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達摩祖師西來意

The Intention of Patriarch Bodhidharma's Coming from the West

我本來茲土　傳法度迷情
一華開五葉　結果自然成

我常對你們講，達摩祖師到中國時，那真是啊！很不容易教化中國人。

Originally I came to this land 
To transmit Dharma and save deluded beings. One flower, blooming with five petals,
Will bear fruit naturally.

I have often told you that when Patriarch Bodhidharma first went to China, he found it truly difficult to convert the Chinese people.

Buddhism Seems to Be in China, 
Yet It Really Is Not

At that time, the Buddhadharma seemed to exist in China, but it really did not. It was as if it were and yet weren't there. That is because the work being done was superficial. There were few who recited Sutras, investigated the Sutra texts, or explained the Sutras, and virtually no one bowed repentance ceremonies. Ordinary scholars regarded Buddhism as a field of study and engaged in debates and  discussions about it. But the principles in the Sutras should be cultivated! However, nobody was cultivating. Why not?

People were afraid of suffering. No one truly meditated. Well, there was Venerable Patriarch Zhi, who practiced meditation and attained the Five Eyes. But most people feared suffering and didn't cultivate. No one seriously investigated Chan and sat in meditation, just like you people now who sit in meditation for a while until your legs begin to hurt. When their legs began to ache, they would wince and fidget and then gently unbend and rub them. People are just people and everyone avoids suffering as much as possible. That's the way it was then; that's the way it is now. That's called Buddhadharma seeming to be there but not really being there.

徒弟先來　處處碰壁

在達摩祖師沒有到中國以前，他派過兩個徒弟到中國來；孰不知到中國，受了很大的氣，被人欺負。他這兩個徒弟都是印度人，一個叫佛馱，一個叫耶舍，他們到中國傳頓教法門，也就是不立文字，見性成佛的禪宗法門。

When the Disciples First Came,
They Met with Difficulty

Before Patriarch Bodhidharma himself went to China, he sent two of his disciples there first. Who would have thought that when they got to China they would be totally ostracized and bullied? 

Those two disciples, named Fo Tuo and Ye She, were Indians who went to China to transmit the Sudden Teaching Dharma Door of the Chan School that advocates seeing the nature and becoming a Buddha, and which does not abide in language.

named Bodhiruchi was aware that these two monks had also come from India to explain the Chan School. Chan belongs to the Great Vehicle Teaching, but Bodhiruchi explained the Tripitaka Teaching, which belongs to the Small Vehicle.

For that reason, Bodhiruchi got all other monks to join together to ostricize these two Indian monks. No matter what they said, no one would listen. No matter where they went, everyone ignored them. Deciding that the situation was meaningless, they left. That is how these two disciples of Patriarch Bodhidharma came to leave the western capital of Changan.

手做拳頭　拳頭做手

這一走，就走到廬山，廬山那時有位慧遠法師，是講念佛的，專門念佛。他們去見遠公大師，大師說：「你們兩位是印度的和尚，傳的是什麼法？怎麼這些人都不理 你們？」佛馱、耶舍這兩位法師就把手伸出來──因為大概只會很少的中國話，話也講不太通，所以就把手伸出來，說：「手做拳，拳做手，這快不快？」 遠公大師說：「很快！」 他說：「菩提、煩惱也是這麼快！」

遠公大師當時就開悟了：「哦！菩提、煩惱原來沒有分別！菩提就是煩惱，煩惱即菩提。」遠公大師明白了，就盡心供養他們兩位。沒多久，兩人在同一天都死了，他們的墳墓，現在還在廬山那兒。 達摩祖師在印度，一聽說兩個徒弟被人欺負得這個樣子，以後也都死了。自己就想：「我去看一看！」於是就到中國來。 達摩祖師也是看中國的大乘根性成熟了，應該把大乘佛教帶到中國，所以就不怕路程遙遠及旅途的辛苦，來到中國。你說到了中國怎麼了呢？

The Hand Makes a Fist;
The Fist Makes a Hand

On their way out they passed by Lu Mountain where they met the Great Master Zhiyuan (Huiyuan), who promoted the practice of reciting the Buddha's name. He himself recited the Buddha's name all the time. Well, they went to pay their respects to Great Master Yuan. Venerable Yuan said to them, "What Dharma do you two monks from India transmit that causes people to pay you so little respect?"

"The hand makes a fist, and the fist makes a hand. Isn't that fast?"

Master Yuan replied, "Very fast!" 

"Bodhi and affliction," they said, "are just that fast!"

At that moment, Great Master Yuan became enlightened and said, "Ah! Bodhi and affliction basically are not different! Bodhi is affliction and affliction is Bodhi." Having gained such an understanding, Great Master Yuan made abundant offerings to Fo Tuo and Ye She. Shortly thereafter, the two died on the same day, in the same place. Their graves may still be seen at Lu Mountain.

Back in India, when Patriarch Bodhidharma learned that his two disciples had been scorned and had both died, he thought, "I will go there myself to have a look." Thereupon he went to China.