Diamond Sutra, Heart Sutra, Altar Sutra

Chapter 19 Questions (1)
This article expounds what is "merit" based on the questions of Governor Wei. "Dyeing is virtue" and so on, pointing out the behaviors and actions with secular utilitarian purposes, no matter how large the scale is, they are not true merits at the level of liberation, but a kind of pursuit of blessings. "The merits and virtues must be seen from the inner nature, not what is sought by giving and making offerings."In response to Governor Wei's question about rebirth in the Western Paradise of Bliss by chanting Buddha, Master Huineng asked him, "Where do the East create sins, and pray to the Buddha to seek rebirth in the West; where do the West create sins, and recite the Buddha to survive?"It emphasizes that there is a pure land in the heart, and the pure land of the Buddha is pure in the heart.Then, through metaphors and further explanations, all living beings realize that the Buddha works in the nature, do not seek outside the body, the only way to become a Buddha is to see the nature, and the west is right in front of you when you think about the nature.

Original
One day, Governor Wei set up a meeting room for his teacher.After fasting, the governor asked the teacher to ascend to his seat, and bowed again with bureaucrats and scholars, and asked: "It's incredible that my disciple heard the monk's teaching."I have little doubts today, and I wish you great mercy, especially for the explanation.

The teacher said: If you have doubts, ask, and I will explain it.

Wei Gong said: "What the monk said, isn't it the purpose of Master Bodhidharma?"

The teacher said: Yes.

The Duke said: My disciple heard that Bodhidharma was the first to convert Emperor Wu of Liang, and the emperor asked, "I have built temples to teach monks, donated and set up fastings in my life, what merits and virtues do I have?"Bodhidharma said: There is no merit.The disciples have not reached this point, and I hope the monk will explain it.

The teacher said: There is really no merit, so don't doubt the words of the sages.Emperor Wu's heart was evil and he didn't know the right way.Building monasteries to teach monks, giving alms and setting up fastings is called seeking blessings, and blessings should not be regarded as merit.Merit lies in the Dharma body, not in cultivating blessings.

The teacher said again: Seeing one's nature is merit, and equality is virtue.Thoughts without stagnation, common nature, true and wonderful functions, are called merits and virtues.Being modest in heart is merit, and practicing courtesy outside is virtue.The self-nature establishes all dharmas is merit, and the separation of mind and body is virtue.Inseparable from the self-nature is gong, and the application of non-defilement is virtue.If you are looking for the Dharmakaya of merit and virtue, but do it according to this, it is true merit and virtue.If you are a person who cultivates merits and virtues, your heart will not be light, and you will always practice universal respect.The heart is always light on others, and I am not continuous, that is, I have no merit.The self-nature is illusory and unreal, that is, the self has no virtue.Because of my arrogance, I always underestimate everything.Good friends!Continuous thought is merit, and straightness of mind is virtue.Self-cultivation is merit, and self-cultivation is virtue.Good friends!Merit must be seen from the inside, not what is sought after giving and making offerings, because merit and merit are different.Emperor Wu did not know the truth, not my patriarch.

注释
①Dharma fasting: Vegetarian food is also used in the Dafa assembly.

②Scholar: The gentry and the common people.This refers to the general public.

③Liang Wudi (464-549): A native of Lanling in the Southern Dynasties, his surname was Xiao Mingyan, and his style name was Shuda.During his reign, he believed in Buddhism and was known as the "Emperor Bodhisattva".In the 18th year of Tianjian (519), Huiyue received the Bodhisattva precepts from Caotang Temple in Zhongshan; In the capital Jiankang, more than 549 large temples were built, and monks and nuns often gathered tens of thousands of people.Emperor Wu intensively studied Buddhist teachings throughout his life, adhered to the precepts, sacrificed his life in Tongtai Temple four times, and taught himself Nirvana, Prajna, Sanhui and other sutras; Hundreds of volumes of meanings such as "Jing Jing" are recorded.Later, Hou Jing rebelled and captured Jiankang, and died of starvation in Taicheng in the third year of Taiqing (48).Reigned for 86 years and lived for [-] years.

④ Giving: Giving benefits to others with compassion.It is one of the six paramitas, plus the method of giving and the giving of fearlessness, to expand the meaning of giving.That is to say, it refers to a practice method of giving others property, physical strength, wisdom, etc., and accumulating merit and virtue for the benefit and wisdom of others, so as to achieve liberation.

Translation
One day, Governor Wei held a Dafa meeting and a fast meal for Master Huineng.After the fast, the governor asked the master to go up to the podium to give a lecture. He, other officials and the believers, cleaned up their appearance, saluted twice solemnly, and asked: "It's so delicate for disciples to listen to the master's teachings. I have a little doubt, I hope Master will be merciful and give me a special explanation."

Master Huineng said: "If you have any doubts, just ask, and I will explain it to you."

Governor Wei said: "Master, is what you said is the purpose of Master Bodhidharma?"

Master Huineng replied, "Yes."

Wei Shishi said: "My disciples heard that Master Bodhidharma first converted Emperor Wu of Liang. Emperor Wu asked: 'I have built temples in my life, taught monks, given alms to others, and set up a wide range of fasting meetings. What kind of merit does this have?' Da Mo said: "There is really no merit." Disciple, I can't understand this truth, I hope the master will explain it to me."

Master Huineng said: "There is really no merit. Please don't doubt the words of the sages and sages. Emperor Wu of Liang had wrong views in his heart and could not understand the Dharma. Building temples, ordering monks, giving alms to others, and setting up fast meetings. Seeking blessings, but you can’t regard seeking blessings as merit. With all the Buddha’s teachings in your body, the merits and virtues are inherent in it, and it’s not about doing good deeds to get blessings.”

Master Huineng also said: "Seeing the nature with a clear mind is merit, and equality is virtue. There is no hindrance in every moment, and you can always see the nature of your heart, true and true, and play a wonderful role. This is merit. The place where the heart is humble It is gong to be inferior, and it is virtue to be in line with the principles. It is gong to integrate all dharmas with one's own nature. If you seek the nature of merit and virtue, as long as you act in accordance with these, you will have real merit. If you are a person who cultivates merit and virtue, you will not have contempt in your heart, and you will always pursue extensive respect. You often despise others in your heart, and your self-attachment cannot be broken. If the self-nature is illusory and untrue, it is naturally without virtue. It is because the self is always the big one, the ego is too heavy, and it is always despised. Good advisors! There is no interruption between thoughts is gong, and walking in an ordinary mind is virtue. The nature of self-cultivation is gong, and self-cultivation is virtue. Good advisors! Merit must be seen in the nature of the mind, not through charity. Therefore, there is a difference between merit and merit. Emperor Liang Wu just couldn’t realize this truth, and it’s not because the words and deeds of Patriarch Bodhidharma were wrong.”

Original
The governor asked again: "My disciples often see monks and laymen, and they recite Amitabha ① and wish to be born in the West ②."Please tell the monk, can you give birth to him?Willing to dispel doubts!
Teacher's words: If you listen well, you will be able to speak well.In the city of Savatthi, the World Honored One said that the Western Yinhua, the scriptures are clear, and it is not far from here.If you talk about the number of miles, there are one hundred and eight thousand, that is to say, there are ten evils and eight evils in the body, that is, it is far away.Talking about far is its root, and talking about near is its upper wisdom.

There are two kinds of people, and there are no two kinds of dharmas. There are differences in delusion and enlightenment, and there are delays in seeing.Charming chanting Buddha to seek life there; Enlightened people purify their minds.That is why the Buddha said: Follow the purity of your heart, that is the purity of the Buddhaland.

Even if you are an Easterner, if you have a pure heart, you are innocent.Even Westerners have sins if their hearts are not pure.Man-made crimes in the East, chanting Buddha to survive in the West; man-made crimes in the West, chanting Buddha to survive in what country?
Those who are not foolish of their own nature, do not know the pure land in the body, wish east and west, and realize that people are everywhere.Therefore, the Buddha said: Wherever you live, you will always be happy.But the king's heart is not bad, and the West is not far away.If you have an unkind heart, it is difficult to recite the Buddha's name and go to rebirth⑥.Today, I would like to advise good friends, to eliminate the ten evils first, that is, to do one hundred thousand; after eliminating the eight evils, it is more than eight thousand.When you think about it, you can see your nature, always walk straight and straight, until you snap your fingers, you will see Amitabha⑦.

注释
① Amitabha: Free translation is infinite.He is the leader of the Western Paradise.This Buddha has infinite light and life span, so it is called Amitabha.

② West: Also known as the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, referred to as the West for short, that is, the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss of Amitabha Buddha, referring to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss.

③Ten evils: [-]. killing; [-]. stealing; [-]. sexual misconduct; [-]. lying; That is, miscellaneous language, non-response language, prose language, and meaningless language.It is from the defilement of the heart; eighth, greed, that is, greed, greed, stinginess and greed; ninth, hatred; tenth, ignorance.Eight evils: Those who are against the Eightfold Path.One is wrong view, two is wrong thought, three is wrong speech, four is wrong karma, five is wrong life, six is ​​wrong method, seven is wrong thought, eight is wrong concentration.

④ As long as the heart is pure, the Buddhaland is pure: from the "Vimalakrīrti Sutra·Buddhist Land", as long as the heart is pure, it is the pure land of the Buddhaland.

[-] guilt: sin.

⑥ Rebirth: Going to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss of Amitabha Tathagata is called going, and rebirth in the lotus flower of that land is called life.It is said to be born in another world at the end of life.Usually, "rebirth" is used as a substitute for "death".

⑦ See Amitabha: It is a symbol of rebirth in the Western Paradise.

Translation
Governor Wei asked again: "Disciples often see monks and lay people chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha, hoping to be reborn in the west. Please tell me, master, where can we be reborn? I hope master will dispel doubts for us."

The master said: "Wei Shishi listen carefully, Huineng, I will explain to you. When Sakyamuni was in Savatthi City, when he talked about receiving and translating to the Western Paradise, the scriptures clearly stated that the Western Paradise It is not far away from the present world. But if you look at the appearance, it is hundreds of thousands of miles away. If you look at the self-nature, there are all kinds of evil obstacles in the body and mind, so it is far away and unreachable. To say that it is far is for people with inferior abilities, and to say that it is close is for people with superior wisdom.

"People have these two distinctions, but Buddhism does not have such two distinctions. It is just because of the difference between ignorance and enlightenment, so there is a difference in the speed of seeing the original mind. Foolish people call on the name of Buddha and pray for rebirth in the West. Bliss; Enlightened people are self-purified mind. So the Buddha said: 'self-mind is pure, that is, pure Buddha land.

(End of this chapter)