禪機智慧 | The Wisdom of Chan

禪師觀是什麼意思

師父法語

Words of Wisdom

我們平時對於來問禪的人，要有認真的態度，絕不可以胡言亂語，違背佛法的本義。自己不是上根利智，又沒有禪定的境界，如果不假思索、言語隨便，不但不能讓眾生得到佛法的利益，反而容易招惹他人誹謗三寶之罪。

We shall learn from the story that earnestness is essential for us monastics when we are asked about the teachings by others， and random speeches against the genuine intention of the teachings must be avoided。 Otherwise， given our defective root， weak capacity and poor meditative practice， we will not only hinder other beings from learning the teachings， but will spread the guilt of abandoning the Three Jewels to others。

冬天很冷，唐朝丹霞禪師曾把大殿裡的佛像劈碎燒火取暖，此事被寺院的僧值師看到，莫名驚詫，問道：“你怎麼可以把佛像拿來燒火呢？”“我在燒舍利。”丹霞禪師說。“佛像是木頭做的，哪能燒出舍利呢？”僧值氣憤地說。“既然燒不出舍利，那怎麼可以說是在燒佛像呢？其實，我是在燒木頭啊！”丹霞禪師邊燒邊說。

Here is another story about Master Danxia in the Tang Dynasty。 On a freezing winter day， he was chopping up the Buddha statue in the main hall and burning it as firewood。 Such action astounded the supervisor。 “What are you doing？ How can you burn the Buddha statue as firewood？” asked the supervisor。 “I am burning it for sarira，” Master Danxia replied， referring to the relics found in the ashes of cremated Buddhas。 “Nonsense！ How is it possible for a wooden statue to produce sarira？” The supervisor was very angry。 “As no sarira can be produced， why do you say I am burning a Buddha statue？ See， I am burning wood。” Master Danxia didn‘t stop burning。

丹霞禪師是有成就的祖師，一言一行都包含著無限的禪機，他的禪定功夫很深，已經達到沒有執著的境界，所以才敢這樣做。如果我們拿佛像來燒火，無疑就等同犯了出佛身血罪，必將墮落阿鼻地獄。

A highly accomplished Chan practitioner， Master Danxia did so because his body， speech and mind had already reached a very high level of meditative concentration that was totally free from judgment and attachment。 If we dare to do the same， it will lead to the same consequence as if a Buddha’s blood was shed， which is to fall into the Avīci hell。

古代那麼多的禪宗公案，都是禪師觀見求法者的機，才利用這種特殊法門的，不是我們一般人隨時隨地可以仿效的。譬如病人，如果不懂藥物的療效性，隨便服用，不但不能醫好病，有時還可能中毒身亡。所以，禪宗這種高超的法門，不是中下根的人所適宜修學的。

Such special methods as recorded in ancient Chan koans were only used by Chan masters when they considered a student to be an appropriate vessel。 Like a dose of a drug， it can only be applied to the right patient， or he may become more ill or poisoned。 Chan as a high-level method of practice is not something for those with medium or low capacities。

Source： With or Without Words， by Ven。 Master Xuecheng

翻譯：北京龍泉寺翻譯中心

Translated by： Beijing Longquan Monastery Translation Center