師一日喚門人法海 志誠 法達 神會 智常 智通 志徹 志道 法珍 法如等 曰 汝等不同餘人 吾滅度後 各為一方師 吾今教汝說法 不失本宗 舉三科法門 動用三十六對 出沒即離兩邊 說一切法 莫離自性 忽有人問汝法 出語盡雙 皆取對法 來去相因 究竟二法盡除 更無去處 師又曰 後代迷人 若識衆生 即是佛性 若不識衆生 萬劫覓佛難逢 吾今教汝識自心衆生 見自心佛性
Shī yī rì huàn mén rén fǎ hǎi zhì chéng fǎ dá shén huì zhì cháng zhì tōng zhì chè zhì dào fǎ zhēn fǎ rú děng yuē rǔ děng bù tóng yú rén wú miè dù hòu gè wèi yī fāng shī wú jīn jiào rǔ shuō fǎ bù shī běn zōng jǔ sān kē fǎ mén dòng yòng sān shí liù duì chū mò jí lí liǎng biān shuō yī qiē fǎ mò lí zì xìng hū yǒu rén wèn rǔ fǎ chū yǔ jìn shuāng jiē qǔ duì fǎ lái qù xiāng yīn jiū jìng èr fǎ jìn chú gèng wú qù chù shī yòu yuē hòu dài mí rén ruò shí zhòng shēng jí shì fó xìng ruò bù shí zhòng shēng wàn jié mì fó nán féng wú jīn jiào rǔ shí zì xīn zhòng shēng jiàn zì xīn fó xìng
Key Message
Do not seek the Buddha outside. To recognize the sentient beings in one's own mind is to see buddha-nature. Never departing from self-nature is the transmission of the Dharma.
▸The Chapter of Dharma Transmission is the final instruction in which Huineng, as he approaches death, summons his core disciples — Fahai, Zhicheng, Fazhi, Shenhui, and others — and entrusts the Dharma to them.
The Chapter of Dharma Transmission is the final instruction in which Huineng, as he approaches death, summons his core disciples — Fahai, Zhicheng, Fazhi, Shenhui, and others — and entrusts the Dharma to them. He teaches them the Three Categories (三科, sān kē) and the Thirty-Six Pairs (三十六對, sān shí liù duì) so that they can correctly transmit the teachings without him. The essential instruction is: 'When teaching the Dharma, never depart from self-nature.' He also declares: 'Future deluded people — if you recognize sentient beings, that is buddha-nature. If you do not recognize sentient beings, you may search for the Buddha for ten thousand kalpas and never meet him.' His final charge is: do not seek the Buddha outside — recognize the sentient beings in your own mind and see the buddha-nature within your own mind.