你緊了就繃，慢了就鬆，不緊不慢才成功。
有的人把這四天就空過去了，有的人又得到一點利益，不過我們參加打禪七的人，首先要明白這個打禪七的規矩。
這打禪七在行香的時候，就是跑香的時候，一開靜，一兩分鐘就可以到廁所去。那麼去完了之後，趕快回來，不要等到要止靜的時候，等著你止靜。我們這個地方有二樓、有三樓，二樓就是女界用的廁所，三樓就是男界用的。在一開始我告訴你們，這個做維那的就到廁所那兒，等看著如果還有人在那兒，就用香板打三下，這麼「啪！啪！啪！」打三下。那麼在三樓打，二樓也就會聽得見，不必再走到二樓去打這三下香板，因為在三樓打，二樓聽得很清楚。那麼就回來再看一看，人是不是都回來了。天天有多少個人，人完全回來、沒有完全回來，這一看就知道了。若沒有完全回來，就稍微等一等再止靜，若完全回來了就止靜。這個人呢，不要令這個止靜的維那師等著你來止靜，在聽著打站板了，這「啪！」打一下木魚，在外邊的人就都應該回來。回來坐好了等著止靜，不要叫止靜的維那師等著你。
那麼在止了靜之後，人沒有什麼特別的事情，尤其這個普通的清眾，就不可以走出去又走回來，不可以的。不要說人，這個止靜的時候，就是韋陀菩薩他都站在那兒絲毫不動，他在那兒來做護法，他都不會亂走的。那麼在跑香呢，這跑香的時間或者十五分鐘，或者二十分鐘，今年連跑香帶坐香一個鐘頭，這時間很短的。
在五點鐘以後，這一支香叫養息香。這支香應該長一點，有的一點三刻，有的時候兩點鐘。那麼養息香這個時候，睡覺也可以，不過不要有很大的呼聲。養息，就是這兩個鐘頭可以隨便一點，就這樣子。那麼你若不睡覺呢，那更好。因為到晚間十二點鐘的時候才睡覺，白天五點到七點這個時候，在這兒可以坐著睡。那麼在這支香呢，雖然說可以睡覺，但是用功的人不會想要睡覺的，就是在養息香的時候，也一樣坐禪。在這個時候，有很多人在這養息香，因為它時間長，就開悟了。因為你坐呢，必須要練習坐得能坐時間長、時間久，不是說我腿一痛、受不了，我就不坐了，等著這個開靜了，等著這個引磬響了。不要這樣子，你盡打這個妄想，那就不容易開悟。所以在這個坐禪，就是看你有沒有忍力，你若有忍力，就可以有所成就；沒有忍力，就不能有所成就。
我們在開靜的時候，大家都一起跑香，這跑香就是運動，就好像賽跑一樣，就好像這個田徑賽一樣––那個運動會的賽跑。你就拿它做運動，這個是很好玩的。那麼坐那兒就修定，跑的時候就修戒。這個戒，跑不要往外跑，怎麼樣跑也是在裡邊跑，不要跑到禪堂外邊去，除了到廁所的公事，那可以的。或者喝茶的時候，你若一定渴了，喝茶也要早一點去喝，不要等著要止靜的時候去喝茶，不要這樣子。
那麼禪堂的規矩是很多的，說起來說不完，本來我在開始的時候應該講一講，但是我以為大家都是老參了，參過好幾年了，都懂了。但是看起來，還有的不懂的，所以講一講這個小規矩，這不是大規矩，都是很小的問題。可是你就因為這個小規矩不懂，這個大悟也就不能成就。
我知道現在有人坐得很不錯的，坐到那個地方，就無人無我了，但是不是睡著了。在這個湛然常寂的境界，有好幾個得到了。那麼這種境界在佛教裡頭，這叫輕安的境界，這是一個定的開始。所以繼續地努力用功，才能得到真正的好處。你想得到真正的好處，就不要懶惰，不要躲懶偷安，不要自己騙自己，又要騙人，又要騙時間，又要騙日，又要騙夜。不要騙它們，你騙它們，它們就說了，說：「唉！你還參禪呢！參什麼禪呢？這麼懶鬼，懶得這麼個樣子，啊！你看看，照照鏡子看看。」所以要平心靜氣地來參禪。你不要著急，你一著急就上火了，就有火氣；也不要懈怠，你一懈怠，功夫又不能上路了，所以也不可以懈怠。也不可以緊，也不可以慢，就是中庸是道，要行這個中庸之道。
你緊了就繃，慢了就鬆，不緊不慢才成功。也不要緊也不要慢：不要緊，你就不要 nervous（緊張）；不要慢，你就不要lazy（懶惰）。所以要這樣子，很歡喜地來用功，用得行也自在，坐也自在，站也自在，睡也自在，行住坐臥都是自在。自在，這功夫就上路了。功夫上路了，你真會參禪了，想停止也不能停止了，行住坐臥都和這個「誰」離不開了。但是離不開這個「誰」，還不認識是「誰」；不認識是「誰」，還要接近這個「誰」。這個「誰」不能斷了，隨時隨地都參禪的功夫打成一片。打成一片的時候，你「終日吃飯，未吃一粒米」，一粒米也沒吃。說：「這不是打妄語嗎？」你說是打妄語就打妄語，但是這個妄語和普通的妄語不同，因為這個妄語你不是沒有吃飯，但是沒有著住到這個飯上。吃而未吃，穿而未穿，「終日穿衣，未穿一縷紗」。就是行住坐臥都是在用功的期間，把什麼都忘了！吃飯、穿衣服都忘了，何況其他的事情呢！其他的事情更都不成問題了。
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Go too fast and you'll trip; dally and you'll fall behind.
Never rush and never dally, and you'll get there right on time.
Some people have let the first four days go by in vain; others have gotten some benefit. However, people who attend a Chan session must first understand the rules.
The walking periods in a Chan session begin when the sitting meditation ends. During the first couple of minutes of walking, you can go to the bathroom if you need to, but when you are finished, you should return quickly. Don’t wait until the walking is over and the period of sitting meditation has begun. In our facility we have a second floor and a third floor. The second-floor restroom is for women to use and the third floor is for men. As I told you at the beginning of the session, the proctor should go to the restroom area with the incense board. If there are people in the restroom, then he strikes the incense board three times, “Pa! Pa! Pa!” He strikes it three times on the third floor and those on the second floor will be able to hear it. There is no need to go to the second floor as well and strike the board three times, because those on the second floor can hear clearly when the board is struck on the third floor. After the proctor hits the board, he should come back to see if everyone has returned to the hall. The proctor should be very clear about how many people are in the hall each day and should be able to tell at a glance if everyone has returned to the hall or not. If some people have not returned, he should wait a moment until everyone gets back before he begins the period of sitting meditation. Those participating in the session should not make the proctor wait for them before beginning the sitting meditation period. As soon as people outside the hall hear the “pa!” of the board, they should return and wait for the sitting meditation period to begin. Don’t make the proctor wait for you!
Once the sitting meditation period has begun, unless an extremely important matter comes up, no one is allowed to leave the hall. This is especially true of participants who don’t have any assigned duties. We need not mention people; even Weitou Bodhisattva stands very still and protects the Dharma—he would never walk around at random. The period for walking may be fifteen or twenty minutes long. The way we did it today, completing our walking and sitting periods in one hour’s time, made them very short.
The period after five o’clock in the evening is called the period for resting. That period should be a little longer. Some are an hour and forty-five minutes; some are two hours long. During the rest period it’s all right to sleep. But you must not snore. In this two-hour rest period, you may relax a bit—that’s what it’s for. However, if you don’t want to sleep, then you can continue to apply your effort by sitting in meditation during that time. Because this period is longer than the others, many people get enlightened during this time.
In sitting, you must practice sitting for extended periods of time. When your legs hurt a little, it shouldn’t be that you can’t take it and decide to stop sitting. You shouldn’t always wait for the end of the sit—waiting for the sound of the bell that signals the end of the sitting. If you keep having that false thought, then it won’t be easy to get enlightened. Therefore, in sitting meditation it remains to be seen whether you have any patience. With patience, you will have some accomplishment. Without patience, you won’t be successful.
When the sitting period ends, we walk together for a period. The walking period is a form of exercise, a lot like a foot race at a track and field meet. Just consider it a form of exercise and it will be a lot of fun. Sitting meditation is cultivation of samadhi; walking is cultivation of moral precepts. In this precepted walking, you don’t run outside the hall. However you choose to walk, you should remain in the hall. Don’t run outside the Chan hall, unless you need to make a trip to the bathroom. You may also drink tea during that time. If you are really thirsty, then you can drink tea, but do it earlier. Don’t wait until it’s time for the sitting meditation to start to go drink your tea.
There are many rules pertaining to the Chan hall. If we tried to bring them all up, we’d never finish. Actually, I should have told you about them at the beginning of the session, but I thought you were all old-timers who had been meditating for several years and who understood these things. From the way it looks, there are still things you don’t understand. Therefore I’ve brought up a few of the minor rules. These are not major rules; they are just minor problems. But if you don’t understand the minor rules, then you won’t be able to realize a great enlightenment.
I know that some people are not doing badly in their sitting meditation. They can sit to the point that there are no others and no self—but they are not asleep. They are in a state of lucid tranquillity. Several have attained this state, which, in Buddhism, is called “light ease.” It is the beginning of samadhi. You should continue to work. If you want to attain genuine advantages, then you must not be lazy! Don’t shirk work and steal away to rest. Don’t cheat yourself, cheat others, or cheat on the time. Don’t cheat the day and night, for if you do, they will say “What kind of investigation of Chan are you doing? Bunch of lazy ghosts! Take a look at yourself! Go look in the mirror!” You should settle down and seriously investigate Chan. Don’t be nervous. As soon as you get nervous, your temper rises—you get angry. But don’t be lazy either, or else you won’t be able to develop your skill. You shouldn’t go too fast and you shouldn’t dally. Keep to the Middle Way.
“Go too fast and you’ll trip; dally and you’ll fall behind. Never rush and never dally, and you’ll get there right on time.” Don’t go too fast means don’t be nervous. Don’t dally means don’t be lazy. Enjoy developing your skill. Develop it to the point that you are free and at ease when walking, free and at ease when sitting, free and at ease when standing, and free and at ease when sleeping. Walking, standing, sitting and lying down, you have self-mastery. Self-mastery means that your skill is progressing. When your skill progresses, you will be able to truly investigate Chan. Then, even if you consider stopping, there will be no way to do so.
Walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, you won’t lose the track of “who.” But even though you won’t lose track of “who,” you still will not recognize “who.” You won’t recognize “who,” but you want to become familiar with “who.” You can’t let the “who” be cut off. At all times and in all places you investigate Chan until you become one with it. When you become one with it, then although you eat each day, you won’t have eaten a single grain of rice. To eat without eating a single grain of rice: “Isn’t that a lie?” you ask. If you take it to be a lie, then it’s a lie. But this lie is different from ordinary lies. Because the meaning of this lie is not that you haven’t eaten, but that you are not attached to eating. You eat as if you hadn’t eaten. You wear clothes as if you weren’t wearing clothes. “All day you wear clothes and yet you haven’t put on a single thread.” This means that during the times you are walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, you forget everything. You forget about eating and wearing clothes, how much the more other matters. How much less of a problem will other matters be!
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