在《大藏經》第一念佛品上說：「佛告舍利弗。不能通達一切法者。皆為言說所覆。是故如來知語言皆為是邪。乃至少有語言。不得真實。」佛告訴舍利弗尊者說：「凡是不能明白一切法的人，都是被言語所覆蓋了。」為什麼？因為法執沒有空。因為這個原因，所以佛知道一切語言都是不對的，都是錯誤的。有語言就有所覆；有所覆，就障礙了眾生本有的智慧，乃至有一句話或有一個字，都是不真實的。為什麼？凡是說出一個字來，就有所執著，所謂「一法不立」，那就是一字也沒有了。

The first chapter “Mindfulness of the Buddha” of the Great Treasury Sutra [Tripitaka] says,

The Buddha told Shariputra, “Those who fail to understand all dharmas are obstructed by words. Therefore the Thus Come One knows that words are evil. Even with very little words, one cannot attain the truth.”

The Buddha was telling the Venerable Shariputra that people cannot understand all dharmas because they are hindered by language. They haven’t emptied their attachment to dharmas. Thus the Buddha knew that all forms of speech are wrong. As long as there are words, they cover up and block our inherent wisdom. Not a single sentence or word is real. While speaking even a word, we still have attachments. “Not one Dharma is established” means there’s not a single word.

會念經的人，不但會念有字的經，也會念無字的經；如果會念無字經，才是真正明白佛法的人。你能念有字的經，念來念去，都是無事找事做；你若會念無字真經，那你就有辦法了。但是要念「無字真經」，你會不會念呢？你如果不會念無字真經，還是先念有字的經，然後才能明白無字的經。等你明白無字經之後，就不用念有字經了，所謂「會的不難，難的不會」，學佛法也是這樣。

People who really know how to recite Sutras can recite not only written Sutras, but also wordless Sutras. Knowing how to read wordless Sutras is truly understanding the Buddhadharma. Reciting written Sutras is just something to keep you busy. The ability to read wordless Sutras is genuine skill. But can you do this? If not, then you have to read written Sutras first before you can understand wordless Sutras. After you understand the wordless Sutras, you need not read written Sutras.

Doing what you know how to do is
     not difficult.
What’s difficult is doing what you
     don’t know how to do.

That’s what studying the Buddhadharma is like.

究竟什麼是無字經？就是「一念不生」。你能一念不生，自然歸於空寂，一切佛法就是這樣，並沒有旁的。你若不能一念不生，你還要多做功德，多栽培菩提善根，多修菩提道路。等你六度圓滿，萬行具足，到那個時候，自然會一念不生，空寂現前。

What is a wordless Sutra anyway? It’s the state in which “not a single thought arises.” If you can be without a single thought, you naturally return to empty stillness. That’s what the Buddhadharma is all about; there’s nothing else to it. If you can’t be without a single thought, you still need to do meritorious deeds, nurture the good roots of Bodhi, and practice the Bodhi Way. When you have perfected the Six Perfections and the myriad practices, then you will naturally be without a single thought and the state of empty stillness will manifest.

為什麼說佛沒有說法？經上是這樣說，疏上也是這樣講，究竟佛有沒有說法？如果說佛沒有說法，那麼我們現在所講的《華嚴經》，是從什麼地方來的？如果說佛有說法，為什麼佛自己不承認他說過法？如果說佛說過法，那是謗佛；可是你離開經典一個字，那就是魔說。這又怎樣講法？

佛為什麼不承認說法？因為「但有言說，都無實義」。真法是沒有人說得出來的，佛所說的法，都是方便法。雖然開權顯實，但是這個實，若能顯得出來，那就不是實了。

Why did the Buddha deny that he spoke Dharma? Many Sutras and commentaries say this. Did the Buddha speak the Dharma or not? If we say he didn’t, then where did the Avatamsaka Sutra, which we are now lecturing, come from?

If we say he did, then why did the Buddha himself deny having spoken Dharma? If we say the Buddha did speak, we are slandering the Buddha. However, if we deviate from the Sutras by even one word when we explain them, we are engaging in demonic speech. How is this to be explained? Why did the Buddha deny having spoken the Dharma? Because anything spoken cannot express the true meaning. True Dharma cannot be spoken. The Buddha spoke only expedient Dharmas. Although they were used to help reveal the real truth, if the truth could be revealed, it wouldn’t be real.

一九八○年十一月廿二日開示