Golden Pagoda? Silver Pagoda? Mud?

金塔？银塔？泥巴？

Notice that all Buddhas sit in full lotus posture. If you can achieve that, you already have inconceivable merit and virtue. The beings of the eightfold division will all come to protect you, and the demon kings will leave you alone. If you cannot stand the pain or if your legs are as stiff as metal and there is no way for you to sit in full lotus, you may choose to sit in half lotus but it will not be as easy to achieve samadhi. I have told all of you of the case when the ghosts met the Chan Master. Full lotus is likened to a golden pagoda. Half lotus is likened to a silver pagoda. Sitting normally with legs crossed is like a lump of mud.

你看看佛都是双跏趺坐，你能双跏趺坐，已经就功德无量了，天龙八部都来护持你，一切的魔王都远避你。你要是受不了痛，或者腿硬的像铁那么硬，没法子盘上去，你就马马虎虎的单跏趺坐，单跏趺坐没有那么容易入定。我讲过鬼逼禅师公案，双跏趺坐是个「金塔」，单跏趺坐就是个「银塔」，普通坐就是「泥巴」。

When meditating, first adjust your trousers by giving a little tug upwards to give yourself more room to sit down and be more comfortable. Once you are in full lotus, be sure to cover your legs with your robes or with a blanket. Make sure they are covered well. When sitting in meditation, be sure that your legs are not cold. Not only will you feel pain if there is coldness, but later you will hardly be able to move your legs! That is why you need to cover your legs. I once saw somebody covering his head as well. That is wrong. In fact the upper part of the body should not be wrapped up in a blanket--only the legs should be covered.

打坐先把裤子往上提一提，它就没有那么紧了，坐着比较舒服一点。把腿盘好后，你用毯子或者你的袍子把腿包起来，要包得严一点，因为坐禅的腿不要冻着，冻着不只是痛，甚至你迈步都迈不动，所以必须要把腿包好。我看有人连头都包上了，坐禅不是这样的，头绝对不能包的，头一定要露出来；甚至于身上都不要包的，只可以包腿。