无规矩不能成方圆

Without a Compass and a T-square, You Can't Draw Circles and Squares

忍不了，也要忍，不要怕痛，不要各处跑，否则得不到定。

Even if you cannot endure, you have to endure. Don't be afraid of pain, and don't be running about everywhere, or you won't be able to attain samadhi.

在打禅七时，每个人要懂得规矩。在没有敲木鱼之前，谁也不可以乱跑。你若是不守规矩、不听招呼，就是犯规矩的人。禅堂里有禅堂的规矩，开静之后，维那要看大家都把鞋穿好了，才打一下磬。人全都站起来，然后才打两下木鱼。在没有打两下木鱼之前，人虽然站起来也不可以跑。这是很简单的规矩，你们应该懂得。一开静，你就打木鱼，那么人都还没站起来，又怎么跑呢？要多等三分钟的时间都可以。因为有些人坐得腿麻，站都站不起来，又怎么跑？这是禅堂里普通的知识，大家应该知道。During a Chan Session, everyone should understand the rules. Before the wooden fish is struck, no one should casually wander around. If you don't abide by the rules and follow instructions, then you are a transgressor of the rules. In the Chan Hall, the rules of the Chan Hall should be observed. After the silent sit is ended, the proctor should check and make sure everyone has put on his shoes before he hits the bell. When everyone has stood up, he should hit the wooden fish twice. Before the fish is struck twice, even if people have already stood up, they should not start walking yet. These are very simple rules which all of you should know. If you hit the wooden fish immediately after the sit is ended, before people have stood up, how can they walk? If you wait for another three minutes, that's fine. Some people's legs are numb from sitting, and they cannot even stand up, so how could they walk? These things are common sense in the Chan Hall, and everyone should know them.

我知道有几个人坐得腿痛，而哭起来，这是毫无用处，越哭就越痛，这腿不会说：「你哭了，我就不痛。」一般人以为我们这儿坐禅是很好的，其实是叫他们来受苦，所谓「很好」就是「很苦」。这儿一早两点多钟就起来，白天休息一个钟头，到晚上十二点钟才睡。每天只休息两三个钟头，可以说是不要命地来用功，这叫做「舍死换生」。

I know that several people felt pain in their legs as they sat, so they started crying. That's totally useless. The more you cry, the more it hurts. The legs won't say, "Since you cried, we'll stop hurting." People are generally under the impression that sitting in Chan at our place is a very good thing. Actually, when they come here, they have to suffer. "Very good" means "very bitter." We get up a little after two o'clock in the morning, rest for only one hour during the day, and don't go to sleep until midnight. Getting only two to three hours of sleep every day, you could say we're applying effort as if our life depended on it. That's called "renouncing death and getting life in return."

舍不了死，就换不了生；

舍不了假，就成不了真。

If you cannot give up death, you won't

be able to exchange it for life.

If you can't give up the false, you won't

be able to realize the truth.

你受不得苦，就享不得福。你若想得到真正的功夫，必须忍苦耐劳，咬牙忍着腿痛。本来这个痛，可以不痛的，可是我们欢喜叫它痛，所以腿痛还是要忍着，所谓「忍人所不能忍」，就是忍这个。你痛了，若不能忍，还是考不上。你一定要把全身这种机关都破了，所谓「机关」，就是指你身上的痛，或哪儿不舒服，这些事情令你很烦恼，在这时候，你还能忍着，不生烦恼，这就是功夫；你若忍不住，那就考不上。所以有些人到这儿，连一天也受不了，就要跑。你们在这儿已经这么多天，也是很不容易的。

If you can't endure suffering, you won't get to enjoy blessings. If you want to attain true skill, you must patiently endure toil and suffering--grit your teeth and bear the pain in your legs. Actually, there doesn't have to be any pain. But we want there to be pain, so we endure it when our legs hurt. "Enduring what people cannot endure" is just enduring this. If you cannot bear the pain, then you still can't pass the test. You have to break through all the critical gates in your body. "Critical gates" refers to the points of pain and discomfort in your body that cause you a lot of affliction. At that point, if you can endure it and not become afflicted, just that is skill. If you cannot endure it, then you can't pass the test. Some people who come here can't even take it for a day before they want to run away. All of you have been here for so many days--that's not easy.

尤其女孩子，多数都是怕痛，能在这儿受这么多苦，一定可以将善根种得很深，将来这菩提种子一定会生芽结菩提果，所谓「功不唐捐」，你在这儿用功多少，就会得到多少，一点都不会把光阴空过。

Girls are especially afraid of pain, and the fact that they've been taking so much suffering means they will certainly plant deep good roots. In the future their Bodhi seeds will sprout and bear the Bodhi fruit. As it's said, "no work is done in vain." However much effort you put in here, that's how much you'll get out, and you won't be wasting your time at all.

我们修行要有「生忍」，就是忍不了也要忍。「法忍」，也要忍诸法的生灭相。忍不了，也要忍，不要怕痛，不要各处跑，否则得不到定。必须要看一切法空，看破放下。从生忍和法忍，便可得到无生法忍，所谓「不见有少法生，不见有少法灭」，而忍可于心。

In cultivating, you must have "patience with production"--that is, you must be patient with what you cannot endure. "Patience with dharmas" means you must be patient with the arising and cessation of all dharmas. Even if you cannot endure, you have to endure. Don't be afraid of pain, and don't be running about everywhere, or you won't be able to attain samadhi. You must see all dharmas as empty; see through them and put them down. From patience with production and patience with dharmas, you can then attain patience with non-production and the non-existence of dharmas. As it's said, "Not seeing the slightest dharma arise, and not seeing the slightest dharma cease," you can patiently accept it in your mind.