3月31日

永嘉證道歌
唐 永嘉玄覺 ( 665~712 )

頓覺了，如來禪，六度萬行體中圓。
夢裡明明有六趣，覺後空空無大千。
無罪福，無損益，寂滅性中莫問覓。
比來塵鏡未曾磨，今日分明須剖析。
從他謗，任他非，把火燒天徒自疲。
我聞恰似飲甘露，銷融頓入不思議。
觀惡言，是功德，此則成吾善知識。
不因訕謗起怨親，何表無生慈忍力。
假使鐵輪頂上旋，定慧圓明終不失。
日可冷，月可熱，眾魔不能壞真說。
莫將管見謗蒼蒼，未了吾今為君訣。

──選自《禪宗永嘉集》

March 31th

Song of Enlightenment
Yongjia Xuanjue (665 - 712, Tang Dynasty)
English translation: Sasha Lyapina

Once awakened, the true realization of Chan comes
The six paramitas and ten thousand deeds
      are complete within.
In a dream, there are undoubtedly
      the six realms of existence,
After the awakening,
      there is an absolute emptiness.
No thousand-fold Universe,
      no crime, no blessing, loss and gain,
In the essence of nirvana, do not look for them.

Recently the mirror got dusty,
      it has never been polished before.
Today is the day of evidence,
      there is a need in self-analysis.
Yield them slander,
      allow them to be wrong,
It is futile to try to scorch the Heavens.

Lifting a torch to set fire to the sky
      only makes one weary.
I hear them just as if I drink sweet ambrosia,
Everything melts and harmonizes,
      and at once transcends beyond the conception.

Contemplate evil words as merit,
They can be my good Dharma friends.
It is not because of slander
      that some become adversaries.
How then to express
      the highest loving-kindness and patience?

Suppose an iron wheel revolves above my head,
With meditative absorption and prajna,
      complete and bright, nothing ever precedes.

The Sun might become cold,
      the Moon might become hot,
      but Mara cannot destroy the truth.

Do not slander the azure of the sky
      by looking through a pipe,
If you are unfulfilled, I now will settle it for you.

── from Chanzong Yongjia Ji (Collection of Yongjia of the Chan School)