Diamond Sutra, Heart Sutra, Altar Sutra

Chapter 14
The boy said: "You don't know something. The fifth patriarch Hongren said: 'It is a big problem that needs to be solved urgently for all living beings in the world to escape from the sea of ​​life and death. If anyone realizes the general meaning of Buddhism, he will pass on the mantle to him and let him become the sixth generation patriarch. The master Shenxiu wrote this non-phase gatha on the wall of the south corridor, and the fifth patriarch Hongren asked his disciples to recite it The first verse, according to the practice of this verse, you can avoid falling into the evil way; according to the practice of this verse, you will benefit greatly."

Huineng said: "I also want to recite this gatha to make a connection in the next life. Venerable Master, I have been here to pound rice for eight months, and I have never gone to the hall. I hope the Venerable Master can lead me to the front of the gatha." Go and worship."

The boy took Huineng to worship in front of the gatha.Huineng said: "Huineng, I am illiterate, please read it for me."

At that time, a Jiangzhou Biejia named Zhang Riyong was present, and he recited Shenxiu's gatha aloud.After hearing this, Huineng said, "I also have a verse, I hope you will write it down for me."

Bie said: "You also write? This is really rare."

Original
Huineng said to Biejia: If you want to learn the supreme Bodhi, you should not take it lightly.The subordinates have superior wisdom, and the superior have no intentional wisdom①.If you look down on others, you will commit immeasurable and boundless crimes②.

Don't say: You only recite the gatha, and I will write it for you.If you obtain the Dharma, you must save me first, don’t forget this statement.

Huineng's verse said:

No Bodhi tree, nor stand mirror.

There is nothing, where can the dust be.

After writing this gatha, the disciples were all shocked, and they all said in amazement, "It's amazing, you can't judge a person by his appearance, how long will it take for him to become a bodhisattva in the flesh?"

When the ancestor saw the surprise of the crowd and was afraid of being hurt, he wiped his shoes and said, "I haven't seen sex yet."Everyone agrees.

The next day Zu Qian went to Duifang, saw that he was able to pound rice with a stone at his waist, and said: "A person who seeks the Tao forgets his body for the Dharma, so it should be like this."

Nai asked, "Is the rice ripe yet?"
Huineng said: "The rice has been ripe for a long time, but it still needs to be sieved."

The ancestor struck the pestle three times with his stick and left.Huineng is the will of the ancestors.Three drums entered the room.

The ancestors were surrounded by cassocks, so that no one could see them.In order to expound the "Diamond Sutra", it is necessary to give birth to one's heart without abode⑨, Huineng said that he realized that all dharmas are inseparable from the self-nature.Then Qi Zu said: When the self-nature is originally pure; when the self-nature is not born and destroyed; when the self-nature is complete⑩; when the self-nature is not shaken; Law.

The ancestor knew the original nature, so Huineng said: "If you don't know your original mind, it is useless to study the Dharma."If one recognizes one's original mind and sees one's own nature, one is called a husband, a teacher of heaven and man, and a Buddha B11.

In the third watch, people don't know about the Dharma, so they pass on the Dunjiao and the mantle B12.Yun: You are the sixth-generation ancestor, good at protecting yourself, spreading sentient beings B13, spreading to the future, without order to stop.Listen to my verse:
If sentient beings plant seeds, they will survive.

Heartless has no species, no sex and no life.

Zu Fu said: Master Bodhidharma B14 in the past came to this land for the first time, and no one believed in it, so he passed on this garment as a body of faith, and passed it down from generation to generation.The rules are passed from heart to heart, and all make self-enlightenment and self-understanding.Since ancient times, Buddha and Buddha have only passed on the original body, and teachers and teachers have given their original heart.Clothes are a matter of dispute, so don't pass them on to you. If you pass on the clothes, your life is like a hanging thread. You must go quickly, lest someone will harm you.

Huineng Qi said, "Where are you going?"
Zu Yun: Stop when you are pregnant, and hide B15 when you meet.

Huineng received the mantle at three o'clock, and said: "Neng is originally from Nanzhong, and he doesn't know this mountain road. How did he get out of Jiangkou?"
The Fifth Patriarch said, you don’t need to worry, I will send you off myself.

注释
①Unintentional wisdom: It means dullness, lack of wisdom or wisdom buried.Meaning wisdom means thinking.

② Infinite: refers to the immeasurable meaning.It refers to the infinity of space, time, and quantity, and also refers to the infinity of Buddha.Boundless: Refers to vastness without boundaries.

③ Degree: The meaning of crossing.It refers to crossing the sea of ​​confusion of life and death from here, and reaching the shore of enlightenment.Leaving home is the first step of enlightenment, so it is called "get degree", that is, from the shore of life and death to the other shore of liberation and Nirvana.

④Physical Bodhisattva: Bodhisattva refers to a practitioner who practices according to the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism and can achieve Buddhahood in the future.Body bodhisattva refers to the bodhisattva of the bodhisattva body, that is, the person who has reached the level of bodhisattva practice with the body born of his parents.Bodhisattvas in the physical body can obtain the whole body relics after they have passed away.The so-called relics, according to Volume [-] of "Fayuan Zhulin", the relics are the bones of the body, which are different from the bones of ordinary people and dead people, so the Sanskrit name is retained.It can be divided into three types: [-]. Bone relics, white; [-]. Hair relics, black; [-]. Meat relics, red.The whole body relic is tied to the death of an eminent monk or a great virtuous teacher. Although the body has passed through the ages and time and space, it has not decayed and festered, and it always maintains its original shape and is lifelike.

⑤The rice is not yet ripe: The Zen masters say that "cutting firewood and carrying water is nothing but a wonderful way". Here, pounding rice is used as a metaphor, implying to ask Huineng whether he has enlightened to Taoism and whether his thinking is mature.

⑥I still need to sieve: Here, sifting rice with a sieve is used as a metaphor, implying that Huineng said that his thinking has already matured, and it is only a matter of the fifth patriarch Hongren's enlightenment or verification.

⑦ The ancestor struck the pestle three times with a staff and left: Here, the fifth patriarch, Master Hongren, hinted that Huineng came to see him in the middle of the night.

⑧ Cassock: The monk’s cassock, interpreted as meanings such as irregular color, bad color, dyeing, etc., because the cassock worn by monks and monks must be dyed in turbid color, so the cassock is named after dyeing.And because its shape is stitched together by many rectangular cut pieces of cloth, it looks like the bank of a field, so it is also called cut-off clothing or Tianxiang clothing, also known as Futian clothing.

⑨The heart should be born without dwelling: it is a famous sentence in the "Diamond Sutra", which has the same meaning as "emptiness is form" in the "Heart Sutra".It means that no matter what the situation is, this mind can arise naturally without any attachment.If the mind is attached to something, it is like taking root and not moving, then it cannot effectively grasp everything.Therefore, no matter where you are, you must not have the slightest attachment in your heart, so that you can be free at any time and realize the truth as it is.

[-] Sufficient: An abbreviation for having satisfaction.

B11 Husband: also translated as a scholar husband, referring to an adult man, or a man with perfect roots.The most victorious among people is her husband, who is the one who bravely advances in the righteous way and never retreats.Here is the abbreviation of Tiao Yu Husband, Tiao Yu Husband is one of the top ten names of Buddha, which means that Buddha can control all husbands who can be saved, so that he can practice Taoism.Master of Heaven and Man: It is one of the top ten titles of Tathagata.He is also a teacher of heaven and man, saying that the Buddha is the teacher of the heavens and human beings, teaching everything that should be done and should not be done, good and bad. Known as the master of heaven and man.

B12 Sudden Teaching: refers to the teaching method of sudden enlightenment and becoming a Buddha.Divided by the content of the teaching, the teaching method that achieves enlightenment after long-term practice is called gradual teaching; the teaching method that immediately proves Buddhahood and Bodhi is called sudden teaching.Clothes and bowls: Refers to three garments and one bowl.Three garments refer to three kinds of cassocks: nine garments, seven garments, and five garments.The bowl is the official food vessel of the practicing monks, and it is the most important among the belongings of the monks.When taking precepts, three garments and one bowl are indispensable, which is also the general term for cassock and iron bowl.The teaching of Zen is to pass on the mantle to the disciples, which is called passing on the mantle. Therefore, it is also extended that the teacher will pass on the main idea of ​​Buddhism to his successors.

B13 sentient beings: the old translation is all living beings, that is, the survivors.Regarding "sentient beings" and "sentient beings", it is said that "sentient beings" refer to sentient beings such as humans, gods, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras.And plants, trees, gold and stones, mountains, rivers and the earth are non-feeling and heartless things. "Sentient beings" include both sentient and non-sentient beings.Another theory holds that "sentimental" is a different name for "sentient beings".

B14 Bodhidharma: refers to Bodhidharma (? -535), who is the first ancestor of Zen Buddhism in my country and the No.20 eighth patriarch of Xitian.In the first year of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty (520), he traveled across the sea to Panyu, Guangzhou. Emperor Wu sent envoys to welcome him to Jianye. However, the language of Emperor Wu did not match, so he crossed the river to Wei, and sat in meditation facing the wall of Shaolin Temple in Songshan. And the four volumes of the Langa Sutra.After death, he was buried in Shanglin Temple on Xiong'er Mountain.Emperor Wu of Liang honored his teacher as "Master Shengxuan"; Emperor Zong of the Tang Dynasty bestowed the posthumous title of "Master Yuanjue".

B15 Huai: Refers to Huaiji County, today's Wuzhou, Guangxi.Hui: Refers to Sihui County, today's Guangdong Xinhui.

Translation
Huineng said to Zhang Biejia: "If you want to learn the supreme way of Bodhi enlightenment, you should not underestimate those who are new to Buddhism. Among the low-level people, there will be high-level wisdom, and among the high-level people, there will be dullness. Unwise. To belittle others is to commit a crime immeasurable."

Zhang Biejia then said, "Just speak your gatha, and I will write it for you. If you obtain the Fa, you must first save me. Please don't forget this sentence."

Huineng's verse says:

No Bodhi tree, nor stand mirror.

There is nothing, where can the dust be.

After Zhang Biejia finished writing this gatha, all the disciples were amazed, and none of them did not sigh, and said to each other: "It is a miracle, people should not judge people by appearance, when did he become a bodhisattva in the flesh?"

The Fifth Patriarch saw everyone surprised and complained, fearing that someone would harm Huineng, he wiped off the gatha with his shoe and said, "This gatha doesn't show the original intention." So everyone thought it was so.

The next day, the Fifth Patriarch quietly came to Duifang and saw Huineng struggling to pound rice with a big stone tied to his waist.

Then he asked, "Is the rice ready?"

Huineng said, "The rice is ripe long ago, it just needs to be sifted through a sieve!"

The Fifth Patriarch Hongren knocked on the stone three times with a stick and walked away. Huineng immediately understood the Fifth Patriarch's intention.In the middle of the night that night, he came to the fifth patriarch's room.

The Fifth Patriarch covered the doors and windows with his cassock so that no one could see him.When explaining the "Diamond Sutra" for Huineng, when it was said that "the mind should be born without dwelling", Huineng was instantly enlightened and understood the truth that "all dharmas are inseparable from the self-nature".Huineng then told the Fifth Patriarch: "Unexpectedly, the nature of the self is originally pure; it is unexpected that the nature of the self is immortal; it is unexpected that the nature of the self is self-sufficient; Unexpectedly, the nature of the self can explain and produce all phenomena."

Master Hongren, the Fifth Patriarch, knew that Huineng had realized his original nature, so he said to Huineng: "It is useless to study Buddhism if you cannot know your original mind. If you know your own nature and see your own original mind, such a person can be called To be a great man, a teacher of heaven and man, and a Buddha."

The fifth patriarch Hongren taught Huineng Buddhism at the third watch, but no one knew about it.So the fifth patriarch passed on the Zen enlightenment method and the mantle to Huineng, saying: "You are now the sixth generation patriarch, please cherish yourself, protect yourself, and save all sentient beings in the world. Let it be interrupted and lost. Listen to my gatha." The gatha said:
If sentient beings plant seeds, they will survive.

Without emotion, there is no species, and without sex, there is no birth.

The Fifth Patriarch Hongren also said: "When Master Bodhidharma came to China from India to preach Buddhism, people didn't believe him, so he handed down this cassock as a token, which was passed down from generation to generation as a proof. Dunjiao The Dharma door is based on heart-to-heart, heart-to-heart confirmation, and you have to seek liberation by yourself. Since ancient times, the teachings of all Buddhas have been based on the truth, and the ancestors have passed down the teachings from generation to generation. It is really a scourge of contention. Don’t pass it on to you anymore. If you pass on this cassock again, your life will be at stake, and you will be in danger at any moment. You must leave quickly, lest someone will harm you .”

Huineng asked Master Hongren, the Fifth Patriarch, "Where are you going?"

The Fifth Patriarch said: "When you encounter a place with the word 'Huai', you will stop, and when you encounter a place with the word 'Hui', you will live in seclusion."

Huineng received the mantle in the middle of the night, and said, "Huineng, I am originally from the south. I don't know the mountain roads here. How can I leave for Jiangkou?"

The Fifth Patriarch said, "You don't need to worry, I will send you off personally."

Original
The ancestors sent them off until Jiujiang Station ①.The ancestor ordered to board the boat, and the fifth ancestor shook the oar by himself.Huineng said: Please sit down with the monk, and the disciples will shake the scull together.Zu Yun: Together, I will cross you.Huineng Yun: When you are lost, you can teach yourself to save yourself. Although the name of the save is the same, it has different uses.Huineng was born in the frontier, and his pronunciation was not correct. He was taught the Dharma by his master, and now he has enlightened, and he can only save himself according to his own nature.Zu Yun: So it is.From now on, Buddhism will be practiced by you. After you go for three years, I will pass away.It is easy for you to go now, try your best to go south, it is not appropriate to speak quickly, the Dharma is hard to come up with.

Huineng resigned from his ancestors and went southward.In the middle of two months, as far as Dayuling ④, hundreds of people came after them, wanting to seize the mantle.

A monk with a common surname of Chen and a given name of Huiming.The first is the general of the fourth rank, who is rough in nature and eager to search ⑤. He is the first for everyone and takes advantage of Huineng.Huineng threw down his mantle and bowl on the stone, saying: "This mantle is a sign of trust, you can strive for it."

Can hide in the grass, Huiming arrives, and does not move.Nai Huan said: "Walker, walker, I came for the Dharma, not for the clothes."

Huineng then came out and sat cross-legged on a rock.Huiming made a ceremony and said: "I hope that the traveler will explain the Dharma for me."Huineng said: Since you have come here for the Dharma, you can hold your breath, and don't give birth to a single thought, I will explain it for you.

Ming for a long time.Huineng Yun: Don't think of good, don't think of evil, right and wrong, that's the original face of the Master Ming⑦.

Huiming made a statement.Re-question cloud: Come up secret language secret accident ⑧, is there any more secret meaning?

注释
① Jiujiang Station: Today Jiujiang, Jiangxi.

② together: should, should.

③Resignation: Farewell, farewell.

④Dayu Ridge: It is one of the Five Ridges in the south of Dayun in Jiangxi and the north of Nanxiong in Guangdong today.According to legend, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, a general surnamed Yu built the city here, and it was also called Yuling because it was named Dayuling.

⑤ Reference: Tracking and searching.

⑥ Breath-holding all conditions: refers to holding one's breath and concentrating one's mind to eliminate all distracting thoughts.All conditions refer to all phenomena that the human mind pursues and is obsessed with.

⑦ Original face: Zen forest terms.It is everyone's inherent face, which is not deluded or enlightened, that is, one's own self-nature, which has left all troubles and pollution, and is one's own original face.

⑧Secret language and secret meaning: refers to the true and secret words and teachings of the Buddha.Secret meaning, hidden will, that is, the special meaning of Buddha.The words spoken in secret are called secret words.

Translation
The Fifth Patriarch has been sending Huineng to Jiujiang Station in Jiangxi Province.The Fifth Patriarch asked Huineng to board the boat, and the Fifth Patriarch grabbed the oar and shook it himself.Huineng said: "Master, please sit down, and the disciple should row the oar." The Fifth Patriarch said: "I should save you to the other side." Huineng said: "When I am lost and enlightened, the master will save me, and when I am enlightened, I should save myself. , the same is to save, but Master saves me and I save myself, they are used differently. Huineng, I grew up in a remote place, and I can’t even pronounce the language correctly. The mind has saved itself." The Fifth Patriarch said, "That's it! That's it! From now on, the Dharma will be spread widely by you. I will not pass away until three years after you leave. You cherish yourself today, so that you can pass away alive. Striving to go south, it is not appropriate to talk about the Sudden Teaching method too early, because it is difficult for Buddhism to flourish in these years."

After Huineng bid farewell to the Fifth Patriarch, he headed south desperately.In less than two months, they arrived at Dayuling.At this time, there were hundreds of people following behind, all wanting to snatch the mantle.

(End of this chapter)