释迦牟尼佛，在往昔修福修慧的时候，经过三大阿僧只（无量数）劫，才成正觉。所谓“勿以善小而不为，勿以恶小而为之。”释迦牟尼佛在行菩萨道的时候，像头发那样细的善，也不放弃；像微尘那样小的恶，也不去做。所以他福慧功德圆满了，成为两足尊。
In the past, when Shakyamuni Buddha was cultivating blessings and wisdom, he passed through three great asamkhyeya (a limitless number of) eons before he accomplished Proper Enlightenment. As the saying goes, "Don't assume a good deed is too small to do and fail to do it; don't assume a bad deed is too small to matter and do it." When Shakyamuni Buddha was practicing the Bodhisattva Path, he didn't overlook a good deed even as small as a strand of hair, nor did he do an evil deed as tiny as a mote of dust. Therefore his merit and virtue and his blessings and wisdom were made perfect, and he became known as the Doubly Perfect Honored One.
各位注意，善虽然小，也要修，聚沙成塔，便成大善。恶虽然小，若去做，积少成多，便成大恶，永远不会成就道业。修行就是“诸恶莫作，众善奉行。”如果能诸恶莫作，那么福报会一天比一天增加。若能众善奉行，那么智慧会一天比一天增加。虽然在增长，但还要继续修行，而不间断，才能有所成就。
Please pay attention to this, all of you! Although a good deed may be small, you should still make a point of cultivating that deed, because "Grains of sand accumulated over time can grow into a pagoda." Over time you will have created a great deal of goodness. If one does evil deeds, even trivial ones, they can also accumulate from few to many and can become great evil. In such a case, one will never succeed in cultivating the Way. Cultivation is nothing more than "doing no evil and respectfully performing all good deeds." If you can avoid doing any evil deed, then your blessings will increase daily. If you can do all good deeds, then your wisdom will increase daily. Even though it increases, you still must continue to cultivate without cease; only then can you meet success.
我们现在行行坐坐，坐坐行行，在禅堂里用功修行，这就是修福修慧。如何修福？就是“不作诸恶”。如何修慧？就是“众善奉行”。在这种情形之下，福报也圆满，智慧也圆满，然后很快会成就佛道，不需要经过三大阿僧只劫。
Here in the Chan Meditation Hall, as we walk and sit, sit and walk, using our method of cultivation, we are doing precisely that: cultivating both blessings and wisdom. How are we cultivating blessings? We do so by refraining from all manner of evil deeds. How are we cultivating wisdom? We do so by offering up all manner of good deeds. In these ways our blessing-reward is made perfect, and our wisdom is also made perfect. Once this is done, very quickly we accomplish Buddhahood, without having to pass through three great asamkhyeya eons until the work reaches completion.
释迦牟尼佛在往昔修行时，走错很多冤枉路，可是他很有耐性，不灰心，继续精进，勤修戒定慧，息灭贪瞋痴，最后成就佛果。
When Shakyamuni Buddha was a cultivator in ages past, he often went down dead-end roads without realizing it. He was very patient, however, and never gave up. He maintained his vigorous advance, continuing to diligently cultivate precepts, concentration, and wisdom and put to rest, greed, hatred, and stupidity. Finally, he arrived at Buddhahood.
我们修行佛法，比释迦牟尼佛幸运。他老人家给我们留下正道，只要按照目标前进，就可以很快达到目的地––彼岸的净土。
As we now cultivate the Buddhadharma, we are luckier than Shakyamuni Buddha was, because we have the example of the Proper Path that he set for us. We need only walk the Way as he did, and we can quickly realize our goal: The Pure Land on the Other Shore.
释迦牟尼佛前生是常不轻菩萨时，修一种忍耐的苦行，见人就顶礼，口中还说：“我不敢轻视汝等，汝等皆当作佛。”有人讨厌他的行为，所以他向人家叩头时，还要遭受人骂他或打他。
In one of his past lives, Shakyamuni Buddha was "Never Slighting Bodhisattva," who cultivated the ascetic practice of patient endurance. Whenever he met someone, he would always bow to him and say, "I don't dare slight you, for you will one day become a Buddha." Some people detested this behavior, so on occasion he had to endure curses and beatings while he bowed.
有一次，他行菩萨道，向人叩头，被人踢掉两颗门牙；但是他不灰心，还是再接再励，行叩头的苦行。不过这回他学到经验，见到人来，他在远处就先叩头，还说：“我不敢轻视汝等，汝等皆当作佛。”叩完头，说完话，即刻就走，想打他的人也追不上了。
One time, as he practiced the Bodhisattva Path, he bowed to a person who promptly kicked out two of his teeth. He still was not disheartened, however, but continued to persevere in his ascetic practice of bowing. After this experience, he grew a bit more prudent and moved off to a discreet distance before making his bow and shouting out, "I don't dare slight you, for you will one day become a Buddha!" His bow done and his speech made, he would then quickly depart, and those who wanted to beat him up wouldn't be able to catch him.
常不轻菩萨，以“无我相”的精神来修福修慧，谁教他这样修行呢？没有人教他这样修叩头行，是他自己心甘情愿这样修行。被打、被骂，也不生瞋恚，这就是修忍辱波罗蜜法门。
Never Slighting Bodhisattva used the spirit of "having no sense of self" to cultivate blessings and wisdom. Who told him to cultivate in that way? Nobody told him to, he simply enjoyed cultivating this practice. Although it brought him curses and beatings, he never felt anger or hatred in return. Thus he illustrates the method used to cultivate the Dharma-door of the Perfection (Paramita) of Patience under Insult.
修行人最要紧的法门，就是忍耐。遇到不如意的境界，要忍要让，与世无争。若是不能忍，随时发脾气，把辛苦所修的功德，统统都烧光了。
Patience is the most important Dharma-door for cultivators. When you encounter a situation that doesn't go your way, you must bear up under it and yield to it. Don't fight with anyone. If you can cultivate, but you can't be patient and you freely let your temper go at any time, you'll burn to ashes all the merit and virtue that you cultivated through such painstaking, bitter effort.
我们自己扪心自问，有没有这种忍耐力––向人叩头，反被人打，还不生瞋恨？若能做到，就是佛弟子。若是做不到，就要赶紧守摄身心，向前勇猛精进修行。否则浪费光阴空虚度，还是一无所得。
We should ask ourselves honestly, "Do I have the patience required to bow to others, then get a beating in return, and still not feel hatred?" If you can do this, you count as a true disciple of the Buddha. If you can't, then by all means, collect your body and mind, and make vigorous progress in your cultivation. Otherwise, you have simply wasted all your precious time without gaining anything from your work.
修行人主要能忍冷忍热、忍风忍雨、忍饥忍渴、忍骂忍打。我们要学常不轻菩萨的精神，无论谁对我不好，也不生瞋恨心，以诚待人，对方自然被感化，化干戈为玉帛。
For cultivators, it's important to be able to endure cold and heat, wind and rain, hunger and thirst, and insults and beatings. Imitate the spirit of Never Slighting Bodhisattva: "No matter who treats me badly, I will not feel anger or hatred towards them. I will treat all people sincerely and influence them naturally with that sincerity. In this way their hostility will be transformed into friendliness, their swords changed to plowshares."
修行人，就是修无我相。如果无我相，一切能忍受，境界来了，也不动心。自己把自己看成虚空一样。顺境来了，也是修行；逆境来了，也是修行。换句话说，顺境来了，也不生欢喜心；逆境来了，也不生忧愁心。无论顺逆，要认识清楚。若能如如不动，就不会被境界所转；若能了了常明，就能转境界。
Cultivators are working to get rid of all traces of self. When one is free of all traces of self, then one can endure any state whatsoever; and when situations arise, one's mind will not be disturbed. We want to regard ourselves as not different from empty space. We cultivate alike through both favorable and adverse situations. In other words, favorable situations do not make us happy, and adverse situations do not make us sad. We want to clearly recognize the arising of both favorable and adverse states. If we can remain "Thus, thus, unmoving," then situations will not disturb us. If we can "understand and be constantly clear," then we will be able to turn around the situations that arise.
释迦牟尼佛在往昔修行时，专修忍辱法门，所以称为忍辱仙人。有一天，无缘无故被歌利王割去四肢，可是他不生瞋恨心，反而可怜歌利王的无知，所以对歌利王说：“等我成佛时，第一个先度你修道。”歌利王闻之，生大忏悔心，皈依忍辱仙人，后来就是憍陈如尊者（五比丘之一）。佛成道后，为他们五人说四谛法，三转法轮，他就都证得罗汉果位。
When Shakyamuni Buddha cultivated in ages past, he specialized in the Dharma-door of patience, so he became known as the Patient Immortal. One day, without provocation, he was dismembered by King Kali. Even so, he felt no hatred towards the king. Instead, he pitied the king for his ignorance. He said, "In the future when I become a Buddha, I will take you across first." Upon hearing those words, King Kali felt deep remorse and requested to take refuge with the Patient Immortal. In a later reincarnation, he was the Venerable Ajnata-kaundinya, one of the first five Bhikshus who realized the fruition of Arhatship upon hearing the Buddha expound the three turnings of the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths.
释迦牟尼佛是我们佛教的教祖，他的忍辱功夫修到极点，怎样也不会生瞋恚心。我们都是佛的弟子，应该向本师释迦牟尼佛学习忍耐的功夫。浅言之，忍耐是修行法门最主要的，不可忽略。
Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, cultivated the skill of patience to the ultimate point, so that there was absolutely no way to stir him to anger. As the Buddha's disciples, we should learn the skill of patience from our teacher. In short, patience is the most important of all methods of cultivation, and cannot be ignored or overlooked.
古人说：“忍片刻风平浪静，退一步海阔天空。”所以说：“忍是无价宝。”谁把万佛圣城打碎了，我也不执著，无所谓，绝对不生瞋恨心。人人这样想，天下就太平了。
The ancients said, "Be patient for a moment, and the storm will subside. Retreat a step backward, and the sea and sky will open up in all their vastness." That is why we say that "patience is a jewel beyond price." I don't care who tears down the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, I still won't be attached, get angry, or feel hatred. If everyone could think the same way as I do, then the world would know peace.
忍耐是修行人不可缺少的。有忍耐力，才能修行；没有忍耐力，一切都免谈。今天所讲的道理，非常平凡，淡而无味，可是这是真法、正法、妙法、稀法。虽然平常，但是道是从平常中生出来的，道是人用脚走出来的。这种无为法，是百千万劫难遭遇的，不可当面错过。如果当耳边风，过而不留，那就后悔莫及了。今天对你们所讲的话，你若会用时，无论什么境界来了，都不生烦恼。若能用智慧来判断这个境界，不管什么事情，都能迎刃而解，不会有什么麻烦。最后希望各位努力参，参“念佛是谁？”不找到“谁”字，不休息。
Patience is something cultivators cannot be without. Only with the power of patience can we cultivate. Without patience, all talk of cultivation is in vain. The principle I discussed today is quite ordinary-sounding and very flavorless. However, it is true Dharma, proper Dharma, wonderful Dharma, the rarest of Dharma. Although it is quite ordinary, the Way comes forth from the most ordinary places. The Way is something that people walk on with their feet. This unconditioned Dharma is difficult to encounter even once in a million eons, so don't overlook what's right before your eyes. If you mistake it for the sound of the wind blowing by your ears and pay it no heed, then you'll regret it later, but to no avail. If you can use the message that I have given to you today, then no matter what state appears, you won't get afflicted or upset. If you can use wisdom to judge the situation, then no matter what kind of problem comes your way, you'll sever it with a single stroke of the sword, like a knife cutting through butter. You won't ever feel troubled. Finally, I hope all of you will truly work hard, investigate Chan, and find out, "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" If you haven't found out yet, don't rest until you do!
一九八○年禅七 十二月开示
A talk given during a Chan session
in December, 1980
