在威音王佛以前，人人能开悟，不需要有人印证。在威音王佛以后，自觉开悟的人，一定要经过祖师或善知识（已开悟）印可证明才算数。好像在楞严法会上，有二十五位圣人，各述圆通，请释迦牟尼佛印证。
Before the time of the Buddha Awesome Voice, any person could get enlightened, and he wouldn't need to be certified by another person. But after the time of the Buddha Awesome Voice, someone who feels he is enlightened must be certified by a Patriarch or an enlightened Good and Wise Advisor for it to really count. For example, The Shurangama Sutra lists the stories of twenty-five Sages who describe their perfect enlightenments and who request Shakyamuni Buddha to certify their attainments.
现在讲一个印证的公案。在唐朝有位永嘉大师，他生于浙江省永嘉县。因为他一生没有离开永嘉县，所以时人称为永嘉大师。他出家之后，研究天台教理，好修禅观，曾阅《维摩经》，豁然大悟。后来遇到玄策禅师（六祖的弟子），永嘉大师就对他叙述此事。玄策建议他去曹溪参拜六祖，请求印证；否则无师自悟，乃是天然外道。
I'll now tell the story of such a certification. In the Tang Dynasty of China there was a Great Master called Yongjia (Eternal Excellence) who was born in Yongjia county of Zhejiang Province. Because he stayed in Yongjia all his life, people gave him the name Great Master Yongjia. After he left the home-life, he studied the teachings of the Tian Tai School and cultivated meditative contemplation. One day while reading The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra, he suddenly got enlightened. Soon after, he met a disciple of the Sixth Patriarch named Chan Master Xuance (Mystic Law), and told him his story. Master Xuance suggested that he go to Tsao Creek to study under the Sixth Patriarch and to request certification of his enlightenment. To do otherwise, to claim that one has become enlightened by oneself, without benefit of a teacher, would make one a follower of the externalists who believed in spontaneity.
他来到曹溪南华寺的时候，恰巧是六祖坐禅时间，他贡高我慢，来到六祖禅床前，也不问讯，也不顶礼，手执锡杖，右绕禅床三匝，振锡而立。
When he arrived at Nanhua Monastery in Tsao Creek, the Sixth Patriarch was meditating. Master Yongjia, full of pride, strode over to the front of the Patriarch's meditation seat. Without even making a half-bow or full-bow, he simply grasped his tin staff, walked three times around the Patriarch's seat, and then stood and rapped his staff on the ground.
六祖说：“沙门应具三千威仪，八万细行。行行无亏，名为沙门（译为勤息：勤修戒定慧，息灭贪瞋痴）。大德自何方而来，生大我慢？”
永嘉答：“生死事大，无常迅速。”
六祖说：“何不体取无生？了无速乎？”
永嘉答：“体即无生，了本无速。”
六祖说：“汝甚得无生之意。”
永嘉说：“无生岂有意耶？”
六祖说：“无意谁当分别？”
永嘉说：“分别亦非意！”
六祖说：“如是如是。”乃授与印可证明，成为六祖的法嗣。
The Sixth Patriarch said, "Shramanas (monks) ought to possess the Three Thousand Modes of Awesome Deportment, and the Eighty Thousand Subtle Manners. Only when one's behavior is impeccable does one merit the name Shramana. [Shramana means "diligent and putting to rest." A Shramana "diligently cultivates precepts, concentration, and wisdom, and puts to rest greed, hatred, and stupidity."] Where do you, O Virtuous One, come from? And why are you so arrogant?"
Master Yongjia answered, "Birth and death is the only important thing, and impermanence comes with haste."
The Sixth Patriarch said, "Then why don't you embody birthless-ness; why don't you understand no-haste?"
Master Yongjia answered, "The embodiment originally was not subject to birth. When you understand, then there is no further haste."
The Sixth Patriarch said, "You have really grasped the idea of birthlessness."
Master Yongjia said, "Do you mean to say that birthlessness is an idea?"
The Sixth Patriarch said, "If it isn't an idea, then how can you distinguish it?"
Master Yongjia said, "Making distinctions is not an idea, either."
"You are so right! You are so right!" said the Sixth Patriarch, and thereupon certified him and made him his Dharma heir.
永嘉大师得六祖大师印证之后，即刻要回永嘉开元寺。六祖留他住一宿，次日再下山回永嘉。因为在一宿的时间，便觉悟佛法的真谛，所以时人称为“一宿觉和尚”。后来他极力宣扬“顿悟”的禅风，特作《证道歌》说明顿悟的境界。这是不朽的佳作，成为佛门必读的功课。
After Great Master Yongjia was certified by the Sixth Patriarch, he planned to return immediately to Kaiyuan (Primary Source) Temple in Yongjia. The Sixth Patriarch asked him to stay for one night, but the next morning he went right back to Yongjia. Because he had enlightened to the truth of the Buddhadharma in just a single evening, people of that time nicknamed him, "The Monk Who Became Enlightened Overnight." Afterwards, he energetically propagated the Sudden Teaching of the Chan School and is most noted for his Song of Enlightenment, which explains the state of sudden enlightenment. The Song is a masterpiece that will long endure and has become required reading for Buddhists.
我们坐在禅堂里，在表面看来，好像用功修行，其实坐在那里打妄想，一点也不用功修行。心中想“现在是科学时代，应该用科学方法来开悟，想来想去，一点也不科学，这就是痴人说梦。 过去十二天，还有九天就功德圆满了，快点过去吧！免得受罪。”人家打禅七，希望时间越长越好，能有开悟的机会；他坐在禅凳上，好像坐在针垫上，时刻不安宁，不是换腿，就是伸腰。人家在入定，他在想入非非，妄想重重。既然是这样，何必来打禅七，装模作样做什么？干脆不要来参加，免得自找苦吃。
Judging from the outside, we seem to be working hard at our cultivation here in the Chan Hall; but in reality, we are indulging in idle thinking and are not working hard at all. We may be thinking, "This is the Age of Science, and there ought to be a scientific way to get enlightened," and so we cogitate back and forth in a very unscientific way, like a fool prattling about dreams.
开悟要经得起考验，否则成为大妄语，要堕落到无间地狱的。凡是自我宣传：“我开悟了！证果了！”都要受此报。希望各位谨慎再谨慎，不可以任意乱语，要受果报的。
People who claim enlightenment have to stand up to the test; otherwise, they are simply telling a great lie and will fall into the Relentless Hells. This retribution awaits any individual who advertises that he is enlightened and has realized sagehood. I hope that all of you will take careful note of this and not speak carelessly, or else you will undergo that kind of retribution.
我们现在很早就起来，很晚才休息，为什么要这样苦修呢？因为多一分钟的参禅，就多一分钟开悟的机会。现在大家虽然都坐在禅堂聚精会神在参“念佛是谁？”其中不能说没有人专心用功，可是真正想要开悟，得到受用的人，为数不多。多数的人都是对参禅不认真，也不热心，敷衍了事，来混光阴。这样打禅七，就是打到尽未来际，也不会开悟的。我希望在这个国家有多一些人开悟，对佛教前途才能有所帮助。
We wake up very early and don't rest until very late. Why do we cultivate so arduously? Because one extra minute of meditation gives us an extra minute of opportunity to get enlightened. Even though we're gathered together in the meditation hall to concentrate on the question, "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" and we cannot say that no one is concentrating on his task, those who really want to get enlightened and obtain benefit are certainly in the minority. Most people are not serious or enthusiastic about meditation; they merely go through the motions and waste time. If you spend your retreat like this, you won't get enlightened even to the ends of the future. My hope is for many people to get enlightened in this country, so that they can help Buddhism in the future.
在打禅七期间，不要讲话，不要打妄想，要拿出真心来用功，才会有感应，才能开智慧。有了智慧，才不会颠倒；不颠倒才能教化众生。自己对道理还弄不清楚，怎能去教化他人，这岂不是以盲引盲吗？这是很危险的。
We must not talk during the Chan retreat, nor should we indulge in idle thoughts. Apply effort with sincerity; only then can you attain a response and uncover your wisdom. Once you have wisdom, you won't be upside-down. Only if you aren't upside-down can you teach living beings. If you yourself haven't yet figured out the true principles, how can you teach others? That would simply be a case of the blind leading the blind, which is very dangerous.
参禅，好像农夫在春天播种五谷的种籽，在夏天努力的耕耘、灌溉、除草、施肥，到秋天才可以丰收，到冬天才能得到饱暖，农夫一年的希望就是丰衣足食。参禅也是这样，要兢兢业业守住念头，时时刻刻管住自己。在禅堂里，行的时候用功否？坐的时候用功否？总而言之，行住坐卧都要用功修行。觉得用什么功相应，就用什么功，没有什么限制。譬如，参话头觉得不相应，可以念佛，或者修止观。只要相应，就会有成就。
Chan meditators are like farmers who sow in the spring; arduously weed, water, hoe, and fertilize in the summer; and harvest in the autumn, so that they can be full and warm in the winter. A farmer's year-long expectation is to be amply fed and warmly clothed. Investigating Chan is the same: we must carefully guard our thoughts and watch over ourselves at all times. As we walk and sit in the Chan hall, we should know whether or not we are applying effort. In general, whether walking, standing, sitting, or reclining, we should cultivate diligently. We can use whatever method we feel is right for us; there is no restriction. For example, if we feel that investigating the meditation topic is not suitable for us, we can recite the Buddha's name or cultivate the method of "stopping and contemplating." Only with a method that is appropriate for us can we succeed.
无论用什么功，心都要专一，没有妄想，用到极点，便有消息。如果妄想重重，用什么功，也不会相应。凡是真正用功的人，行不知行，坐不知坐，行坐都不知道，怎么会打妄想呢？只知道“念佛是谁？谁在念佛？”这个疑问，要念念不忘，常在心中参。在这个时候，渴不知渴，饥不知饥。冷不知冷，热不知热。为什么不知道？因为专一其心的缘故，腰酸不知酸，腿疼不知疼，什么念头都没有了，只有唯一的念头––“念佛是谁？”常提起来又放下，放下又提起来，时时刻刻，绵绵密密，接接连连而不间断来用功夫。用到极点的时候，或者撞着，或者碰着，忽然间就开悟了。
No matter which method we use, we must concentrate and get rid of all idle thoughts. When we concentrate to the ultimate point, there will be good news. If we have a profusion of idle thoughts, then no matter what method we use, it won't work for us. People who truly apply themselves don't even know when they are walking and sitting; how much less could they engage in idle thoughts? All they know is the question, "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" They keep investigating it in their minds without ever forgetting it. They're unaware of thirst, hunger, or feeling hot or cold. Why don't they know these things? It's because they are concentrating single-mindedly. They aren't aware of stiffness in their back or pain in their legs; they have no thoughts at all, except for "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" They are constantly raising the question and letting it go; dropping it, only to pick it up again. They use this skill ceaselessly, in thought after thought, at all times. When their effort reaches an extreme, they may bump into something and suddenly get enlightened.
为什么你没有豁然开悟？因为你没有专心致志，你不知明心见性的道理，不知返本还原的境界，不知家乡在何处？而愿意做流浪异地的穷子。最后还是说这一句话：参“念佛是谁？”参到“山穷水尽疑无路”的时候，就会有“柳暗花明又一村”的境界。
Why haven't you been suddenly enlightened? It's because you aren't concentrated, and you don't know how to "understand your mind and see your nature." You don't know the state of returning to the origin. You don't know where your hometown is. You prefer instead to be the prodigal son who wanders adrift in foreign lands. In the end, I still say the same thing: investigate "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" until you reach a state where, "The mountains end, the waters dry up, and you fear there is nowhere left to go; there, beyond the dark willows and the bright flowers, you'll find another village."
一九八○年禅七 十二月开示
A talk given during a Chan session
in December, 1980
