六祖說：「 聽吾頌曰：說通及心通，如日處虛空，唯傳見性法，出世破邪宗。法即無頓漸，迷悟有遲疾，只此見性門，愚人不可悉。說即雖萬般，合理還歸一，煩惱闇宅中，常須生慧日。 」

Listen to my ode. Impart through speech and mind; like the sun positions in the sky; transmit only the dharma to realize nature; renounce the world to shatter the wrong. Dharma is neither sudden nor gradual; enlightenment may be prompt or eventual. There is one awakening gate; the ignorant cannot assimilate. Ten thousand ways to put into words, through truth restores to one. In the dark house of troubles, let the blazing sun of wisdom emerge all the time.

What does it mean to understand the teachings through speech? It is like lecturing through verbal communications. It is like discussions between Zen masters. What does it mean to understand the teachings through the mind? It refers to those principles that are unspeakable. Inexpressible. These are teachings that can only be grasped through the understanding of the mind, like an intuitive connection.

It is like the sun in the sky where its position is constantly changing. The sun rotates. The earth does too and revolves around the sun. All nine planets have their movements, as is the entire solar system. In another words, nothing stays still. Everything is moving. This is called non-abiding. Even the unspeakable teachings, are like the sun in the sky.

Now, the virtuous knowledge that truly guides one to enlightenment is the best dharma and the correct teaching. Many teachings do not lead to the realization of self-nature; they are distractions. The Sixth Patriarch calls them the wrong doctrines. What is 𢘛rong? Anything perpetuating desire is wrong.

What is the right view? Not clinging to anything is right. Still having attachment is wrong. If you don㦙 cling to anything, like the sun𠏋 non-abiding quality and its constant motion, then it𠏋 called right. If you are still fixated on things, still developing desires, then you are on the wrong path.

The dharma of self-nature realization has no such distinction of sudden or gradual. This means awakening immediately is fine. Pacing yourself toward awakening is fine too. This dharma is not something an ignorant person can understand.

Look at this world. The sun rises to brighten this world every day. But in reality, this world is dark, because everyone has worries and stress. Your body is an unlit house full of troubles and stress. There is not one person who is clean and pure. Not one person is stress free. You need Tathagata𠏋 wisdom, like the blazing sun, to illuminate the darkness and vanquish all troubles. This is the significance of the Sixth Patriarch𠏋 passage.

𡦖urifying One𠏋 Mind?is an important verse in Buddhism. You must clean your thoughts. It is because purifying your mind can terminate stress and troubles. If you don㦙 purify your mind, this house of yours, which refers to your body, is filled with darkness; filled with stress.

A practitioner should train in non-abiding. In Tantra, a practitioner should leave his hometown; leave his family. He then should leave his students, because having many followers becomes all sorts of entanglements. Everyone seeks counseling. It is hoped Tantric practitioners would understand seclusion. Understand the meaning of living in the mountain. You live in the mountain and resettle from place to place.

Acharya Lian Huo said not getting what is wanted is a torment too. There is nothing to be desired in life. Nothing is desirable. The truth is you won㦙 get what you want. There is no lasting in the things you pursue: health, long life, money, and prestige. Since nothing can last forever, then nothing can be had. And this is not a misery? You can have nothing! And any possession is only temporary.

Shakyamuni Buddha taught eighty-four thousand dharma-gates. Nagajuna Bodhisattva classified Shakyamuni𠏋 teachings. The first class includes methods in conducting oneself as humans; teaching how to be a good person. The second class of dharma aims at interpersonal interactions, for example, the good and bad among men. The third class is the 𡤧orresponding remedy dharma.?Which evil it is, there is a remedy for it. Use precepts to treat greed. Use meditation to treat anger. Use wisdom to treat ignorance. Now I want to talk about the fourth class. 孏hrough Truth Restores to One.?This is the last class. All the corresponding remedies eventually lead you to see your own buddha nature. Corroborate your buddha nature. Obliterate all the stress. As the sun in the pervading sky, you are self-mastered and genuine wherever you are. Most important, your cultivation can include all types of Buddha𠏋 teachings, but ultimately the eighty-four thousand dharma comes back to corroborating your buddha nature.

Translated by: TBTT
Summarized by Karen Szu, proofread by Angela Yeh, edited by Morgan Chiu
Source: www.tbtts.org