Everyone Must Do Things Together

大家一致行动

Nowadays, when people work hard at their cultivation, why is it that they do not become enlightened? It is simply because they are too complicated in the way they cultivate—they cannot attain singlemindedness. During a Chan session, if there are a hundred, two hundred, three hundred, five hundred or even a thousand Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas and Upasikas, cultivating together, all have to act in unison. When it’s time to cultivate, they should cultivate together. When it’s time to eat, they should eat together. When it’s time to sleep, they should all go to sleep. It shouldn’t be the case that one person practices in this way and another person practices another way—each being different from the other. If each person practices in a different way, they will not be able to become singleminded. You should practice the same way as everybody else.

现在的人用功，为什么不开悟呢？就因为所用的功太复杂，没能专一。在禅七期间就是有一百个比丘、两百个比丘、三百个比丘，乃至于五百、一千个比丘；或者比丘尼、优婆塞、优婆夷聚会到一起，大家都是一样行动，修行的时候一起修行，吃饭的时候一起吃饭，该睡觉的时候就睡觉，不可以这个是这样，那一个是那样，各个不同。有不同的样子就不能专一，你必须和大家都一样。

The hundreds of people in the Chan Hall do not bow to the Buddha, chant or read the sutras, or offer incense to the Buddha. They even stop doing their morning or evening ceremonies! Why is this? To help them to be singleminded! Thus, you should not be reading sutras in the Chan Hall, nor should you talk or practice some other dharma door. Everyone should cultivate the same dharma door and walk on the same path to bodhi—until we reach enlightenment, which is our final objective!

禅堂里几百人也不拜佛，也不念经，也不看经，也不烧香，早晚课也停止，为什么要这样子呢？就因为要你专一用功。你不能在禅堂里自己看经，或者自己说话，或者自己修其他的法门。大家都修同一法门，向一条菩提道上走，走到觉悟的果位，这是我们的最后目的！