There are many ways to attain one’s true self,

But in short, here it is:

When sitting, standing, seeing, hearing,

Dressed, eating or in conversation

At any place, any time, what is this that brightly perceives?

- Zen Master Kyong Ho

萬千法門 皆能 明心見性

但簡言之:

坐著站著、見著聞著、

穿衣喫飯、言談待人

一切處 一切時

昭昭靈靈 惺惺覺知 是甚麼?

- 鏡虛禪師

An elder was raising a child, but he didn’t teach any etiquette rules. One day a wandering monk came and taught the child etiquette rules of Buddhism. When the elder returned, the child showed off what he had learned and bowed to him.

The elder was shocked! He knew that the wandering monk taught him all these. So he called for the monk and said, “You have been wandering everywhere to learn Zen, what exactly did you learn? This child was originally complete and perfect; who asked you to bring all these rules to taint him? Please leave immediately!”

It was raining at noon; the wandering monk was chased out of the gate.

有一老宿养了一名童子，并不教他规矩。有一回来了一名行脚僧人，便教童子佛门的礼仪。傍晚老宿从外头回来，童子现学现卖，对老宿行问讯礼。

老宿真是惊讶极了！知道是行脚僧人教他的，便找行脚僧来对他说：“你到处行脚，参禅访道，到底学些什么呀！这童子本来好好的，谁叫你还拿这些规矩来教坏他！快快滚吧！”

黄昏下着大雨，行脚僧被赶出门。

Many years ago, in an interview with a prominent Korean newspaper, a reporter asked Zen Master Seung Sahn, “Your teachings are so clear and accessible and practical. And you are known as one of the most prominent and revolutionary figures to transmit the Zen dharma to the west. Why is it, then, that relatively few Koreans practice with you?”

The Zen master laughed. “Most people in Korea only like to practice with a dead Zen master. A dead Zen master is very safe, you know? After I die, many many people will practice with me. Ha ha ha ha!”

许多年前，在接受韩国一家著名报纸的采访时，有记者问崇山禅师：“您的教义非常清晰易懂且实用。 您被称为向西方传播禅法的最杰出和最具革命性的人物之一。 那么，为什么真正和你一起练习的韩国人相对较少呢？”

禅师笑道, “大多数韩国人只喜欢和死去的禅师一起修行。 一个死去的禅师很安全，你知道吗？ 我死后，很多很多人会和我一起修行。 哈哈哈哈！”

Two Zen practitioners came to practice with Zen Master Weishan Lingyou, who believes that work is meditation. Therefore, he only arranged for them to herd cattle and farm. The two Zen practitioners were not pleased and said, "No one here understands Zen."

At that time, everyone was carrying firewood, and the two Zen practitioners just wanted to practice sitting meditation. Yangshan Huijing held a piece of wood in front of them and asked, "What is it?"

It was firewood, but they couldn't say firewood. So the two Zen guests looked at each other, speechless.

"From now on, it's better not to say that nobody understands Zen!" Huijing threw down the wood, handing them a big embarrassment. He then walked away.

有兩個禪客來溈山學禪。溈山靈祐大師認為勞動即佛事, 工作即禪修, 所以, 只是安排他們牧牛, 種田而已。兩位禪客不滿意說道:「此間沒有一個人懂禪。」

當時, 大家都在搬運木柴, 兩位禪客只想修禪, 不願勞作, 躲在一邊歇息。仰山慧寂將一段木柴伸到他倆眼前, 禪意凜然地問道:「是什麼?」

是木柴, 卻又不能說木柴, 兩位禪客面面相覷, 無言以對。

「今後, 最好別說什麼沒人懂禪!」 慧寂扔下木柴, 也扔給他們一個大尷尬, 飄然而去。

One action is better than a thousand thoughts.

- Zen Master Man Gong

一個實際的行動, 勝過一千個想法。

- 滿空禪師

- 慧海禪師來參拜馬祖道一，祖問：「來此何事？」

- 答「來求佛法。」

- 祖曰：「自家寶藏不顧，拋家亂走作什麼？我這裡一物也沒有，求什麼佛法？」

- 慧海禮拜，再問：「哪個是慧海自家寶藏？」

- 祖曰：「當下能問我的，就是您的寶藏。一切具足，更無欠少，使用自在，何用向外尋找呢？」

- 慧海言下，自識本心。心非身外有，而是認「識自」己「本」有之「心」。

“圆同太虚，无欠无余; 良由取舍， 所以不如。” - 三祖僧璨 🧘🏼‍♀️

- Zen Master Huihai paid Mazu Daoyi a visit, the Elder asked: “Why are you here?”

- Answer: “To seek Buddha-Dharma.”

- Daoyi said: “Instead of looking after the treasure at home, why did you abandon your home and mess about here? I have nothing here, what Buddha-Dharma are you looking for?”

- Hui-hai bowed deeply and asked again: “What treasure does Huihai has at home?”

- Daoyi said: “The one who is asking me right now, right here; That is your treasure. All is complete and perfect, not lacking in anything, use it with ease, what need is there to look for it outside?”

- In that moment, Huihai realised original mind. Mind is not outside of the body, only understand our innate original mind.

“All-encompassing like the source of the universe, not lacking, no excess;

Want this, don’t want that - things cannot be seen for just as they are.”

- Third Patriarch Seng Can 🧘🏼‍♀️

Student: Shifu, look at that couple in white hair holding hands so lovingly, aren’t they the epitome of Happily Ever After?

Gye Mun Sunim: Whose hand do you want to drag along?

Student: Thank you for the teaching. Please may I share it?

Gye Mun Sunim: Everyone wants different thing. This life that you have now, what is most important to you? What do you want?

As the sayings go: “When it is time to go, nothing can be carried along; yet karma follows relentlessly.”

同修们, 今天的 日日觉 :

学生: 师父，你看那对白发夫妻，还恩爱的牵着手，他们不就是白头偕老的模范吗？

继闻法师: 你想托着谁的手？

学生: 谢谢你的教导。我可以拿来分享吗？

继闻法师: 每个人要的东西不一样。在你的生命中哪个是对你比较重要？你要的是什么？

所谓， “万般带不去，唯有业随身。“

🧘🏽‍♂️🧘🏻🧘🏼‍♀️🧘🏼‍♂️🧘🏽

If you dislike someone and carry around harsh thoughts toward them, ultimately you are the one who will suffer the most. So, in all of the things you do, and in dealing with the things that confront you, maintain a kind and gentle frame of mind.

No matter how angry or betrayed you feel, do your best to avoid speaking or acting rashly. Think about the situation from the other person's perspective, and deeply reflect upon your own behavior and assumptions.

如果你不喜欢一个人，并对他们怀有刻薄的想法，最终你会是最受苦的人。 所以，在你做的所有事情中，在处理你面临的事情时，保持一种善良和温和的心态。

无论你感到多么愤怒或被背叛，都要尽量避免说话或轻举妄动。 从对方的角度考虑情况，并深刻反思自己的行为和假设。

- Zen Master Daehaeng

At night when you lie down to sleep, think about how much you practiced that day. If you spent more time thinking and sleeping than practice, then you should strongly urge yourself to practice more everyday and do it!

- Zen Master Man Gong

晚上當你躺下睡覺時, 想想你當天做了多少修行工夫。如果你花在妄想和睡覺的時間比花在修行的時間要多, 那麼你應該要強烈督促自己, 每天要精進, 然後去做!

- 满空禅师

Often, the reason beginning bodhisattvas lose their aspiration for enlightenment is that they haven't met authentic teachers. If they don't meet authentic teachers, they don't listen to true dharma.

If they don't listen to true dharma, they deny cause and effect, emancipation , the three treasures, and all things in the present and future. Then, they are wastefully attached to the five desires of the present moment and lose the possibility of enlightenment in the future.

初学菩萨之所以会退心，往往是因为没有遇到真正的老师。 如果他们没有遇到真正的老师，他们就不会听闻真正的佛法。

若不听正法，则否认因果、解脱、三宝、今世未来一切。 然后，他们执着于当下的五欲，失去未来成佛的可能。

- Zen Master Dogen

One day, the monks in the temple were sweeping the floor and tidying up the environment. Another wandering monk came to visit, and Guichen raised his whisk upright once again. Of course, this monk bowed gratefully in awe.

The cleaning monks knew that another unfortunate one had hit the wall, and they all covered their mouths and snickered. The monk didn't know what he had done wrong and looked embarrassed.

Guichen pointed to the monk who was sweeping the floor and said, "When you see me raising the whisk, you admire and bow to it. They are sweeping there, and the broom is also upright. Why don't you bow to it?"

有一天, 寺裡的僧眾正在掃地和整理環境。又有雲水僧行腳前來, 桂琛再次豎起了拂塵。這僧當然又是禮拜又是滿懷感激地讚嘆。

旁邊打掃衛生的弟子們知道, 又一個倒楣蛋撞到槍口上了, 都掩口偷笑。這僧不知自己做錯了什麼, 顯得很尷尬。

桂琛指著掃地的僧人說:「你看見我豎起拂塵就讚嘆禮拜, 那裡正在掃地, 掃帚也豎著, 你為什麼不向它施禮讚嘆?」

Zen Master Luohan Guichen raised his whisk to a new Zen monk and asked, "Do you understand?"

The monk habitually followed the traditional teaching of "whisk is dharma" and replied, "Thank you for your compassion in showing me the way."

Guichen threw the whisk aside, smiled coldly, and said, "You saw me raise the whisk and said that I was showing you the way. Then I would like to ask, when you see the mountains and rivers every day, are they not showing you the way?"

羅漢桂琛禪師對新來的禪僧舉起拂塵問:「領會嗎?」

禪僧也根據 「表拂表法」的傳統, 趕緊施禮說道:「感謝和尚慈悲, 向學僧示機。」

桂琛將拂塵拋到一邊, 冷冷一笑, 說:「看見我豎起拂塵, 就說是向你示機, 那麼請問, 你每天看見山, 看見水, 難道不是向你展示禪機嗎?」

Modern student: Shifu, the works of this Zen ancestor take effort to translate, do we have to spend time this way?

Gye Mun Sunim: Nowadays, rare are the ones who have the ground of realisation of the Zen ancestors.

同修们, 今天的 日日觉 :

现代学生: 师父，这位祖师的作品需要尽力翻译，我们有必要如此花费时间吗？

继闻法师: 现在稀少的人，有古人的见地。

🧘🏽‍♂️🧘🏻🧘🏼‍♀️🧘🏼‍♂️🧘🏽

Fellow practitioners, here is today's Daily Enlightenment :

The mouth speaks good words, but the mind is insincere;

samadhi and prajna are empty vessel;

samadhi does not equate to prajna;

If the mind and speech are filled with goodness,

the inner presence and the outer appearance are just one,

samadhi equates to prajna.

- Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng

口说善语，心中不善，

空有定慧，定慧不等；

若心口俱善，

内外一如，定慧即等。

- 六祖慧能

🧘🏽‍♂️🧘🏻🧘🏼‍♀️🧘🏼‍♂️🧘🏽