一貫道郭明義

守一不移Grasp the one

觀佛燈，在佛法的定位是祖師禪所謂“守一不移”的修持功夫，自古以來也是各宗各派修行的一個共法，共同的修持法門。

Concentrating on the Buddha lamp is an important practice “Grasp the one” in Zen school. It’s also a common religious practice among many Buddhist schools.

不僅佛家修持「守一」，儒家也有這種修持叫做「惟精惟一」，這個精，就是專注的意思，專注，透過專注、專注、再專注，最後讓自己的心進入一種“一”的狀態，純一的狀態，叫惟精惟一。(專注到和你專注的對象合一)

This practice exists not only in Buddhism but also in Confucianism. Confucianists call it, “Just concentrate, until you and the world are one.” It means to focus thoughts on a certain object until there is no differentiation between you and the object.

道家也有相同的修持，如老子說的：「聖人抱一為天下式。」

In Taoism, they also have this practice as Lao-tze said, “The sage grasps the one and becomes the model for all.”

「多言數窮，不如守中。」

“The sage prefers holding to the center to investigating everything with a lot of talk.”

    「守一不移」是禪門的修持功夫，四祖道信禪師最重視「守一」。

    “To grasp the one” is an important practice in Zen school. Our fourth patriarch master Tao-shin thinks it is the most valuable practice.

    四祖道信禪師各位也許不是很熟，他也是我們的祖師之一，他將衣缽傳給五祖弘忍大師，五祖再傳六祖惠能，六祖惠能圓寂時預言：「道將分傳二脈，一脈出家，一脈在家。」我們一貫道就是從這在家一脈而來。所以道信禪師也是我們紅陽期的祖師之一。道信禪師一生只傳守一不移這個簡單的修持法門。

    Maybe you don’t know much about master Tao-shin. He is one of our great masters in Tao lineage. He passed down the Tao to our fifth patriarch Hong-zen master, who also passed it down to our sixth patriarch Huei-neng master. Master Huei-neng predicted before his death, “The Tao lineage will divide into two schools. One is among monks and nuns of monastery, and the other is among common people.” I-Kuan Tao originates from the lineage of common people. Therefore, master Tao-shin was our master, too. He only transmitted this simple practice “holding to the center” all his life.

    什麼是「一」？玄關是一。心回到玄關便是「守一」。但如何做到？

    What is “the one”? Our wisdom door is the one. When we concentrate on it, that is to “grasp the one.” But how can we make it?  

道信禪師傳守一不移的法門的時候，他告訴我們一個很明確的修行法，不是很抽象的守一不移，而是很具體的，怎麼修呢？

Master Tao-shin told us a very practical method to grasp the one. How should we do it?

他說：「守一不移者，以此空淨眼，注意看一物，無間晝夜時，專精常不動。」

He said, “One who can hold to the center will make it by using his own clear eyes and minds to focus on a certain object. He concentrates on the practice day and night, and keeps working on it diligently. ”

這也成為禪宗密宗修持的法門，任何東西拿來，就這麼專注看著，看佛相、看一朵花、看一個杯子、看手指頭…專注一直看，一直看，視線不要離開，慢慢的，你所看的東西和你的眼神，也就是玄關之間，就形成一條線，這條線很有力量，當你的心向外跑時，它自動被拉回來，這樣，心就不會像一般人一樣，四散飛馳，時常專注於這玄關前一直線，生命的磁場就慢慢形成。

This is also a good method for the Zen school and Tibetan Buddhists. They will focus on any object before them. No matter it’s a Buddha statue, a flower, a cup, or a finger, they just concentrate on it. They keep focusing on the object without distraction. And gradually, there will form a line between your eyesight (or the wisdom door) and the object you are focusing on. This invisible line is very powerful. When your minds go astray, they will be pulled back automatically. In this way, your minds will not distract very often like common people. Once you keep concentrating on the line extending from your wisdom door, there will be a magnetic field forming in your life.

    道信大師，講到用功的方法，曾教導弟子一個方法：將視線凝聚在一個東西上。

    Master Tao-shin once taught his disciple a method: to focus all your eyesight on a certain object.

    他用一個譬喻說：「如繩繫鳥足，欲飛還掣取。」我們的心就像小鳥一樣到處亂飛，我們凝視一個點，在點與玄關之間就形成一條線，守玄就像用一根繩子把小鳥的腳繫住了一樣，鳥要飛走時就把他拉回佛燈來。

    He used a comparison: “This line is like the rope that ties on the bird’s claw. When the bird tries to fly away, the rope will pull it back powerfully and swiftly.” Our minds are used to distracting like birds. When we focus on a certain point, there will form a line between it and the wisdom door. Concentrating on the wisdom door is like tying a rope on the bird’s claw. When the bird tries to fly away, this line can draw it back to the Buddha lamp.

我們的心很容易散亂，要收回來又不知道怎麼收？佛燈就是那條繫住鳥的繩子。鳥要飛，一拉就回來了，再飛，再一拉又回來，所以呢！我們眼觀佛燈的凝聚點，就成為繫住你心鳥的一條無形的繩子。

Our minds like to idol around, but when we want to focus back, we have no method. The Buddha lamp is the rope which ties on the bird’s claw. The bird can be drawn back right before flying away. It can be pulled back again and again. Therefore, the point of focus when we concentrate on the Buddha lamp is very important. It will become an invisible rope which is able to tie up your mind.