Turtles and Chicken Eggs

乌龟和鸡蛋

When sitting in meditation, one has no false thinking and puts a stop to jealousy, obstructive thinking, ignorance and afflictions. This is a state of inconceivable merit and virtue. If you have the false thinking mentioned above, then you will have no merit and virtue. It is said, “Sitting quietly for an instant is better than building jeweled pagodas as many as sands in the Ganges river.” You should purify your minds. It is said, “When the mind is clear, it is like the water reflecting the moon. When thoughts are concentrated, it is like a cloudless sky.” When your mind is pure, it is indeed like the reflection of the moon appearing on the surface of the water. When thoughts are concentrated, it is as if there are no clouds throughout the limitless skies. Indeed, when thoughts are focused, there will be no clouds, and there will be no rain. Thus, there are “infinite miles of clear sky.”

你在这儿静坐，不打妄想，把忌妒心、障碍心、无明烦恼都停止，这就是无量功德；你有这些心，那就是没有功德，所以说：「若人静坐一须臾，胜造恒河七宝塔。」你们要想法子清净下来，所谓「心清水现月，意定天无云。」你心里清了，就像水里头现出天空的月光一样；你意念要定了，就好像万里长空没有云；你意要定了，也没有云也不下雨，所谓「万里晴空」。

When sitting in meditation, one should sit up straight. Do not crouch your head or bend your waist, like a turtle with its head wrapped in blankets. Don't be that way. Do not be like a spineless chicken egg, dozing off whenever you sit and not knowing whether you are practicing Chan or sleeping. In our mind, we should always investigate our meditation topic and always be sitting upright. Then we can truly cultivate Chan.

打坐要把脊背挺直，不是头一缩、腰一弯，好像乌龟把头包到被子里边，不是那样的；要拿出自己的骨头来，不要像没有骨头的鸡蛋似的，坐着就要睡觉，也不知道你是参禅还是睡觉？不要这样。我们心里要时时都参话头，什么时候都是要端然正坐，这样才是真正在参禅。