Being in the Chan Hall Is Upholding the Precepts

在禅堂就是持戒

We are holding precepts when we are in the Chan hall. This is called “Upholding without upholding,” and “Having precepts without precepts.” Why? Everyday we walk and sit in meditation. Walking meditation exercises the body, and sitting meditation calms the body. Walking meditation can regulate the body as the blood circulation flows and thus prevents sickness. Sitting meditation trains our mind. It can stop our false thoughts from arising and enable our wisdom to manifest. When we train our body and mind, this will cause samadhi to arise from holding the precepts. And then wisdom manifest from samadhi. The Chan session is the foremost method of cultivation and the foremost way of applying effort. One who lacks good roots will not be able to bear it. Some people cannot endure even one period of sitting. They either get pain in their legs, backaches, or stomachaches. Some feel pains in their pores, hair tips, or even their eyebrows or all over the body. You should know that if you don’t endure suffering, you cannot become an honorable person. A skyscraper is built upwards from the foundation, and great merit and virtue comes from the fundamentals. Investigating Chan is a way to build this foundation. If you lay a good foundation, the house will not topple. If the foundation is not solid, if there is gusty wind or heavy rain, the house will fall apart. The purpose of investigating Chan is to lay the groundwork for cultivation.

我们在禅堂就是持戒，这是「不持之持，不戒之戒」。为什么呢？每一天跑香、坐香，跑香就是运动你的身，坐香就是安定你的心。跑香运动你的身，令气血调和百病不生；坐香锻炼你的心，令你的心妄想不生，智慧现前。调身调心，令你由戒生定，由定而发慧。打禅七是修行的第一法门，第一个用功的法门，可是没有善根的人，就觉得受不了，甚至坐一支香也坐不了，有的腿痛，有的腰痛，有的肚子痛，有的连汗毛稍、头发尖、眉毛稍也痛，周身都不自在了。你要知道：「不受苦中苦，难为人上人」。万丈高楼是从地面建筑起来，万德圆融是从根本上建立。打禅七，就是建筑这个根本。就好像房子的地基要是打好了，这栋楼就不会坍塌损坏；你要是基础不做好，刮一刮风、下一下雨，房子或者就会倒坍了。我们参禅，就是造好修行的基础。