六祖壇經背誦經句

六祖壇經背誦經句

The Sixth Patriarch's

Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra

(for memorization)

 

行由品第一 (Chapter I. Action and Intention)

1、菩提自性，本來清淨，但用此心，直了成佛。(8/15/08)

The self-nature of Bodhi is originally clear and pure. 

Simply use that mind, and you will straightaway accomplish Buddhahood.

2、身是菩提樹，心如明鏡台，時時勤拂拭，勿使惹塵埃。

菩提本無樹，明鏡亦非台，本來無一物，何處惹塵埃？(8/29/08)

The body is a Bodhi tree; the mind like a bright mirror stand. Time and again brush it clean; and let no dust alight. Originally Bodhi has no tree; the bright mirror has no stand. Originally there is not a single thing; Where can dust alight.

3、無上菩提，須得言下識自本心，見自本性，不生不滅。於一切時中，念念自見，萬法無滯，一真一切真，萬境自如如。如如之心，即是真實。若如是見，即是無上菩提之自性也。(9/19/08)

   Supreme Bodhi must be obtained at the very moment of speaking.  In recognizing the original mind, at all times, in every thought, you yourself will see that the ten thousand Dharmas are unblocked; in one truth is all truth and the ten thousand states are of themselves thus, as they are. The thusness of the mind, just that is true reality. If seen in this way, it is indeed the self nature of supreme Bodhi.

4、欲學無上菩提，不可輕於初學，下下人有上上智，上上人有沒意智。若輕人，即有無量無邊罪。(10/3/08)

   If you wish to study the supreme Bodhi, do not slight the beginner.  The lowest people may have the highest wisdom; the highest people may have the least wisdom.  If you slight others, you create limitless, unbounded offenses.

5、何期自性本自清靜！何期自性本不生滅！何期自性本自具足！

何期自性本無動搖！何期自性能生萬法！(10/17/08)

How unexpected!  The self-nature is originally pure in itself.  How unexpected!  The self-nature is originally neither produced nor destroyed. 

How unexpected!  The self-nature is originally complete in itself. 

How unexpected!  The self-nature is originally without movement. 

How unexpected!  The self-nature can produce the ten thousand dharmas.

6、不識本心，學法無益。若識自本心，見自本性，即名丈夫、天人師、佛。(10/31/08)

Studying the Dharma without recognizing the original mind is of no benefit.  If one recognizes one's own original mind and sees one's original nature, then one is called a great hero, a teacher of gods and humans, a Buddha.

 

般若品第二 (Chapter II. Prajna)

1、菩提般若之智，世人本自有之，只緣心迷不能自悟。須假大善知識示導見性！

   The wisdom of Bodhi and Prajna is originally possessed by worldly people themselves.  It is only because their minds are confused that they are unable to enlighten themselves and must reply on a great Good Knowing Advisor who can lead them to see their Buddha-nature.

2、當知愚人智人，佛性本無差別；只緣迷悟不同，所以有愚有智。

   You should know that the Buddha-nature of stupid and wise people is basically not different.  It is only because confusion and enlightenment are different that some are stupid and some are wise.

3、般若者，唐言智慧也。一切處所一切時中，念念不愚，常行智慧，即是般若行。

   Prajna is our language which means wisdom.  Everywhere and at all times, in thought after thought, remain undiluted and practice wisdom constantly; that is Prajna conduct.

4、般若無形相，智慧心即是。若作如是解，即名般若智。

   Prajna, without form or mark, is just the wisdom mind.  If thus explained, just this is Prajna wisdom.

5、何名波羅蜜？此是西國語，唐言到彼岸，解義離生滅。

   What is meant by Paramita?  It is a Sanskrit word which is our language means 'arrived at the other shore,' and is explained as 'apart from production and extinction.'

6、著境生滅起，如水有波浪，即名為此岸；離境無生滅，如水常通流，即名為彼岸；故號波羅蜜。

   When one is attached to states of being, production and extinction arise like waves on water. That is what is meant by 'this shore.' To be apart from states of being, with no production or extinction, is to be like freely flowing water.  That is what is meant by 'the other shore.' Therefore it is called Paramita.

 

疑問品第三 (Chapter III. Doubts and Questions)

1、見性是功，平等是德；念念無滯，常見本性真實妙用，名為功德。念念無間是功，心行平直是德；自修性是功，自修身是德。

   Inner humility is merit and the outer practice of reverence is virtue.  Your self-nature establishing the ten thousand dharmas is merit and the mind-substance separate from thought is virtue.

   Continuity of thought is merit, and the mind practicing equality and directness is virtue.  Self-cultivation of one's nature is merit, and self-cultivation of the body is virtue.

2、功德須自性內見，不是布施供養之所求也。

   性在王在，性去王無。性在身心存，性去身心壞。佛向性中作，莫向身外求！

   Merit and virtue should be seen within one's own nature, not sought through giving and making offerings.

  When the nature is present, the king is present, but when the nature is absent, there is no king.  When the nature is present, the body and mind remain, but when the nature is absent, the body and mind are destroyed.  The Buddha is made within the self-nature.  Do not seek outside the body.

 

定慧品第四 (Chapter IV. Concentration and Wisdom)

1、定慧一體，不是二。定是慧體，慧是定用；即慧之時定在慧，即定之時慧在定。若識此義，即是定慧等學。

   Concentration and wisdom are one substance, not two.  Concentration is the substance of wisdom, and wisdom is the function of concentration.  Where there is wisdom, concentration is in the wisdom.  Where there is concentration, wisdom is in the concentration.  If you understand this principle, you understand the balanced study of concentration and wisdom.

2、無念為宗，無相為體，無住為本。

   No thought as the doctrine, no-mark as the substance, and no-dwelling as the basis.

 

坐禪品第五 (Chapter V. Sitting in Ch'an)

1、外於一切善惡境界心念不起，名為「坐」；內見自性不動，名為「禪」。

外離相為禪、內不亂為定。

The mind's thoughts do not arise with respect to any good or evil external state.  That is what 'sitting' is.  To see the unmoving self-nature inwardly is Ch'an.

Being separate from external marks is Ch'an. Not being confused inwardly is concentration.

 

懺悔品第六 (Chapter VI. Repentance and Reform)

1、懺者，懺其前愆：從前所有惡業，愚迷憍誑嫉妒等罪，悉皆盡懺，永不復起，是名為懺。

   Repentance is to repent of past errors, to repent so completely of all bad actions done in the past out of stupidity, confusion, arrogance, deceit, jealousy, and other such offenses, that they never arise again.

2、悔者，悔其後過：從今以後，所有惡業，愚迷憍誑嫉妒等罪，今已覺悟，悉皆永斷，更不復作，是名為悔。

   Reform is to refrain from such transgressions in the future. Awakening and cutting off such offenses completely and never committing them again is called reform.

3、四弘誓願：「自心眾生無邊誓願度，自心煩惱無邊誓願斷；自性法門無盡誓願學，自性無上佛道誓願成」。

   Four all-encompassing vows:  I vow to take across the limitless living beings of my own mind.  I vow to cut off the inexhaustible afflictions of my own mind.  I vow to study the immeasurable Dharma-doors of my own mind.  I vow to realize the supreme Buddha Way of my own nature.

 

機緣品第七 (Chapter VII. Opportunities and Conditions)

1、世人外迷著相，內迷著空；若能於相離相，於空離空，即是內外不迷。若悟此法，一念心開，是為開佛知見。

   Worldly people, deluded by the external world, attach themselves to marks, and deluded by the inner world, they attach themselves to emptiness.  If you can live among marks and yet be separate from it, then you will be confused by neither the internal nor the external.  If you awaken to this Dharma, in one moment your mind will open to enlightenment.  The knowledge and vision of the Buddha is simply that.

2、若能正心，常生智慧，觀照自心，止惡行善，是自開佛之知見。

   If you can with an upright mind constantly bring forth wisdom, contemplating and illumining your own mind, and if you can practice the good and refrain from evil, you, yourself will open to the knowledge and vision of the Buddha.

3、開佛知見，即是出世；開眾生知見，即是世間。

   To be open to the knowledge and vision of the Buddha is transcendental; to be open to the knowledge and vision of living beings is mundane.

4、心迷法華轉，心悟轉法華；誦經久不明，與義作讎家。無念念即正，有念念成邪，有無俱不計，長御白牛車。

   When the mind is confused, the Dharma Flower turns it.  The enlightened mind with turn the Dharma Flower.  Reciting the Sutra so long without understanding,

Has made you an enemy of its meaning.

Without a thought your recitation is right.

With thought, your recitation is wrong.

With no 'with' and no 'without'

You may ride forever in the White Ox Cart.

5、三身者：清淨法身，汝之性也；圓滿報身，汝之智也；千百億化身，汝之行也。

   The three bodies are: the clear, pure Dharma-body, which is your nature; the perfect, full Reward-body, which is your wisdom; and the hundred thousand myriad Transformation bodies, which are your conduct.

6、大圓鏡智性清淨，平等性智心無病，妙觀察智見非功，成所作智同圓鏡。

五八六七果因轉，但用名言無實性；若於轉處不留情，繁興永處那伽定。

   The wisdom of the great, perfect mirror

Is your clear, pure nature.

The wisdom of equal nature

Is the mind without disease.

Wonderfully observing wisdom

Is seeing without effort.

Perfecting wisdom is

The same as the perfect mirror.

 

Five, eight, six, seven –

Effect and cause both turn;

Merely useful names:

They are without real nature.

If, in the place of turning,

Emotion is not kept,

You always and forever dwell

In Naga concentration.

 

頓漸品第八 (Chapter VIII. Sudden and Gradual)

1、住心觀靜，是病非禪。常坐拘身，於理何益。

To dwell with the mind contemplating stillness is sickness, not Dhyana.  Constant sitting restrains the body.  How can it be beneficial?

2、生來坐不?，死去?不坐；一具臭骨頭，何為立功課？

   When living, sit, don't lie.

When dead, lie down, don't sit.

How can a set of stinking bones,Be used for training?

3、心地無非自性戒，心地無癡自性慧，心地無亂自性定；不增不減自金剛，身去身來本三昧。

   Mind-ground without wrong: Self-nature morality.

   Mind-ground without delusion: Self-nature wisdom.

   Mind-ground without confusion: Self-nature concentration.

Neither increasing nor decreasing: You are vajra.

Body comes, body goes: The original Samadhi.

 

護法品第九 (Chapter IX. Proclamations)

1、道由心悟，豈在坐也？

   無所從來，亦無所去，無生無滅是如來清淨禪，諸法空寂是如來清淨坐。

   The Way is awakened to from the mind.  How could it be found in sitting?

   The clear pure Dhyana of the Tathagata comes from nowhere and goes nowhere and is neither produced nor extinguished.  The Tathagata's clear pure 'sitting' is the state of all dharmas being empty and still.

 

付囑品第十 (Chapter X. Final Instructions)

1、吾本來茲土，傳法救迷情；一花開五葉，結果自然成。

   Originally I came to this land,Transmitting Dharma, saving living beings.

   One flower opens; five petals and The fruit comes to bear of itself.

2、我心自有佛。自佛是真佛，自若無佛心，何處求真佛？

Our minds have their own Buddha and that Buddha is the true Buddha.  If the mind does not have its own Buddha, where can the true Buddha be sought?

3、真如自性是真佛，邪見三毒是魔王，邪迷之時魔在舍，正見之時佛在堂。

   性中邪見三毒生，即是魔王來住舍；正見自除三毒心，魔變成佛真無假。

   The true-suchness self-nature is the true Buddha.

   Deviant views, the three poisons, are the demon king.

   At times of deviant confusion the demon king is in the house;

   But when you have proper views the Buddha is in the hall.

   Deviant views, the three poisons produced within the nature,

   Are just the demon king come to dwell in the house.

   Proper views casting out three poisons of the mind

   Transform the demon into Buddha – true, not false.

4、法身報身及化身，三身本來是一身；若能性中能自見，即是成佛菩提因。

   Dharma-body, Reward-body, and Transformation-body:

   Fundamentally the three bodies are one body.

   Seeing that for yourself within your own nature

   Is the Bodhi-cause for realizing Buddhahood.

 

English Translation Reference: http://departments.colgate.edu/greatreligions/pages/buddhanet/zen325/6thpatr.txt