永嘉玄覺大師證道歌
Do you not see the enlightened ones? They are transcended beings eternally at ease, abiding leisurely in the Way, beyond learning and doing, neither struggling against delusion, nor searching for the truth.
君不见。绝学无为闲道人。不除妄想不求真。
The nature of ignorance is itself the Buddha Nature; the illusion of one’s own body is the Dharma Reality.
无明实性即佛性。幻化空身即法身。
Completely realizing the Dharma Reality to be objectless, one finds oneself the source of all things and one’s own nature the Innate Buddha.
法身觉了无一物。本源自性天真佛。
The five aggregates – forms, sensation, perception, discrimination, consciousness – they come and go like fleeting clouds in the sky. The three sorts of mental distortion – greed, hatred, ignorance – they appear and disappear like empty bubbles on water.
五蕴浮云空去来。三毒水泡虚出没。
Realizing Suchness, neither self nor phenomena exist; instantly the path to hell vanishes, cause and effect are liberated.
证实相。无人法。刹那灭却阿鼻业。
If anything said is untrue, may my tongue be forever removed.
若将妄语诳众生。自招拔舌尘沙劫。
In a single moment of direct awakening, the Six Paramitas (generosity, discipline, endurance, diligence, concentration, wisdom) and the ten thousand skillful means are complete.
顿觉了。如来禅。六度万行体中圆。
The six realms of existence (gods, demi-gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, hells) are a dream, in waking they are nowhere to be found.
梦里明明有六趣。觉后空空无大千。
No wrong, no right, no loss, no gain – you won’t find any of these in the Eternal Serenity.
无罪福。无损益。寂灭性中莫问觅。
Stop dusting the mirror; give up even the idea of dust; the mirror’s brilliance is completely seen.
此来尘镜末曾磨。今日分明须剖析。
What is not-thinking and not-being? One is neither born nor unborn – the nonbeing is realized within the being.
谁无念。谁无生。若实无生无不生。
Can a wooden puppet attain Buddhahood by its practice of not-thinking?
唤取机关木人问。求佛施功早晚成。
Release your grasp at the four elements (earth, water, fire, wind), do not cling to anything; you may drink and eat with ease in Serenity.
放四大。莫把捉。寂灭性中随饮啄。
Conditioned phenomena are transient and empty – thus is the perfect realization of the Tathagatas.
诸行无常一切空。即是如来大圆觉。
Impermanence, emptiness, and Bodhi Mind — these are the True Vehicle of Buddhism. Keeping and teaching them is true Sangha devotion. Those who are overwhelmed by emotions certainly disagree, what a pity.
决定说。表真乘。有人不肯任情征。
Going straight to the root is the Buddha Wisdom, no point getting entangled in branches and leaves.
直截根源佛所印。摘叶寻枝我不能。
Although the Wish-fulfilling Mani Pearl is not recognized by ordinary beings, it is intimately and securely stored within our Tathagata Treasury – the eternal and constant matrix of all reality.
摩尼珠。人不识。如来藏里亲收得。
Our six senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, being aware) are empty yet not empty. The perfect luminosity of Mani Pearl has the form of being formless.
六般神用空不空。一颗圆光色非色。
Purifying the Five Roots (Faith. Diligence. Remembrance. Concentration. Wisdom) gives rise to the Five Powers – it is not intellectual work – you just realize; you just know. Only through realization can one be free of doubts and fears.
净五根。得五力。唯证乃知难可测。
To see images in a mirror is not difficult, but who can grasp the moon reflected in the water?
镜里看形见不难。水中捉月争拈得。
Always being alone, always walking alone, yet together the enlightened ones travel the same Nirvana Road.
常独行。常独步。达者同游涅槃路。
With ancient tune, clear light, uplifted spirit, worn face but toughened bones, passing unnoticed they walk free in the world.
调古神清风自高。貌颊骨刚人不顾。
Children of the Buddha may be poor in materials, yet they are richest in the Way.
穷释子。口称贫。实是身贫道不贫。
The body is wearing patched clothing; the mind is treasuring priceless Mani Pearl within.
贫则身常披缕褐。道则心藏无价珍。
Beyond all limit, this invaluable treasure can never be exhausted. The enlightened ones use it freely to help all beings they chance upon, accordingly to people’s individual caliber.
无价珍。用无尽。利物应机终不吝。
The Three Bodies (Dharmakaya 法身, Sambogakaya 報身, Nirmanakaya 化身) and the Four Wisdoms (The Mirroring Wisdom, the Observing Wisdom, the Discerning Wisdom, and the Perfecting Wisdom) are all contained within the Pearl. The Eight Liberations and the Six Supernatural Powers are all realized within.
三身四智体中圆。八解六通心地印。
The best practitioner goes straight to the Ultimate; the middling and the inferior learn too much with too little faith; they just remain unconvinced and proud of their external struggles.
上士一决一切了。中下多闻多不信。
Just remove the dirty garments from your own mind, instead of striving outwardly.
但自怀中解垢衣。谁能向外夸精进。
When criticized by others, let them wrong you; they will exhaust themselves trying to set fire to the sky.
从他谤。任他非。把火烧天徒自疲。
For me, hearing slander or insult feels like drinking honey dew – everything is smooth, carrying me into a wonderful place beyond thoughts and words.
我闻恰似饮甘露。销融顿入不思议。
Unpleasant words are my Dharma friends, and the abusers my good teachers.
观恶言。是功德。此则成吾善知识。
Never mind those who criticize or slander you; how else can you practice unconditional compassion and patience?
不因讪谤起怨亲。何表无生慈忍力。
Master both dhyana practice and scriptural teachings, where the full-moon brilliance of Samadhi (perfect concentration) and Prajna (direct insight) is not imprisoned in emptiness.
宗亦通。说亦通。定慧圆明不滞空。
This is not my realization alone; all the Buddhas, as innumerable as Ganges sands, they have become awakened in exactly the same way.
非但我今独达了。恒沙诸佛体皆同。
Roar like a lion, speak fearlessly – it shatters the skulls of all beasts.
师子吼。无畏说。百兽闻之皆脑裂。
The prideful elephant flees, losing its composure; the heavenly dragon listens, with quiet joy and bliss.
香象奔波失却威。天龙寂听生欣悦。
In the past I’ve wandered over mountains and rivers, searching for masters and the Way.
游江海。涉山川。寻师访道为参禅。
Having recognized the Path, I no longer have anything to do with birth and death.
自从认得曹溪路。了知生死不相关。
Alway practice, whether walking or sitting; remain undisturbed in speech, in silence, in movement, and in stillness.
行亦禅。坐亦禅。语默动静体安然。
Remain composed even while facing the sword of death; be at ease even if given poison to drink.
纵遇锋刀常坦坦。假饶毒药也闲闲。
Our Supreme Teacher Shakyamuni got to meet His Teacher Dipankara Buddha only after practicing for countless eons in forbearance.
我师得见然灯佛。多劫曾为忍辱仙。
Countless births, countless deaths, following each other going in circles.
几回生。几回死。生死悠悠无定止。
Ever since I abruptly realized Emptiness, I am free from all concerns, neither having delight about gain nor sorrow over loss.
自从顿悟了无生。于诸荣辱何忧喜。
Living in hermitage deep in the mountains, I sit contentedly in my simple hut surrounded by tall pines, free from complexity, totally at ease.
入深山。住兰若。岑崟幽邃长松下。
Peacefully I practice Zazen, taking refuge in joyful solitude.
优游静坐野僧家。阒寂安居实潇洒。
Once the Reality is realized, everything in your life becomes effortless; in the multiplicity of the mundane world, you cannot find such freedom.
觉即了。不施功。一切有为法不同。
Self-centered generosity may bring about heavenly reward, but ultimately it is like shooting arrows to the sky.
住相布施生天福。犹如仰箭射虚空。
Once the force is exhausted, the arrows fall, and everything goes downward.
势力尽。箭还坠。招得来生不如意。
Only practicing the Unconditioned Absolute is a direct leap straight into the Tathagata Realm.
争似无为实相门。一超直入如来地。
Go to the root, never mind the branches. It is like the bright moon reflected in pure crystal.
但得本。莫愁末。如净琉璃含宝月。
Once you realize the Mani Pearl, this all-giving jewel of liberation, you can benefit yourself and others endlessly.
既能解此如意珠。自利利他终不竭。
The moon shines on the river, breeze stirs the pines – such a long, pleasant night, what else am I to do?
江月照。松风吹。永夜清宵何所为。
Vividly sealed and secured on my Mind Ground are the Buddha Nature and the Jewel of Precepts; fog, dew, clouds, and mists are the garments.
佛性戒珠心地印。雾露云霞体上衣。
A monk’s bowl may subdue dragons, and the staff can calm fighting tigers, with its two metal rings jingling melodically.
降龙钵。解虎锡。两钴金环鸣历历。
These expressions are not random forms to be taken lightly, or empty symbols from old fable, but the Tathagata’s precious teaching staff and personal footprints leading us to follow and tread His Path.
不是标形虚事持。如来宝杖亲踪迹。
Don’t seek out the true, don’t cut off the false; simply realize that both true and false are empty and formless.
不求真。不断妄。了知二法空无相。
There is neither form, nor empty, nor not empty – this is the Reality of the Tathagatas.
无相无空无不空。即是如来真实相。
The mind-mirror of Inner Knowing is perfectly clear with no obstacles; its vast brilliance illuminates the whole universe to every single detail, reflecting everything without interference.
心镜明。鉴无碍。廓然莹彻周沙界。
All myriad things of the cosmos are reflected in the mind; in this full luminosity and perfect clarity – an orb of light, round and bright – there is neither inside nor outside, no distinction of internal or external.
万象森罗影现中。一颗圆光非内外。
Dwelling in emptiness and denying cause and effect – such reckless approach leads only to suffering.
豁达空。拨因果。莽莽荡荡招殃祸。
Denying the world of things and clinging to emptiness are both mistakes – it’s like jumping into fire to avoid drowning.
弃有着空病亦然。还如避溺而投火
Discarding delusion and grasping at the truth – such likes and dislikes are crafty lies.
舍妄心。取真理。取舍之心成巧伪。
If you practice with such fancy falsehood, it’s as if mistaking thieves for your own children.
学人不了用修行。真成认贼将为子。
It is all due to dualistic mindset that you miss the treasure of Dharma and lose the accumulated merits.
损法财。灭功德。莫不由斯心意识。
Dhyana practice enables complete realization of the original mind; through Sudden Awakening you gain direct insight into the Unborn State.
是以禅门了却心。顿入无生知见力。
Be a fearless warrior and use the sword of Wisdom; the Prajna blade is as powerful as the Vajra flame – not only it cuts off worldly delusions, but also it subdues otherworldly demons.
大丈夫。秉慧剑。般若锋兮金刚焰。非但空摧外道心。早曾落却天魔胆。
Roll the Dharma thunder, strike the Dharma drum, spread auspicious clouds of compassion, and scatter ambrosial nectar of kindness.
震法雷。击法鼓。布慈云兮洒甘露。
Grand Masters arise to benefit countless beings, leading the five types of learners (1. Those born to be voice-hearers; 2. Those born to be cause-awakened ones; 3. Those born to be bodhisattvas; 4. Those born to be indeterminate; 5. Those born without the capacity of enlightenment) taking the Three Vehicles (Sravaka 聲聞, Pratyeka 緣覺, Bodhisattva 菩薩) until they all reach the other shore.
龙象蹴踏润无边。三乘五性皆醒悟。
The milk from the Himalayas is pure and rich, and the ghee produced by it I always enjoy.
雪山肥腻更无杂。纯出醒醐我常纳。
Understand one nature, all nature is penetrated; one Dharma holds all others.
一性圆通一切性。一法遍含一切法。
One moon is reflected in all waters; all reflections are one moon.
一月普现一切水。一切水月一月摄。
The Essence of all Buddhas is within my own nature; my own nature is all the Thus Come Ones.
诸佛法身入我性。我性同共如来合。
One stage of practice contains all stages, having nothing to do with form, mind, and deed.
一地具足一切地。非色非心非行业。
In a snap of finger, eighty-thousand teachings are realized; in a split second, the karmas of countless eons are purified.
弹指圆成八万门。刹那灭却三祇劫。
Names and categories are not the point, having nothing to do with my Perfect Knowing.
一切数句非数句。与吾灵觉何交涉。
Beyond praise and beyond blame, like the vast space it has no bounds.
不可毁。不可赞。体若虚空勿涯岸。
It is wherever you are right now, as sure as it is, innately clear and free of struggle; if you search elsewhere, it cannot be found.
不离当处常湛然。觅即知君不可见。
You cannot acquire it; you cannot renounce it; it is acquired by not acquiring – in the midst of not gaining, you find it here.
取不得。舍不得。不可得中只么得。
In silence it speaks, in speech you hear the silence. Its great giving opens the door wide, leading to the Way without obstruction of any kind.
默时说。说时默。大施门开无壅塞。
If you ask me what teaching I realize, it’s the great power of Mahaprajna, I’ll say.
有人问我解何宗。报道摩诃般若力。
People don’t know what it is or what it is not, which road is rough, and which is smooth – even the devas cannot fathom.
或是或非人不识。逆行顺行天莫测。
Having practiced this for many kalpas, I am not deceiving you as some idlers do.
吾早曾经多劫修。不是等闲相诳惑。
Set up the Dharma-banner, set forth the Teachings – this is the clear instruction by the Buddha.
建法幢。立宗旨。明明佛敕曹溪是。
Mahakashyapa was the first to receive and pass on the Lamp, and it was transmitted through twenty-eight Ancestors in India.
第一迦叶首传灯。二十八代西天记。
Then the Dharma flowed east to this land, where Bodhidharma became the First Patriarch in China.
法东流。入此土。菩提达摩为初祖。
It has been six generations since, transmitting the Lamp throughout the land, as we all know; those who have hence realized the Way are innumerable, and countless more will benefit from it and attain the Way.
六代传衣天下闻。后人得道何穷数。
The truth is not contrived, and delusion is inherently empty. Let go of ideas of any sort; all is empty.
真不立。妄本空。有无俱遣不空空。
The Dharma doors of Emptiness are intended to disentangle you, leading you to nonattachment. It is the display of the true nature of all Tathagatas.
二十空门元不着。一性如来体自同。
Mind (the subject) arises with phenomena or experiences as its objects; both subject and object are dust on the mind-mirror, like fleeting clouds in the sky.
心是根。法是尘。两种犹如镜上痕。
Free of dust, light shines through. When mind and phenomena are both forgotten – when subject and object do not arise, the innermost True Nature is known.
痕垢尽除光始现。心法双忘性即真。
Ugh, in this Age of Degeneration, in this sad, materialistic world, beings are less fortunate yet more willful, hard to train and discipline the self.
嗟末法。恶时世。众生福薄难调制。
Distant from the time of the sages, ignorance is now deeply embedded, demonic views are rampant, Dharma practice becomes weaken, fear and hatred thus abound.
去圣远兮邪见深。魔强法弱多怨害。
Hearing the Tathagatas’ teaching of the Direct Way, demons cannot but want to smash it to pieces like a roof tile.
闻说如来顿教门。恨不灭除令瓦碎。
The act of your mind is the cause, and your body receives the effect. Do not put the blame on others.
作在心。殃在身。不须怨诉更尤人。
If you don’t want to live in perpetual suffering, never slander the Tathagatas’ Teachings.
欲得不招无间业。莫谤如来正轮。
In the luxuriant deep woods where the lions inhabit, there are no lesser trees but only sandalwood.
栴檀林。无杂树。郁密森沈师子住。
Wandering alone in the quietude, they are completely at ease, and all other animals keep their distance.
境静林间独自游。走兽飞禽皆远去。
Three-year-old cubs follow the elders, already roaring the Lion’s Roars.
师子儿。蒙随后。三岁便能大哮吼。
Even if a jackal adept at demonic arts trails after the Dharma king, it can only make multitude of attempts in vain.
若是野干逐法王。百年妖怪虚开口。
The Complete Sudden Awakening is beyond human sentiment; there is no room for doubt or hesitation.
圆顿教。没人情。有疑不决直须争。
A mountain monk doesn’t want to sound presumptuous, but practitioners often fall into the pits of extinction or permanence.
不是山僧逞人我。修行恐落断常坑。
It is not what it is not; it is not what it is – a hairbreadth of deviation veers a thousand miles off course.
非不非。是不是。差之毫厘失千里。
Get it right, a dragon maiden may attain Buddhahood all at once; get it wrong, even a once dedicated monk like Sunakshatra can fall into hell.
是则龙女顿成佛。非则善星生陷坠。
In my youth I piled up studies upon studies, in sutras and sastras I searched and researched.
吾早年来积学问。亦曾讨疏寻经论。
I fell into the bottomless ditch of classifying names and forms, only exhausting myself counting the sands on the ocean floor.
分别名相不知休。入海算沙徒自困。
The Buddha was speaking about me when He said, “What is the benefit of counting others’ treasures?”
却被如来苦诃责。数他珍宝有何益。
For too many years I had been scattered around by the wind and dawdling in vain, going astray and wandering lost.
从来蹭蹬觉虚行。多年枉作风尘客。
With crooked intents and wrong views, one cannot penetrate the Tathagatas’ teachings on Complete Sudden Awakening.
种性邪。错知解。不达如来圆顿制。
Hinayana practitioners, though diligent, practice without aspiration; worldly scholars have all knowledge, but no wisdom.
二乘精进没道心。外道聪明无智慧。
The ignorant and the foolish, they take the pointing finger of an empty fist to be real.
亦愚痴。亦小騃。空拳指上生实解。
Mistaking the pointing finger for the moon, they practice in vain, only fabricating strange illusions of all kinds, getting lost in the realm of senses and forms.
执指为月枉施功。根境法中虚捏怪。
Not getting swayed by anything – thus is the Realm of Tathagata. Only then can one be called the Supreme Observer, who sees at ease and contemplates in peace.
不见一法即如来。方得名为观自在。
Once awakened, all conditional hindrances and karmic obstacles are found empty.
Remain unawakened however, one must pay off all past debts.
了即业障本来空。未了应须还夙债。
It is like turning down a royal feast while starving, or refusing the medicine prescribed by the best doctor while being sick.
饥逢王膳不能餐。病遇医王争得瘥。
In this world of desires, one who practices Dhyana with the Power of Prajna can be likened to a lotus grown in the midst of flames – destined to become shatterproof and indestructible.
在欲行禅知见力。火中生莲终不坏。
Even though Pradhanasura broke the gravest precepts, he went on to attain the Unborn State. Because long ago he was awakened, that’s why it lives on within him since.
勇施犯重悟无生。早时成佛于今在。
The Lion roars, imparting the fearless teachings, deeply pitying the ignorant and the stubborn, who obstinately go on wavering.
师子吼。无畏说。深嗟懵懂顽皮靼。
They only know to commit wrongdoing and obstruct the Bodhi; they do not see the Secret Teachings revealed by the Tathagatas.
只知犯重障菩提。不见如来开秘诀。
Once, guilty of carnality and unintentional killing, two monks confessed to their leader Upali, whose limited knowledge and shallow understanding were as flickering as the light of a firefly, which only increased their confusion.
有二比丘犯淫杀。波离萤光增罪结。
But the great teacher Vimalakirti were able to clear their doubts all at once and hence their sins, just like a bright sun dissolving both frost and snow.
维摩大士顿除疑。犹如赫日销霜雪。
The power of the awakened ones is so inconceivable, working wonders as infinite as the sands of all rivers.
不思议。解脱力。妙用恒沙也无极。
We should make the four kinds of offerings (food, medicine, clothing, bedding) to them, but honestly even offering ten thousand pieces of gold would not be enough.
四事供养敢辞劳。万两黄金亦消得。
Even if breaking one’s body and reducing the bones to dust could not repay the imparting of Wisdom – one enlightened word from a wise one is enough to transcend eons of practice.
粉骨碎身未足酬。一句了然超百亿。
The Dharma is the king of all dharmas, the most supreme and sublime, realized and verified by countless Tathagatas.
法中王。最高胜。恒沙如来同共证。
Now I show you this all-giving Mani Pearl, transmitting it to anyone who is willing to believe and receive it.
我今解此如意珠。信受之者皆相应。
In perfect clarity there is not a thing, no man and no Buddha either.
了了见。无一物。亦无人。亦无佛。
The innumerable worlds in the great chiliocosm are just bubbles in the sea; sages and saints are like flashes of lightning.
大千沙界海中沤。一切圣贤如电拂。
However the burning iron ring revolving overhead, one with perfect concentration and complete wisdom would not be stirred and lose equanimity.
假使铁轮顶上旋。定慧圆明终不失。
The sun may turn cold, the moon may turn hot, but the demons can never sabotage the True Teachings of the Tathagatas.
日可冷。月可热。众魔不能坏真说。
When an elephant-drawn carriage marches forward gloriously, how can a praying mantis bar its way?
象驾峥嵘慢进途。谁见螳螂能拒辙。
Elephants do not loiter on rabbits’ trails; the enlightened ones are not circumscribed by trivia.
大象不游于兔经。大悟不拘于小节。
Don’t belittle the sky by looking through a reed. If you are not yet clear, this Song gives you the key.
莫将管见谤苍苍。未了吾今为君诀。
by Grand Master Yongjia Xuanjue of the Tang Dynasty
Master Yongjia was the Dharma heir of Master Huineng (the 6th Patriarch of Chan in China). He was first awakened to the Buddha Dharma after reading the Mahaparinirvana Sutra (涅槃經), and further on realized the Nature of Mind through studying the Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra (維摩詰經). Then he went to visit Master Huineng to seek for verification on his awakening. With a short but skillful probe, which is related in the Altar Sutra (六祖壇經), Master Huineng verified and sealed Yongjia’s enlightenment. After staying overnight at the monastery, Master Yongjia went back to his original place (Wen Zhou region of Zhe Jiang Province) to teach the Dharma. So Master Yongjia is also known as “the Overnight Enlightened One (一宿覺)”.
Later on, Master Yongjia wrote the Song of Enlightenment (證道歌) to benefit all practitioners. In a state of Samadhi, he saw the golden words of this Song filling the whole of space! Ever since, it becomes well known in all monasteries in China and widely read all over the world.
The Song has 319 lines and 1813 characters. To all of us – the forever wavering beginners – its vigorous style and invigorating enchantment are simply incomparable, and the teachings it conveys are foremost essential!
一宿覺 (摘自《六祖法寶壇經‧機緣品第七》)
永嘉玄覺禪師，溫州戴氏子。少習經論，精天臺止觀法門。因看《維摩經》，發明心地。偶師（六祖惠能大師）弟子玄策相訪，與其劇談，出言暗合諸祖。策云：「仁者得法師誰？」曰：「我聽方等經論，各有師承。後於《維摩經》，悟佛心宗，未有證明者。」策云：「威音王已前即得；威音王已後，無師自悟，盡是天然外道。」曰：「願仁者為我證據。」策云：「我言輕。曹溪有六祖大師，四方雲集，並是受法者。若去，則與偕行。」
覺遂同策來參。繞師三匝，振錫而立。師曰：「夫沙門者，具三千威儀，八萬細行。大德自何方而來？生大我慢。」覺曰：「生死事大，無常迅速。」師曰：「何不體取無生，了無速乎？」曰：「體即無生，了本無速。」師曰：「如是！如是！」玄覺方具威儀禮拜，須臾告辭。師曰：「返太速乎？」曰：「本自非動。豈有速耶？」師曰：「誰知非動？」曰：「仁者自生分別。」師曰：「汝甚得無生之意。」曰：「無生豈有意耶？」師曰：「無意誰當分別？」曰：「分別亦非意。」師曰：「善哉！少留一宿。」時謂一宿覺。後著《證道歌》，盛行於世。謚曰無相大師，時稱為真覺焉。
《永嘉證道歌》單刀直指，意境深遠，而又雅俗共賞，千百年來，深受禪林衲子喜愛，至今風行不衰。其中如「行亦禪，坐亦禪，語默動靜體安然」、「夢裡明明有六趣，覺後空空無大千」、「了即業障本來空，未了應須還宿債」、「分別名相不知休，入海算沙徒自困」等名句，幾已家喻戶曉，堪稱為禪門中上上品佳作。永嘉大師於先天二年十月十七日安坐示滅，敕諡「無相大師」。
Buddha Mind 