怎样才够资格参禅？

What Makes One Qualified to Practice Chan Meditation?

不愿做的事，要忍耐去做；受不了的苦，要忍耐去受。

You must patiently put up with the tasks you dislike doing. Trials you find unbearable must be borne anyway.

无论做什么事情，都要经过一番的锻炼，然后才会成功。参禅的法门，更不容易，要受多方面的辛苦和锻炼，才能上路。凡是打禅七的人，最重要的要有忍耐心；自己不愿做的事，要忍耐去做；受不了的苦，要忍耐去受。要有这种精神，才够资格参禅，否则一切免谈。身在禅堂内，心在禅堂外，参到何时，亦是枉然，无有成就可言。

No matter what we do in the world, we can only hope for success after undergoing a period of smelting and refining. Practicing the Dharma-door of Chan meditation is even more difficult. We can make headway only after enduring toil and discipline in every way. Patience is the single most important requisite for meditators. You must patiently put up with the tasks you dislike doing. Unbearable suffering must be patiently endured. With this kind of spirit, you are qualified to practice Chan meditation. If you cannot be this patient, then there's nothing more to say. If your body is sitting in the hall, but your mind is out roaming far beyond the hall, your efforts will be entirely fruitless; you won't achieve any success.

参禅就是要锻炼金刚不坏身，既然心甘情愿来受锻炼，那么能受得了苦，更应该去受，所谓

受苦是了苦，享福是消福。

The purpose of investigating Chan is to smelt a Vajra-indestructible body. Since you have your heart set on smelting a Vajra-body, you should go ahead and endure as much suffering as you can put up with. Because, as the saying goes,

Enduring suffering ends suffering;

Enjoying blessings uses up blessings.

我们欢喜做的事情，更要努力去做，不要辜负了来打禅七的初衷。这一点，各位要特别注意。

As for the things we like to do, we should do them with even more alacrity, and not fail to fulfill the intent that brought us to the Chan Hall in the first place. Everyone should take note of this!