在《大藏经》第一念佛品上说：“佛告舍利弗。不能通达一切法者。皆为言说所覆。是故如来知语言皆为是邪。乃至少有语言。不得真实。”佛告诉舍利弗尊者说：“凡是不能明白一切法的人，都是被言语所覆盖了。”为什么？因为法执没有空。因为这个原因，所以佛知道一切语言都是不对的，都是错误的。有语言就有所覆；有所覆，就障碍了众生本有的智慧，乃至有一句话或有一个字，都是不真实的。为什么？凡是说出一个字来，就有所执着，所谓“一法不立”，那就是一字也没有了。

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.

会念经的人，不但会念有字的经，也会念无字的经；如果会念无字经，才是真正明白佛法的人。你能念有字的经，念来念去，都是无事找事做；你若会念无字真经，那你就有办法了。但是要念“无字真经”，你会不会念呢？你如果不会念无字真经，还是先念有字的经，然后才能明白无字的经。等你明白无字经之后，就不用念有字经了，所谓“会的不难，难的不会”，学佛法也是这样。

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.

究竟什么是无字经？就是“一念不生”。你能一念不生，自然归于空寂，一切佛法就是这样，并没有旁的。你若不能一念不生，你还要多做功德，多栽培菩提善根，多修菩提道路。等你六度圆满，万行具足，到那个时候，自然会一念不生，空寂现前。

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.

为什么说佛没有说法？经上是这样说，疏上也是这样讲，究竟佛有没有说法？如果说佛没有说法，那么我们现在所讲的《华严经》，是从什么地方来的？如果说佛有说法，为什么佛自己不承认他说过法？如果说佛说过法，那是谤佛；可是你离开经典一个字，那就是魔说。这又怎样讲法？

佛为什么不承认说法？因为“但有言说，都无实义”。真法是没有人说得出来的，佛所说的法，都是方便法。虽然开权显实，但是这个实，若能显得出来，那就不是实了。

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○年十一月廿二日开示