今逢一九七六年，
十方大眾來參禪；
時刻分秒當愛惜，
行住坐臥細鑽研。
虛空打破明心地，
法界依然見性天；
本來面目何處覓，
直下承當金山寺。

Now we come to the year of 1976.
The multitudes gather from the ten directions to investigate Chan.
Every hour, minute, and second must be cherished.
While walking, standing, sitting, and lying down,
Investigate deeply and carefully.
Empty space is shattered, and you understand the Mind's Ground.
The Dharma Realm remains the same, yet you see the Nature's Sky.
Where can you find your original face?
Right here at Gold Mountain Monastery!

今天是一九七六年十二月十五日，十方有善根的人，來到金山聖寺這個大冶洪爐參禪。參禪不是很好玩的一件事，要受很多苦。從早晨兩點鐘開始坐香，一直到夜間十二點睡覺，中間只有一個鐘頭休息，這是金山聖寺的家風。

Today is December 15, 1976, and people endowed with good roots have come from the ten directions to the great smelting furnace (Gold Mountain Monastery) to investigate Chan. Investigating Chan is not a very fun affair; you must take a lot of suffering. Meditation starts at 2 a.m. and goes until midnight, at which time people can sleep. During the day there is only one hour of rest. That's the traditional practice at the Gold Mountain Monastery.

在參禪的期間，要忘身、忘心、忘世，一切皆忘掉，也就是沒有「我」的存在，也就是一切皆空，到了真空的境界，便生妙有。大家要注意！在休息的時間，不可以隨便亂講話，不可以隨便打妄想，更不可躲懶偷安，就是一分一秒的時間，也要愛惜，所謂：

一寸時光，一寸命光。

During the Chan session, you must forget the body, the mind, and the world. You must forget everything, which means you must have no “self” and see everything as empty. When you reach the state of true emptiness, wonderful existence comes forth. Everyone, pay attention! In cultivation, you must not chatter casually or have random thoughts. Even less should you be lazy and try to take it easy. Every minute and second must be cherished. It is said,

An inch of time is an inch of life.

所以，行也參禪，住也參禪，坐也參禪，臥也參禪，行住坐臥都在參禪，要細心來鑽研，越鑽越透、越研越明。

Therefore, you should be investigating Chan while you are walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. In all of these modes, you should be investigating Chan. Your investigation should be penetrating and thorough, so that the deeper you go, the more you understand, and the more you look into it, the clearer you become.

鑽研，就是參話頭。不要停止，時時刻刻來參「念佛是誰？」或參「父母未生以前的本來面目？」所以要細鑽研。有一天把虛空打破，這個時候，就能明白心。虛空雖然破了，可是法界依然存在。法界還是十法界，井然不亂。這時候，見到自己的性天。你們的本來面目，要到什麼地方去尋找呢？你們到金山聖寺來找本來面目，到旁的地方是找不到的。

This refers to investigating the meditation topic. Don't ever stop. Constantly investigate “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” or “What was my original face before my parents gave birth to me?” You must enter deeply and investigate in detail. One day, you will be able to shatter empty space, and at that time you will understand the mind. Even though empty space is shattered, the Dharma Realm remains intact. The ten Dharma Realms are still in order and not mixed up. At that point you will see your own nature, which is like the sky. Where can you go to search for your original face? You can come to Gold Mountain Monastery to look for it. If you go elsewhere, you won't find it.

這是今天所說的八句偈頌，希望各位留心記住，依法修行，不可當飯把它吃掉，食而不化，這是無有是處；不可當作耳邊風，過而不留，聽了等於沒有聽一樣無用。

This is an explanation of the eight lines of verse I spoke today. I hope each of you will remember it well, and cultivate according to it. Don't just swallow it without digesting it. That would be useless. Don't let it just go in one ear and out the other, without retaining any impression. That would be as useless as not hearing it at all.

一九七六年禪七 十二月十五日開示於
三藩市金山聖寺