Returning to this moment

One student who had been overseas for three years recently returned to the zen center for a visit. He was so happy that he could join the practice and go in for a kong-an interview.

Student : Sifu, I really miss Hong Kong and the practice. It has not been easy for me to live in the West. I need to work very hard and put it all down to survive. On the other hand, this foreign place is very quiet, and there aren't that many distractions. I live a simple life. But I miss Hong Kong so much, especially practicing together at the zen center. Sifu, when can I come back to Hong Kong?

返回當下

一位已移民外國三年的學生回港探訪禪院。他很高興能夠再次參與共修及參公案。

學生：「師父，我真的很掛念香港和跟大家一起共修。在外國生活真的不容易。我要很努力工作，要放下一切才能生存。但另一方面，外國地方很寧靜，比較少外來的引誘。因此，我的生活很簡單。但我實在太掛念香港，特別是在禪院共修。師父，我何時才能返回香港？」

戒律的意義

較早前，師父到波蘭華沙出席宇峰禪師往生四十九天法會。法會後，大家一起外出用膳。當時只有幾位出家人，師父是其中一位。一位歐洲學生走到師父前，並獻上一杯紅酒。

學生：師父，崇山禪師經常教導我們一起行動。現在我們一起行動，請你與我們一起喝了這杯酒，可以嗎？！

師父：我是出家人，我不能喝酒。我們一起行動。我們都不喝酒，可以嗎？！

評論：

戒律的意義並不在於能不能做某些事。戒律的意義是尊重生命，並幫助他人。我們不會給回教徒豬肉，也不會給小孩手槍，但我們會為正受癌症之苦的病人注射嗎啡。一顆平靜和平衡的心就是真正的戒。

The Meaning of Precepts

Sifu was in Warsaw for Zen Master Wu Bong's 49th Day Ceremony. After the ceremony, the European sangha went out to eat. Sifu was one of the few monastics at this meal. A student came up to Sifu and offered her a glass of wine.

Student: Sifu, Zen Master Seung Sahn always taught us together-action. We do together action. You drink with us, okay?!

Sifu: I am a nun. I cannot drink alcohol. We do together-action. We don't drink, okay?!

Commentary : Precepts are not about what we can do or cannot do. Precepts are about respecting our life and helping others. We don't give pork to Muslims, or guns to children. We do give morphine to cancer patients who are suffering. A calm, balanced mind is the true precept.

Outside and Inside Incenses

After one Tuesday night's sitting, a student asked Sifu : Someone told me that if we want to communicate with Buddha, we need to offer very high-class agarwood incense. Is that true?


Sifu : Zen teaches us that 'Mind is Buddha'. If you want to communicate with your 'Mind', do you need to light high-class incense for your Buddha within?

The student was shocked to hear this and didn't know how to respond. After a few seconds, she said : Thank you for waking me up to this incense issue!

Commentary:

There are two kinds of incense. Outside incense is to purify the air we breathe. Inside incense is our pure True Nature. Outside incense depends on outside conditions which have appearing and disappearing. The incense of our True Nature is always bright and clear. Whenever our mind can let go of any kind of strong attachment and be humble with an open heart, and with a mind for others, this incense will permeate from our mind within. This we cannot find outside of us. This is the true offering of incense to Buddha.

外在與內在的香

某星期二坐禪共修後，一位學生向師父求教：

學生：有人對我說，如我們想跟佛陀感應，便要向佛陀供養最高級的沉香。這是真的嗎？

師父：禪宗教「即心是佛」。如你要跟你的「心」感應，你要為你內心的佛燃點高級的香嗎？

學生聽後一愕，不懂回應。過了一會兒，她説：「多謝師父讓我從這香的問題中覺醒！」

評論：

香有內與外兩種：外在的香可以淨化我們呼吸的空氣；內在的香即是我們的清淨自性。

外在的香依靠外緣而有生滅。自性的香永遠明亮和清晰。當我們的心能放下一切執著、以謙卑及開放的胸襟為其他人服務，這自性香便會從內心滲透出來，不假外求。這是向佛供香的真義。

“How may I help you?”

In the past, when Sifu visited Luang Por, she would explain to him Zen Master Seung Sahn’s teachings, as recorded in the Compass of Zen. Luang Por appreciated Zen Master Seung Sahn’s teaching very much.

One time, a Hong Kong student asked Luang Por: “Do you understand Zen Master Seung Sahn’s teaching?”

Upon hearing this, Luang Por immediately stood up, placed his palms together and said: “How may I help you?”

Comment:

The Buddha gave us 84,000 teachings, and there are different schools of Buddhism, such as Mahayana, Theravada and Tibetan Buddhism. Zen Master Seung Sahn used to give this example: if you want to go from Hong Kong to Beijing, you may walk or take a car, a train, or an airplane. The tools are different, but the destination is the same. For a true practitioner these traditions are not a hindrance, because these traditions are pointing directly to the mind. This mind is for all beings and is not about my way.

「我可以怎樣幫助你？」

以前，師父到泰國探望Luang Por時，都會為他解說崇山禪師的教法，Luang Por對禪師的教法十分讚嘆。

有一次，有位香港學生問Luang Por：「其實你明白崇山禪師的教法嗎？」

聽後，Luang Por即時起立問訊道：「我可以怎樣幫助你？」

評論:

佛陀開示八萬四千種法門，而佛教亦有漢傳、南傳及藏傳等不同傳承及宗派。就好像崇山禪師經常舉的例子，從香港去北京，你可以走路、乘汽車、火車又或者飛機，工具雖然不同，目的地卻是一樣。對一個真正有修持的人，不同門派並非障礙，因為各派的宗旨都是直指人心，這心就是為眾生，而不為自己。

知音 － 不要染污自性

大觀禪師

一位學生性格消極，容易動怒。修禪一段時間後，雖有改善，但習氣仍然間中湧現，控制了他。某天，這學生向師父求教。

Mind to Mind - Don't let our True Nature get tainted

Zen Master Dae Kwan

One student was negatively emotional with lots of anger. After practicing for a while, his character improved much, but still sometimes his karma controlled him. One day, he asked Sifu for advice.

放下 Put it Down

禪師正要出門，學生同行。

學生：師父，就讓學生為您拿手提包好嗎？

師父：不用了，謝謝。

學生：師父，請您放下啊！

師父： 師父提了等於沒提，已經放下。而你沒提卻反而提著，還沒放下。

學生：啊，是的！弟子受教。

師生二人哈哈大笑。


評論:

師父有師父的職責、弟子有弟子的位置；各守其職、百份百只是去做，就是放下。



Zen Master was going out, accompanied by a student.

Student: Sifu, please let me carry your bag.

Zen Master: No. Thank you.

Student: Sifu, please put it down.

Zen Master: Sifu has already put it down, carrying is not carrying. But you are not carrying the bag and yet carried it. You not yet put it down.

Student: Yes! Thank you for your teaching.

Both Zen Master and student burst into laughter.



Comment:

Teacher has teacher’s job. Student has student’s job. When you are doing your job 100% just do it, that is putting it all down.

知音 Mind to Mind

有一位來參學的學僧總是覺得和公案的修持不相應，覺得公案和禪坐扯不上關係，幫不了她的生命。

有一次教學時大觀禪師把禪棒放在她面前......

禪師： 這禪棒的自性和你的自性是一樣還是不一樣？

學僧： 禪棒就在那裡，我就坐在這裡，沒什麼一樣或不一樣。

禪師： 這就是你對生命的態度嗎？

這位學僧頓時如當頭棒喝，合掌向禪師請示。


評論：
見到垃圾時，便把它丟進垃圾桶；見到失明人過馬路，便上前幫忙。
公案很多時候都引導我們如何在日常生活中和外在的人、事與物相應。



One visiting nun expressed that she felt she could not relate to kong-ans, that kong-ans have nothing to do with zen meditation, and could not help her in her life.

One time during teaching Dae Kwan Zen Master placed the zen stick in front of her....

Zen Master : This zen stick's true nature and your true nature, are they thesame or different?

Nun: Zen stick is over there and I am sitting over here, not same or different.

Zen Master : So is this your attitude towards life?

This visiting nun suddenly woke up, hapchang and bowed to Zen Master.



Commentary :
When you see there is garbage, place it in the garbage bin; when you see a blind person crossing the road, go and help him.

Kong-an guides us how to relate and respond to people and situations in our daily life.

最親切 The Most Heartfelt

上個月，大觀禪師到韓國無上寺。這天，當她教導一群居士時，一位女居士含著微笑，從容地發問。

女居士 : 請問德山禪師的「棒打」，臨濟禪師的「喝」，俱胝禪師豎起「一指」，及崇山禪師的 「元點」，哪一個才是最親切？

禪師 : 你的笑容最親切。

所有居士都大笑起來。

Last month Zen Master Dae Kwan visited Mu Sang Sa in Korea. When she was teaching a group of lay students, one of them asked her a question with a beautiful smile.

Student : Duk Sahn Zen Master’s hit, Lin Chi Zen Master’s Katz, Gu Ji Zen Master’s one finger and Seung Sahn Zen Master’s primary point. Which teaching is the most heartfelt?

Zen Master : Your smile is the most heartfelt.

All the students laughed and were very happy with the answer.

評論

有親切就有不親切，有好就有壞，我們經常因別人的問題而令到自己陷入相對的處境，有時對方甚至非要讓你站在令他滿意的立場，才肯放你一馬。事實上如果你有任何的立場，最終將會帶來一方的不滿，那你該怎麼辦？學禪就是離二邊，回到「元點」，亦就是思維之前。最親切就是發自你的內心，那麼你便可以與任何人或事情相應，是嗎？

Commentary

If you have “heartfelt,” then you have “not heartfelt”. If you have good, then you have bad. Based on someone’s question, we often fall into an “opposites” situation. Sometimes that someone will put you in a situation in which you have to give them an answer that they feel satisfied with before they let you go. In fact, you take sides and then the other side will be very unhappy. Zen practice is about not attaching to dualistic thinking. Return to our primary point which is before thinking. The most heartfelt answer appears inside your mind. This way, you can relate to any person and any situation, isn’t that so?