poisons and nourishing themselves on the pure Dharma.” The three poisons are greed, anger, and delusion.
The Great Vehicle is the greatest of all vehicles. It’s the conveyance of bodhisattvas, who use everything wit out using anything and who travel all day without traveling. Such is the vehicle of Buddhas.
The sutras say, “No vehicle is the vehicle of Buddhas.”
Whoever realizes that the six senses aren’t real, that the five aggregates are fictions, that no such things can be located anywhere in the body, understands the language of Buddhas. The sutras say, “The cave of five aggregates is the hall of Zen. The opening of the inner eye is the door of the Great Vehicle.” What could be clearer?
Not thinking about anything is Zen. Once you know this, walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is Zen. To know that the mind is empty is to see the Buddha. The Buddhas of the ten directions” have no mind. To see no mind is to see the Buddha.
To give up yourself without regret is the greatest charity. To transcend motion and stillness is the highest meditation. Mortals keep moving, and Arhats stay still.” But the highest meditation surpasses both that of mortals and that of Arhats. People who reach such understanding free themselves from all appearances without effort and cure all illnesses without treatment. Such is the power of great Zen. Using the mind to look for reality is delusion. Not using the mind to took for reality is awareness. Freeing oneself from words is liberation. Remaining unblemished by the dust of sensation is guarding the Dharma. Transcending life and death is leaving home.”
Not suffering another existence is reaching the Way. Not creating delusions is enlightenment. Not engaging in ignorance is wisdom. No affliction is nirvana. And no appearance of the mind is the other shore.
When you’re deluded, this shore exists. When you wake tip, it doesn’t exist. Mortals stay on this shore. But those who discover the greatest of all vehicles stay on neither this shore nor the other shore. They’re able to leave both shores. Those who see the other shore as different from this shore don’t understand Zen.
Delusion means mortality. And awareness means Buddhahood. They’re not the same. And they’re not different. It’s ‘List that people distinguish delusion from awareness. When we’re deluded there’s a world to escape. When we’re aware, there’s nothing to escape.
In the light of the impartial Dharma, mortals look no different from sages. The sutras say that the impartial Dharma is something that mortals can’t penetrate and sages can’t practice. The impartial Dharma is only practiced by great bodhisattvas and Buddhas. To look on life as different from death or on motion as different from stillness is to be partial. To be impartial means to look on suffering as no different from nirvana,, because the nature of both is emptiness. By imagining they’re putting an end to Suffering and entering nirvana Arhats end up trapped by nirvana. But bodhisattvas know that suffering is essentially empty. And by remaining in emptiness they remain in nirvana. Nirvana means no birth and no death. It’s beyond birth and death and beyond nirvana. When the mind stops moving, it enters nirvana. Nirvana is an empty mind. When delusions dont exist, Buddhas reach nirvana. Where afflictions don’t exist, bodhisattvas enter the place of enlightenment An uninhabited place is one without greed, anger, or delusion. Greed is the realm of desire, anger the realm of form, and delusion the formless realm. When a thought begins, you enter the three realms. When a thought ends, you leave the three realms. The beginning or end of the three realms, the existence or nonexistence of anything, depends on the mind. This applies to everything, even to such inanimate objects as rocks and sticks.
Whoever knows that the mind is a fiction and devoid of anything real knows that his own mind neither exists nor doesn’t exist. Mortals keep creating the mind, claiming it exists. And Arhats keep negating the mind, claiming it doesn’t exist. But bodhisattvas and Buddhas neither create nor negate the mind. This is what’s meant by the mind that neither exists nor doesn’t exist. The mind that neither exists nor doesn’t exist is called the Middle Way.
If you use your mind to study reality, you won’t understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you’ll understand both. Those who don’t understand don’t understand understanding. And those who understand, understand not understanding. People capable of true vision know that the mind is empty. They transcend both understanding and not understanding. The absence of both understanding and not understanding is true understanding Seen with true vision, form isn’t simply form, because form depends on mind. And mind isn’t simply mind, because mind depends on form. Mind and form create and negate each other. That which exists exists in relation to that which doesn’t exist. And that which doesn’t exist doesn’t exist in relation to that which exists. This is true vision. By means of such vision nothing is seen and nothing is not seen. Such vision reaches throughout the ten directions without seeing: because nothing is seen; because not seeing is seen; because seeing isn’t seeing. What mortals see are delusions. True vision is detached from seeing. The mind and the world are opposites, and vision arises where they meet. When your mind doesn’t stir inside, the world doesn’t arise outside. When the world and the mind are both transparent, this is true vision. And such understanding is true understanding.
To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma, because seeing is neither seeing nor not seeing and because understanding is neither understanding nor not understanding. Seeing without seeing is true vision. Understanding without understanding is true understanding.
True vision isn’t just seeing seeing. It’s also seeing not seeing. And true understanding isn’t just understanding understanding. It’s also understanding not understanding. If you understand anything, you don’t understand. Only when you understand nothing is it true understanding. Understanding is neither understanding nor not understanding.
The sutras say, “Not to let go of wisdom is stupidity.” When the mind doesn’t exist, understanding and not understanding are both true. When the mind exists, understanding and not understanding are both false. When you understand, reality depends on you. When you don’t understand, you depend on reality. When reality depends on you, that which isn’t real becomes real. When you depend on reality, that which is real becomes false. When you depend on reality, everything is false. When reality depends on you, everything is true. Thus, the sage doesn’t use his mind to look for reality, or reality to look for his mind, or his mind to look for his mind, or reality to look for reality.
His mind doesn’t give rise to reality. And reality doesn’t give rise to his mind. And because both his mind and reality are still, he’s always in samadhi.
When the mortal mind appears, buddhahood disappears. When the mortal mind disappears, buddhahood appears. When the mind appears, reality disappears. When the mind disappears, reality appears. Whoever knows that nothing depends on anything has found the Way. And whoever knows that the mind depends on nothing is always at the place of enlightenment.
When you don’t understand, your wrong. When you understand, you re not wrong. This is because the nature of wrong is empty. When you don’t understand right seems wrong. When you understand, wrong isn’t wrong, because wrong doesn’t exist. The sutras say, “Nothing has a nature of its own.” Act. Don’t question. When you question, you’re wrong. Wrong is the result of questioning. When you reach such an understanding, the wrong deeds of your past lives are wiped away. When you’re deluded, the six senses and five shades are constructs of suffering and mortality When you wake up, the six senses and five shades are constructs of nirvana and immortality.
Someone who seeks the Way doesn’t look beyond himself. He knows that the mind is the Way. But when he finds the mind, he finds nothing. And when he finds the Way, he finds nothing. If you think you can use the mind to find the Way, you’re deluded. When you, re deluded, buddhahood exists. When you’re aware, it doesn’t exist. This is because awareness is buddhahood.
If you’re looking for the Way, the Way won’t appear until your body’ disappears. It’s like stripping bark from a tree. This karmic body undergoes constant change. It has no fixed reality. Practice according to your thoughts. Don’t hate life and death or love life and death. Keep your every thought free of delusion, and in life you’ll witness the beg- inning of nirvana and in death you’ll experience the assurance of no rebirth.
To see form but not be corrupted by form or to hear sound but not to be corrupted by sound is liberation. Eyes that aren’t attached to form are the gates of Zen. In short, those who perceive the existence and nature of phenomena and remain unattached are liberated. Those who perceive the external appearance of phenomena are at their mercy. Not to be subject to afflictions is what’s meant by liberation. There’s no other liberation. When you know how to look at form, form doesn’t give rise to mind and mind doesn’t give rise to form. Form and mind are both pure.
When delusions are absent, the mind is the land of Buddhas. When delusions are present, the mind is hell. Mortals create delusions. And by using the mind to give birth to mind they always find themselves in hell. Bodhisattvas see through delusions. And by not using the mind to give birth to mind they always find themselves in the land of Buddhas. If you don’t use your mind to create mind, every state of mind is empty and every thought is still. You go from one buddhaland to another. If you use your mind to create mind, every state of mind is disturbed and every thought is in motion. You go from one hell to the next. When a thought arises, there’s good karma and bad karma, heaven and hell. When no thought arises, there’s no good karma or bad karma, no heaven or hell.
The body neither exists nor doesn’t exist. Hence existence as a mortal and nonexistence as a sage are conceptions with which a sage has nothing to do. His heart is empty and spacious as the sky. That which follows is witnessed on the Way. It’s beyond the ken of Arhats and mortals.
When the mind reaches nirvana, you don’t see nirvana, because the mind is nirvana. If you see nirvana somewhere outside the mind, you’re deluding yourself.
Every suffering is a buddha-seed, because suffering impels mortals to seek wisdom. But you can only say that suffering gives rise to Buddhahood. You can’t say that suffering is Buddhahood. Your body and mind are the field.
Suffering is the seed, wisdom the sprout, and Buddhahood the grain. The Buddha in the mind is like a fragrance in a tree. The Buddha comes from a mind free of suffering, just as a fragrance comes from a tree free of decay. There’s no fragrance without the tree and no Buddha without the mind. If there’s a fragrance without a tree, it’s a different fragrance. If there’s a Buddha without your mind, it’s a different Buddha.
When the three poisons are present in your mind, you live in a land of filth.
When the three poisons are absent from your mind, you live in a land of purity.
The sutras say, “if you fill a land with impurity and filth, no Buddha will ever appear.” Impurity and filth refer to on and the other poisons. A Buddha refers to a pure and awakened mind. There’s no language that, isn’t the Dharma. To talk all day without saying anything is the Way. To be silent all day and still say something isn’t the Way. Hence neither does a Tathagata speech depend on silence, nor does his silence depend on speech, nor does his speech exist apart from his silence. Those who understand both speech and silence are in samadhi. If you speak when you know, Your speech is free. If you’re silent when you don’t know, your silence is tied. If speech isn’t attached to appearances its free. If silence is attached to appearances, it’s tied. Language is essentially free. It has nothing to do with attachment. And attachment has nothing to do with language. Reality has no high or low. If you see high or low, It isn’t real. A raft isn’t real. But a passenger raft is. A person who rides such a raft can cross that which isn’t real. That’s why it’s real.
According to the world there’s male and female, rich and poor. According to the Way there’s no male or female, no rich or poor. When the goddess realized the Way, she didn’t change her sex. When the stable boy” awakened to the Truth, he didn’t change his status. Free of sex and status, they shared the same basic appearance. The goddess searched twelve years for her womanhood without success. To search twelve years for ones manhood would likewise be fruitless. The twelve years refer to the twelve entrances. Without the mind there s no Buddha. Without the Buddha there is no mind.
Likewise, without water there’s no ice, and without ice there is no water. Whoever talks about leaving the mind doesn’t get very far. Don’t become attached to appearances of the mind. The sutras say, “When you see no appearance, you see the Buddha.” This is what’s meant by being free from appearances of the mind. Without the mind there’s no Buddha means that the-buddha comes from the mind. The mind gives birth to the Buddha. But although the Buddha comes from the mind, the mind doesn’t come from the Buddha, just as fish come from water, but water doesn’t come from fish. Whoever wants to see a fish sees the water before lie sees the fish. And whoever wants to see a Buddha sees the mind before he sees the Buddha. Once you’ve seen the fish, You forget about the water. And once you’ve seen the Buddha, you forget about the mind. If you don’t forget about the mind, the mind will confuse you, just as the water will confuse you if you don’t forget about it.
Mortality and Buddhahood are like water and ice. To be afflicted by the three poisons is mortality. To be purified by the three releases” is Buddhahood. That which freezes into ice in the winter melts into water in summer. Eliminate ice and there’s no more water. Get rid of mortality and there’s no more Buddhahood. Clearly, the nature of ice is the nature of water. And the nature of water is the nature of ice. And the nature of mortality is the nature of Buddhahood.
Mortality and Buddhahood share the same nature, just as Wutou and Futzu share the same root but not the same season. It’s only because of the delusion of differences that we have the words mortality and buddhahood. When a snake becomes a dragon, it doesn’t change its scales. And when a mortal becomes a sage, he doesn’t change his face. He knows his mind through internal wisdom and takes care of his body through external discipline.
Mortals liberate Buddhas and Buddhas liberate mortals. This is what’s meant by impartiality. Mortals liberate Buddhas because affliction creates awareness. And Buddhas liberate mortals because awareness negates affliction.
There can’t help but be affliction. And there can’t help but be awareness. If it weren’t for affliction, there would be nothing to create awareness. And if it weren’t for awareness, there would be nothing to negate affliction. When you’re deluded, Buddhas liberate mortals. When you’re aware, mortals liberate Buddhas. Buddhas don’t become Buddhas on their own. They’re liberated by mortals. Buddhas regard delusion as their father and greed as their mother.
Delusion and greed are different names for mortality. Delusion and mortality are like the left hand and the right hand. There’s no other difference.
When you’re deluded, you’re on this shore. When you’re aware, you’re on the other shore. But once you know your mind is empty and you see no appearances, you’re beyond delusion and awareness. And once you’re beyond delusion and awareness, the other shore doesn’t exist. The tathagata isn’t on this shore or the other shore. And he isn’t in midstream. Arhats are in midstream and mortals are on this shore. On the other shore is Buddhahood.
Buddhas have three bodies: a transformation body a reward body, and a real body. The transformation body is also called the incarnation body. The transformation body appears when mortals do good deeds, the reward body when they cultivate wisdom, and the real body when they become aware of the sublime. The transformation body is the one you see flying in all directions rescuing others wherever it can. The reward body puts an end to doubts. The Great Enlightenment occurred in the Himalayas suddenly becomes true. The real body doesn’t do or say anything. It remains perfectly still. But actually, there’s not even one buddha-body, much less three. This talk of three bodies is simply based on human understanding, which can be shallow, moderate, or deep. People of shallow understanding imagine they’re piling up blessings and mistake the transformation body for the Buddha. People of moderate understanding imagine they’re putting an end to Suffering and mistake the reward body for the Buddha.
And people of deep understanding imagine they’re experiencing Buddhahood and mistake the real body for the Buddha. But people of the deepest understanding took within, distracted by nothing. Since a clear mind is the Buddha they attain the understanding of a Buddha without using the mind. The three bodies, like all other things, are unattainable and indescribable. The unimpeded mind reaches the Way. The sutras say, ” Buddhas don’t preach the Dharma. They don’t liberate mortals. And they don’t experience Buddhahood.” This is what I mean. Individuals create karma; karma doesn’t create individuals. They create karma in this life and receive their reward in the next. They never escape.
Only someone who’s perfect creates no karma in this life and receives no reward. The sutras say, “Who creates no karma obtains the Dharma.” This isn’t an empty saying. You can create karma but you can’t create a person. When you create karma, you’re reborn along with your karma. When you don’t create karma, you vanish along with your karma. Hence, wit karma dependent on the individual and the individual dependent on karma, if an individual doesn’t create karma, karma has no hold on him. In the same manner, “A person can enlarge the Way. The Way can’t enlarge a person.”
Mortals keep creating karma and mistakenly insist that there’s no retribution. But can they deny suffering? Can they deny that what the present state of mind sows the next state of mind reaps? How can they escape? But if the present state of mind sows nothing, the next state of mind reaps nothing. Don’t misconceive karma.
The sutras say, “Despite believing in Buddhas, people who imagine that Buddhas practice austerities aren’t Buddhists. The same holds for those who imagine that Buddhas are subject to rewards of wealth or poverty. They’re icchantikas. They’re incapable of belief.” Someone who understands the teaching of sages is a sage. Someone who understands the teaching of mortals is a mortal. A mortal who can give up the teaching of mortals and follow the teaching of sages becomes a sage. But the fools of this world prefer to look for sage a away. They don’t believe that the wisdom of their own mind is the sage. The sutras say, “Among men of no understanding, don’t preach this sutra. And the sutras say, “Mind is the teaching.” But people of no understanding don’t believe their own mind or that by understanding this teaching they can become a sage. They prefer to look for distant knowledge and long for things in space, buddha-images, light, incense, and colors. They fall prey to falsehood and lose their minds to Insanity.
The sutras say, “When you see that all appearances are not appearances, you see the tathagata.” The myriad doors to the truth all come from the mind. When appearances of the mind are as transparent as space, they’re gone.
Our endless sufferings are the roots of illness. When mortals are alive, they worry about death. When they’re full, they worry about hunger. Theirs is the Great Uncertainty. But sages don’t consider the past. And they don’t worry about the future. Nor do they cling to the present. And from moment to moment they follow the Way. If you haven’t awakened to this great truth, you’d better look for a teacher on earth or in the heavens. Don’t compound your own deficiency.
悟性論
夫道者。以寂滅為體。修者。以離相為宗。故經云。寂滅是菩提。滅諸相故。佛者覺也。人有覺心。得菩提道。故名為佛。經云。離一切諸相。即名諸佛。是知有相是無相之相。不可以眼見。唯可以智知。若聞此法者。生一念信心。此人以發大乘。乃超三界。三界者。貪嗔癡是。返貪嗔癡為戒定慧。即名超三界。
然貪嗔癡亦無實性。但據眾生而言矣。若能返照。了了見貪嗔癡性即是佛性。貪嗔癡外更無別有佛性。經云。諸佛從本來。常處於三毒。長養於白法。而成於世尊。三毒者。貪嗔癡也。言大乘最上乘者。皆是菩薩所行之處也。無所不乘。
亦無所乘。終日乘未嘗乘。此為佛乘。經云。無乘為佛乘也。
若人知六根不實。五蘊假名。遍體求之。必無定處。當知此人解佛語。經云。五蘊窟宅。是名禪院。內照開解即大乘門。可不明哉。不憶一切法。乃名為禪定。若了此言者。行住坐臥皆禪定。知心是空。名為見佛。何以故。十方諸佛皆以無心不見於心。名為見佛。捨身不吝。名大布施。離諸動定。名大坐禪。何以故。凡夫一向動。小乘一向定。謂出過凡夫小乘之坐禪。名大坐禪。若作此會者。一切諸相不求自解。一切諸病不治自差。此皆大禪定力。
凡將心求法者為迷。不將心求法者為悟。不著文字名解脫。不染六塵名護法。出離生死名出家。不受後有名得道。不生妄想名涅槃。不處無明為大智慧。無煩惱處名般涅槃。無心相處名為彼岸。迷時有此岸。若悟時無此岸。何以故。為凡夫一向住此。若覺最上乘者。心不住此。亦不住彼。故能離於此彼岸也。若見彼岸異於此岸。此人之心已得無禪定。
煩惱名眾生。悟解名菩提。亦不一不異。只隔其迷悟耳。迷時有世間可出。悟時無世間可出。平等法中。不見凡夫異於聖人。經云。平等法者。凡夫不能入。聖人不能行。平等法者。唯有大菩薩與諸佛如來行也。若見生異於死。動異於靜。皆名不平等。不見煩惱異於涅槃。是名平等。何以故。煩惱與涅槃。同是一性空故。
是以小乘人妄斷煩惱。妄入涅槃。為涅槃所滯。菩薩知煩惱性空。即不離空。故常在涅槃。涅槃者。涅而不生。槃而不死。出離生死。名般涅槃。心無去來。即入涅槃。是知涅槃即是空心。諸佛入涅槃者。為在無妄想處。菩薩入道場者。
即是無煩惱處。
空閑處者。即是無貪嗔癡也。貪為欲界。嗔為色界。癡為無色界。若一念心生。即入三界。一念心滅。即出三界。是知三界生滅。萬法有無。皆由一心。凡言一心者。似破瓦石竹木無情之物。若知心是假名無有實體。即知自家之心亦是非有亦是非無。何以故。凡夫一向生心名為有。小乘一向滅心名為無。菩薩與佛未曾生心。未曾滅心。名為非有非無心。非有非無心。此名為中道。是知持心學法。則心法俱迷。不持心學法。則心法俱悟。
凡迷者迷於悟。悟者悟於迷。正見之人。知心空無。即超迷悟。無有迷悟。始名正解正見。色不自色。由心故色。心不自心。由色故心。是知心色兩相俱生滅。有者有於無。無者無於有。是名真見。夫真見者。無所不見。亦無所見。見滿十方。未曾有見。何以故。無所見故。見無見故。見非見故。
凡夫所見。皆名妄想。若寂滅無見。始名真見。心境相對。見生於中。若內不起心。則外不生境。故境心俱淨。乃名為真見。作此解時。乃名正見。不見一切法。乃名得道。不解一切法。乃名解法。何以故。見與不見。俱不見故。解與不解。俱不解故。無見之見。乃名真見。無解之解。乃名真解。
夫真見者。非直見於見。亦乃見於不見。真解者。非直解於解。亦乃解於無解。凡有所解。皆名不解。無所解者。始名正解。解與不解。俱非解也。經云。不捨智慧名愚癡。以心為空。解與不解俱是真。以心為有。解與不解俱是妄。若解時法逐人。若不解時人逐法。若法逐於人。則非法成法。若人逐於法。則法成非法。若人逐於法。則法皆妄。若法逐於人。則法皆真。
是以聖人亦不將心求法。亦不將法求心。亦不將心求心。亦不將法求法。所以心不生法。法不生心。心法兩寂。故常為在定。眾生心生則佛法滅。眾生心滅則佛法生。心生則真法滅。心滅則真法生。已知一切法各各不相屬。是名得道人。
知心不屬一切法。此人常在道場。
迷時有罪。解時無罪。何以故。罪性空故。若迷時無罪見罪。若解時即罪非罪。何以故。罪無處所故。經云。諸法無性。真用莫疑。疑即成罪。何以故。罪因疑惑而生。若作此解者。前世罪業即為消滅。迷時六識五陰皆是煩惱生死法。悟時六識五陰皆是涅槃無生死法。
修道人不外求道。何以故。知心是道。若得心時。無心可得。若得道時。無道可得。若言將心求道得者。皆名邪見。迷時有佛有法。悟無佛無法。何以故。悟即是佛法。夫修道者。身滅道成。亦如甲折樹。生此業報身念念無常。無一定法。但隨念修之。亦不得厭生死。亦不得愛生死。但念念之中。不得妄想。則生證有餘涅槃。死入無生法忍。
眼見色時。不染於色。耳聞聲時。不染於聲。皆解脫也。眼不著色。眼為禪門。耳不著聲。耳為禪門。總而言之。見色有見色性不著常解脫。見色相者常繫縛。不為煩惱所繫縛者。即名解脫。更無別解脫。善觀色者。色不生心。心不生色。即色與心俱清淨。
無妄想時。一心是一佛國。有妄想時。一心是一地獄。眾生造作妄想。以心生心。故常在地獄。菩薩觀察妄想。不以心生心。故常在佛國。若不以心生心。則心心入空。念念歸靜。從一佛國。至一佛國。若以心生心。則心心不靜。念念歸動。從一地獄。歷一地獄。
若一念心起。則有善惡二業。有天堂地獄。若一念心不起。即無善惡二業。亦無天堂地獄。為體非有非無。在凡即有。在聖即無。聖人無其心。故胸臆空洞。與天同量。此以下並是大道中證，非小乘及凡夫境界也。心得涅槃時。即不見有涅槃。何以故。心是涅槃。若心外更見涅槃。此名著邪見也。
一切煩惱為如來種心。為因煩惱而得智慧。只可道煩惱生如來。不可得道煩惱是如來。故身心為田疇。煩惱為種子。智慧為萌芽。如來喻於穀也。佛在心中。如香在樹中。煩惱若盡。佛從心出。朽腐若盡。香從樹出。即知樹外無香。心外無佛。若樹外有香。即是他香。心外有佛。即是他佛。
心中有三毒者。是名國土穢惡。心中無三毒者。是名國土清淨。經云。若使國土不淨。穢惡充滿。諸佛世尊於中出者。無有此事。不淨穢惡者。即無明三毒是。諸佛世尊者。即清淨覺悟心是。一切言語無非佛法。若能無其所言。而盡日言是道。若能有其所言。即終日默而非道。是故如來言不乘默。默不乘言。言不離默。悟此言默者。皆在三昧。若知時而言。言亦解脫。若不知時而默。默亦繫縛。是故言若離相。言亦名解脫。默若著相。默即是繫縛。
夫文字者。本性解脫。文字不能就繫縛。繫縛自本來未就文字。法無高下。若見高下。非法也。非法為筏。是法為人筏者。人乘其筏者。即得渡於非法。則是法也。若以世俗言之。即有男女貴賤。以道言之。即無男女貴賤。是以天女悟道。不變女形。車匿解真。寧移賤稱乎。此蓋非男女貴賤。皆由一相也。天女於十二年中求女相。了不可得。即知於十二年中求男相。亦不可得。十二年者。即十二入是也。
離心無佛。離佛無心。亦如離水無冰。亦如離冰無水。凡言離心者。非是遠離於心。但使不著心相。經云。不見相名為見佛。即是離心相也。離佛無心者。言佛從心出。心能生佛。然佛從心生。而心未嘗生於佛。亦如魚生於水。水不生於魚。欲觀於魚。未見魚而先見水。欲觀佛者。未見佛而先見心。即知已見魚者忘於水。已見佛者忘於心。若不忘於心。尚為心所惑。若不忘於水。尚被水所迷。
眾生與菩提。亦如水與冰。為三毒所燒。即名眾生。為三解脫所淨。即名菩提。為三冬所凍。即名為冰。為三夏所消。即名為水。若捨卻冰。即無別水。若棄卻眾生。則無別菩提。明知冰性即是水性。水性即是冰性。眾生性者。即菩提性也。眾生與菩提同一性。亦如烏頭與附子共根耳。但時節不同。迷異境故。有眾生菩提二名矣。是以蛇化為龍。不改其鱗。凡變為聖。不改其面。（但知心者智內照。身者戒外貞。）
眾生度佛。佛度眾生。是名平等。眾生度佛者。煩惱生悟解。佛度眾生者。悟解滅煩惱。是知非無煩惱。非無悟解。是知非煩惱無以生悟解。非悟解無以滅煩惱。若迷時佛度眾生。若悟時眾生度佛。何以故。佛不自成。皆由眾生度故。諸佛以無明為父。貪愛為母。無明貪愛皆是眾生別名也。眾生與無明。亦如左掌與右掌。更無別也。迷時在此岸。悟時在彼岸。若知心空不見相。則離迷悟。既離迷悟。亦無彼岸。如來不在此岸。亦不在彼岸。不在中流。中流者。小乘人也。此岸者。凡夫也。彼岸者。菩提也。
佛有三身者。化身報身法身。化身亦云應身。若眾生常作善時即化身。現修智慧即報身。現覺無為即法身。常現飛騰十方隨宜救濟者。化身佛也。若斷惑即是雪山成道者。報身佛也。無言無說無做無得湛然常住者。法身佛也。若論至理。
一佛尚無。何得有三。此謂三身者。但據人智也。人有上中下說。下智之人妄興福力也。妄見化身佛。中智之人妄斷煩惱。妄見報身佛。上智之人妄證菩提。妄見法身佛。
上上智人內照圓寂。明心即佛不待心而得佛智。知三身與萬法皆不可取不可說。此即解脫心成於大道。經云。佛不說法。不度眾生。不證菩提。此之謂矣。眾生造業。業造眾生。今世造業。後世受報。無有脫時。唯有至人。於此身中。不造諸業。故不受報。經云。諸業不造。自然得道。豈虛言哉。人能造業。業不能造人。人若造業。業與人俱生。人若不造業。業與人俱滅。是知業由人造。人由業生。人若不造業。即業無由生人也。亦如人能弘道。道不能弘人。今之凡夫。往往造業。妄說無報。豈不苦哉。
若以至理而論之。前心造後心報。何有脫時。若前心不造。即後心無報。復安妄見業報。經云。雖信有佛。言佛苦行。是名邪見。雖信有佛。言佛有金鏘馬麥之報。是名信不具足。是名一闡提。解聖法者。名為聖人。解凡法者。名為凡夫。但能捨凡法就聖法。即凡夫成聖人矣。
世間愚人。但欲遠求聖人。不信慧解之心為聖人也。經云。無智人中。莫說此經。經云。心也法也。無智之人。不信此心解法。成於聖人。但欲遠求外學愛慕空中佛像光明香色等事。皆墮邪見。失心狂亂。經云。若見諸相非相。即見如來。八萬四千法門。盡由一心而起。若心相內淨。由如虛空。即出離身心內八萬四千煩惱為病本也。凡夫當生憂死。臨飽愁飢。皆名大惑。所以聖人不謀其前。不慮其後。無戀當今。念念歸道。（若為悟此大理者，即須早求人天之善，無令兩失。
夜坐偈云
一更端坐結跏趺 怡神寂照泯同虛 曠劫由來不生滅 何須生滅滅無餘
一切諸法皆如幻 本性自空那用除 若識心性非形像 湛然不動自真如
二更凝神轉明淨 不起憶想同真性 森羅萬像併歸空 更執有空還是病
諸法本自非空有 凡夫妄想論邪正 若能不二其居懷 誰道即凡非是聖
三更心淨等虛空 遍滿十方無不通 山河石壁無能障 恒沙世界在其中
世界本性真如性 亦無無性即含融 非但諸佛能如此 有情之類並皆同
四更無滅亦無生 量與虛空法界平 無去無來無起滅 非有非無非暗明
不起諸見如來見 無名可名真佛名 唯有悟者應能識 未會眾生由若盲
五更般若照無邊 不起一念歷三千 欲見真如平等性 慎勿生心即目前
妙理玄奧非心測 不用尋逐令疲極 若能無念即真求 更若有求還不識