龙门心法
Dragon Gate: Law of the Heart
CHAPTER #3
断除障碍
BREAKING THROUGH OBSTRUCTIONS
修行之人，障未断，则闭塞昏迷；碍未除，则愚痴暗昧。心体本同天日，妄情却似浮云。云障青天，白日安能朗照；情迷灵窍，真机哪得圆通。岂非修行人一大病哉？
People who cultivate but haven’t broken through their barriers are blocked and disoriented. If these obstacles aren’t surmounted they remain ignorant. The heart and the body are originally like the sky and the sun, while perceptions are like floating clouds. Clouds obstruct clear skies. On bright and calm days one can perceive openly, but if emotions obscure the openings of consciousness, the true point from which understanding is achieved, isn’t this be a serious “sickness” for a person who cultivates?
我今指出病根，这障碍，道家有两样障，作理障、事障。不明其事，真假难分；不得其理，正邪不辨。若执理而论事，抱泥迂腐，为理障心；若行事害理，悖戾乖张，为事戕性。或理或事，凡有所执，皆为障碍。
I am speaking about the root of this sickness, this obstruction, of which in Daoism there are two types; obstructions of principle and obstructions of occurrences. Without understanding occurrences it is difficult to distinguish between true and false. Without acquiring principles one cannot recognize good and evil. If one grasps principles and considers occurrences, everything is grasped, all barriers known.
今将障碍两字，细细说来。大众，千经万典，皆令大众，行善学好，修真悟道。夫众生不行善，而反行恶；不学好，而反学歹；不修真，而反弄假；不悟道，而反败教，这唤作事障本心。又有出家人，行善执善，学好执好，修真认真，悟道着相，皆因好处不曾解脱，这唤作理障本心。这事理二障，还是一等向上之人，更有一等修行之人，心地未明，天机未转，到处都生障碍，见我辈向上之人讲经说戒，他便明为称颂，暗动无明，生障碍心，动无明念。
I’ll explain these two words in detail, obstruction and barrier. Everyone, it is these things which so many thousands of scriptures and canons are meant to teach people about; that to practice virtue is to possess virtue, to act well is to be well, to cultivate truth is to understand truth. For all people to not practice virtue is to practice evil, to not act well is to act evil, to not cultivate truth is to be fraudulent, to not reach awakening is to lose the teaching. This is what happens when actions become a barrier to the original heart. There are also monks, who wish to practice virtue to possess it, act well to own goodness, cultivate truth to know about truth, and seek awakening as well, but they do all this not seeking spiritual liberation, but seeking the beneficial results they expect to gain by it. This is when principles become an obstruction to one’s original heart. If these two obstructions still exist, occurrences and principles, even when a person is top grade and developing, even if they are a person of first class cultivation, if their mind is not illuminated (beyond obstruction), the revelation of Heaven’s mysteries won’t be revealed, and everywhere these obstructions will grow. If one looks upon those who are truly advancing, those who teach scriptures and observe precepts, and sees their brilliance as praiseworthy, then darkness moves in, obstructions grow in the heart, and people move and act without clear understanding.
大众，障碍之心不除，就如要出苦海，有船、有筏、有篷、有橹，明可过海，又不能过，却谓何来？这为天上黑云漫漫而来，必有风涛之险，所以就不敢过海。
Everyone, when obstruction is not eliminated from the heart, one must escape from the sea of bitterness. There are boats, there are rafts, and there are sails and oars. Those with understanding are able to cross the ocean and others are not, from where does this difference comes? It comes from the boundless dark clouds which fill the heavens. In one’s heart when there is the danger of blowing winds and great waves, one does not dare to cross the ocean.
大众，平日积功累行，行善学好，修真悟道，岂不是要出苦海，这些经功戒行，善缘好事，岂不是船，岂不是筏，岂不是篷，岂不是橹？既有船只，应该过这个海了，为何不过？却不知这点障碍之心，就如天起黑云漫漫而来，必有风涛之险，所以不能过了。
Everyone, daily exhaustion and hard work to achieve merit, acting virtuously and studying diligently, cultivation and enlightenment, are these not vital to escape the sea of bitterness? These scriptures, hard work, precepts and good actions, are they not a boat, a raft, a sail and an oar? Having this great vessel one should be able to cross this ocean. Having these why isn’t one able to cross? It is because they haven’t understood this point about the obstructions of the heart. When the skies are filled with dark clouds, wind and waves arise and the ocean cannot be crossed.
大众，苦海无边，回头是岸。障碍除断，天散黑云，方能渡出苦海。大众，你岂不闻《高上玉皇本行集经》么，明明宣说：“众生只因障重，不能睹上帝之慈颜。”又云；“如是诸障，汝等各各当断除之。
Everyone, the ocean of bitterness is unending, but by repenting the shore is at hand, obstructions are broken. The dark clouds disperse from the skies and there is deliverance from the ocean of bitterness. Everyone, have you not read the Scripture of the “Scripture of the Most High Jade Emperors Origin?” It clearly says: “Because all living things have serious obstructions, they are unable to achieve the compassionate elegance of the Gods.” Again it says “These many obstructions, of every grade and type, can all be broken.”
”《皇经》开首就说断障。疑惑、贪嗔云云，皆障碍之条款也。若不断障，则清静不成了。既不清静，则十七光明，三十功德，从何而来？若无光明、功德，如何为万天帝主，诸佛圣师？三卷五品，皆从断除障碍而有。岂但《皇经》，三教九流，诸子百家，千言万语，皆从破暗除痴、断障明理的法门。
In the beginning of the Emperors Classics, it speaks specifically of obstruction, doubt, confusion, greed, anger, and all such manner of hindrances. If one doesn’t break through obstructions, peace and purity won’t manifest. Without peace and purity, where will the seventeen lights and the thirty virtues arise? Thousands of words speak of breaking through darkness and ignorance, overcoming obstruction and understanding the theory of the Door of the Law.
大众，世间障碍甚多，粗细大小不同，前言皆系大略，还有微细障碍呢。假如看诵经典，其中妙义幽深，自己聪明有限，不能解悟经典旨趣，便是自己心窍未灵，智慧光小了。又不肯低心下气，参问高明，岂非障碍？及至问明，又生疑惑，惟恐其人之说不真，再问一人，彼此不同，心生烦燥，千岐万径，岂非障碍？
Everyone, in this world there are myriad obstructions, of all types and sizes. Suppose, when reading and reciting a scripture, within which is contained wonderful mysteries of great subtlety, one’s comprehension is limited, and so they are unable to awaken to the intent of that scripture. If one’s own mind isn’t clever enough, the light of their wisdom is weak, because they aren’t willing to settle their heart and energy, and they ask questions of a wise person, isn’t that obstruction? Having asked these questions they remain unconvinced and distrusting for fear that others aren’t answering in the truth and so therefore they seek to ask yet another person. If the answers they receive aren’t the same they become vexed, isn’t that an obstruction?
若同侣伴一处读经，其彼先熟，我尚未熟，心先烦恼，岂非障碍？又若我熟彼生，便生欢喜，岂非障碍？又如自己有才，他人愚拙，便生欺诳，岂非障碍？又如见人行好，或布施，或功行，他富我贫，则生嫉妒；我富他贫，则生凌压，岂非障碍？又如读经典，忽然明理，执以为是，向人讲说，彼又高明，我心不服，岂非障碍？譬如修行打坐，偶有妙处，便自夸扬，岂非障碍？又如所闻妙理，执着在心中，只知其一，不知变通，岂非障碍？又如同道伴侣，一处从师问道，言彼明我暗，不自责己，反忌彼先，岂非障碍？至于积财，临死不舍一文。一切爱缘，以致好琴、好棋、好书、好画，种种着想，或以符术，为神通妙用，或有符术，为有为劣法；彼喜而我恶，我忌则彼好，皆系障碍。
If there partners, reading scriptures together, and one becomes proficient while another is remains inexperienced, the heart may develop worry and this is also an obstruction. Also, if the proficient one is happy that, the other is worried, that too is obstruction. If one person is talented and another is clumsy, then it is possible for one person to take advantage of the other, which is an obstruction. If a person is seen doing good actions, perhaps giving money to the poor or doing some meritorious work, and I see them as being rich while I remain poor, than jealousy arises, if I see myself as rich and another poor, oppression arises, there are both obstruction. While reciting the scripture, a person suddenly understands a principle, grasps a truth, and later when telling this truth it to another person discovers that they already grasp it themselves. If that person refuses to accept that the other already understands that truth, then that also is obstruction. For example while practicing meditation, one has a profound experience. When the opportunity arises they try to boast about their accomplishment, this is obstruction. If one learns a spiritual truth and is attached to it in their heart, they will only know that one truth, and will not become flexible, this is obstruction. If two companions are together learning the way from one master, and one understands the lesson while another remains confused, if one doesn’t take responsibility for oneself, but rather becomes jealous or spiteful of their partner, this is obstruction. As is the accumulation of wealth, if when one is on their deathbed and are unwilling to part with their culture, their loved ones, their greatest friends, chess, books, paintings and their multitude of considerations and ideas. Symbols and arts used for spiritual development have profound use, when they are used possessively they become an inferior way. If my partner is happy and I am wicked and I am jealous of his goodness, this is a whole system of obstruction.
大众，汝等既出世，原该做出世的功夫，方能出世。这些障碍，皆是罪案，岂能出世。我愿大众，把这障碍悉除，则心灵不昧，智慧渐生，久久除净，则心地空虚，性天朗照。其中自有妙处，明了生死来去之机，只在障碍之能断不能断，身欲出苦海，请先将障碍除尽，则无风涛之险矣！
Everyone, you who have renounced the world must do the work of renouncing the world. Only then can you escape the world. These obstructions are all such sinful circumstances, how can you escape the world with that? I wish everyone takes these obstructions and eliminates all of them, so the heart is perceptive and not obscured, and wisdom develops. There is a long time of cleaning, after which the mind becomes empty; the nature of heaven is perceived clearly wherein a person finds their own spectacular place. Know that the mechanism which controls the coming and goings of life and death is determined the ability to break through obstructions. The body longs to escape the ocean of bitterness, but one must first completely eradicate all obstructions, so there is no longer the danger of the wind and the waves.