You must preserve your treasures.

你要保住本钱

During a Chan session, some people take a vow of silence. That is the best way! Once you talk, your false thoughts multiply. Someone may ask, “If we do not talk, will our false thoughts diminish?” If you do not talk, your false thinking will not decrease, but you will preserve your treasures. What is meant by treasures? If you do not talk, your energy will not dissipate. There is a saying, “Once you open your mouth, your energy dissipates.” Indeed, once you start to talk, your qi will scatter. “Once the tongue moves, rights and wrongs arise.” When your tongue moves, when you speak, you will be saying that this is right and that is wrong.

In a nutshell, once you speak, the judgments of right and wrong arise. If you do not speak, there will be no judgments or gossip. When you are cultivating, you should not discuss rights or wrongs. It makes me the happiest when someone takes a vow of silence. This is being diligent in cultivation! Someone may say, “Dharma Master, aren’t you speaking about rights and wrongs yourself?” Indeed I am. However, I am telling all of you what is right and what is wrong. You only talk, but do not understand what is right and what is wrong. If I do not explain, you will not know how to apply effort in your own cultivation. If you know how to explain this, you are welcome to come forward and speak too.

在禅七期间，有人发愿不讲话，这是最好的办法，因为你一讲话，妄想就会多。有人说「不讲话，妄想就会少了吗？」不讲话妄想也不会少，但是你可以保持住你的本钱。什么叫本钱呢？你不讲话，气就不会散，「口开神气散」你一张开口，气就跑出去了；「舌动是非生」你舌头一动弹，不是讲是就是讲非。总而言之，你讲一句话，就有个是、有个非；你在没讲话的时候，没有是没有非，你用功应该不讲是非。有人发心不讲话，我是最欢喜的，这就是勇猛精进。有人说：「法师，你不也是讲是讲非吗？」不错，我讲是讲非，但是这个「是非」是叫你知道什么是「是」，知道什么是「非」，而你只知道讲却不知道哪个是，哪个非。如果我不说这个方法，你也不知道从什么地方用功修行，你要会讲你也可以来讲。