这次禅七刚开始，希望大家聚精会神来参禅，拿出勇气来参禅，念兹在兹来参禅。总之，要拿出“了生脱死，发愤忘食”的精神；“不到开悟不罢休”，要有这种金刚的愿力。

This Chan session has just begun. I hope you will concentrate your attention and energy to investigate Chan, to be mindful in your investigation. You should be so determined to end birth and death that you even forget about eating. Don’t give up until you have reached enlightenment. You must have adamantine will power.

若能有人骂你，你没听见；有人打你，你也无感觉；有没有吃饭都不知道；有没有睡觉都不知道。如果到了这种境界，转过身来，就知道以前都是在皮毛上用功夫，到今天才真正知道应该做些什么。

When you reach the state where you don’t hear it when people scold you, don’t feel it when people beat you, and don’t even know if you have eaten or slept, then you can look back and know that everything you did in the past was inconsequential and that only today do you really know what you need to do.

禅七开始，我对大家说几句粗浅的话，要是能明白，就有很大的帮助；若是不明白，也有很大的帮助。有人问：“怎么样帮助呢？”我现在不能告诉你。如果告诉你，你明白之后，就在那里障住了，不能进步。现在把这几句说出来，希望你们注意听：

At the beginning of this Chan session, I will say a few introductory words to you. If you understand, they will be a great help. If you don’t understand, they will also be a great help. Someone may ask, “How can this be?” Well, I cannot tell you now. If I told you, then after you understood it, you would get stuck there and wouldn’t advance. Now let me read you a verse. I hope you’ll listen carefully:

梵语禅那波罗蜜，
此云静虑细进参；
山高水深无所畏，
始知天外别有天。

The Sanskrit words dhyana paramita
Mean to contemplate in stillness and subtly advance your investigation.
Have no fear of high mountains or deep
     waters;
Then you will discover the sky beyond the sky.

“禅定”在印度话叫作“禅那波罗蜜”。这个法门修行到圆满时，便可到彼岸。在中国译为“静虑”，又叫“思惟修”。可是静虑和思惟修，要仔细地追究，要详细地钻参。参什么？参“念佛是谁？”的话头。就是上高山、入深海也不怕，这时候，才知天外还有重重无尽的天。所以要绵绵细细地参，念兹在兹地参，参来参去，参到“山穷水尽疑无路”时，一转身就是“柳岸花明又一村”的境界。

In Sanskrit, Chan samadhi is called dhyana paramita. When you cultivate this Dharma-door to perfection, you can reach the other shore. In Chinese it is translated as “still contemplation,” or “mental cultivation.” In still contemplation and mental cultivation, you need to investigate carefully and in detail. Investigate what? Investigate the topic of “Who is reciting the Buddha’s name?” Don’t be afraid of ascending the high mountains or descending into the depths of the sea; at this time you will find there are myriad layers of heavens beyond heavens. Therefore, investigate continuously, extensively, and mindfully; investigate back and forth until “the mountains disappear and waters vanish, and there is no road ahead.” At that time, you turn around and enter the state where “in the shade of the willows, bright flowers bloom and there is yet another village.”

一九八三年七月三十一日
禅七开示于万佛圣城