12/01/2022

有一个久战沙场的将军, 已厌倦了战争。他专程到大慧宗杲禅师处要求出家, 他向宗杲道:“我现在已看破红尘, 请禅师慈悲收留我出家, 做你的弟子吧!"

宗杲:“你有家庭和太重的社会习气, 你还不能出家, 慢慢再说吧!”

将军:“禅师! 我现在什么都放得下, 妻子, 儿女, 家庭都不是问题, 请您即刻为我剃度吧!”

宗杲: "慢慢再说吧!"

将军無辦法, 隔天一个大早,就到寺里礼佛,大慧宗杲禅师一见到他便说:“将军为什么那么早就来拜佛呢?”

将军学习用禅语说道:“为除心头火, 起早礼师尊。”

禅师开玩笑地回道: "起得那么早, 不怕妻偷人?"

将军一听, 非常生气,骂道:“你这老怪物, 讲话太伤人!”

大慧宗杲禅师哈哈一笑道:“轻轻一拨扇, 性火又燃烧, 如此暴躁气, 怎算放得下?”

A general tired of war and battle made a trip to Zen Master Dahui Zonggao and asked to become a monk. He said to Zonggao: "I have seen through the world now, please have some compassion and accept me as a monk and become your disciple!"

Zonggao, "You have a family, and karmic habits are too strong. You can't become a monk yet. Let's talk about it later!"

General, "Zen Master! I can let go of everything now. My wife, children, and family are not a problem. Please ordain me immediately!"

Zonggao, "Let's talk about it later!"

The general was stuck and he went to the temple to prostrate the Buddha early the next day. When Zonggao saw him, he said, "Why did the general come to worship the Buddha so early?"

The general tried to reply using zen speech, "To get rid of the fire in my mind, get up early and pay respect to the master."

The Zen master jokingly replied, "Waking up so early, are you not afraid of your wife committing adultery?"

When the general heard this, he was furious and scolded, "You old monster, your speech is too hurtful!"

Zonggao laughed and said, "With a light fan, the fire burns again, such bad temper, and you already put it down?"

Yeow Tang Ng
11/01/2022

禪堂所指的並不單只是在禪堂裡。對於修禪者來說, 自己的身體就是禪堂。無論行住坐臥、語默動靜, 你都可以不間斷地精進修行。換句話説, 我們可以時時刻刻都在禪堂裡。

- 滿空禪師

The Zen hall is not the only Zen hall. For those who practice Zen, their own body is also a Zen hall. You can practice Zen nonstop, when you are standing, walking, sitting, or lying down-even when you are silent or speaking. This means that one can always stay in the 'Zen hall'.

- Zen Master Man Gong

Yeow Tang Ng
10/01/2022

Earth, river, mountain: snowflakes melt in air.

How could I have doubted?

Where’s north? south? east? west?

- Tuan-ya Liao-i

大地、河、山:雪花在空中融化。

我怎会竟然怀疑?

北方在哪儿?南?东?西?

Yeow Tang Ng
09/01/2022

Clouds appear with ease

And drift away with ease

But the mind that is at ease is not to be found –

To find it, first stop looking around.

- Wang An-shi

云自在显,自在随去。

自在之心,却无以觅。

欲觅得,先勿四处寻。

- 王安石

Yeow Tang Ng
08/01/2022

If you want to travel the Way of Buddhas and Zen masters, then expect nothing, seek nothing, and grasp nothing.

若你想走佛和禅师的道路,就不能期望任何东西,不能寻找任何东西,也不能抓住任何东西。

- Zen Master Dogen

Yeow Tang Ng
07/01/2022

有位小沙弥道信,来拜见三祖僧璨说:“请和尚慈悲,指示解脱法门。”

僧璨说:“谁绑住你了?”

道信想了一想,说:“没人绑我。”

僧璨说:“那又何必求解脱呢?”

道信立刻言下大悟.

A novice monk Dao Xin visited Third Patriarch Seng Can and said: "Please have some compassion and teach me the method of liberation."

Seng Chan said, "What has bind you?"

Daoxin thought for a while and said, "No one has bind me."

Seng Can said: "Then why bother to seek liberation?"

Daoxin became enlightened upon attaining the meaning.

Yeow Tang Ng
06/01/2022

曹山大師喜歡在茶餘飯後舞動一條禪杖, 身體因此十分健壯。一天, 一位弟子接過禪杖, 說道:「師父身強體鍵, 弟子卻通身是病, 請師父醫治。」

曹山知道他說的不是身體而是心, 斷然拒絕:「不醫!」

弟子無論如何也沒想到師父會這樣說, 追問:「為何不醫?」

曹山說道:「讓你求死不得, 求生不能!」

求死不得, 求生不能, 是參禪必須經歷的一個階段。祖師說, 大死一回, 方能契入禪的超脫境界。

當然, 這裡的生死, 指的不是肉體而是心。

Zen Master Cao Shan likes to dance with a zen stick after meals, so his body is very healthy.

One day, a disciple took the stick and said, "Shifu has a strong and healthy body, but the disciple is very sick. Please heal me."

Cao Shan knew that he was not talking about the body but the mind. He flatly refused, "No!"

The disciple never expected such a reply from his Shifu and asked, "Why not?"

Cao Shan said, "So you cannot ask for life nor death!"

Unable to seek life and death is a stage all zen practitioners must go through. The patriarchs said that only after a great "death" can one experience their true nature.

But of course, life and death here do not refer to the body; it refers to our mind.

Yeow Tang Ng
05/01/2022

其實你只需要多行一步, 超越理論和學術, 便能夠找到自性。

你必須找到自性, 才能打破生命的大疑情。

- 滿空禪師

If you take even one step beyond theory and

scholarly study then you can find your true self.

Life's great questions can't be solved before you find your true self.

- Zen Master Man Gong

Yeow Tang Ng
04/01/2022 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - 日日觉

有一年, 仰山慧寂在山下的草庵中靜修過夏。結夏之後, 他上山來問候師父, 溈山靈祐。

靈祐問:「一個夏天都不見你上山來,你在山下都做了些什麼?」

慧寂說道:「我在下面開了一片田,下了一籮種。」

靈祐說:「你這個夏天沒白過。」

慧寂問:「不知師父這個夏季都做了哪些事?」

靈祐説:「我白天吃一頓飯, 晚上睡一覺。」

慧寂說:「那麼,師父你這個夏天也沒白過。」

One year, Zen Master Yangshan Huiji spent the summer retreat in the grass hut under the mountain. After the end of summer, he went up the mountain to greet his Shifu, Zen Master Weishan Lingyou.

Lingyou asked, "I haven't seen you up here for the summer; what have you done down the mountain?"

Huiji said, "I have planted a field with a basket of seeds."

Lingyou said, "You haven't passed your summer in vain."

Huiji asked, "I wonder what you have done this summer?

Lingyou said, "I have my meal in the day and rest at night."

Huiji said, "Then, Shifu, you haven't passed your summer in vain too."

Yeow Tang Ng
03/01/2022 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - 日日觉

Seclude the mind, not the movements, remain living in the world of man.

Lack a tree? Plant a sapling.

Without a mountain? Look at a picture.

Living amidst clamour I am not flustered;

True meaning is found in this.

Jiao-ran

隐心不隐行,仍住凡人间。

缺树?种树苗。

无山?看看画。

身在喧哗而不乱;

真实意于此处寻。

- 皎然

Yeow Tang Ng
02/01/2022 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - 日日觉

We practice to resolve birth and death.

It is not about coming to the meditation centre to get some conditions, some treatments, or situations. Nor is this practice for entertainment.

Practice is, when its good, be unmoving, when its bad, all the more do not move.

- Gye Mun Sunim

我们修行是为了了生死。

来到禅中心,不是为了攀缘,想得到某些条件,或处境。修行也不是为了娱乐。

修行是,好的,保持不动,坏的,更不可动摇。

- 继闻法师

Yeow Tang Ng
01/01/2022 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - 日日觉

A student asked Zen Master Seung Sahn, “My prajna boat is too small, how can I make it bigger?”

Zen Master replied, “When you throw away "small", it becomes bigger. Original prajna boat is not big, not small. Don't make anything!”

学生问崇山禅师:我的般若船太小,如何能使它变大?

禅师回答:當你拋掉「小」,自然会变大。般若船原本非大非小,不要制造任何东西!

Yeow Tang Ng
31/12/2021 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - 日日觉

My hope is that all practitioners of the Way completely believe in their true self. You should neither lack confidence nor give rise to pride.

我希望所有修行人都完全相信自己。 你不应该缺乏自信,也不应该产生骄傲。

- Zen Master So Sahn

Yeow Tang Ng
30/12/2021 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - 日日觉

Su Dongpo was friends with Zen Master Foyin; they lived on the opposite side of a river and often gathered to chat about zen.

One day, Dongpo believed that he had some attainment and composed a poem.

Bowing to the heaven within heaven,

whose light shines brightly throughout the universe.

_The eight winds cannot move me, _

sitting upright on the purple lotus.

He dispatched his attendant across the river to hand it to Foyin.

After looking at the poem, Foyin took up his brush and wrote the word "Fart" on it. He then sent the attendant back to Dongpo.

Dongpo was in a rage after looking at the remark. He was expecting praise for it.

He took the first boat across the river to find Foyin.

Foyin chuckled, "Oh! Didn't you mention that the eight winds cannot move you? Yet now a "Fart" blows you across the river!"

Foyin then composed a poem for him.

The eight winds cannot move you,

One fart blows you across the river.

Embarrassment flushed across Dongpo's face.

The "eight winds" in the poem referred to praise, ridicule, honor, disgrace, gain, loss, pleasure and misery.

Practising zen and learning the true way should not be based on words and speech. We must put it in action and “Just Do It!”

有段时间苏东坡与佛印禅师隔江而居。他经常坐船渡过长江去拜访佛印,他们在一起谈禅论道。

一日,苏东坡觉得自己有所觉悟,于是作诗一首:“稽首天中天,毫光照大千。八风吹不动,端坐紫金莲。”

诗完成后,他派遣书童乘船过江,将诗送给佛印欣赏。

佛印拿到诗稿,看了看,遂即拿起笔来,写了“放屁”两个字,让书童带回。

苏东坡接到回函,本以为会得到一番称赞的,却是这样的评价,不禁大怒。

苏东坡怒气冲冲地坐船过江,找到佛印,当面质问他为何如此出言不逊。

佛印呵呵一笑,反问他:“咦,你不是说‘八风吹不动’吗?怎么我写个‘屁’字,就让你过江来了?”

佛印再送上一首诗。

八风吹不动,

一屁过江来。


苏东坡听后惭愧不已。

所谓八风,是指生活中遇到的八种境界, 即称、讥、毁、誉、利、衰、苦、乐。

修行,参禅,学道都不是口上说的,真正的实践才是功夫。

Yeow Tang Ng
29/12/2021 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - 日日觉

有一天, 一位學生请示盘圭禅师说: “我天生暴躁的性情, 不知道要怎么样才能改正?”

盘圭禅师说: “你把这天生暴躁的性格拿出来, 我帮你改掉。”

學生回答: “不行啊! 我现在没有。但是, 一碰到某些事情的时候, 那天生的性急暴躁才会跑出来, 然后就会控制不住地发脾气。”

盘圭禅师于是说: “这个情形是很奇妙的。如果现在没有, 只是在某些偶发的情况下才会心情暴躁, 可见得这不是天生的, 而是你和别人争执时, 自己造就出来的。可是, 现在你却把它说成是天生的, 把过错推给上天, 推给父母, 未免太不公平了。”

學生经过禅师的一番开示之后, 终于会过意来, 从此努力改掉暴躁的个性, 再也不轻易发脾气了。

One day, a student asked Zen Master Pangui, "I am born with a bad temper. How do I correct it?"

Pangui replied, "Bring me your innate bad temper, and I will help you get rid of it."

The student replied, "No! I do not have it now, but when I encounter certain situations, that innate temperament will appear, then I will lose control and get angry."

Pangui said, "This condition is very strange. It doesn't exist now, and will only appear under certain circumstances. It can be seen that this is not innate, but it is created by yourself when you are arguing with others. But, now you say it is innate, and push the fault to heaven and to your parents. How unfair!"

After listening to the Zen master's teaching, the student finally understood. After that, he worked hard to change his temperament and never got angry easily.

Yeow Tang Ng
27/12/2021 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - 日日觉

学生:师父, 有人说当个法师,压力大,那意味着需要知道一切的佛法。 是如此吗?

师父:每个人有自己的工作,有些是行政,有些是厨房,有些是诵经,等等。你的生活就是你的老师,细心去做。

Student: Shifu, someone said it is stressful to be a “FaShi” (Dharma Teacher – Chinese honorific title for all monastic); as that implies one has to know everything about Buddha-Dharma. Is that so?

Shifu: Everyone has their own job, some are administration, some are kitchen, some are chanting, and etc. Your life is your teacher, do it meticulously.

Yeow Tang Ng
26/12/2021 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - 日日觉

佛教,宁可著有如须弥山,不可著无如芥子许,故先须堵住空门。

专意修法,在法上著力,即无断灭相。

只要一面行去,一面不放在心里,即两边不著矣。

The eminent teacher of the past explained:

The Buddha taught, better to attach to the existence of Sumi Mountain, never attach to nothingness of the mustard seed; Hence, first of all, we have to block-off the gate of emptiness.

Focus on the Dharma practise, put effort on the Dharma, no extinction of forms.

As long as, on the one hand do it, on the other hand do not hold it in the mind, that is non-attachment to duality.

Yeow Tang Ng
25/12/2021 Daily Enlightenment - 日日觉

The practitioner of old did not lose even a

Single moment to rest;

How idly I have wasted my life!

The practitioner of old stabbed himself with an awl

To stay awake;

How idly I have wasted my life!

The practitioner of old, down on all fours

Crying at sunset,

Lamented another day lost;

How idly I have wasted my life!

Having attained not a single thing,

This fleeting mind vanishes

Traceless as alcohol vapor.

Ah, how truly sad it is!

- Zen Master Kyong Ho

昔日用功老修

不容錯失分秒 空閒作息

懈怠放逸 虛度年華啊!

昔日用功老修

以鐵錐刺己身 保持醒覺

懈怠放逸 虛度年華啊!

昔日用功老修

日落西山時分 跪地痛哭

感慨是日又已過

懈怠放逸 虛度年華啊!

若然絲毫未能證得

於昏昏不覺下 無明業識 相續無間

鳥呼哀哉!

- 鏡虛禪師

Yeow Tang Ng
24/12/2021 Daily Enlightenment - 日日觉

Though someone may injure you in some way, you must keep a settled, not-moving mind. Do not give in to anger or resentment. When even a single angry thought appears in your mind, countless obstacles are born.

Defilements of the mind are numberless. Anger is the most severe. The Nirvana Sutra teaches, “You should be able to keep a not-moving mind in any condition and any situation, whether someone slashes you with a dagger or someone massages you with fine water and precious, scented ointment.” The momentary flashing of anger is like lightning bursting from an empty cloud.

儘管有人可能會以某種方式傷害您,但您必須保持一個冷靜、不動的心。 不要向憤怒或怨恨屈服。 當你心中出現一個憤怒的念頭時,無數的障礙就會誕生。

在無數的心毒當中,憤怒(嗔)是最嚴重的。 《涅槃經》教導說:“無論是誰用匕首砍你,或有人用純水和珍貴的香膏按摩你,你在任何情況下都應該保持不動心。” 那一瞬間的怒火,猶如一道閃電從雲中閃爍出來。

- Zen Master So Sahn

Yeow Tang Ng