This document contains excerpts from Buddhist sutras discussing concepts of non-self and emptiness. It explains that a Bodhisattva who seeks enlightenment should not see any self, others, or beings to be saved. When all beings are liberated, actually no beings were liberated because there is no inherent existence. All phenomena arise from causes and conditions yet ultimately have no inherent nature.

1. Buddhist Association of Canada Cham Shan Temple 加拿大佛教會 湛山精舍 學佛班禪坐入門 Introduction to Chán Meditation 2010/12/18

2. Buddhist Association of Canada Cham Shan Temple ná mó fó tuó 南 無 佛 陀 Namo Buddha ná mó dá mó 南 無 達 摩 Namo Dharma ná mó sēng qié 南 無 僧 伽 Namo Sangha

3. CHAPTER 6 The Actual Cultivation – Calming 正修行第六 – 修止 The Treatise on the Awakening of Faith states, "If the mind has run off and become scattered one should immediately draw it back in and establish it in right mindfulness. With this right mindfulness, one should be aware that everything is mind-only and is not a true external object. This very mind itself is devoid of any inherently existent characteristic. There is no instant in which the mind (thoughts) can be grasped.” 起信论云：“若心驰散，即当摄来往于正念。是正念者，当之唯心，无外境界。即复此心，亦无自相，念念不可得。”

4. CHAPTER 6 The Actual Cultivation – Calming 正修行第六 – 修止 Calming through realization of truth: No matter what the mind dwells upon, if one understands that all dharmas are produced from causes and conditions and are devoid of an inherently-existent nature, then the mind will not seize upon them. 所谓随心所念一切诸法，悉之皆从因缘生，无有自性，则心不取，若心不取，则妄念心息，故名为止。

5. CHAPTER 6 The Actual Cultivation of Samatha正修行第六 – 修止 Consciousness arises when faculties and objects are placed in mutual opposition. When faculties and objects have not been placed in mutual opposition, the production of consciousness is fundamentally nonexistent. 根尘相对，故有识生； 根尘未对，识本无生。 KshitigarbhaBuddha

6. CHAPTER 6 The Actual Cultivation – Calming 正修行第六 – 修止 The names "production生"and "extinction灭"are only falsely established. When the thought which is characterized by production and extinction is extinguished, then stillness of the mind manifests. There is nothing whatsoever which can be found in the mind. This is the so-called stillness of nirvana. [Having carried out this contemplation], one's mind naturally comes to a halt. 观生如是，观灭亦然，生灭名字，但是假立。生灭心灭，寂灭现前，了无所得，是所谓涅盘空寂之理，其心自止。

7. CHAPTER 6 The Actual Cultivation – Calming 正修行第六 – 修止 Nirvāna - the perfect peace of the state of mind that is free from craving, anger, and other afflicting states. It is also the end of the world. There is no identity left and no boundaries for the mind. The peace is achieved when the existing volitional formations are pacified and the conditions for the production of new ones are eradicated. In nirvāna, the root causes of craving and aversion have been extinguished, so that one is no longer subject to human suffering or further rebirth in samsāra. 涅槃 - 意義是指清涼寂靜，惱煩不現，眾苦永寂；具有不生不滅、不垢不淨、不增不減，遠離一異、生滅、常斷等等的中道體性意義。

8. CHAPTER 6 The Actual Cultivation of Samatha正修行第六 – 修止 As for the past, thoughts have already been destroyed, As for the present, thoughts do not abide, and As for the future, thoughts have not yet come. 过去心已灭， 现在心不住， 未来心未至，

9. CHAPTER 6 The Actual Cultivation – Calming 正修行第六 – 修止 Although the practitioner contemplates and finds that thoughts do not abide and are entirely nonexistent, still, it is not the basis that there is not a single ksana in which there is carried out the arousal of awareness and mindfulness. 若无有心，则一切法皆无。 行者虽观心不著，皆无所有，而非无刹那任运觉知念起。

10. CHAPTER 6 The Actual Cultivation – Calming 正修行第六 – 修止 Within each and every one of all the dharmas, Causes and conditions are empty, devoid of a ruler. Put the mind to rest; penetrate to the original source. Based on this one is referred to as a “Shramana“. 一切诸法中，因缘空无主， 息心达本源，故号为沙门。

11. The VajraPrajnàPàramità Sutra 金剛般若波羅蜜經 The VajraPrajnàPàramità Sutra 金剛般若波羅蜜經 Translated by Tripitaka Dharma Master Kumàrajiva三藏法師鳩摩羅什譯

12. Chapter 17 Ultimately There is No Self 第十七品 究竟無我分 Then Subhuti said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, if a good man, or good woman, resolves his heart on Anuttarasaüyaksaübodhi, how should he dwell, how should he subdue his heart” 爾時，須菩提白佛言：「世尊！善男子、善女人，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，云何應住？云何降伏其心？」

13. Chapter 17 Ultimately there is No Self 第十七品 究竟無我分 The Buddha told Subhuti, “a good man, or good woman, who has resolved his heart on Anuttara-saüyaksaübodhi should think thus: ‘I should take all living beings across to extinction, yet when all living beings have been taken across to extinction, there actually is not a single living being who has been taken across to extinction.’” 佛告須菩提：「善男子、善女人，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提者，當生如是心，我應滅度一切眾生。滅度一切眾生已，而無有一眾生實滅度者。」

14. Chapter 17 Ultimately there is No Self 第十七品 究竟無我分 And why? Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva has a mark of self, a mark of others, a mark of living beings, or a mark of a life, then he is not a Bodhisattva. For what reason? Subhuti, actually there is no dharma of resolving the heart on Anuttarasaüyaksaübodhi. 何以故？若菩薩有我相、人相、眾生相、壽者相，則非菩薩。所以者何？須菩提！實無有法發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提者。

15. Chapter 17 Ultimately there is No Self 第十七品 究竟無我分 “Subhuti, what do you think? While the Tathàgata was with Burning Lamp Buddha, was there any Dharma of Anuttarasaüyaksaübodhi attained?” “No, World Honored One as I understand what the Buddha has said, while the Buddha was with Burning Lamp Buddha there was no Anuttarasaüyaksaübodhi attained.” 「須菩提！於意云何？如來於燃燈佛所，有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不？」「不也，世尊！如我解佛所說義，佛於燃燈佛所，無有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」

16. Chapter 17 Ultimately there is No Self 第十七品 究竟無我分 The Buddha said, “So it is, so it is, Subhuti. There actually was no dharma of Anuttarasaüyaksaübodhi which the Tathàgata attained. Subhuti, if there had been a dharma of Anuttarasaüyaksaübodhi which the Tathàgata attained, then Burning Lamp Buddha would not have given me the prediction, ‘you will in the future attain Buddhahood and be named Sàkyamuni.’” 佛言：「如是，如是。須菩提！實無有法如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！若有法如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，燃燈佛則不與我授記：『汝於來世，當得作佛，號釋迦牟尼。』

17. Chapter 17 Ultimately there is No Self 第十七品 究竟無我分 “Since there actually was no dharma of Anuttarasaüyaksaübodhi attained, Burning Lamp Buddha gave me the prediction saying these words, ‘You will in the future attain Buddhahood and be named Sàkyamuni.’” 以實無有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，是故燃燈佛與我授記，作是言：『汝於來世，當得作佛，號釋迦牟尼。』

18. Questions and Comments 討論 www.ChamShanTemple.org www.shengguangshi.blogspot.com ShengguangShi@hotmail.com Shengguang Shi 釋聖光 Tom Cheung 張相棠 Kam Cheung 張仁勤 Dennis Yap 葉普智