万佛圣城每年都有几个禅七，每次七天。每年在弥陀圣诞时，先打一个佛七，然后连着又打三个禅七，为期二十一天。每年参加者，都是有始有终，功德圆满。今年希望参加者，也要贯彻始终，不可半途而废，退出禅堂；否则前功尽弃，浪费时间，一无所得。

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas holds several Chan Meditation Sessions each year, each session lasting seven days. Every year when it's time to celebrate Amitabha Buddha's Anniversary, we first hold a seven-day Buddha Recitation Session, and then we hold a Chan Meditation Session for three weeks in a row, lasting a total of twenty-one days. Every year, those who take part come at the start and stay till the finish, so that their merit and virtue is complete. I hope this year's participants will plan to stay for the duration of the session, and not quit halfway through and leave the Chan Hall, or else they'll lose the virtue they have amassed. Having wasted their time, they'll gain no benefit at all.

打坐的姿势，要端然正坐，腰要直，头要正，不可前俯，不可后仰，不可左斜，不可右歪，然后结双跏趺坐，就是把左脚放在右腿上，再把右脚搬到左腿上，这才合乎标准。因为结双跏趺坐容易入定，所以叫“降魔座”，又叫“金刚座”，又叫“莲华座”，这种姿势能消灭无量劫的业障，能了生死，生出无量功德。

The posture of meditation is to sit up straight and erect. Straighten your back, hold your head up properly, and don't tip forward or tilt backwards. Lean neither to the left nor to the right. Cross your legs into the full-lotus position, that is, put your left foot on top of your right thigh, then your right foot on top of your left thigh. This is the standard posture for meditation. Because the full-lotus posture makes it easier to enter samadhi, it's known as the "demon-quelling posture" or the "vajra posture." It's also known as the "lotus posture." Sitting this way can eradicate limitless karmic obstacles gathered over eons; it can put an end to birth and death, and generate a limitless amount of merit and virtue.

在一开始打坐时，必须练习这种基本的坐姿，再调整身体，眼观鼻，鼻观口，口观心，这是控制妄想的秘诀。然后将呼吸调匀，不急不缓，使其自然。这时再参“念佛是谁？”时间久了，就会起作用。

It's necessary to practice this posture when you first begin to meditate. When the body has been arranged this way, let your nose contemplate your mouth, and let your mouth contemplate your mind. This is the essential secret for controlling your idle thinking. Finally, make your breath harmonious and balanced, neither hurried nor suppressed; let it be natural. Then use the meditation topic of "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" and after a suitable period of time, your meditation will start to take effect.

参禅，好像“母鸡孵蛋”一样用功夫。母鸡虽在想鸡子，可是体不离蛋，专心致意在孵蛋。不是孵了五分钟，就跑出去，过了一个时候，又回来孵蛋，不到五分钟又跑了，这种情形，永远孵不出小鸡来。

The work of Chan meditation resembles a mother hen sitting on her nest. As the mother hen is thinking of her eggs, she never leaves the nest; she simply concentrates and keeps the eggs warm. She wouldn't sit on the eggs for five minutes, then run away to do some other business, and later return to sit on the eggs once again, only to run away again five minutes later. The chicks would never hatch at that rate.

我们参禅打坐也是这样，要念兹在兹，不怕腰酸，不怕腿疼，不怕苦，不怕难。一心一意在参，参为什么？参“念佛是谁？”参到山穷水尽、水落石出的时候，便是开悟时。

The principle we observe in Chan meditation is the same. We must concentrate in each successive minute. Don't fear an aching back or sore legs. Don't be afraid of difficulty or pain. Simply concentrate with single-minded effort. Why? We investigate "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" until "The mountains topple, the waters dry up, the tides recede, and the rocks appear," and it is at that moment that we can get enlightened.

参禅，又像“龙养珠”一样用工夫。龙时时刻刻保护牠的宝珠，没有不注意、不谨慎的时候。所以这个宝珠，一天比一天光明，牠昼夜六时精心地保护。参禅的人，也是这样，时刻不能生杂念。古德说：“一念不生全体现”，可以说妄念不生全体现。没有妄想，就会有所成就。

Investigating Chan is also similar to the way dragons nurture their pearls. Dragons watch over their precious pearls at all times; they carefully attend to them at every moment. Therefore these precious pearls glow brighter each day, as the dragons guard them attentively day and night. People who practice Chan meditation are just the same, in that they never allow their minds to ramble with scattered thinking. An ancient worthy said, "When not even a single thought arises, the entire substance comes into view." We can rephrase it to say, "When idle thoughts no longer arise, the entire substance comes into view." When one is free of idle thoughts, then one can have some success.

参禅的人，不想成佛，不想开悟，不想得智慧，只是努力用功，勤加修行，到时候自然会开悟。不要去想什么时候能开悟？如果这样一想，想到无量劫，也不会开悟。在禅堂里，行行坐坐，坐坐行行，时间久了，自然会有成功的机会，所谓“久坐有禅。”

Meditators don't think about becoming Buddhas, getting enlightened, or gaining wisdom. They simply work hard and cultivate vigorously. When the time comes, they naturally become enlightened. You can't think about when you will get enlightened. If you think like that, you can think to the ends of time, but you'll never get enlightened. If you stay in the Chan Hall, and sit and walk, walk and sit, then after a long time, you'll have a chance to get enlightened. As it's said, "Chan comes with long-time sitting."

参禅，又好像“猫捕鼠”一样用工夫，要聚精会神守在老鼠洞旁，等待老鼠出来，就一爪捕之，不可以懈怠，一散乱其心就不能注意了。参禅的人，亦复如是，时时刻刻要提起正念，不生妄念，这是参禅初步入门的知识。

Investigating Chan is done the way a cat stalks a mouse. The cat concentrates its energy and focuses its attention, patiently sitting beside the mousehole, waiting for the mouse to appear. As soon as it comes out, the cat pounces on it. The cat cannot slack off; once it becomes distracted, it will no longer be able to concentrate. Chan meditators are the same: at all times, they maintain proper thoughts and avoid idle thoughts. This is basic knowledge for beginners in Chan meditation.

修道人，不要到南山去找“道”，也不要到北海去找“道”。道，就在你的身边。你能结双跏趺坐，专心致意参禅，这就是道。不要有好高骛远的心，向外驰求去找道，那是永远找不到。舍近求远，到处找困难的事，这就是自找麻烦，自讨苦吃。

Cultivators should not go running off to the mountains in the south or to the ocean in the north to seek the Way. The Way is right with you at all times. If you can sit in full lotus and concentrate your mind as you investigate Chan, just that is the Way. Don't let your mind hanker after remote mysteries, running outside in search of the Way, for you'll never find it there. You'll be forsaking what's near to search afar; and everywhere you go, you'll be searching for trouble. You'll be causing yourself needless hassle and making your life miserable.

一九八○年禅七 十二月开示