惠能向別駕言:I replied to the official,欲學無上菩提,"If you wish to study the unsurpassed bodhi,不得輕於初學。do not slight a beginner.下下人有上上智,The lowest of the low may possess the highest wisdom.上上人有沒意智。And the highest of the high may have the least wisdom.若輕人,If you slight others,即有無量無邊罪。you create limitless, boundless offenses."別駕言:The official then said,汝但誦偈,"Recite your verse,吾為汝書。and I will write it out for you.汝若得法,If you gain the Dharma,先須度吾。you must liberate me first.勿忘此言。Remember this. Don't forget what I say.”惠能偈曰:My verse went:菩提本無樹,Basically, bodhi has no tree,明鏡亦非臺;Nor any mirror-stand bright本來無一物,Originally there's not one thing:何處惹塵埃?Where could dust alight? 書此偈已,After this verse was written down,徒眾總驚,無不嗟訝,everyone was startled, amazed.各相謂言:They all said to one another, 奇哉!"How strange!不得以貌取人,You cannot judge a person by his appearance.何得多時使他肉身菩薩。How can it be thatin such a short timeone could becomea living Bodhisattva?!" 祖見眾人驚怪,The Fifth Patriarch,seeing everyone so excited,恐人損害,was worried that someone might harm me.遂將鞋擦了偈,He erased the verse with his sandal,曰:亦未見性。saying,"This one, too,has not yet seen his nature."眾以為然。The whole community accepted this.次日,The following day, however,祖潛至碓坊,the Fifth Patriarch cameunannounced to the threshing floor見能腰石舂米,where l was pounding ricewith a stone tied to my waist[for added weight].語曰:求道之人,為法忘軀,He said,“A seeker of the Way would forget his very life for the Dharma.當如是乎!Isn't that so?”乃問曰:Then he asked me,米熟也未?"Is the rice ready yet?"惠能曰:米熟久矣,I answered,“The rice has long been ready; 猶欠篩在。it's only waiting now for the sieve."祖以杖擊碓三下而去。The Patriarch then struck his staffon the pestle three times and left.惠能即會祖意,I immediately knew his intention,三鼓入室;and at the third watchentered the Patriarch's room.祖以袈裟遮圍,Using his robe as a screen不令人見,so that no one could see us,為說《金剛經》。he explained The Diamond Sutra for me.至應無所住而生其心,And when he came to the line in the text," Let your mind be unattached, clinging to nothing,"惠能言下大悟,as soon as these words were utteredI experienced a profound awakening,一切萬法,不離自性。and understood that the inherent nature embraces the ten thousand things.