초발심자경문 영문


 

Admonitions to Monks

When residing in the dormitories, you should defer to one another and pick
no quarrels. You must help and support one another. Guard against trying to
win arguments. Refrain from gathering for idle talk. Be careful not to put on
someone else’s shoes by mistake. Be careful to sit or lie down in the proper
place. When speaking with guests, do not spread tales about the faults of your
own house; simply praise the Buddhist functions carries on in the monastery.

You should not go to the storeroom, or look at or listen to anything which
could cause you to have doubts. Unless it is for something important, do not
travel around the countryside or associate with laypeople; you could incur
the enmity of others and lose your desire for cultivation of the path.

Even if you have to go out on important business, inform the abbot or the
provost and let him know of your destination. If you enter a laypersons
house, you must firmly keep right mindfulness. Be careful not to let your
mind become dissolute by the sights and sounds around you, let alone loosen
your clothing, laugh and joke, talk distractedly of trivial matters, or eat
or drink at improper times.

Do not wrongly assume that, thereby, you are performing “unhindered practice”
when actually you are deviating dangerously from the Buddhist precepts.
Once you have aroused the suspicions of virtuous and good people,
how can you possibly be considered wise again?

Admonitions to Sŏn Monks

When residing in the meditation hall, refrain from keeping company with
śrāmaneras[novices]. Refrain from going in and out to greet people. Refrain
from noticing the good and bad qualities of other. Refrain from zealously
pursuing words and letters. Refrain from oversleeping. Refrain from distracting
yourself with too many unnecessary activities.

When the master goes up to his seat to preach the dharma, do not be overawed
by it and, as before a steep precipice, turn away. One the other hand, do not
think that you are already familiar with it and become complacent.
Listen to the sermon with an empty mind; then it will certainly be
an occasion for you to attain enlightenment. Do not be like those sophists
who have studied rhetoric and judge a person’s wisdom only by his eloquence.

As it is said, “A snake drinks water and produces poison; a cow drinks
water and produces milk.” If you train wisely, bodhi is produced; if you
train stupidly, samsāra is produced-this is my meaning. Furthermore, do not
think slightingly of your dharma instructors. By doing so, you create obstacles
on the path and your cultivation cannot progress. You must be careful.

Collected Works of Chinul
About this! The śāstras say, “If is like a man taveling at night with
a wicked person who carries a torch to show the way. If the man will not
accept the service of his light because the person is bad, he could fall
I a hole or drop into a pit.” Listening to the dharma is like treading
on thin ice: you must direct your eyes and ears and listen to the profound
words. Clear your thoughts of emotions and sense-objects and appreciate the
recondite meaning. After the master has left the hall, sit silently and reflect
upon his lecture. If you have any doubts, consult those who have understood.
Ponder it in the evening; inquire about it in the morning. Try not to fall
short in your understanding by so much as a strand of silk or hair. If you
practice in this way, you will be able to develop right faith and be one
who has embraced the path.

The beginningless habits of lust, desire, anger, and delusion bind the
mind-ground; although temporarily they seem to be subdued, they arise again
like malaria which strikes on alternate days. At all times you must make use
of the power of the skillful means and wisdom of applied practice; take pains
to guard your mind against the arising of defilements. How can you look for
a way to salvation while wasting time with pointless chatter and turning your
back on the mind-doctrine of Sŏn?

Strengthen your will; reprimand yourself; reprove your own laziness. Know your
faults and trun toward what is good. Reform and repent [your bad conduct];
train and control [your mind]. Cultivate earnestly and the power of contemplation
will grow; train continuously and your practice will become increasingly pure.
If you think constantly about how difficult it is to meet the dharma, the work
of enlightenment will always seem fresh. If you always remember your good fortune,
you will never backslide. If you persevere in this way for a long time, naturally
samādhi and prajā will become full and bright and you will see your own mind-nature;
you will use compassion and wisdom like sorcery and ferry across sentient beings;
you will become a great field of merit for men and gods.
Iurge you to exert yourselves!