Cultivate Hard Regardless of the Number of People

人多人少一样用功

In a Chan session, there may be many participants, or there may be few. However, cultivation has only to do with yourself; it does not matter how many companions you have. Even if you are alone, you can cultivate. If there are a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand people, you can still cultivate. When cultivating, the number of cultivators is not an issue. You should not pay attention to whether the number of cultivators is great or small. Great comes from an accumulation of small and small is simply relative to what is great. It should never be an issue.

禅七有时人多，有时人少；不过修行是自己修行自己的，不是人多人少的问题。你就一个人也一样修行，有一百个人、一千个人、一万个人也是一样修行。你修行要人少也不知道少，人多也不知道多，因为根本就没有一个多少的问题；多是从少而成多，少是从多而言少，多少根本就不成问题。

When cultivating, be serious. Be sincere and cultivate honestly step by step. You are cultivating yourself, and you should work hard regardless of how many people there are. If you are not aware of whether the number of people is great or small, then you have already made a bit of progress in your cultivation.

修行是要认真去做，要脚踏实地、实实在在的一步步向前去修行，所以要自己修行自己的，不管人多人少，人多也是这样用功，人少也是这样用功。你要多而不多，少而不少；多也不知道多，少不知道少，你的功夫可以说是有一点进步了。