无

心

非

，

名

为

错

wu

xin

fei

ming

wei

cuo

不存

心地

做错

称呼

做

错误

not on purpose

to do things wrong

to be called

as

mistake

不小心做错了事，叫做过失。
When an error is not made on purpose, it is simply called a mistake.

有

心

非

，

名

为

恶

you

xin

fei

ming

wei

e

故意

做错

 称、叫

做

罪恶

on purpose

to do things

to be called

as

evil

故意做错事情，就叫做罪恶。
To deliberately do something wrong is not just a mistake, but an evil.

过

能

改

，

归

于

无

guo

neng

gai

gui

yu

wu

过错

能够

改正

回

到

没有

to do things wrong

can

to reform to change

goes back

to

nothing

犯了过错而能改正，对我们的人格终归无损。
If we can reform our offenses, our offenses will all disappear.

倘

掩

饰

，

增

一

辜

tang

yan

shi

zeng

yi

gu

如果

掩盖

文饰

 增加

一个

罪

if

to cover up

to hide and gloss over

to increase

one

offense

倘若再加以掩饰覆藏，那就是一错再错，罪加一等。
But trying to cover them up will make our offenses much worse.

我们常连着说“过错”或“罪恶”，其实“过”、“恶”与“罪”三者统而言之，虽然都是犯了错，但错得不一样。怎么的不一样法呢？其不同在“用心”。无心造成的过错，只有造错的业，而无犯戒的恶；有心造出的过错，既有造恶的业，亦有犯戒的罪；而不管起初犯错是无心或有心，错了怕人知道，因此一而再，再而三地企图掩饰，把心都染污了，这就罪上加罪，罪不可赦，终难逃恶报。只因为“初发心”的些微之差，就演变成非常不同之结果，正是“失之毫厘，谬以千里”，怎么可以不戒惧谨慎呢？

We often talk about mistakes, evil, and offenses in the same breath. But actually, although they all refer to wrongdoings, they are not the same. In what way are they different? In the underlying mental state. When one unintentionally does something wrong, one creates wrong karma, but is without the evil of breaking precepts. When one deliberately does something wrong, one not only creates evil karma, but has the offense of breaking precepts. And regardless of whether or not one's wrongdoing was intentional or not, if one is afraid of people finding out, then one will cover it up again and again, defiling one's mind and adding to one's offenses until they become unpardonable and there is no way to avoid one's evil retribution. Such subtle differences in one's initial thought can lead to such widely different results. It is truly a case of, "Off by a hairsbreadth in the beginning, one misses by a thousand miles in the end." How can we not be careful?

有一位心理学老师上课时，拿了一张白纸，在上面点了个黑点，然后问学生：“这是什么？”学生毫不迟疑，异口同声回答：“一个黑点！”老师就问：“这明明是一张白纸，你们为什么都说是一个黑点呢？”学生都张口结舌，答不上来。老师就说：“这张白纸，好比是我们本来清净的自性，黑点，就是我们所犯的过错，当我们犯了过错，别人一眼就看得出来；就好像你们只注意到这个黑点，而忽略了它是张白纸的本质──至少它白的部分，也仍然大过黑的。所以人是犯错不得的！”

Once a psychology teacher held up before her class a sheet of blank white paper, on which she drew a black dot. Then she asked her students, "What is this?" The students replied in unison, "A black dot!" The teacher said, "This is clearly a sheet of white paper. Why does everyone say that it's a black dot?" The students were speechless and could not reply. The teacher said, "This white sheet of paper is like our own nature, which is originally pure. The black dot is like the mistakes we make. When we make a mistake, other people can tell right away, just as you only noticed this black dot. Therefore, we'd better not do things wrong." 

老师停了一停，继续问：“万一犯了过错，怎么办呢？”有几个学生回答：“改过！”“好！你们再看这个！”老师拿起笔，很快地在那黑点上加了几笔，画成一只蜜蜂，再问：“这是什么？”有的学生就说是一只蜜蜂，有的迟疑着说：“是一幅画吧？”老师就问：“这比原来的一张白纸好看吗？”学生都毫不迟疑地又齐声回答：“好看！”老师拿了另一张点了个黑点的白纸，用白粉涂掉，然后再剪一小块白纸贴上，又问：“好看吗？”学生都笑起来：“好丑怪喔！”老师便说：“当我们犯了错，企图粉饰，别人还是看得出白纸上的痕迹，只觉得更丑更作怪；可是如果从错误中学到教训，而切实改过了，便是把有黑点的白纸，提升成为一张漂亮的画了！”

The teacher paused, and then continued, "If you do make a mistake, what should you do?" Several students answered, "Correct it!" "OK! Watch this!" The teacher picked up a pen and quickly added a few more strokes to the black dot, turning it into a bee. Then she asked, "What's this?" A few students said it was a bee. Others asked, "Is that a picture?' The teacher asked, "Is this prettier than the blank white pa- per?" The students replied together, "Yes!" The teacher then took another sheet of white paper that had a black dot on it, covered it with white powder, then cut out a small piece of white paper and pasted it over the area. Then she asked, "Does this look nice?" The students all laughed and said, "That's ugly!" The teacher said, "When we do something wrong and try to cover it up, other people can still see the marks on the white paper and think it's very ugly and strange. However, if you can learn from your mistakes and sincerely reform, it is like transforming the black dot on the paper into a beautiful picture." .

《孟子》上也有一段类似的描述和比方：“古之君子，其过也，如日月之食，民皆见之；及其更也，民皆仰之。”这里的“食”就是现在的“蚀”字。日蚀和月蚀，本是一种自然的天象，古时候的人却以为是不祥的征兆，都争先恐后地出来看，又求神问卜的；等到日月恢复光明了，大家才松下一口气，歌舞庆祝。这是用光明的日月，来比方有道德的君子，他的一言一行，都是人们所仰望的；日蚀和月蚀，比喻君子的德行有了污点。但君子并不企图掩饰污点，只是努力改过，使自己重现光明。

Mencius used a similar analogy when he said, "The errors of the ancient worthies were like eclipses of the sun or moon； all the people could see them. When they corrected their faults, the entire populace looked up to them." Solar and lunar eclipses are natural phenomena. However, people in ancient times considered them bad omens and would rush to inquire about their meaning from oracles and deities. When the sun and moon regained their full radiance, everyone would sigh in relief and sing and dance in celebration. The shining sun and moon are analogies for a virtuous person whose every word and deed is admired by the people. A solar or lunar eclipse represents the staining of a worthy man's virtue. However, a worthy person would not try to cover up those stains; he would simply diligently reform so that he could be radiant again.

人们对于日月重光，只有更欣喜，更感激；对君子的改过，也是只有更仰慕，更佩服。本来嘛，“人非圣贤，孰能无过？”但我们却不可以因循苟且，拿这两句话当藉口；要紧的是“过则勿惮改”，不要怕改过。人为什么怕改过？因为犯了过错，不但英名扫地，引来别人的讪笑辱骂，就改过的过程中，也有许多身心的磨难。若能不怕这一切，努力克服自己内心的障碍，这才是大勇。所以说：“过而能改，善莫大焉。”若是“过而不改”呢？那可是“不祥莫大焉”了！

When the radiance of the sun or moon reappears, people feel only joy and gratitude. When a worthy person reforms, people only admire and look up to him more. Basically, "People are not sages; who can be without faults?" However, that doesn't mean we can use this statement as an excuse to be careless. The important thing to remember is, "If you have faults, don't be afraid to change." Why are people afraid to change their faults? Because once your mistakes are known, your reputation is ruined and people may make fun of you or scold you. The process of reforming can be full of ordeals. To not fear anything and diligently overcome the obstructions in your mind is to be truly courageous. And so it's said, "There is no greater good than being able to change your faults." What if you have faults but do not change? There is "no greater misfortune" than that!.

佛云“万法唯心造”，若把心譬之于水，水能载舟，亦能覆舟；心能造罪，亦能灭罪。佛门的“忏悔偈”说得很切当：

　罪从心起将心忏，
　心若灭时罪亦亡。
　心亡罪灭两俱空，
　是则名为真忏悔。

The Buddha said, "The ten thousand dharmas are made from the mind alone." We can compare the mind to water. Boats can travel in water, and they can also sink in water. Offenses can be created by the mind, and they can also be eradicated by the mind. A Buddhist repentance puts it aptly: 

Offenses arise from the mind and 
must be repented in the mind. 
When the mind is gone, offenses are also gone. 
With mind and offenses gone, both are empty .
That is called true repentance and reform.

忏悔必要改过，改过要自根本处下手，把罪福的本源──心，持正了。《大学》里提到“正心”的功夫：

　不欺暗室，不愧屋漏。

Repentance involves changing one's faults. Faults must be changed at their root. One must rectify the mind-the source of all offenses and blessings. The Great Learning discusses the skill of rectifying the mind: 

Do not cheat even when alone in a dark room; 
do not be ashamed of a leaking house.

《格言联壁》也有一联：

　青天白日之节义，
　自暗室屋漏中培来；
　旋乾转坤之经纶，
　自临深履薄处得力。

There is a proverb: 

Righteousness resembling the blue sky and white sun
is nurtured in situations like a dark room or a leaking house. 
The power to change the world comes from being 
as cautious as if one were walking on a precipice or treading on thin ice.

这是教人要知道“戒惧谨慎”，独处暗室，一如在大庭广众间，里外如一，毫不欺瞒造作；就是在造次慌乱之时，或颠沛流离之际，亦必如是。

This is telling us that we should be as cautious and scrupulous when alone in a dark room as when we are in a crowd. Our inner thoughts and outer actions should correspond, so that we are not the least bit deceptive. We must be this way even when we find ourselves in chaos or wandering without a home. 

《朱子治家格言》上亦说：“善欲人见，不是真善；恶恐人知，便是大恶。”我们做人若能心胸光明坦荡，不为别人的称讥毁誉造作，也不为自己的利衰得失逐求，自然就是个“大丈夫”，活得也才有意义。千万不要只顾一时的轻松光鲜，而令自己“遗臭万年”啊！

Mr. Zhu's Guidelines for Managing the Household say, "Good deeds that are done for others to see are not truly good. Evil that is done fearing others will find out is great evil." If our hearts are bright and forthright, and we do not act in ways to seek praise from others or benefit for ourselves, we will naturally be great heroes and our lives will be truly meaningful. We should never let ourselves be tempted by momentary enjoyment or fame into doing something that will bring on eternal disgrace.