Ten Profound Discourses 十门玄谈
Coauthored by Teacher Qi and His Junior Disciple | 2018-06-23 | Download | AI assisted translation
| 今天，古历十月初五，是达摩祖师圣诞日。当年达摩祖师跨海西来，直指人心、见性成佛，曾把四卷《楞伽经》授与二祖慧可，并说：“我观汉地，唯有此经，仁者依行，自得度世。 |
Today, the fifth day of the tenth lunar month, is the sacred birthday of Patriarch Bodhidharma. In those days, Patriarch Bodhidharma crossed the sea from the west and came to China, directly pointing to the mind so that one might see one’s nature and attain Buddhahood. He once transmitted the four fascicles of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra to the Second Patriarch, Huike, saying: “I observe that in China only this sūtra exists. If you practice in accordance with it, you will naturally attain liberation in this world.” |
| ”也就是说，汉地人的根器于此经最为相宜，此经即是如来心地要门，能令诸众生开示悟入。古人曾把禅宗称为“楞伽宗”，曾把禅师称为“楞伽师”，可见《楞伽经》对禅宗的影响之深。那么，讲解此经，必然会联系到禅宗。 |
That is to say, the capacities of people in China are especially suited to this sūtra. This sūtra is the essential gateway to the mind-ground of the Tathāgata and can enable all sentient beings to open, reveal, awaken to, and enter it. In ancient times, the Chan school was called the “Laṅkāvatāra school,” and Chan masters were called “Laṅkāvatāra masters.” This shows how profound the influence of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra has been upon the Chan school. Therefore, any explanation of this sūtra will inevitably involve the Chan school. |
| 有不少同修邀我讲一讲《楞伽经》的大意，在今天达摩祖师圣诞日开讲，这是一个非常殊胜的因缘。不敢说是讲经，咱们共同探索吧。有人说《楞伽经》很玄，那咱们就共同“入楞伽心探玄”吧。在未讲《楞伽经》之前，先说一说《楞伽经》的“十门玄谈”。 |
Quite a number of fellow practitioners have asked me to explain the general meaning of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. To begin speaking on it today, the sacred birthday of Patriarch Bodhidharma, is a most auspicious conjunction of causes and conditions. I would not presume to call this expounding a sūtra; let us explore it together. Some say that the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra is very profound and mysterious, so let us together “enter the heart of Laṅkā and explore the profound.” Before discussing the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra itself, let us first speak of its “Ten Gates of Profound Discussion.” |
| 什么是“十门玄谈”呢？古代讲经的大德，在讲经文之前，先对所讲的经文从十个方面加以介绍。比如我们现在讲语文课，也要讲课文的时代背景、中心思想、段落大意、作者简介等，“十门玄谈”要比这个缜密得多。 |
What are the “Ten Gates of Profound Discussion”? Before expounding a sūtra, great masters of ancient times would first introduce the text from ten perspectives. For example, when we teach a language-arts lesson today, we also discuss the historical background of the text, its central theme, the main idea of each paragraph, a brief account of the author, and so forth. The Ten Gates of Profound Discussion are far more meticulous than this. |
| 中华文化传承至今，不但有光芒四射的义理与华彩，而且有非常丰富的底蕴和内涵。现代讲语文课的教案格式，不就是从古人讲经的“十门玄谈”继承来的么，不过是加以简化而已。 |
Chinese culture has been transmitted down to the present not only with radiant principles and splendid expression, but also with an exceptionally rich foundation and depth of content. Does not the format of modern language-arts lesson plans derive from the ancient method of expounding sūtras through the “Ten Gates of Profound Discussion”? It has merely been simplified. |
| “十门玄谈”都分哪十门呢？尽管古代诸位大德所讲略有不同，但都出入不大，现列于下： |
What are the ten gates of the “Ten Gates of Profound Discussion”? Although the explanations given by the great masters of ancient times differed slightly, the differences were not great. They are listed below: |
| 一、教起因缘。 |
I. The causes and conditions for the arising of the teaching. |
| 二、藏部所摄。 |
II. Its classification within the scriptural collections. |
| 三、显教差别。 |
III. The distinctions among exoteric teachings. |
| 四、义理分齐。 |
IV. The divisions and scope of its principles and meanings. |
| 五、所被机宜。 |
V. The capacities for which it is suited. |
| 六、能诠教体。 |
VI. The substance of the teaching that expounds. |
| 七、所诠宗趣。 |
VII. The tenet and purport that are expounded. |
| 八、部类传译。 |
VIII. Its categories, transmission, and translation. |
| 九、通释经题。 |
IX. A general explanation of the sūtra title. |
| 十、别解文义。 |
X. A detailed explanation of the text and its meaning. |
| 下面简略地说说《楞伽经》的十门，也就是此经的十个属性。 |
Below, I will briefly discuss the ten gates of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra—that is, its ten attributes. |
