学佛的人，有人欢喜参禅，有人欢喜学教，讲经说法，有人欢喜研究律宗，有人欢喜密宗，有人欢喜净土宗。无论欢喜哪一宗，你都要专心致志，用功修行，才能达到目的，成就自己的希望。
Among the students of Buddhism, some like to investigate Chan; some like to study the teachings, speak the Dharma, and lecture on the sutras; some like to investigate the precepts; some enjoy cultivating the Secret School; and some like to practice the Pure Land School. No matter which school you like, you must concen-trate single-mindedly and cultivate with diligence. Then you will be able to achieve your goal and realize your hopes.
若不专心致志，学什么也等于没有学一样。参了二天半禅，就想去念佛；念佛念了半天，又想去学律；学律不久，又想学密。常把自己的目标弄乱，而不能专一。为什么不能专一？就因为向外驰求，脚踏两条船，不知到江北好？或江南好？这样就会自误一生。
But if your mind isn't concentrated, then no matter what you study, it's the same as not studying. So after investigating Chan for two and a half days, you decide to recite the Buddha's name; after reciting the Buddha's name for half a day, you wish to study the Vinaya (moral code). After studying the Vinaya for a while, you decide to study in the Secret School. Since you keep changing your goal, you cannot concentrate. The reason you cannot concentrate is because you are seeking outside. You have your feet in two boats, and you can't decide whether you want to go north or south on the river. In that way, you end up wasting your whole life.
所以参禅就要时时刻刻精进，一分一秒也不躲懒偷安。参到：
In investigating Chan, you must be vigorous at all times; don't be lazy for a single minute or second. You should investigate until:
山穷水尽疑无路，
柳暗花明又一村。
The mountains disappear and the waters vanish, and you doubt there is a road ahead.Beyond the dark willows and the bright flowers is another village.
就别有洞天，别有一种天然妙趣。但必定要参到极点，到登峰造极，然后才有一点点希望，但并不多。虽有一点点的希望，也不要抱着希望，否则又变成头上安头。 参禅，就是要老实用功。
At that point there is another heaven, another natural paradise. But you must investigate to the utmost point and reach the summit. Then there's a bit of hope, but not much. Although there's a tiny bit of hope, don't hang onto it, because that would be superfluous (adding a head on top of a head).
首先，要把腿练得听话，不捣乱也不痛，怎么腿会不痛？是否有个咒可以念一念，腿就不痛了？或者吃个什么药令它不痛？不是的。必须要经过这个痛，然后它才听话不痛。你要是忍不住，一痛你就要换腿，休息一下，那么腿永远不会听话，因你已惯坏它。它一痛，你就哄它，好像哄小孩子似的，小孩知道父母怎样也舍不得他受苦，所以将来他就什么苦也不能受了。腿也像小孩子一样，你若怕它痛，它什么时候都会痛，痛时也要痛，你不想痛时也要痛，就都因为惯坏了它。
To investigate Chan, you must honestly put in the effort. First of all, you must practice sitting until your legs are compliant－until they don't hurt or cause any trouble. How can you get your legs to stop hurting? Is there a mantra you can recite to stop the pain? Is there a medicine you can take to keep them from hurting? No. You must endure the pain, and then they will become obedient and stop hurting. If you cannot endure it, and you move your legs and let them rest as soon as they start hurting, your legs will never become obedient because you are spoiling them. Whenever they hurt, you simply placate them as if placating an unhappy child. If the child knows his parents cannot bear to see him suffer, he won't be able to endure any suffering in the future. Your legs are just like a child; if you fear the pain, they will hurt all the time, even when they aren't supposed to hurt. That's because you've spoiled them rotten.
你把腿练得听话，把腰也练得听话，不酸也不痛。眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意也都听话，六根不向外驰求，不被色、声、香、味、触、法所转，六根不为六尘所转，而能转回来，这就是听话了。所谓：
You must train your legs and your back to be compliant, so that they won't ache or hurt. When your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and mind are all compliant, so that they don't seek after sights, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch, or dharmas; when you are not influenced by the six sense organs and six sense objects, and you can turn your attention inwards, that's true obedience. As it is said,
眼观形色内无有，
耳听尘事心不知。
The eyes see forms, but inside there is nothing.The ears hear sounds, but the mind does not know.
要常常回光返照，不向外驰求，总是抓住自己的根本法门：“念佛是谁？”抓住根本，就是“但得本，莫愁末”，对于枝末的问题，也不用再忧愁了，这样一点一点慢慢都会明白的。
You constantly reflect within instead of seeking outside, and you always stick to your basic Dharma-door: "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" Holding to what is basic, you "only attain the root, and don't worry about the branchtips." There's no need to worry about unimportant matters; bit by bit, everything will become clear to you.
你修参禅法门，不要连坐都还未练好，也不能结双跏趺坐，连单跏趺坐都结不起来，就想学怎样参，又如何如何？你的基础都未打好呢！参禅要先打地基。
In cultivating the Dharma-door of investigating Chan, you shouldn't try to learn the details of how to investigate when you haven't learned how to sit in full lotus, or even half lotus. You haven't finished laying the foundation yet! To investigate Chan, you must first lay the foundation.
第一个礼拜，就是在整地。造房子先要整一整地，等到地差不多平了。
During the first week, you can clear the land. When you want to build a house, you must first make the land level.
第二个礼拜就可打桩。打桩须费一番功夫，就是修忍，忍痛、忍饿、忍饥、忍寒，什么都要忍，这是很费力的，虽然费力，但这是必经之路。必须把地基打好，立好桩，否则造出的房子必不坚固，风一吹就倒，雨一冲也就散了，这都是因为桩未打好，基础没建立好的缘故。
In the second week, you can drive in the stakes. Driving in the stakes requires some effort--this is where you must cultivate patience and endure the pain, hunger, and cold. You must endure everything, and it takes a lot of strength. It's arduous, but you must travel this path. You have to lay a good foundation and drive in good stakes. Otherwise, your house will not be sturdy; the wind will blow it down and the rain will wash it away. That's the consequence of not driving in the stakes well and not setting a good foundation.
第三个礼拜才把梁、栋、柱脚石等都安好，把所有的柱子都竖建起来。
In the third week, you can put up the beams, rafters, column bases, and columns.
第四个礼拜就可以造墙、装门、安窗户、盖上屋脊。所以是一点一点地造起来，不是“一锹就挖个井”，不是一下子就可以成功的。
During the fourth week, you can erect the walls, install doors and windows, and put up the ridgepole. That's how a house is constructed, step by step. You can't "dig a well with one thrust of the shovel"; there's no instant accomplishment.
参禅如此，念佛是如此，学教、修密、习律也是如此，都要念兹在兹的，把心弄老实，不教它好高骛远，不要听人说密宗好啊！就跑到密宗。我们人不要迷得死不开窍，食古不化。明明眼前都摆着事实，还迷头迷脑地密密密，密来密去也不知怎么就死了，这真是密！这不是“密”，是“迷”－－糊里 糊涂！
This is true not only of investigating Chan, but also of reciting the Buddha's name, studying the teachings, cultivating the Secret School, and practicing the Vinaya－ in any of these, you must devote your full attention to the task at hand. Make your mind honest, and don't yearn for what is lofty and distant. Don't run over to join the Secret School just because you hear someone talk about how wonderful it is. We shouldn't get so deluded that we obstinately refuse to see the truth and rigidly hold onto old ways. The facts are right in front of us, but with addled brains, we still chase after what's "secret, secret, secret" until we die for no apparent reason. That's truly secret! Actually, it's not secret, it's confusion; it's totally muddled.
各位信佛的人，要研究真理，不要盲从。要“亲近有德，远避凶人”，凶人就是专门欺骗人；有德之人就是不欺骗人。无德的人专用奸诈手段，所以德存不住；唯独不欺骗人的人，才能日积月累地修功立德，故其德行存在。所以你们观察人就是从这儿着眼。不是单单在表面上看，说：“我看这人有德，是善知识。”根本没有确实的标尺。你必须要设身处地，真正了解那人才算。末法时代，人都犯了一种通病，就是好高骛远，以耳代目，听人家说什么好，就往那儿跑。跑到那儿，好不好也不知道，甚至被人骗了还不醒觉。学这种迷信财色，迷信风水，是非常可怜的。
Buddhists should study true principles. Don't blindly follow others. You should draw near virtuous people and stay away from bad people. Bad people are those who do nothing but cheat others. Virtuous people do not cheat others. People without virtue use all sorts of fraudulent means－that's why they can't preserve their virtue. Only those who don't cheat people can store up the merit and virtue they cultivate over the days and months. That's why their virtue endures. Pay attention to this when you observe people. Don't just judge by appearances and say, "That person looks virtuous; he seems to be a Good and Wise Advisor." You don't have any real way to determine that. You must really get to know him thoroughly before you can make such a statement. In this Dharma-ending Age, we all have the same problem, which is that we like to seek what is lofty and distant. Instead of using our eyes to see, we let our ears do the "seeing" for us. When we hear someone say something is good, we rush over. When we get there, we have no idea of whether it's really good or not, and without realizing it, we get duped. People who confusedly put their faith in wealth and sex and in geomancy are really pathetic!
今天从报纸上转载大陆福建某地，有六个小孩子集体跳海自杀去成仙。这为什么呢？就因为邪说把人迷住了，说人做坏事就要做鬼，做好事就成神仙。什么叫好事呢？就是不怕死。在乡下地方，小孩子天真纯朴，听了什么也就容易入脑。说好人不怕死，死了会成仙，所以这六个小孩就要集体自杀成仙去，“以前有八仙，大概是集体自杀的，我们现在也要集体自杀成六仙，免去六道轮回。”所以他们一起自杀想成仙。
In today's newspaper, there was an article about six children in the Fukien province of China who committed suicide together by jumping into the sea, hoping to become immortals. Why did they do that? They had been misled into believing that people who do evil become ghosts, and people who do good turn into immortals. And what did "doing good" mean? It meant not being afraid to die. Children in rural areas are quite naive and will believe whatever they hear. Since someone told those six children that good people are not afraid to die and will become immortals after death, they decided to kill themselves as a group and become immortals. They thought, "The Eight Immortals of the past probably committed suicide together. Now we can commit suicide together and become the Six Immortals and escape the cycle of rebirth in the six paths." Then they killed themselves, hoping to become immortals.
他们成不成仙呢？我可以证明没有。为什么不成仙？因为他们太迷了。成仙的人都很聪明的，没有这么愚痴，不懂真理，是非不辨的。怎么会一起死去就成仙呢？成仙若是这么容易，那么大家不如快点死了，都去成仙。这真是无有是处，这种乡愚太可怜了，盲从迷信邪说，令小孩子都失去了方向，这是很可怜的一件事。
Well, did they become immortals? I can guarantee that they didn't. Why? They were too confused. People who become immortals are very intelligent. They aren't as foolish as these children, who had no understanding of true principles and couldn't tell right from wrong. How could they all die together and become immortals? If becoming immortal were that easy, everyone should just hurry up and die and become immortal. But that's impossible. How pitiful those foolish villagers are, blindly following this superstitious and deviant theory and leading their children astray. This is very sad.
话又说回来，为什么小孩子宁可死也不怕，而说要去成仙呢？这也可以说是环境压迫而成，他们觉得人活着还不如死，做人如行尸走肉没什么意思，于是找个大解脱，一起去死。小孩子在他们的笔记簿上，写“死”字写了一千多个，天天死死死，一天到晚念死。所以这些童男童女无知，受迷信之蛊惑，而失去真正的目标和方向。
But why were those children so eager and unafraid to die, saying they were going to become immortals? You could say their environment forced them to feel that life wasn't worth living, that it would be better to die than to be living corpses. So seeking liberation, they all went to their deaths together. The children had written the word "death" over a thousand times in their notebooks. Every day, it was "death, death, death." They thought of death from morning to night. In their ignorance, those boys and girls were seduced by super-stition and lost their true goal and direction.
所以我们信佛的人，不应该迷信，要破除迷信。什么是迷信？就是糊里糊涂地乱信，别人说什么就信，信迷了。“迷信”还不打紧，最怕是“信迷”，信那迷乱颠倒的外道。有人自作聪明，真的他不信，假的他反而去信，这就是“迷中之迷”，不认识真理，拿真当假，把假当真。好像这六个小孩，本来“找死成仙”是一种虚假骗人的方法，而他们却相信。若是教他们要修行才能成仙，恐怕他们就不相信了。所以世界上可怜的人很多，可怜的事也很多，一言难尽！
Buddhists should not believe in superstition. You must break through superstition. What is superstition? It is being reckless and confused in your belief. You simply believe anything people say, and you end up all muddled. Being confused in your belief is still not that serious. It's only to be feared that you believe in confusion, that you believe in the confused, upside-down teachings of externalist ways. Some people try to be clever; they don't believe in what is true but instead believe in what is false. This is a case of being confused within confusion. They don't recognize true principles. They take the true to be false, and the false to be true. For example, in the case of the six children, the theory that "death leads to immortality" is actually just a false claim meant to cheat people, but they believed it. If someone had told them they have to cultivate before they can become immortals, they might not have believed that. There are many pathetic people and many woeful situations in the world; we could never finish speaking of them!
一九八二年十一月廿八日晚间开示
A talk given on November 28, 1982 Science and the Heaven
