The Pain You Are Feeling Is All Worthwhile

你痛有痛的价值

in the Chan session we have the opportunity of countless eons. although your legs and waist may be aching, the pain you are feeling now is all worthwhile. The suffering you feel will lead to attainment. “if not for the intense cold, how could the plum blossoms be so fragrant?” The same goes with all of you. if not for the tough training, how could you attain the indestructible vajra body? everybody, do not let the time slip away! This is indeed an extraordinary opportunity that rarely comes along in countless eons. in the past, we did not encounter the dharma door of investigating Chan and sitting in meditation. now that we have, if you let the time slip by, it would indeed be a thing to regret!

我们打禅七，是百千万劫难遭遇的一个好机会。虽然说坐禅腿也痛、腰也酸，但是你痛有痛的价值，苦有苦的成就。你「不受一番寒澈骨，怎得梅花扑鼻香？」你要不经过一番辛苦的锻炼，你也不能成就金刚不坏身。所以各位啊！不要把光阴空过了，这是不容易遇的「百千万劫难遭遇」我们以前都没有遇着参禅打坐的法门，现在才遇着，你再随随便便把光阴都空过了，这是很可惜的一件事。

Although i am not here to participate in Chan session with all of you, my mind is always here in this Chan hall. i know that there are some who are really putting effort in cultivation and some who are just accumulating merit and virtue with others by following along with their friends. if their friends meditate, they follow; if their friends leave, they leave along with them. if their friends indulge in false thinking, they do the same. They do not know the true meaning of cultivation. working hard just means not indulging in false thinking, breaking away from all atta chments.

我虽然没有在这儿陪着你们各位来打七，但是我的心常常在这禅堂里。我知道有的人在这儿真正的用功，有的人在这儿是随喜功德，人家坐，我也坐；人家走，我也走；人家打妄想，我也打妄想，不知道真正用功的方法。我们用功就是要不打妄想，破一切执着。