大家在禅堂里，参禅打坐，就是考试，看谁能考上佛的果位？怎样才能考上呢？就要内无身心，外无世界，所谓：

视之不见，
听之不闻，
嗅之无味。

有了这种功夫，才有被录取的希望。

People who meditate in the Chan Hall are actually taking a test. They are seeing whether or not they qualify for Buddhahood. How can they pass this test? Reach the state where, "Inside there is no body or mind, and outside there is no world."

It's a state of:

Looking, but not seeing;
Hearing, but not listening;
Smelling, but not noticing the scent.

Only a person who possesses this kind of skill can hope to pass the test.

为什么说：视之不见？因为回光返照。为什么说：听之不闻？因为反闻闻自性。为什么说：嗅之无味？因为收摄身心，不为味尘所转。这时，眼观色而无色，耳听声而无声，鼻嗅香而无香，舌尝味而无味，身觉触而不着触，意知法而不着法。到了这种境界，才有被选为佛的希望。不到炉火纯青的时候，不到登峰造极的时候，不到百尺竿头更进一步的时候，那是没有希望的。所以在禅堂里，不要把宝贵的光阴空过。

Why is it described as "looking, but not seeing"? Because the person is "returning the light to shine within," and introspecting. Why is it "hearing, but not listening"? Because he is "turning the hearing back to listen to his own nature." Why does it say, "smelling, but not noticing the scent"? Because he has gathered back his body and mind, and is not disturbed any longer by scents. At this time, the cultivator's eyes contemplate physical forms, but the forms don't exist for him. His ears hear sounds, but the sounds don't exist for him. His nose smells scents, but those scents don't exist for him. His tongue tastes flavors, but for him, those flavors don't exist. His body feels sensations, but does not attach itself to those sensations. His mind knows of things (dharmas), but does not attach to them. Only when one reaches this kind of state does one have any hope of being chosen as a Buddha. Before you reach perfection, before you reach the highest summit, before you "climb to the very top of a hundred-foot pole, and take one further step," you have no hope at all of qualifying. Therefore, don't waste your precious time here in the meditation hall.

古人说：

一寸光阴一寸金，
寸金难买寸光阴；
失落寸金容易得，
光阴过去难再寻。

Ancient cultivators had a proverb that goes,

An instant of time is worth more than an
    ounce of gold.
You can't buy an instant of time with an
    ounce of gold.
An ounce of gold, if lost, can be easily
    replaced.
But once time has gone by, you can't bring
    it back again.

我们要把握时机，认真用功修行。修行之法甚多，唯独“参禅”这个法门，是最高无上的法门。这个法门，如果用功用到相当时，能回过头来，能转过身，背尘合觉，被选为佛。

We must make the most of our opportunity to work hard and diligently cultivate. There are many ways to cultivate, but Chan meditation is surely the most lofty and supreme Dharma-door. When your efforts in cultivating this Dharma-door reach maturity, you'll be able to turn around, so that you "turn your back on the dust and unite with enlightenment," and get selected as a Buddha.

修菩萨道的人，外能舍国城妻子，内能舍头目脑髓，只要有人需要，他一切皆布施，绝不悭吝，他只知道利益众生，而不为自己打算。能有这样的思想，在选佛场中才有希望被选中。大家要知道，这是诸佛来选拔，绝对是大公无私的，没有人可以侥幸被录取，这完全要靠真功夫的。

People who cultivate the Bodhisattva Path are able to renounce their external wealth, such as their countries, cities, wives, and children. They're also able to renounce their internal wealth, such as their heads, eyes, brains, and bone marrow. Bodhisattvas are able to give people anything they need; they are never stingy. A Bodhisattva's sole concern is to aid people; he doesn't calculate on his own behalf. Only one with this kind of attitude has hope of being chosen for Buddhahood here in the "Buddha-selecting field." Everyone should know that the selection is done by the Buddhas, and they are completely unbiased and impartial. No one can hope to attain Buddhahood by chance or luck. The only criterion is true spiritual skill.

佛来选佛，而不是魔来选佛，可是魔来助佛。佛是在正面教化众生，魔在反面教化众生，反面来鼓励你，给你机会发大愿力，用功修行。所以魔是反面的善知识，我常说：

魔是磨真道，
真道才有魔；
越磨越光亮，
光亮更要磨。
磨如空中月，
空中照群魔；
群魔照化了，
现出本来佛。

Buddhas select other Buddhas; demons don't select Buddhas. Demons, however, do help Buddhas. Buddhas teach living beings in a direct manner, while demons teach living beings indirectly, from the reverse side of things. From the flip-side they exhort you on, giving you a chance to bring forth great resolutions and to apply yourself to serious cultivation. Demons thus count as Good and Wise Advisors in an indirect way.

I've often said:

Demons polish the True Way.
Only when the Way is true do the demons come.
The more they polish, the brighter you get.
The brighter you get, the more they polish you;
Polishing until you shine like the moon in space,
Which glows in the sky and
Sheds light on the hordes of demons.
When those hordes retreat before your light
Your fundamental Buddha-nature appears.

所以对魔不要有敌对的心理，要把他当做助道的善知识。如是观想，便心安理得无烦恼。有人来诽谤我们，那是我们的善知识。我们本来做得对，可是有人批评我们不对，那么就要往对的更进一步去做，所谓“百尺竿头，更进一步。”“见吾过者是吾师”，能说出我们毛病的这个人，就是我们的老师，应该感谢他，不可对他仇视。

We needn't see demons as our adversaries. Treat them, rather, as our Good and Wise Advisors who aid us along the Way. If you can contemplate them from this viewpoint, then your mind will rest calm, and you'll be free of afflictions. People who slander us are really our Good and Wise Advisors. When we've performed correctly, but somebody finds fault with our job, then we should strive to further improve, and take one more step from atop the hundred-foot pole. "The person who finds my faults I will treat as my teacher." An individual who can point out our shortcomings is our teacher. We ought to show him gratitude and never feel antagonism or hostility towards him.

诸佛不像我们那样糊涂，你若是总戴着假面具，是不会被选为佛的。你要真里求真，真中更真，要“真真真真真真真！”有七个真，才有希望被选拔。所谓“七真八正”，在禅七中，七天要真修行，第八天就改邪归正。这时，所有的习气毛病都一扫而光，脱落净尽了！

Buddhas would never be as muddled as we common people. If you always wear a phony mask to cover yourself, you'll never get selected to be a Buddha. You must be true within true, and truer than true. You have to be true, true, true, true, true, true, true! Seven times true! Then you can qualify. This is to be "seven times true and eight times correct" [an expression which means one must be thoroughly genuine and proper]. During the seven days of the Chan session, you genuinely cultivate, and on the eighth day you straighten out any crooked views. All bad habits and faults get swept away completely, and you are flawlessly pure, to the ultimate!

一九八○年禅七 十二月开示