No Merit

Text

Emperor Wu asked: how much merit have I gained from building temples? I said: no merit. Real virtue does not count itself; the moment you keep score, you have walked out of it.

tr. Zen Lineage editorial

license: cc_by

Attribution

• Attributed To
  Bodhidharma

Lineage: Early Chan

By Bodhidharma

• Bodhidharma Pacifies The Mindkoan
• Vast Emptiness, Nothing Holydialogue
• A Special Transmission Outside the Scripturessaying
• Chop Wood, Carry Waterproverb
• Vast Emptiness, Nothing Holyproverb

Sources

• contentZen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings

  Andy Ferguson