Accomplish Inconceivable Merit and Virtue

成就无量功德

Talk less and investigate Chan more. If you can be silent, that will be ideal. Once you start to talk, false thinking will arise. Once false thinking arises, you will lose your concentration and be unable to enter samadhi. Time is most precious during a Chan session. Do not casually let the time go by in vain. For every bit of true cultivation, you will have a bit of response. If you are 100% true in your cultivation, you will receive a 100% response. During the Chan session, do not let your mind cling to conditions or indulge in curiosity. You should honestly and earnestly put forth effort to cultivate. The topic, “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” is a good way to eliminate all the heavenly demons in heterodox paths. You can use it to accomplish your inconceivable merit and virtue. If you have no false thinking, then you will have inconceivable merit and virtue. If you have false thinking, you are heavenly demon of a heterodox path. That is why all of you should not cheat yourselves and continue to indulge in false thinking. This is crucial.

少讲话多参禅，能不讲话是最好的。因为你一讲话，就有妄想生出来；妄想一有，就不会得到定，不会得到三眛。打禅七的时间是最宝贵，你不要随随便便就丢了，就把它放弃了。你有一分的真实的修行，就有一分的感应；你有十分的真实的修行，就有十分的感应。在打七的时间，切记不要生一种攀缘心，不要生一种好奇的心，要实实在在去用功夫。用「念佛是谁」的方法来袪除一切天魔外道，用「念佛是谁」来成就你的无量功德。你没有妄想就是无量功德，你有妄想那就是天魔外道。所以各位不要欺骗自己、尽打妄想，这是很要紧的。