Post date: Feb 7, 2011 6:35:36 PM
The koans of the Zen masters point out that we are already free and liberated. The only thing that binds us is our own attachments and illusions. We seek answers from others to problems that are self-created and illusory. Therefore, the answers are also illusory. Only by seeking the true Buddha nature within, through self-reflection, can we dispel these illusions of the mind.
要想活得開心 就不要匀寻煩恼
世上本無事, 庸人自扰之
四祖道信禅師還未悟道時,曾經向三祖僧璨禅師請教.
道信虔誠地請求道: “我覚得人生太苦了,希望你指引給我一条解脱的道路.”
三祖僧璨禅師反問道: “是誰在捆綁者你?”
道信想了想,如實回答道: “没有人綁者我.”
三祖僧璨禅師笑道: “既然没有人捆綁者你,你就是自由的,就已經是解脱了,你何必還要寻求解脱呢?”
後來石头希遷禅師在接引學人時,将這種活泼机智的禅机發揮到極致.
有一個學僧問希遷禅師: “怎麼才能解脱呢?”
希遷禅師回答: “誰捆綁者你?”
學僧有問: “怎麼樣才能求得一方净土呢?”
希遷禅師回答道: “誰污染了你?”
學僧繼續追問道: “怎麼樣才能达到涅磐永生的境界呢?”
希遷禅師回答: “誰給了你生与死? 誰告訴你生与死有区别?”
學僧在希遷禅師的步步逼問之下,開始迷惑不解,繼而恍然大悟.
To live happily, do not seek trouble.
Originally there was no problem, but the common person makes trouble for himself
Before the Fourth patriarch Dao-Xin became enlightened, he once consulted with the Third patriarch Seng-Can.
Dao-Xin requested of the Third Patriarch: "I feel that life is too difficult/bitter, hope you can guide me to the path of liberation."
Third patriarch responded with a question: "Who binds you?"
Dao-Xin thought about it and replied: "No one binds me."
Third patriarch laughed: "Since no one binds you, you are already free and liberated. So why do you still seek liberation?"
Later on, as the Zen master Xi-Qian was giving profound guidance to a group of monks, one monk asked the Zen master: "How to liberate oneself?"
The Zen master replied: "Who binds you?"
The monk asked: "How to obtain the pure land?"
The Zen master replied: "Who contaminates you?"
The monk continued to ask: "How to attain the eternal state of nirvana?"
The Zen master replied: "Who gave you life and death? Who told you that they were different?"
As the monk questioned the Zen master, he became more and more puzzled. But afterward, he suddenly became enlightened.