The Eighty-Ninth Letter 第八十九封
| 2022-10-21 | Download | AI assisted translation
| 第八十九封 |
Letter Eighty-Nine |
| 恭敬顶礼师尊： |
Respectful prostrations to the Venerable Master: |
| 顶礼佛，顶礼法，顶礼僧。 |
I prostrate to the Buddha, prostrate to the Dharma, and prostrate to the Saṅgha. |
| 鹤壁坐修六字大明咒四臂观音法者，颇有几位。青年王某某与这位石某某，是其中的姣姣者。王具禅宗根器，问题直捷。如问：为什么明心见性？【为欲出迷梦，不执幻有，恢复本性。 |
Among those in Hebi who practice the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra and the Four-Armed Avalokiteśvara practice in seated meditation, there are several who are quite accomplished. The young man Wang and this Ms. Shi are among the most outstanding. Wang has the capacity for Chan, and his questions are direct. For example, he asks: “Why realize the mind and see one’s true nature?” [“To emerge from the deluded dream, not cling to illusory existence, and restore one’s original nature.” |
| 】又问：悟后起修就能了生脱死？【梦中有生死，醒悟后，生死本空，说什么了生脱死。】他修持认真，最近欲面师尊，求灌顶传法。【不必远来上海，可就近向陕西汉中受法。】这位石某某，原修“持名念佛”法门。 |
] He further asks: “After awakening, can one begin practice and thereby transcend birth and death?” [“Birth and death exist in a dream; after awakening, birth and death are inherently empty. Why speak of transcending birth and death?”] He practices earnestly and recently wished to meet the Venerable Master in person to request empowerment and Dharma transmission. [“There is no need to travel all the way to Shanghai; he may receive the Dharma nearby in Hanzhong, Shaanxi.”] Ms. Shi formerly practiced the Dharma gate of Buddha-recitation by invoking the name. |
| 【净土法门深妙稳妥，勤念佛，生西方，一切圆成。何必另起炉灶，改修他法?】她家务琐事缠身，且度生心切，以致家庭关系失谐。她烦恼丛生，以致影响念佛。【她家务繁忙，无暇打坐，不适修此法。 |
[“The Pure Land Dharma gate is profound, wondrous, and reliable. Diligently recite the Buddha’s name, be reborn in the Western Pure Land, and all will be fulfilled. Why set up a new stove and change to another practice?”] She is entangled in the trivial affairs of her household, and her earnest wish to liberate sentient beings has caused disharmony in her family relationships. Her afflictions have multiplied, affecting her Buddha-recitation. [“Her household affairs keep her busy, leaving her no time for seated meditation; this practice is not suitable for her. |
| 】我劝她坐修六子大明咒四臂观音法，效果很好。弟子几次欲启“向上一门”，尚不甚契。唉！“执著”一事，除之甚难！她给您写了一封信，今随信附去。 |
] I advised her to practice the Four-Armed Avalokiteśvara practice in seated meditation with the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra, and the results have been very good. This disciple has several times wished to introduce her to a more advanced gate, but it has not yet been quite suitable. Alas! “Attachment” is indeed very difficult to remove! She has written you a letter, which I enclose with this one. |
| 弟子 志明 顶礼 |
Your disciple, Zhiming, prostrates in homage. |
| 1994年3月2日 |
March 2, 1994 |
| 【永寿童子】记得当初，我一开始也修念佛法门。感觉念佛相应很容易，只是总不太踏实，碰到事就忽悠了。后来假心中心之力，才懂得如何在座下用功。当时我想，可能是心中心每天两小时，修至三年，强度和长度都可以，又重视心行，故而容易得力。 |
[Yongshou Tongzi] I remember that, at the beginning, I too practiced Buddha-recitation. I felt that it was easy to gain a response through Buddha-recitation, but I never felt quite grounded, and whenever something happened, I would become unsettled. Later, through the power of the Heart-of-Heart Dharma, I came to understand how to apply effort off the meditation cushion. At the time, I thought that perhaps this was because the Heart-of-Heart practice requires two hours daily for three years, making both its intensity and duration sufficient, while also emphasizing the conduct of the mind; thus it is easier to gain strength from it. |
| 【LVM】这在祖师的开示中，特别是在王师公的开示中，有明确的具体的论述。 |
[LVM] This is discussed clearly and specifically in the teachings of the patriarchs, especially in the teachings of Master Wang. |
