襌宗的教學 Teachings of Zen Buddhism

襌宗的教學  Teachings of Zen Buddhism

禪，這個字對於我而言，光用看的就心情舒暢，禪宗的教學令人嚮往，沒有禪學的地方，令人寂寞不已。

Teachings of Zen Buddhism

By visualizing the word “Zen”, I feel relax and comfortable. The teaching of Zen Buddhism is so charming and delightful that a place without Zen Buddhism is lonesome.

 

 

一休和尚說: 你們不是要請衣服吃飯嗎? (原典故是，被邀請吃飯，因穿不好的衣服而被擋駕) 不是禪師誰能有此氣勢，禪宗禪師的動與靜，有如黑夜裡的光芒，讓人振奮不已，軟弱的時候需要這樣的燈，徬徨的時候更要學學禪師，禪師說 : 放不下就挑著走，活潑而生動的教學，讓禪宗有一定的佛學地位。

Monk Ikkyu once said, “Aren’t you going to invite the clothing to eat?” (The story behind is Monk Ikkyu was invited for meal but got refused to enter due to his inappropriate dressing.) If it weren’t the Zen master, who else would react so overwhelmingly? Each and every move of a Zen master thrills people just like the light in the dark. We need this kind of lighthouse to guide us the way when feeling weak. At times when we hesitate about which way to go, we even need more guidance from the Zen master. Zen masters teach us, ‘If you can’t let go, then carry it with you.’ This vivid and lively teaching earns for Zen Buddhism an important position in Buddhism.

 

 

坦白講如果我能在世人面前，不被身份，地位所遮蔽，還能幽默一下，帶衣服去給請客的主人看，再來還有什麼事可以為難自己，禪的魅力在於相對的嚴格教學；貧賤不能移，多了一份幽默與從容。

Frankly speaking, if a person, not bewildered by the social status, can show up confidently and even humorously bring his clothes to show to the inviting host, what else can embarrass him? Comparing to the strict way of teaching ‘Do not be shaken or modified by one's poverty or destitution.’, Zen Buddhism’s glamour lies in its teaching is more humorous and calm.

 

【幽默】人生裡面不能少的插曲，幽默比教條式的教育更俱衝擊，幽默如同清澈之泉直貫腦門，除了想讓人站起來鼓掌外，還讓世人知道什麼樣的姿態，可以在人世間從容生活，從來不與人爭論，只用實際行動告訴人們，日常生活裡的價值觀有多麼荒謬，唯有禪師的身影足以涉入人間。

Humor is an essential element in life and is more powerful than any doctrine instructions. Humor is just like a refreshing spring pouring into your mind. Being humorous not only can earn applause but also tells people what kind of attitude allows you to live composedly. Zen Buddhism teaches not to argue but act practically to show the world how ridiculous some of our life values are. Only a Zen master can blend into the world and live calmly.

 

禪的教學注重直接印心，屬於某種修學程度已相同的人，彼此敞開心胸，拋棄一切形式上的外在去對話，形式上的外在包含，教育給的價值觀，社會認同的生命，生活觀點，這些看似已無爭論的想法正是修學者的死穴，不要以為禪師是反社會的，想一下，如果一個人從小到大吸收了被教授的一切，但已經沒了批判力，創造力，大概就死了。

Zen’s teaching focuses on gaining consonance with Buddha’s mind directly. In another word, Zen practitioners with similar levels in Buddhism learning communicate with each other by opening the mind and discard all external forms to reach a common consensus. The external forms may include values and viewpoints from education, life and society. It’s all these seemingly universal concepts that strand a practitioner. But do not consider a Zen master is antisocial simply because of this. Imagine if a person has absorbed everything been taught since young, his mind is probably dead without having his own judgments and creativities.

 

禪的修學所要的人才還得俱備洞悉能力，要有能力看穿自己吸收的思想，再溶合，再創造，並且勇於執行。

禪宗的印心說法，也被後來的修學者神秘化，我想世人一直不能明白，一個有經典，有學說傳世的教派，從來坦蕩蕩，根本不須要神秘化，印心的真實情況是，屬於老師對學生修學的認同，由於雙方已經都有程度了，對話就呈現內行人才聽得懂的內容，如果修學者自己也已經有程度，一定不覺得印心有什麼奇怪，我們對諾貝爾獎得主也不覺得奇怪，為什麼禪的印心(也是修學成績被認同)就會覺得這裡面應該有什麼秘密? 會不會是人們總要覺得自己修了什麼稀世大法才能安心 ?!

A Zen practitioner needs to be capable of transforming mere knowledge into true wisdom. To equip yourself with this ability, you are required to comprehend the concepts being learned, keep blend in, recreate and bravely execute.

Zen Buddhism’s reaching consonance with Buddha’s mind has mystified by practitioners later on. In fact, a classic religious sect which is widely spread around the world needn’t to be mystified. It is always fair and open. The true case of gaining consonance with Buddha’s mind lies in the recognition given by the teacher to practitioners. Since both have certain levels of knowledge, they discourse upon things which are only comprehensible to each other. A practitioner with some practice achievements does not think it’s unusual to gain consonance with Buddha’s mind just like we don’t think a Nobel winner is odd. Why does Zen’s gaining consonance with Buddha’s mind (practice achievements being recognized) should be mysterious? May it simply because one needs some rare and supreme advanced methods to relieve himself?

 

德山禪師燒了自己的一生學說(金剛經的註解)，因為他不懂自己的學說，金剛經在實地怎麼運用 ? 有人問他金剛經裡面的；三心了不可得(過去，現在，未來心)，現在要點哪個心? 撞擊出他只懂書面，不懂內容，他一把火燒了一生的著作，轉而專心研究經的內容，這樣有什麼祕宻嗎？如果有秘密，應該在於我不敢這樣做(做了一輩子的學問，到頭要承認自己不懂) ！ 這個不敢烙印在我的心裡邊，成了一個秘密。

Zen Master Deshan burned up his lifetime study (Notes of the Diamond Sutra) because he couldn’t utilize it practically. Someone asked him if Three Minds discussed in Diamond Sutra (the past, the present and the future mind) could not be found, then which one should we light up? This question struck him that he knew nothing about the gist. He burned up his lifetime study and concentrated on finding the gist of Buddhist Sutra. Do you still think there is mystery behind it? If there’s any secret, it should be the fact that I dare not to do this (to admit publicly that I understand nothing after studying for a lifetime). And the thought of dare not to do is branded on my mind as a secret.

 

我自己的修學從來討厭神秘,我喜歡有學術架構，有實修例証的修學,學術可以辯明真正的好思想，實修可以成就自己，傳續後人。襌學某種程度來説：已是襌師跨越佛學學術，集實修於一身，真正展現精華的高超功力。

 半寄

I dislike mystery when practicing Buddhism. I prefer Practice with academic structure and evidences of actual practicing. Actual practices foster self-achievements and pass on valuable experiences. To some extent, Zen Buddhism is the demonstration of Zen masters’ outstanding capacity and achievement after they have surpassed the academic Buddhism and put it into practice.                   

 Master Ban Ji
 Translated by Grace Tsai     
  Proofread by Sophiea Kuo