老实修行
Cultivate honestly  

方才这个人，他自己不知道自己会不会成佛？成佛和不成佛，不是会不会的问题，就是看你修行不修行的问题。谁修行，谁就成佛；谁不修行，谁就不成佛，也就和你谁吃饭，谁就饱；谁若不吃饭，谁就不饱，一样的道理。你若说：「我修行！我修行！」口里说修行，身体不实实在在去做去，这是没有用的，就好像说食数宝似的。说食，说：「那个油饼啊，烙得真好吃，那个饺子也太好了，包子我更欢喜吃。」但是就这么念一念，好像念经似的，不吃去，这没有用的，不会于你自己有好处的。又好像替旁人数钱，在银行里做工，一天到晚数钱，数来数去都不是自己的。那自己还是一个月只赚三、五百块钱的样子，没有多。数，可是百万百万百万的，天天数钱，数得不知多少，但是不是自己的。那么因为这个，所以要老老实实去修行。

若是修行，你想不成佛，也不可以的；你若不修行，你想成佛，也不能够的。

你又问：「这个妄想很多，怎么办？是不是另有一个妙法子来对治这个妄想？」不是的，就是这个「念佛是谁」，就是对治你妄想的。你若是能专一其心，找这个「谁」，就把其他的妄想就都没有了。我前几天给你们讲了多少次，这「念佛是谁」就好像扫地那个扫把似的，扫一下子，它就干净一点，扫一下子，它就干净一点。你念一个「谁」，心里的妄想就少了很多，你念两个「谁」，又少了很多，你谁、谁、谁、谁，它把这个妄想就扫干净了。说：「我要另外再找一个方法去试一试。」再好的方法也没有这个方法再好了。你就念个咒，或者念佛，都是对治你妄想的方法。你若会用，那个妄想就是个真；不会，那个真就变成个妄。你会用这个法、会用功，真、真、真，都真了；你若不会用功，就妄、妄、妄，都变成妄了，所以这就看你用功的程度怎么样子。你常常地把这个金刚王宝剑举起来，照了一切的虚妄，把虚妄都照化了、没有了。

今年这个禅七在一转眼的时间就过去了，用功用得相应的，也不要欢喜；用得不相应的，也不要生烦恼，那么可以继续再努力。你现在知道这个参禅的方法了，这个在家里也可以用功修行，也可以念兹在兹地来参悟这话头。只要你这个念头不断，终究有一天一定会开悟的。你用功用得专一，就会有成就的；你不专一，就是释迦牟尼佛来对着你面，你也不会开悟的。为什么呢？你心不在焉，所以你的功夫就不成就。

我们今年这个禅七是很圆满的，有这么多人，很少躲懒偷安的。虽然吃完了饭，浪费一点时间，但是这是很难说的。因为在这一个国家开荒，这个地都没有种过，开这个佛教的荒地，这要一点一点地来，所以就规矩上差一点呢，我也不讲。一年比一年紧一点，这是你们知道的，去年就没有今年这么紧，是不是啊？(某弟子：去年我不在。)你不在，他们在，是不是啊？不记得了？我知道去年没有今年这么认真，今年呢，多少有一点成就，有几个人都得到好处了，但是不是开大悟，都是开一点小悟。那么你若问是谁啊？反正不是你，你若问，就不是你；你若不问呢，或者你就有份。这是将来的，将来你有份，那不要着急。

这个用功用得相应不相应，就好像人喝这个水似的，这个水是凉的、热的，自己知道，旁人呢，不一定知道。那么在今年，这个禅七已经过去了，将来有机会再参加禅七，要特别认真，一秒钟也不要空放过去，好好用一用功，那么认识父母未生以前的本来面目是怎么样子的。

Just now someone doubted whether he could become a Buddha or not. Becoming a Buddha is not a question of whether you can or not, but a question of whether you cultivate or not. Whoever cultivates will become a Buddha; whoever doesn't cultivate will not become Buddha. It is the same principle as whoever eats will get full; whoever doesn't eat, won't get full. If you insist, "I cultivate! I cultivate!" only saying you cultivate but failing to actually do the cultivation, then that is useless. That's like talking about  food or counting others' money. Talking about  food, you say, "That kind of pancake is delicious. When you pan-fry it, it's great! Chinese dumplings are superb! I like to eat Chinese hot buns even more!" But all you do is recite the menu--sort of like reciting a Sutra. You don't actually eat those things. Then, that's of no use. You don't gain any advantage at all from it. Or it's like a teller in a bank who counts other people's money. All day long he counts money, but none of what he counts is his own. He's still just a paid employee who earns a few hundred dollars a month. He may count billions, count vast sums of money every day, but it's not his. These examples are just to say, we should honestly and reliably, actually cultivate.

If you really cultivate, then it is impossible not to become a Buddha, even though you might not want to. However, if you don't cultivate, then it is impossible to become a Buddha even if you want to. And so you ask, "What shall I do about excessive false thinking? Is there some special wonderful method for counteracting false thoughts?" No. "Who is mindful of the Buddha" is the method for counteracting your false thoughts. If you can concentrate on looking for "who," then the other false thoughts will disappear.

During these few days I have told you many times that the topic of "Who is mindful of the Buddha" is like a broom used for sweeping the floor. Sweep a bit and things get a little cleaner. Sweep a bit more, and things get a bit more clean. Each time you contemplate "who," many false thoughts are eradicated. If you contemplate "who" twice, the amount of false thinking decreases even more. The process of contemplating "who, who, who, who" sweeps the false thoughts away and leaves us clean. You say, "I want to try some other method." There isn't any better method. This is the very best method. If you recite mantras or are mindful of the Buddha, then those are methods for counteracting your false thoughts. If you can use them, then those kinds of false thoughts can lead to the truth. But if you can't use them, then those kinds of false thoughts turn into falseness. If you can use the Dharma--if you can develop your skill--then it is true, true, true--all of it is true. If you aren't able to develop your skill, then it is false, false, false--all of it turns into falseness. And so it remains to be seen to what level you are able to develop your skill. If you always hold aloft the regal jeweled Vajra sword to illuminate everything that is empty and false, then what is empty and false will vanish. It will disappear.

Time passes in the blink of an eye. Those who have had some response from their work should not be pleased with themselves; those who haven't had any response should not be distressed. You should continue to work hard. You now know the method used in investigating Chan meditation. And so you can continue to work at your cultivation even at home. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, you can investigate this meditation topic until you awaken to its meaning. As long as you maintain the investigation, it is for certain that one day you will become enlightened. By being single-minded in your work, you will be successful. If you are not single-minded, then even if Shakyamuni Buddha himself appeared before you, you still wouldn't be able to become enlightened. Why? It is because you don't have your mind on what you are doing, and so you cannot become accomplished in your skill.

This year's Chan meditation session has been a good one--out of so many people, very few have been lax. Although sometimes after lunch you wasted a little time, it's not fair to expect too much. In this country, we are breaking new ground that has never been planted before. In order to plant Buddhism here, the breaking of new ground must be done little by little. That is why I haven't said anything about certain bending of the rules. Every year things get a little stricter--you already realize that. Last year was not as strict as this year, right? Or have you forgotten? I know that last year was not as intense as this year. This year some of you have had some accomplishment. Several people obtained some advantages. But if you ask if these were major awakenings--no, they were minor ones. And if you ask who had them, then it's obvious you weren't one who did! If you ask, then it wasn't you. If you don't ask, then perhaps you had a share. At least in the future you all can have a share, so don't be nervous.

In developing your skill, whether you have a response or not is just like when you drink water only you know whether the water is warm or cold: it is something you yourself know; others may not know. This year's Chan meditation session is over; in the future if you have chance to attend another Chan meditation session, you should be especially intense and not let even a second go by in vain. Work well in developing your skill to find out what your original face is--the one you had before your parents give birth to you.