今逢一九七六年，
十方大众来参禅；
时刻分秒当爱惜，
行住坐卧细钻研。
虚空打破明心地，
法界依然见性天；
本来面目何处觅，
直下承当金山寺。

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，来到金山圣寺这个大冶洪炉参禅。参禅不是很好玩的一件事，要受很多苦。从早晨两点钟开始坐香，一直到夜间十二点睡觉，中间只有一个钟头休息，这是金山圣寺的家风。

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.

在参禅的期间，要忘身、忘心、忘世，一切皆忘掉，也就是没有“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！在休息的时间，不可以随便乱讲话，不可以随便打妄想，更不可躲懒偷安，就是一分一秒的时间，也要爱惜，所谓：

一寸时光，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，行也参禅，住也参禅，坐也参禅，卧也参禅，行住坐卧都在参禅，要细心来钻研，越钻越透、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.

钻研，就是参话头。不要停止，时时刻刻来参“念佛是谁？”或参“父母未生以前的本来面目？”所以要细钻研。有一天把虚空打破，这个时候，就能明白心。虚空虽然破了，可是法界依然存在。法界还是十法界，井然不乱。这时候，见到自己的性天。你们的本来面目，要到什么地方去寻找呢？你们到金山圣寺来找本来面目，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.

这是今天所说的八句偈颂，希望各位留心记住，依法修行，不可当饭把它吃掉，食而不化，这是无有是处；不可当作耳边风，过而不留，听了等于没有听一样无用。

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.

一九七六年禅七 十二月十五日开示于
三藩市金山圣寺