Chapter 11 Chapter 07 (1) Gradual and Sudden

7.1 The Road to Zen Enlightenment Zen enlightenment, as mentioned in the previous chapter, is very difficult.It is difficult because it can only be obtained by reversing the normal conditions of life.The normal situation is to eat and drink men and women, or in other words, when you see beautiful clothes and fine food, see Xi Shi and Pan An, you feel good, and then desire.If you want something, you feel happy; if you don’t get it, you feel bitter.As for happiness and suffering, we try our best to avoid the former and obtain the latter.In addition, if you add virtue, meritorious deeds, and words, you will be a high-ranking official with a high salary in life, and someone will be careful to chase after you in death.The Buddhist school is very different, they think that all these are circulating in the sea of ​​suffering; if you want to get rid of it, you have to take the completely opposite path.

This opposite road, at least seen by ordinary people, is grotesque, elusive, and so rough that it is almost difficult to even walk.How can I get through?Obviously, in today's terms, thinking needs to be reformed; and if small reforms are not enough, major reforms are necessary.The practice of Buddhism is mainly meditation. Later, the Southern School of Zen changed to practice Zen, the purpose of which is to really transform the mind.Whether you can get it or not depends on whether you can replace the old environment with the new one.As analyzed in the previous chapter, it is almost impossible to change the perceived environment because of the evidence of reality.Then you have to work harder on meditation.This state of meditation, the so-called new state, or Zen state, is neither easy to "live" nor "survive".The so-called life means that when you meditate, you really see that the mountains are not mountains, and the water is not water; Mountains are not mountains, and water is not water.Or in general, the mind is no longer moved by (perceived) situations, and therefore no longer has afflictions.Buddhists call having afflictions as delusion, and no longer having afflictions as enlightenment.Ordinary people are of course on the contrary, they will say that delusion is the normal state, and enlightenment is the abnormal state.Zen masters, at least before enlightenment, are ordinary people. Then, to seek enlightenment, you have to go from normal to abnormal. In the words of ordinary people, you should regard existence as emptiness, feel happiness as suffering, and so on.This is obviously too difficult.It is difficult to seek success, and we have to work hard.This kung fu, if the body and the mind can be separated, uses the mind (meditation) as the main force, and the body as the helper (living in the mountains and forests, sitting in meditation, adjusting breath, etc.), seeking to change perceptions, loves and dislikes, and choices.

Such a big change can only be achieved by perseverance.Practice, the same is Zen, the method will also vary due to different sects; and the same sect, there will also be subtle differences due to different people.As for the major differences of sects, Master Guifeng Zongmi explained in detail in his works such as "The Great Shu of the Yuanjue Sutra" and "The Preface to the Collection of Interpretations of the Origin of Zen". The "Yuanjue Jing Dashu" divides Zen methods into seven schools: one is "seeing through the dust with a brush, and it is convenient to understand the scriptures", which means to diligently remove pollution, to clarify the pure nature, and to use the scriptures as a help.The second is "Three sentences with the heart, called precepts, concentration and wisdom", which means to have no memory, no thoughts, and never forget, that is, practice precepts, concentration and wisdom.The third is "to destroy consciousness without restraint in teaching and practice", which means to break all attachments and obtain the wonderful way with no mind.The fourth is "touching the class is the way and letting the heart go", which means that all actions can be used to manifest the Buddha's nature, do not think of good, do not think of evil, and act according to the heart.The fifth is "There is nothing to forget about emotion", which means that the state of mind is originally empty, and one can forget about emotion after understanding this principle, and forget about emotion without suffering.The sixth is "preserving the Buddha by passing on incense", which means that masters and apprentices teach and accept, take the incense as a record, and pray for Buddha to seek no thoughts.The seventh is "the wisdom of tranquility refers to the body, and no thought is the sect", which means that the mind and body are inherently silent. Knowing this pure mind can prove Nirvana.This category is derived from theoretical analysis; in practice, it may be difficult to draw the boundaries so clearly.Also, with regard to mind, consciousness, body, function, etc., if you pursue deeply, you will fall into a sea of ​​names and forms, so here we have to accommodate common sense, pay less attention to the psychological state of practice, and pay more attention to the effect of practice, that is, gradually or ton.

According to common sense, practice and change are not easy, and the journey should be long; however, starting from Zhu Dao in the Southern Dynasties, especially from the sixth patriarch Huineng, many Zen masters believe that it can be as short as an instant.A long time is "gradual", and a short time is "a sudden".Both are ways to attain Zen enlightenment, and their nature and differences, as well as the relationship between them, gains and losses, etc., are also things that people who want to understand Zen have to get to the bottom of it. 7.2.1 Gradual repair Transforming the mind with the method of meditation and seeking to replace the normal state (liberation) with a strange state existed before the rise of Buddhism, and it is also common to many sects after the rise of Buddhism.Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, once became a monk and once learned to have nothing, and to be neither thought nor not. On the nineteenth day, I observed the twelve karmic conditions along the opposite direction, and finally attained the supreme enlightenment. All these practices are meditation.It is speculated that in the early days of Buddhism, believers and disciples practiced meditation, and their meditations were all about the Four Noble Truths, that is, "suffering" comes from "collection", and it should be "extinguished" by "Tao".Later, following the teaching style of seeking esoteric and cumbersome, the content of meditation became complicated, and there were many teaching methods. Here I will talk about the most common ones.It can be roughly divided into three or three stages: "viewing the law", "zen state" and "enjoyment".

(1) Observation.This is teaching students according to their aptitude or prescribing the right medicine for the content of meditation during sitting meditation, that is, adapting to different psychological faults and choosing different Ding Gong to treat them.There are five ways: one is greedy, and the law is ruled by the concept of uncleanness, that is, it is assumed that the things you love and desire are unclean.There are two types of impurity: one is the impurity of the body, which includes nine kinds of impurity: death, swelling, bruises, pus, decay, blood smear, insects, and bone locks (the bones are still connected after the body is broken). ),dispersion.One is that his body is not pure, including five kinds of impurity:

Seed (one's own body karma and parents' essence and blood), residence (mother's womb), self-relationship (many kinds of excrement), self-body (synthesis of thirty-six kinds of unclean substances), and finality (decay after death).Buddhism examines human nature and knows that greed, including the most blazing lust, is the most serious obstacle to the world, so it regards the concept of impurity as the most important magic weapon, not only listed as the first position, and practice it with 12% strength, such as in addition to practicing meditation in a meditation hall, you also ask to go to a cluster of mounds to see dead bodies.The second way to observe the law is to look at the rule of law with compassion.For others, to be happy is called compassion, and to get rid of suffering is to be compassionate.Others include four types: relatives, those who have no close relatives, passers-by, and enemies.Because it includes enemies and requires neither anger nor hatred, it also advocates patience and humiliation, even being beaten and scolded is not a big deal.The third way to observe the law is to be ignorant, and to observe the rule of law with karma.The so-called ignorance is to think that all the dharmas in the world are real, so they are confused and do not realize.The view of cause and condition is to think about the twelve causes and conditions (there is "aging and death" because of "life", there is "birth" because of "being", etc.; "Consciousness" disappears, etc.), and finally requires the realization that all dharmas are empty.The fourth way to observe the law is to see the rule of law separately from the four realms.I see or ego, is to think I (self) and what I (outside of myself) are real.This is the cause of many afflictions, so it must be driven out with the principle that discrimination is false.The fifth way to observe the law is to relax your mind and observe the rule of law with counting breath.Counting breaths is also called Anpan, An (Ana) is the inhalation, and Prana (Pana) is the exhalation, that is, sitting quietly and counting the breaths, so that the heart stops in one place.Stopping in one place is not the no-thinking and worry-free Taoism, but focusing on one principle. This principle is such as non-self and impermanence of all actions.There are many kinds of observation methods, which are the analysis of facts; of course, you must use both methods in practical practice. If you have both greed and self-attachment, you must also practice the two observation methods of impurity and the separation of the four worlds; Like the introduction or foundation of meditation, it is inseparable from hard work.

(2) Zen state.This is like the mundane way of going from elementary school to middle school, and from middle school to university. If you are determined and successful, the state you get is also from the shallower to the deeper.There are four levels of scoring: one is the first meditation.At this stage, the feelings of meditation practitioners, or the teaching of the Dharma, is very complicated. It is said in order that there are coarse dwellings, fine dwellings, desire definition, unreached concentration (above is the appearance before the entrance), eight touches, and ten merits (above There are several types of phases that have already been introduced).At the beginning of sitting meditation, sit quietly and adjust the breath, and feel that the mind is stable and not distracted, which is a coarse dwelling.Furthermore, I feel that the heart is more clear and stable, and it is a fine dwelling.Going a step further, feeling empty and clear, and your body is like a cloud like a shadow, it is the desire to define.Going a step further, if you feel that your mind is blank, and you don’t see the things you see before you, you have not yet reached samadhi (haven’t entered the first meditation).After a long period of time (days, months, or years), when entering the first meditation, the body feels eight touches: moving touch, the body moves and turmoil; Able to fly; heavy touch, the body is as heavy as a stone, without moving; cold touch, as if immersed in cold water; warm touch, the body is as hot as fire; astringent touch, the body is like wood veneer; slippery touch, the body is as slippery as milk.Entering the first meditation can get ten merits and virtues (also known as the ten relatives): emptiness, clarity, concentration, wisdom, kindness, softness, joy (coarse joy), joy (fine joy), liberation, and corresponding realms.There are also eighteen branches of teaching (five branches of the first jhana, four branches of the second jhana, five branches of the third jhana, and four branches of the fourth jhana). The five branches of the first jhana are: enlightenment branch, insight branch, joy branch, joy branch, and one-hearted branch.This is all too detailed, not as concise as the words in the Sutra of Sitting Meditation and Samadhi, which is: "Practitioners, get rid of love and desire, extinguish the fire of desire, concentrate on diligence and faith in happiness, make the mind diligent, the mind is not distracted, contemplate the desire and the heart is tired, and eliminate knots. Get rid of worries, and get the first meditation.” Meditation is seeking to give up the worldly dharma, of course, the more you give up, the greater the achievement and the higher the state.In the state of the first meditation, it is obtained by thinking, and what is obtained is awareness and vision, which is joy.There is still joy in the concept of equanimity, which is the second jhana.Shexi and still joy are the three dhyanas.And giving up happiness is the four dhyana.The Four Zens are the highest state of meditation and should be called "enlightenment".

(3) Accepted.This is the good result of successful meditation. It is easy to practice the four immeasurable minds, cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, understand the four noble truths, and obtain the six supernatural powers.The four immeasurable hearts are immeasurable kindness (making all living beings happy), immeasurable compassion (making all beings free from suffering), immeasurable joy (rejoicing to see all beings happy), and immeasurable giving (leaving all suffering and happiness). Survival Brahma.The four places of mindfulness are also known as the four emptiness samadhis or the four colorless samadhis. They are the samadhis of the boundless emptiness (from all forms, entering the void), the samadhis of the boundless consciousness (the emptiness exists because of the consciousness, and give up the emptiness after observing the knowledge), and the samadhis of the nothingness. (Consciousness is also illusory, and then give up consciousness), non-perception and non-non-concentration (concentration of non-perception and non-perception, no perceptual non-conception, so take non-perception and non-perception), this is a higher practice method.The Four Noble Truths are the origin of suffering and the extinction of the Tao. If you understand this truth, you can become enlightened.The six supernatural powers are celestial eyes, celestial ears, other minds, fate, magical feet, and omissions. They are all abilities that common sense considers impossible.

The practice method mentioned above, from sitting meditation to enlightenment, obviously does not happen overnight, that is to say, it must be practiced gradually.From the perspective of life in the Chan Forest, after talking about the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, he also went step by step in order to achieve success.For example, Baizhang Huaihai's "Zen Gate Regulations" (later developed into "Baizhang Qinggui") stipulates: There are not many students, no high or low, all of them enter the monk's hall, and they are arranged according to Xia's order.Set up a long bed, set up a frame, and hang props.When lying down, the lip of the bed must be slanted, and the auspicious sleeper on the right flank, because he has sat in meditation for a long time, but only rested for a while, he has the four dignity.

It is not easy to maintain "sitting in meditation for a long time", so a strict practice system is required to ensure it. There are daily ones, apart from regular sitting meditation, there are also class recitations, mainly going to the temple to recite sutras in the morning and evening.There is also a practice of Dinggong for ninety days in a row in summer, which is called Zuxia, and a continuous practice of Dinggong for ninety days in winter, called Zuola, and the common name is Anju.The purpose of this is: Enlightenment is not easy, so you have to persevere, use your strength on the one hand, and take your time on the other hand.Taking it slow is gradual cultivation.

Time is a strange thing with strange magic.One of the magical powers of this monster is that it can change quantity into quality.Some propaganda and advertising techniques are good at using this kind of magic power. As a certain Nazi leader said, a lie can become true after repeated repetitions.This is not to say who is true and who is false, but that "gradualness" has great strength and can almost turn the impossible into possible.Of course, it is not enough to do it alone due to time, and there must be other things (monastery, lectures, food and clothing, etc.) to accompany it.I am more familiar with the practice life in the monastery, and I know that the creation of the environment by the mind and the creation of the mind by the environment often complement each other; at the beginner stage, the latter may be more powerful.Take two small situations as examples: one is audio-visual lectures and chanting inside or outside the temple. The tranquility of the temple, the lingering smoke, and the quiet sound of bells, drums and Buddhist chant often make people feel a little yearning for birth.One is to recite scriptures by yourself, for example, if you can recite, in a quiet night, when your heart should be pure but not pure, you can silently recite: "All dharmas are empty and empty, neither born nor destroyed, neither dirty nor clean, neither increasing nor decreasing. Colorless, no thoughts, no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, colorless sound, fragrance, touch, vision, and even unconsciousness. No ignorance, no ignorance, no old age, no old death. There is no suffering to destroy the way, no wisdom and no gain. "Reciting does not necessarily reflect the meaning of the scriptures deeply, and naturally it cannot be said to be a deep belief or a superficial belief, but these "nothings" will also generate some power, transforming the impure mind into a little purity, which cannot be discarded. A little bit of cause will also produce little bit of fruit, let alone disciples of believers who sit in meditation halls for a long time, live in a hut, and meditate inside and outside. Because it comes from a long period of time, if it is a kind of guarantee, it seems that only gradual cultivation can have it. 7.2.2 Gradual practice before Dharma In the early days of Middle-earth, those who practiced Zen practiced according to the scriptures.The sutras are mainly Zen sutras, not limited to Zen sutras, because what the Zen sutras say is more about walking, walking is meditation, and you have to think about it. What are you thinking about?It is always said that it is Buddhist principles, which should come from the general scriptures.Some people advocate the unity of Zen (practicing Zen) and teaching (Buddhism), and this is the reason.It focuses on the Zen scriptures of Zen practice, which were translated by An Shigao to Kumarajiva in the early days, such as "Da An Ban Shou Yi Sutra", "Zen Walking Method Thinking Sutra", "Cultivating Dao Di Sutra", "Sitting Meditation Samadhi" Sutra, "Secrets of Zen" and so on.As mentioned in it, like those introduced in the previous section, from the shallow to the deep, you have to do it slowly.Taking it slow is gradual cultivation. The behavior of the eminent monks who practiced Zen at that time also showed that the practice was done slowly.Take Huijiao's "Biography of Eminent Monks: Practicing Zen" as an example: (1) Jin, Shan, Yin, Yue, Mountain, and Silk Monk Light—Less practice of Zen.Jin Yonghe first traveled to the east of the Yangtze River and threw himself into the Shicheng Mountain of Shan. ...Guang saw a stone room in the south of the mountain, and he stopped in it. An Chan put his palms together, thinking that it was a place for the gods to dwell. ... Every time you enter meditation, you can't get up for seven days.Fifty-three years in the mountain. (2) Zhu Tanyou of Chicheng Mountain in Shifeng, Jin Dynasty——Less ascetic practice, practice meditation.Later, he traveled to the left of the river, stopped at Shicheng Mountain of Shan, begged for food and sat in meditation. ... There are isolated rocks on the mountain, which show dry clouds. You knead stones to make ladders, ascend rocks to sit at banquets, and connect bamboo to pass water for common use. ... According to ancient legends, there is a fine abode on (Tiantai Mountain), where those who attain the Tao live. Although there are stone bridges across the ravine, horizontal stones cut people off, and the berries and moss are green and slippery, since ancient times, no one has achieved it. .When you walked to the bridge, you heard a voice in the air saying: "Your Majesty is honest and honest, and you haven't been saved yet, but in the next ten years, you should come to him." You felt disappointed.Stay overnight in the evening, and hear the sound of Xingdao singing uposa.Before returning to his desire, he saw a man with bright white temples and eyebrows. He asked You what he wanted, and You responded with intention. The gentleman said, "Your life and death, how can you go? I am a mountain god, so I tell you." (3) (Southern Dynasties) Yuhang Shijingdu in the Song Dynasty - monks and vegetarians, chanting more than 300,000 words of scriptures.Often alone in the mountains, sit in meditation and recite.If there is a fasting set in the town, the body is like nine lights, and the end is like the dawn, and it is considered to be an offering.This has been the case for many years. (4) (Southern Dynasties) Shifeng Waterfall Mountain Buddhist Monk Cong in the Song Dynasty—His nature is quiet and quiet, and he lived in seclusion in Shifeng Waterfall Mountain.Study both internal and external, and intensively study five subjects.If you don't accept the five grains, you only bait jujube and chestnut.He is a hundred years old, but his strength is strong, and he does not stop reciting. This is all gradual cultivation, and "enlightenment" is not mentioned.If you don't mention enlightenment, you just think that there will be success slowly, and you don't think of "sudden". During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was another kind of Zen method that was combined with the Pure Land method, which was advocated by Lushan Huiyuan, and it was called Chanting Buddha Zen.Mindfulness means visualization.Practicing meditation with the method of visualizing Buddha can be regarded as a special form of meditation, and it is obviously not something that can be achieved overnight. In short, the early Zen methods in Middle-earth are more or less tinged with Indian asceticism. Practicing ascetic practice is a long-term method, a consistent system before extinction, without stages, naturally there will be no talk, and there will be no pre-enlightenment and post-enlightenment.In other words, Zen is just a way of life beyond the world, and it must be consistent; unlike later, Zen is a means of seeking enlightenment and liberation, and it is necessary to strictly distinguish between successful and non-successful.Practically speaking, consistency is different from the gradual and gradual, but it is always closer to gradual and farther than sudden. 7.2.3 Gradual practice of the Langa School Section 5.4.1 and below in the fifth chapter previously introduced the situation of the Langa Sect.The genealogy of Zen Buddhism, according to the Nanzong, started from Bodhidharma and counted to Huineng, which is the sixth generation.However, according to the records in "The Records of the Teachers of Lenga" and "Biography of Eminent Monks", Bodhidharma's teaching of Zen is the "Langa Sutra" instead of the "Diamond Sutra". , "The name must also be corrected", it should be named Langazong. The first volume of the "Langa Sutra" mentions Jiandun, and it says this: At that time, the Great Wisdom Bodhisattva, in order to purify the flow of his own mind, asked the Tathagata again, and said to the Buddha: "World Honored One, how can we purify all sentient beings' flow of their own mind, whether suddenly or gradually?" Sudden. Just like the fruit of Anluo, it is not sudden when it is gradually ripe. The Tathagata purifies all sentient beings from the mind. The flow is the same, gradually purifying and not suddenly. For example, the earth gradually produces all things, but not suddenly. The Tathagata purifies all living beings from the flow of their own minds. The same is true, gradually purifying and not suddenly. Gradually become non-sudden. The Tathagata purifies all sentient beings from the flow of their own minds, and it is the same. Now there is no phase, nothing has a pure state. Like the sun and the moon, it suddenly reveals all the images. The Tathagata shows the habitual energy and troubles all living beings in order to leave his own mind. , suddenly discerning the emergence of one's own mind, and the realm of body security and enjoyment. Those who rely on the Buddha are also like this. Illuminate. Self-awareness of the holy realm is also the same. In the appearance of the Dharma, there is nature and no nature, and evil views and delusions are eliminated according to the order." There are two sides to this article, there is gradualness and suddenness: gradualness is more about practice, and suddenness is more about Buddhist power.If this understanding is correct, then it can be deduced that during the period of practicing according to the "Langa Sutra", the main way to enter the Tao is still gradually, not abruptly. Several masters of the Langa School, who taught themselves or taught others the Zen method, can also be cited as proof.Daruma is two-entry and four-element. "The Records of the Teachers of Langa" says: There are many ways to enter the Tao, and to put it simply, there are two types: one is the entry of reason, and the other is the entry of practice.Those who enter the rationale mean that they use the teachings of Wuzong to firmly believe in the true nature of Hansheng (living beings) and all saints, but they are covered by dust and dust, and cannot be revealed; The holy one, stick to it unmoving, let alone follow the words and teachings, this is indistinguishable from the truth, silent and nameless, and the reason of the name enters.Those who do it are the so-called four lines, and the rest of the lines are all included in this line.What are the four lines?The first is to repay grievances, the second is to act according to circumstances, the third is to do nothing, and the fourth is to call Dharma.How can you complain?If a practitioner of the Way suffers, he should say to himself: From countless kalpas in the past, I abandoned my roots and chased the ends, wandering around with all my existence, aroused a lot of resentment and hatred, and violated and harmed infinitely. Heaven and man cannot see and bear it willingly, without complaining. ...The second one who walks according to conditions, all beings have no self, and they are turned by karma, suffering and joy are both experienced, and they are all born from conditions.If winning and rewarding honors and other things are what I felt in the past due to past causes, and now I have it, and the fate is gone, how can I be happy? ... The third is the person who seeks nothing, the world is always deluded, and he is greedy everywhere, which is called seeking.A wise man realizes the truth, and the reason and the vulgarity are taken into account, and he is at ease and inaction, and the shape follows the movement, everything is empty, and there is nothing to be happy about.The merits and virtues are dark, and they are always chasing each other. Living in the three realms for a long time is like a house on fire, and the body is suffering. Who can be at peace?Having reached this point, there is no desire for all living things. ... The fourth is called Dharma Practitioner, the principle of pure nature, because it is the Dharma.This is the principle that all phases are empty, without stains and attachments, without this and without that. …In order to get rid of delusions, practice the six perfections (1. Giving, 2. Observing precepts, 3. Forbearance, 4. Diligence, 5. Meditation, 6. Wisdom), but do nothing, which is called Dharma practice. It is also said that Bodhidharma once sat in meditation facing the wall in Shaolin Temple in Songshan Mountain, known as the Brahman facing the wall.It can be seen that whether you are talking about Zen or practicing it yourself, you all regard Zen practice as a long-term way of life, not a means of sudden enlightenment.The same is true of Chengsi's disciples.The second patriarch (according to the genealogy of the Nan family, the same below) Hui Ke, Daoxuan's "Continued Biography of Eminent Monks · Seng Ke Biography" said, "You can do it often, and also worship Toutuo".Dhuta practice is a long-term ascetic practice with very simple clothing, food and housing, and of course it is also a gradual practice.The third patriarch, Sengcan, said in "The Records of the Teachers of Langa": According to the "Continued Biography of Eminent Monks", "Chan Master Ke Houcan thought of the empty mountain in seclusion, sat quietly in Xiao Ran, did not write records, and did not pass on the Dharma in secret." ) Wei Seng Dao has believed in doing things for twelve years, writing instruments and passing lights, and achieved one by one.Canyin Dao believed in seeing the Buddha's nature, and said in his words: "The Lotus Sutra says: 'There is only one thing, there is no two, and there is no three. Empty and silent, beyond what one can see and hear, that is, writing and language are useless.” Sitting quietly, Xiao Ran obviously cultivated gradually.The fourth patriarch Daoxin, "Continued Biography of Eminent Monks Xuan Shuang Biography" said that his Zen method is "only keeping the mindfulness, sitting for a long time without lying down, and keeping the mind in front", which has been mentioned earlier. "The Records of the Teachers of Langa" recorded some metaphors, which also express this spirit: It is a metaphor for people to learn the Tao, and to keep the mind in mind.The heart and the heart are continuous, and there is no time to read.Constant righteous thoughts, righteous thoughts present.Another scripture says: Shoot the three doors of liberation (empty, non-appearance, and non-action) with the arrow of wisdom and benefit, and stay with each other, and don't let it fall to the ground.It is also like drilling into a fire, which stops before it is hot. Although you want to get fire, fire is hard to come by.It's also like having wishful pearls at home (precious jewels that can be as wishful as others), and you can get everything you want, but suddenly lose it, and you will never forget it. It's also like a poisoned arrow piercing into the flesh, and the arrowhead is still there when it comes out of the pole. After suffering such pain, there is no time to forget it. Thoughts are always in the heart, it should be like this. This is what happens when you make mistakes, and what happens when you are upset, and it is like this for a lifetime, so it doesn't matter if you don't stop.Hongren, the fifth patriarch, said in "Langa Teachers' Records" that he "lived in the valley of the gods, avoided the noise, cultivated his character in the mountains, and said goodbye to common things", "sitting quietly in peace, without writing records", which shows that he has been practicing hard for a long time, and he is still a Toutuo. all the way. After Hongren, the fifth patriarch, the legal struggle between the Northern and Southern Schools began, and Hui Neng's disciple Shenhui attacked the Zen method of the Shenxiu school, "the method is gradual".Later people who talked about Zen also saw it in the same way. There are divisions between Wei and Wei, regions have north and south, and Dharma has sudden and gradual.As far as the difference between the teachings is concerned, Shenxiu (if he knows after death) will also admit it, because his religious teachings are "wisdom to stop thinking, do your best to capture the heart", life is "open room and dwelling in rocks", still It is the path of long-term practice.The same is true of his big disciples Puji and Yifu. "The Records of the Teachers of Lenga" quotes Zen practitioners to praise them and say: Fashan is clean, Fahai is clear, Fajing is bright, and Fadeng is bright.The banquet sits on the famous mountain, and the deep valley of Chengshen.The sea of ​​virtue and meditation, the branches of Zen luxuriant.Pure and inaction, desolate and alone, silently illuminated by Zen lamps, all scholars have proved the Buddha's mind. It can be proved that until the sixth patriarch Huineng, they still maintained the tradition of the Langa sect, seeking liberation through gradual cultivation. 7.2.4 Nanzong and Jianxiu According to the history of Zen taught by Nanzong, since the fifth patriarch Hongren taught the Dharma and gave him clothes, the Zen method has been divided into two completely different branches.In fact, the situation is not so simple and clear, because objective things are one, or many parts are entangled together, and it is rare to make a clean break.The reason, far-reaching, is left to the following; here we first talk about the superficial phenomenon. The "Six Patriarchs' Altar Sutra" was written or recorded by Huineng's disciples and improved. The Southern School has a strong flavor, and there is a chapter called "Sudden Enlightenment". Of course, it must promote the advantages of sudden enlightenment.But it says: There is one Dharma book, people have north and south; Dharma is one kind, seeing that there are chronic diseases.What is the name suddenly?There is no sudden gradualism in the law, and people are inclined to be blunt, so it is called sudden gradualism. ...The teacher (Huineng) said: "Your teacher (referring to Shenxiu) precepts Dinghui to connect with Mahayana people, and I prescribe Dinghui to connect with people of the highest vehicle. The understanding is different, and I see that there are delayed diseases.... Your teacher prescribes Dinghui to persuade people with small roots and wisdom, I advise people with great roots and wisdom." The logical deduction of this view is: 1. Sudden Graduation is said by Chi Chi, a scholar who has attained the Tao, and it is not the difference between the methods.Second, delay is relative, and the two ends seem to be clearly different (such as one day and one year); but the two ends can move and get closer (such as one month and half a year), and if they are too close, it will be difficult to cut them in two.The third is the most serious. The first of the four great vows of Buddhism is "the boundless vow to save all living beings". Naturally, only a very small number of people can be saved. If the vast majority of sentient beings want to be saved, they can only take the path of gradual cultivation. Second, even if there is a moment of epiphany, there must be gradualness before enlightenment.The reason is obvious, enlightenment requires reforming the mind, in the words of the Buddhist school, it is necessary to break away from knowledge, perception and verification, sweep away pollution and reveal purity.Let’s just say that people of the highest level or Homo sapiens can see naturally that roast duck in a hanging oven is a combination of karma and fate, which is not true, and that high heels with perms are unclean and not cute?Great reform of thinking requires great (preparation) efforts, at least one must keep the Four Noble Truths in mind and firmly believe in them.Naturally, this cannot be achieved overnight, that is to say, it must be done gradually, not immediately. The life in the Zen forest of the Southern School is only based on the historical materials after revision, which can also explain this situation everywhere.Take the famous three generations of masters as an example.One is Nanyue Huairang, recorded in "Five Lantern Festival": In the third year of Chuigong, he was fifteen years old. He resigned from his relatives and went to Yuquan Temple in Jingzhou to become a monk under the lawyer Hongjing.In the second year of Tongtian, after receiving the precepts, he studied Vinizang.One day he sighed and said: "A husband who becomes a monk does nothing, and there is no winner in heaven and earth." Classmate Shi calmly knew that his teacher was ambitious, and advised him to pay a visit to Monk An in Songshan.An Qiqizhi pointed directly at Caoxi Can Sixth Patriarch. ... The teacher has served as a waiter for about fifteen years. It took about ten years from Empress Wu Chuigong to Wansui Tongtian, and later I learned from Hui'an (Hongren's disciple). Even if I met the Sixth Patriarch and realized it, it took a long time to prepare.The second is Mazu Daoyi, a disciple of Huairang. It is recorded in "Five Lanterns Huiyuan": Benyi Luohan Temple became a monk. ... When he was young, he was born by Monk Tang (Chu Ji) in Zizhou, and was entrusted by lawyer Fang Yuan in Yuzhou. (Biography of Dao Yi) In Kaiyuan, there was a Samana Dao Yi who often practiced sitting meditation in Hengyue Mountain.The master knew that it was a dharma tool, so he asked, "What is the great virtue thinking about sitting in meditation?" One said: "I want to be a Buddha." One said: "What is grinding?" The master said: "Grinding is a mirror." The other said: "How can grinding bricks become a mirror?" The master said: "Since grinding bricks can't make a mirror, how can you become a Buddha by sitting in meditation?"... Once enlightened, the mind is detached.Serving the ten autumns is becoming more and more mysterious. (Biography of Huairang) This is the "horse" of the prophecy "trample and kill the people of the world", and he has gradually achieved success in his studies, let alone other unknown characters.The third is Nanquan Puyuan, a senior student of Matsu, recorded in "Five Lantern Festivals": Young Mu Kongzong.In the second year of Zhide in Tang Dynasty, he received his education under the Zen Master Dahui of Dakaishan.Yi Songyue received full precepts.At the beginning, I studied the old chapters of the Xiangbu, and studied the Vini chapters.The next time I traveled to various lecture halls, I listened to "Langa" and "Hua Yan" all the time.After closing the room of great silence, I suddenly forgot the trap, and got the game Samadhi. Even if the saying of "suddenly forgetting the qian" is true, the kung fu before forgetting the qian, as for "refining the profound meaning", is enough effort.In short, success in learning is to start gradually and then pause.Or to quote the Sixth Patriarch's answer to Shenhui, it is "listen to the law and gradually", "practice gradually and gradually". (The biography of Shenhui in "Five Lantern Festival") Secondly, the situation just mentioned is to start gradually and then stop, which is obviously a road that all scholars must take.There is also the situation of pause first and then gradually, the universality of my thoughts is not necessarily small.The reasons are: 1. Assuming that there is a so-called pause, or because of seeing peach blossoms, or hearing a donkey braying, it seems to suddenly realize, can all doubts be wiped away?It is impossible only in terms of knowledge.Second, let alone the feelings of love and hate?Quoting Dr. Hu’s famous saying that kills the scenery, it is "knowing is difficult, but doing is not easy". In order to implement it in life, one has to continue to practice and strive for consolidation. When a monk hits the clock for a day".Zen masters also emphasize this aspect of hard work, such as the words of Weishan Lingyou, the founder of Weiyang School, in "Five Lanterns Huiyuan": Sometimes a monk asked: "Do people who have sudden enlightenment have more cultivation?" The master said: "If the real enlightenment is based on self-knowledge, whether to cultivate or not to cultivate is a two-headed word. Now, although the initial heart comes from conditions, and the sudden enlightenment takes care of itself, there is still a problem. At the beginning of the kalpa, the habitual energy has not been purified, so it is necessary to teach him to purify the current karmic consciousness, which is to cultivate." In the words of Jianfu Hongbian: The emperor (Tang Xuanzong) said: "What is sudden seeing? What is gradual cultivation?" Confronted: "Suddenly understand the self-nature, and be the same as the Buddha. However, there is no beginning to be contaminated, so the fake and gradual practice is the remedy, so that the obedience can be used. It is like a person who eats, and is full without a mouthful." Buddhism regards reverseness as obedience, and after hard work, occasionally an inspiration occurs, and I feel that rebellion is indeed obedience; but the power of "success" in the secular world is very strong. To avoid the danger of being pulled back, one must not relax for a second.That is to say, even if you have an idea (Pause), you still have to continue practicing (Jian).In short, the relationship between sudden and gradual is intricate, and according to Nanzong's assumption, it is difficult to make a clear distinction. 7.3.1 The so-called pause Ton has different meanings.The Hinayana first, followed by the Mahayana, it is like climbing a ladder step by step to the room, it is gradual; the Mahayana is started as soon as you start, it is like jumping to the room, it is sudden.This is to focus on stages rather than time, because there are few stages, and time may not be saved much.Usually, a pause refers to a short pause.This is also ancient.There are two ways to achieve success in Hinayana cultivation, "Sheng Hear" (enlightened by hearing the Buddha's teaching of the Four Noble Truths) and "Fate Enlightenment".There are two explanations for the predestined relationship: one is to gain enlightenment by observing the principles of the twelve causes and conditions; the other is to gain enlightenment by observing the outer conditions of flying flowers and falling leaves in a world without Buddhas, relying on one's own wisdom roots.The latter should be counted as a meal.But such a pause seems to be only seen in the explanation but not put into practice.In China, in the early days, there was the Sudun of Zhu Daosheng in the Southern Dynasties, but unfortunately his "Sudden Enlightenment and Buddhahood" has not been handed down.According to quotes from other expositions, he advocated great epiphany (branching is called small epiphany), and the reason is that the truth is inseparable and inseparable, and enlightenment into the truth with extreme wisdom does not allow for classes.But extreme wisdom must have been cultivated to the Buddha level (the last level of the ten levels), and only after possessing the vajra mind of a Bodhisattva. It can be seen that Dun is just saying that it should be so, not just saying how easy it is.When it comes to Nanzong, it also emphasizes reasoning (knowing the original mind, understanding self-nature, etc.), but more emphasis is placed on the aspect of action.See the variety below. (1) It should be started after the sixth patriarch Huineng, because he was the master of Langa before, and his sudden performance was unreliable. Chapters "Opportunity" and "Sudden Progress" of the "Six Patriarchs' Altar Sutra" mentioned the sudden enlightenment of many disciples.Fahai is: The teacher (Huineng, the same below) said: "If the former thought does not arise, it is the mind, and if the later thought does not die, it is the Buddha. When it is complete, it is the mind, and if it is separated from all appearances, it is the Buddha...." Fahai said that he had great enlightenment. Fada is: The master said: "...the one who knows and sees the Buddha is only your own mind, and there is no other Buddha. For the sake of all sentient beings, you are blinding yourself to the light, you are greedy for the dusty world, you are willing to be driven away by external and internal disturbances, and you will help the World Honored One to start from samadhi. , All kinds of bitter words, to persuade people to sleep. Don’t seek outside, you are no different from the Buddha, so you can open the Buddha’s knowledge....." Dawen weeps unknowingly, and then realizes greatly. Zhitong is: The teacher said: "The three bodies are the pure Dharma body, which is your nature; the perfect retribution body, your wisdom; the thousands of transformation bodies, your actions. If you talk about the three bodies apart from your original gender, it is called having a body without wisdom. Realize that the three bodies have no self-nature, that is, understand the Bodhi of the four wisdoms. ..." Tong suddenly comprehends nature and wisdom. Zhidao is: The master said: "...The Buddha recognizes the five aggregates and the combination as the self-identity for all charming, and distinguishes all dharmas as the appearance of dust. , seeking all day long. The Buddha, for this reason, shows the true bliss of Nirvana. There is no birth in a moment, and there is no death in a moment, and there is no birth and death to be destroyed. If it is, there is stillness and death, and there is no appearance when it is present The amount of it is called constant happiness..." Zhidao became enlightened upon hearing the verse. Zhi Huang is: The teacher said: "As I said, your mind is like space, you are not attached to empty views, you have no hindrance in application, you have no mind in movement and stillness, you forget all holy feelings, you lose all energy, and your nature and appearance are the same, and there is no time for timing." . Zhiche (original surname Zhang, first name Xingchang) is: The teacher said: "What is impermanent is the Buddha-nature; what is permanent is the mind that distinguishes all good and evil dharmas... Do you know? If the Buddha-nature is permanent, what are the good and evil dharmas? One who develops the bodhi mind. Therefore, when I say impermanence, it is exactly the way the Buddha said that it is true and permanent. And if all dharmas are impermanent, that is, all things have their own nature to accept life and death, and the true and constant nature has a non-pervasive place. Therefore What I say is permanence is exactly what the Buddha said is impermanence..." Xingchang suddenly realized. These are all enlightened by hearing positive lectures on Buddhist principles.