One day, Wei Tingshi prepared a dinner for Master Huineng, and after eating the fast, Tingshi asked the master to sit down, and he and the bureaucrats, scholars and ordinary people solemnly saluted to the master, and then asked: "The disciple listened to the monk's explanation of the Dharma, and felt that it was really mysterious, but there are still some questions, I hope you will be merciful and explain it again." ”

The master said, "If you have any doubts, just ask, and I should explain it to you." ”

Wei Gong said: "Monk, what you are talking about, is it the purpose of Master Bodhidharma?" ”

The master said, "Yes." ”

Wei Gong said: "When the disciples heard that Bodhidharma had begun to transform Emperor Wu of Liang, Emperor Wu of Liang asked: 'I have spent my whole life building temples, ordaining monks to become monks, giving alms of wealth, and giving alms of fasting, what merit are these good deeds?' Bodhidharma said, 'Actually, there is no merit.' The disciple has not yet understood the truth of this, and hopes that the monk will explain it. ”

The master said, "It is true that there is no merit, do not doubt the words of the ancestors of the saints." Emperor Wu had distracting thoughts, did not understand the real Dharma, built temples, ordained monks, gave alms, and gave alms and food, which can only be called wishing for good fortune, and cannot regard the pursuit of good fortune as merit, merit exists in the Dharma body, not in the superficial good deeds in order to seek good fortune. ”

The master also said, "It is merit to realize that you have Buddha nature, and it is virtue to treat others equally, and to always be able to recognize your own nature and use it skillfully, which is called merit." Inner humility is merit, and external behavior is polite and virtuous. It is merit to achieve ten thousand kinds of Dharma by one's own nature, and it is virtue to abandon delusions in one's own mind. Not departing from one's own inherent Buddha nature is merit, and not being polluted by the outside world when using it is virtue. If you want to attain the Dharmakaya of merit, as long as you do it according to this principle, then you will have real merit. If you want to make merits, you never despise others in your heart and always adopt an attitude of respecting others. If we always despise others in our hearts, it will be difficult to cut off our own thoughts, and we will not be able to do anything. If one's own nature is false and untruthful, there is no virtue. This is the result of arrogance and contempt for everything. Good knowledge, every thought does not depart from the Buddha-nature is merit, and fairness and integrity in mind and action are virtues. Practicing Buddha-nature by oneself is merit, and practicing the Dharma body by oneself is virtue. Merit should be found in one's own nature, and it cannot be obtained by offering money to Buddha statues. This is the difference between seeking good fortune and merit, Emperor Wu can't know the truth, it's not that my ancestor said it wrong. ”

The assassin Shi asked: "The disciple often sees monks and lay believers reciting Amitabha Buddha, hoping that they can be reborn in the Western Elysium in the next life, and ask the monks, can they really be reborn there?" Please clear my doubts. ”

The master said, "Listen, Hui Neng will tell you that when the World-Honored One was in the Acropolis, he spoke about the scriptures that led sentient beings to rebirth in the Pure Land of the West, and it was clear from the scriptures that the West was not far from here. But if we calculate the mileage in general, it is 108,000 miles away, which refers to the ten evils and eight evils in sentient beings, so it is far away. To say far is to say that it is for people with low roots, and to say near is to say that it is for people who are wise and wise. There are two kinds of human beings, but there are no two kinds of Buddhism. There is a difference between attachment and enlightenment, so there is a difference between sluggishness and quickness in understanding. Obsessive people chant Buddha names in the hope of being in the West in the next life, while enlightened people pay attention to purifying their minds. That's why the Buddha said, 'As long as the mind is pure, then you have reached the pure Buddha land.' 'You are an oriental, but as long as your heart is pure, you have no sin; Even the people of the Pure Land of the West are guilty of impurity of heart. The East man has made a sin, and wants to recite the Buddha's name to give birth to the West, so what land does the West want to give birth to by reciting the Buddha's name? Ordinary people who are foolish do not understand their own nature, they do not know the Pure Land in their bodies, they just want the East and the West, and the enlightened people can get the Pure Land wherever they are, so the Buddha said that they can get happiness wherever they are. As long as you don't have bad thoughts in your heart, the West is not far from here; If you have an unkind mind and want to be reborn in the world of bliss by reciting the Buddha's name, it will be difficult to achieve it. Now I advise you on the good knowledge, first get rid of the ten evils in yourself, then you have already traveled 100,000 miles, and then get rid of the eight evils, then you can walk another 8,000 miles, and every thought can know your own Buddha nature, and keep your actions fair and upright, then it is only a matter of a flick of your fingers to reach the Western Elysium, and you will immediately see Amitabha. As long as the envoy cultivates the Ten Virtues, why should he beg to be reborn in the West? If you can't get rid of the ten evil minds, which Buddha will come to greet you? If you have realized the Dharma of 'no birth and no destruction' and see the Pure Land of the West in an instant, if you cannot realize the truth and want to recite the Buddha's name in order to support the West, then the road is very far away, how can you reach it! Huineng can move the West to everyone in an instant, and you can see it now, are you willing to see it? ”

Everyone prayed and said, "If we can see the Pure Land of the West here, why should we beg to be reborn in the next life and ask the monks to show mercy, then show the West in front of us and let us all see it." ”

The master said, "The people, the world's own body is a city with gates, and the eyes, ears, nose, and tongue are also gates. The heart is the land, the nature is the king, the king dwells in the land of the heart, the nature is in the king, and the king is gone without the nature. When the nature is there, the body and spirit exist, and when the nature is gone, the body and spirit are destroyed. Buddhahood arises in nature, don't look outside the body. If your nature is confused, then you are a layman, if you are enlightened by your own nature, then you are a Buddha, if you are compassionate, then you are Guanyin Bodhisattva, if you are kind and generous, then you are the Bodhisattva of the Great Trend, if your heart is pure, you are Shakyamuni Buddha, and if you are fair and upright, you are Amitabha. If you care about the interests of people and me, you will come out of Mount Meru, and if you have evil thoughts, the sea will be surging, if you have troubles, you will have turbulent waves, if you have poisonous intentions, you will have evil dragons and hurt your body, and if you are full of vain views, you will come out with ghosts and gods, and if you chase fame and fortune, you will have fish and turtles running rampant, greed and anger will be hell, and ignorance and obsession will be animals. Virtuous knowledge, always practice the ten virtues, and heaven will come at hand; Remove the interests of people and me, and Mount Meru will fall immediately; When the evil thoughts are removed, the surging sea dries up immediately; When the troubles are gone, the waves cease; The poisonous mind is forgotten, and the fish, turtle and dragon that make trouble will be extinct. When you realize the Buddha-nature from your own mind and approach it, you will radiate the wisdom of your own nature. This kind of light shines on the six gates to the outside and purifies the six heavens, and destroys the six desires and the heavens. When one's own nature is illuminated inwards by the light, the three poisons of greed, hatred, and ignorance are immediately removed, and the sins of going to hell are also eliminated in an instant. To achieve such a state of inner and outer light, there is no difference from the Western Pure Land. If you don't practice like this, how can you reach the Western Elysium? After listening to the master's explanation, everyone clearly understood their Buddha nature, bowed to the master together, sighed and applauded, and praised in unison: "I hope that all beings in the Dharma realm, who hear the master's explanation, will be immediately enlightened." ”

The master also said, "Good knowledge, if you really want to practice, you can practice at home, and you don't necessarily have to be a monk to come to the temple. Being able to practice at home is like the Oriental people who are kind; Not practicing in a temple is like a Westerner's heart is evil. As long as the bottom of your heart is pure, you have already reached the Western Pure Land in your own nature. ”

Wei Gong asked again, "How do you practice at home?" I hope you will teach me more. ”

The master said, "I will recite to you a verse from the Ode to the Void, as long as you practice according to it, it will be like being with me." If you don't practice in this way, even if you shave your hair and leave home, what good will it do to the Buddha's path!

Song said: Why do you keep the vows with a peaceful heart? What is the use of practicing meditation? Kindness is filial piety to parents, and righteousness is compassion for each other. Let the humble and harmonious, and endure the evil. If you can drill wood to make fire, the silt will give birth to red lotus. The bitter mouth is good medicine, and the bad ear is the good word. Reform will give birth to wisdom, and protect the short-hearted non-virtuous. Daily use is often beneficial, and enlightenment is not due to money. Bodhi only seeks from the heart, why bother to seek the mystery from the outside? I heard that according to this practice, heaven is only in the present.

In the middle of the night, Master Yucheng said, "Good knowledge, you must practice according to this verse, and if you know your own nature, you can directly achieve the Buddha's path." Practicing the Dharma cannot be delayed, so let's go back to Caoxi first. If you still have any doubts, please ask me again. ”

At that time, Wei Tingshi, the bureaucrats, and the good men and women who attended the meeting were all enlightened, believed, accepted, and practiced according to the verses.