Do not be Concerned about Mundane Affairs

不要尽管闲事

If you stand up before the two knocks on the wooden fish that signify the end of the sit, you may not start walking. You have to understand this rule. When the cantor (weinou) breaks the silence, he will wait for everyone to stand up and put on their shoes before he hits the fish two times to end the sit. One should not hit the wooden fish right after the bell. Everyone needs time to get ready. If they haven’t even stood up when you hit the wooden fish, how do you expect them to walk? Do you expect them to fly? Have you noticed the way some people walk during the walking period? When walking, do not glance around. When the door makes noise, you want to take a look. When the window makes noise, you wish to have a look as well. When a person arrives, you’d like to know who it is. When a person leaves, your eyes follow after him or her. You will never succeed if you carry on this way.

没有打两下木鱼「开静」之前 ，你就是站起来也不可以跑，你要懂这个规矩。维那开静后，等到他们都站起来，看着大家把鞋都穿好，然后再打两下木鱼，不是打一下磬「当」一下，即刻就敲木鱼。人还都没有站起来，你就敲木鱼，你教他们怎么走？他们会飞？你没看见在跑香的时候，有人走路瘸瘸的样子？走路不要东张西望，门响了你也要望望，窗户响了你也看看，来一个人，你也要知道；走一个人，你也要用眼睛跟着这个人跑一跑，你这样子绝对不会有成就。

So how should you behave? Well, you should act without the notion that you are acting, sit without the notion of yourself sitting. When sitting in meditation, you should not know that you are in meditation – then your head will not droop down. It is because you have a notion of a “self” that your head droops. If you do not have a notion of a “self”, your head will not lower, and during the walking period, you will not be aware of the sky above, nor the earth below, nor the people in between. How then can you be concerned about mundane affairs?

要怎么样子呢？要行不知道行，坐不知道坐。在那儿打坐，不知道自己在打坐，你的头就不会低下去，你因为有个你，头就低下去；要没有你了，头就不会低。你在跑香的时候，上不知有天，下不知道有地，中不知道有人，你怎么可以管闲事呢？