Recognizing our original face

认识本来的面目

When we participate in the Buddha recitation session, everyday we recite, “Namo Amitabha Buddha, Namo Amitabha Buddha …” Ultimately who is reciting the Buddha's name? Someone might say, “It is me!” Then who is ‘me’? If this stinking skin bag of a body is really ‘me’, why does it decay when it dies? If it is truly ‘me’, then I should be my own master. However, I cannot be my own master. My body does not follow my instructions. When you are old and sick, there is nothing left when it dies. Someone may say, “If there is nothing left, then what is the purpose of reciting the Buddha's name? Aren't we cheating ourselves?” No. In fact, there must be something that controls this stinking skin bag. We should use the Chan topic, “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” to find out and thoroughly understand ‘who’ is the one that is controlling us.

打佛七念「南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛……」天天这么念，究竟是谁念的呢？有人说：「是我念的！」我又是谁呢？这个臭皮囊如果真是我，它死了之后，怎么就会坏了呢？如果真是我，我应该做得了主；可惜我做不得主，它不听自己的招呼，到时候又老又病，死了之后什么都没有。有人说：「什么都没有了，那念佛又有什么用呢？这不是自己欺骗自己吗？」不是的，这其中一定有支配臭皮囊的，这个「念佛是谁」我们要把它找出来，要研究明白了它。

If you can return the light, illumine within and recognize your original face, then you will know, “Who was I before I was born? Who am I after I'm born? When I grow up I become attached to this ‘self’, but in the twinkling of an eye I get confused, and who am I then?” You should investigate these questions. Everyday we eat in confusion and wear clothes in confusion, and at death we enter the coffin of confusion. Such a life is worthless. We should pay special attention to this.

你要能返本还原，回光返照，认识本来的面目，你才知道「未生以前谁是我？生我之后我是谁？长大成人执着我，转眼朦胧又是谁？」你要研究这个问题，不是我们一天到晚胡涂吃、胡涂穿、临死了还钻到胡涂棺材里去，这个人生就没有什么价值，我们对这点要特别注意。