今天我们大家来研究这个问题：“就是人为什么要孝顺父母？应该孝顺父母，还是不应该孝顺父母？”这个问题，有两种解释。

Today, let’s investigate the question: should one be filial to one’s parents, and why? There are two sides to this question.

站在“出世间法”的立场来讲，不应该孝顺父母。我相信任何人听过这句话，一定大吃一惊，因为从来没有听过这种话。你所知道的是人人应该孝顺父母，没有听过人说不应该尽孝道这句话，所以你觉得惊奇。若按照真理来讲，是这样的说法。若是站在“世间法”的立场来讲，当然应该孝顺父母。世间法是木本水源，应该慎终追远、孝顺父母、恭敬师长，这是天经地义之事。

From the viewpoint of world-transcending Dharma, we shouldn’t be filial to our parents. I believe that anyone listening to this is shocked, because this idea is unheard of. You know that one should be filial to one’s parents; you have never heard of a view stating that one shouldn’t practice filiality. That’s why you are surprised. Yet, if we speak according to true principle, this view is correct. But from the worldly point of view, of course we should be filial to our parents. The worldly point of view says that just as a tree has its roots and a stream has its source, we also have our roots and we should pay attention to them. We should always carefully attend to the funeral rites of our parents and to the worship of our ancestors. We should be filial towards our parents, and respectful towards our teachers and elders. All this is a matter of course.

若按出世法来讲，我们努力修行，用功学习，发大菩提心，就是尽大孝，而不是小孝。此话怎么解释？因为修行有所成就，可以超度七世父母升天，所谓：“一子成道，九祖升天。”这就是大孝。

However, according to world-transcending Dharma, if we cultivate diligently, work hard at learning, and bring forth a great Bodhi mind, this is great filiality, not small filiality. How is that? When you have accomplishment in cultivation, you can rescue your parents from your past seven lives and help them to be reborn in the heavens. It is said,

When one child becomes a Buddha,
Ancestors of the past nine lives
Ascend to the heavens.

This is great filiality.

孝有四种：一为大孝，二为小孝，三为远孝，四为近孝。什么是大孝？就是报生生世世的父母恩、师长恩。什么是小孝？就是孝顺现世的父母，膝下承欢，令父母高兴。养父母的身、慰父母的心，也就是要恭敬父母、供养父母。什么是远孝？就是孝敬古圣先贤，效法他们的一言一行，作为借镜；一举一动，作为圭臬。什么是近孝？就是除了孝顺自己父母之外，还要孝顺他人的父母，所谓“老吾老，以及人之老”，要有这种的思想和行为。

This is great filiality. There are four types of filiality: great, small, distant, and close. Great filiality means repaying the kindness of one’s parents, teachers, and elders from all lives. Small filiality is filiality towards one’s parents of this present life, making them happy, providing food and shelter for them, and giving them peace of mind. It means respecting one’s parents and providing for them. Distant filiality refers to respecting and being filial to the ancient sages and worthy ones, taking them as models and emulating their words and conduct . Close filiality is, in addition to being filial to one’s own parents, also being filial to other people’s parents. It is to “take care of your own elders and extend the same care to others.” This is how we should think and behave.

真正出世法，超过孝道，所以我方才说：“不应该执着孝。”若是执着孝顺父母，那就沾上情情爱爱的思想，就有妄念，终日念父思母，焉能修道？所以按真理来讲，不应该尽孝道。

我讲这个道理，有人会懂，有人会不懂，所以大家要深一层研究这个问题。

True world-transcending Dharma surpasses filiality. That’s why I say, “Don’t get attached to filiality.” If you’re attached to filiality, you are still caught up in love and emotion. You’re always thinking of your parents. How can you cultivate this way? Therefore, according to true principle one should not be filial to one’s parents. Some of you may understand the principle I’m talking about, and others may not. So we need to investigate further.

现在的人心，一天比一天坏，品行一天比一天恶劣，所谓“人心不古”。为什么？因为世间人，本应该孝顺父母，可是他不孝顺父母。认为孝顺父母是落伍的思想，又认为父母养育儿女，是他应尽的责任而已。那么，他不尽孝道，是不是修行呢？也不是的。他真能修行，不需要养父母，也算是孝顺父母，这是尽大孝，将来超度父母生天。他既不孝顺父母，也不修行，专造种种的恶业，将来一定堕落三恶道，毫无疑问。

At present, people’s minds are getting worse day by day, and their behavior is getting daily more wicked. It is said, “People’s minds are no longer like the the minds of the ancients.” People ought to be filial to their parents but they aren’t. They think filiality is an outdated idea, and they think raising children is the parents’ obligation. So then, if a person doesn’t practice filiality, does that mean they are cultivating? Of course not. If a person could truly cultivate, even if he didn’t provide for his parents, he would still be considered filial. This is great filial piety, helping one’s parents be reborn in the heavens. If a person neither practices filiality nor cultivates, but only creates all kinds of evil karma, then he will definitely fall into the three evil paths. There is no question about it.

你们看！现在的青年男女，学下流的行为，不是杀人放火，就是奸淫劫盗，无恶不为。觉得应该这样放荡不羁，以为自由。他认为人不应该孝顺父母，就应该学坏，这种思想，大错特错。虽然不能一概而论，但是大致差不多是犯了这种通病。

You can see present-day young men and women learning despicable behavior. If it’s not killing and arson, then it’s robbery and promiscuity. They do every evil thing there is to do, and they call their lack of restraint, “freedom.” They think that not being filial to one’s parents means one should learn to be bad. This kind of thinking is absolutely wrong. Even though we cannot generalize, many people have this fault.

修行人，虽然不孝顺父母，可是能拯救父母离苦海，生于天界。但有些人，既不孝顺父母，又不修行，终日做些不道德的事，有害于家庭，扰乱社会、国家，不得安宁。这是赔本的生意，越赔越没有底，前途不堪设想。这样胡作非为，乃是不可宽恕的罪人。

A cultivator, although he can’t be filial to his parents, can save his parents from the sea of suffering and help them to ascend to the heavens. However, some people neither practice filiality nor do they cultivate. They only commit immoral acts, which ruin families and disrupt society, causing there to be no peace in the nation. Such behavior is a losing business: the more you lose, the less capital you have left, and your future is doomed. People who act this stupidly are inexcusable offenders.

在前边所说的修行人，能把父母放下，专心一致修行，这是对的。既然不修行，也不尽孝道，这是不对的。这一点要弄清楚，所谓：

万恶淫为首，百善孝为先。

On the other hand, if one is like the cultivator mentioned above and can let go of one’s parents and immerse oneself in cultivation, then one is on the right track. But if one neither cultivates nor is filial to one’s parents, one is on the wrong path. You should be clear about this. It is said,

Lust is the worst of all evils.
Filiality is the foremost of all virtues.

一九八三年七月二十九日
观音七开示于万佛圣城