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「水分千派出一源」：這個水雖然分出河流，大的河流、小的河流，乃至於溪––小的水溝子、山溪，雖然分得那麼多，可是都出於一源，都是一個源頭。
「塵飛萬方積眾坵」：這個塵土，飛，從這兒搬到那個地方去，從那個地方又搬到這兒來。你看那個塵，在虛空裡頭那麼跑來跑去，至於，它為什麼在虛空那麼跑呢？你用太陽光一照，就看見那個塵土都在虛空裡繞來繞去，其實它都活著呢！雖然說塵是無情的東西，可是，它都在活著，在虛空裡那麼遊遊盪盪的。遊夠了，它要睡覺了，就落到一個山丘上；若不夠，它就在虛空裡去旅行，holiday（渡假）！那個微塵都在那兒holiday呢！你知道嗎？所以人也飄飄蕩蕩，願意holiday（渡假），願意vacation（渡假），都是這個樣子！就好像那一粒微塵一樣的，忽高忽低、忽上忽下，一陣間就騰空了、駕雲了，一陣間又落到地下去。因為在虛空裡頭，它飛得累了、疲倦了，它也就回來了。回來，它聚積到一起就是一個山丘，積眾坵。山有大的、小的、高的、矮的，那麼有山包包，就有風水，有龍脈，都聚會到一起了，所以就是這個樣子。你看那個微塵，都在虛空那活著呢！動呢！
「師父！您剛開始講的，我聽得還有點道理，現在 越講越離譜了，怎麼那個微塵還會活著呢？」那你若不相信，我也沒有法子叫你相信。總而言之，無論有情、無情同圓種智，將來都是可以有變化。你知道那個微塵，它就是屬於土大嘛！屬於地大嘛！人都是地水火風聚集而成的，你怎麼說它不是活物？你想想看。它是聚積而成的，又可以成動物，什麼動物都可以成的––小動物、大動物、一切眾生，都要有這個泥土的成份在裡頭。所以，你不相信，我也沒有法子叫你相信。
「五乳峰前好消息」：五乳峰前，有一個最好的消息。什麼呢？人人都可以成佛，一切眾生皆有佛性，皆堪作佛。
「百丈堂中入聖流」：這個百丈禪師，立下佛教的規矩。那麼你要是想要出乎其類，拔乎其萃，想要開悟，想要成祖師，一定要依照規矩去做；你不能自己杜撰，別開生面，說：「我想要標異現奇，我做出一個特別樣子！」那就是躐等而進，也就是一個不守規矩的人。《四十二章經》上說得清清楚楚，說「慎勿信汝意」，你自己不能信自己那個東西，你那個心意識。你自己那個心意識，把你害得從古到今，就因為聽它的話，所以才不開悟、不成佛。你若是想成佛，就要把這個心意識，都先要死了它，沒有自己一個執著，說：「我如何、我如何，我怎麼樣、我怎麼樣。」你怎麼樣？到死的時候你作得主嗎？你想不死，可不可以呀？那麼你若說我不死，就可以不死，那可以，你生死了了！你若生死沒有了，你就不能自己聽自己的話，總是執著那麼大。所以，「五乳峰前好消息，百丈堂中入聖流」，你一定要不以規矩不能成方圓，你一定要循規蹈矩。你這個赤潤的木頭，應該在那個圓圓的窟窿裡鑽過去，才能隨方就圓的！
「慈航普渡通四海」：這位慈舟禪師，也就是方念禪師，他是普渡四海的。他這個大船，是普渡四方，通四海的。
「年月日時優哉遊」：年月日時，他都是在那兒，你說忙嗎？他也不忙。你說閒嗎？他也不閒。優哉遊哉，他就是在那兒弘揚佛法，教化眾生。
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From last issue: Illusory rest or true rest: he rested without resting.
Seeking north and south: what was there to be sought?
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The water divided into a thousand branches, flowing from a single source. Although the water might be divided into many large rivers, small rivers, creeks, gullies, mountain streams, and so forth, all these tributaries originate from a single source, a single fountainhead.
The dust flew in all directions, accumulating into myriad hills. The dust flies, moving from one place to another, and then back again. Look at the dust drifting back and forth in the air. Why does it drift about like that? Under the sunlight, you can see that it is swirling in circles. It is actually alive! Even though we say dust is an insentient thing, it is actually living, drifting freely throughout the air. When it is tired of drifting and wants to sleep, it falls and lands on a hilltop. If it is not tired, it continues traveling through the air, having a holiday. Did you know that the motes of dust were having holidays? Likewise, people also drift about, liking to take holidays and go on vacations. People are all that way, like a mote of dust suddenly rising up above and suddenly descending down below, sometimes soaring up to the skies to mount the clouds, sometimes falling down to the ground. When it grows weary from flying in the air, it returns to earth and heaps itself up to form a hill. Accumulating into a myriad hills, there are big mountains, small hills, high mountains, low hills, and dirt mounds. The mountains gather together to form a range; then there appears geomancy, a dragon pulse. That is the way it is. Look at the motes of dust: they are all alive and moving in the air!
“Teacher! At the beginning, I thought what you said made some sense. But now you are getting farther and farther off track. How can dust be alive?” Well, if you don’t believe it, I have no way to make you believe it. In any case, sentient and insentient beings can all perfect the Wisdom of Modes together. They will all change and transform in the future. Did you know that dust belongs to the element of earth? People are a combination of the four elements of earth, water, fire and air. How can you say it is not alive? Think: It is formed by accumulation. It can be formed into animals, any kind of animals—big or small. All living beings have this earth element within them. So, if you do not believe it, I cannot make you believe.
At Five Breasts Summit, there was good news. Before the Five Breasts Summit, there was the greatest news. What was it? It was that everyone can become a Buddha; all living beings have the Buddha-nature, and thus all can become Buddhas.
At the temple of Master Baizhang, he entered the flow of sages. Dhyana Master Baizhang established rules for Buddhism. If you want to stand out above others, to get enlightened, or to become a patriarch, you have to abide by the rules. You should not create your own style, trying to be different from others, and say, “I want to be fancy! I want to be special!” Then you would be neglecting the proper order of things and not following the rules. The Sutra of Forty-two Sections Spoken by the Buddha says very clearly, “You should be cautious and not trust your own thoughts.” You should not trust your own ideas, your mind consciousness. From time immemorial till now, you have been listening to your mind consciousness; that is why you have not gotten enlightened and become a Buddha. If you want to become a Buddha, you have to extinguish your mind consciousness and not be so attached to your “self” that you keep defining yourself as being this way or that way. Well, what about you? Can you be your own master at the time of death? If you don’t want to die, can you avoid it? If you say you can avoid death if you choose to, then that is okay. You have ended birth and death! If you have not ended birth and death, you cannot listen to yourself, since you always have such great attachments. Thus, “At Five Breasts Summit, there was good news. At the temple of Master Baizhang, he entered the flow of sages.” You must use a compass and a ruler or else you will not be able to make circles and squares. You have to behave and follow the rules. Moist wood can only be made round after going through a round hole.
The boat of compassion saved all, sailing the four seas. Dhyana Master Ci Zhou (“boat of compassion”), also called Dhyana Master Fang Nian, saved all beings in the four seas. His vessel was a great one which rescued those in the four quarters and sailed in the four seas.
Through the hours, days, months, and years, he roamed at leisure. Through hours, days, months, and years, he was always there. Would you say he was busy? He wasn’t. Would you say he had nothing to do? Well, that wasn’t the case either. He just propagated the Buddha-dharma, teaching and transforming living beings at leisure.
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