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人類所以為萬物之靈者，因人能修其品德也，故言必忠信，行必篤敬，待人以誠，教人以切，禮人以謹。行有不得，反求諸己，去私守公，上體十方諸佛無緣大慈，普度一切眾生，同出苦輸，皆成佛道。下念三途眷屬，無間罪報，速應救拔親友，共離鬼獄，齊證菩提。常存此心，堅固行願。若此目的未達，誓不休息。敦品立德，必滿斯願。
什麼叫品呢？品，這是三個人，就是口合在一起了。這三個口，怎麼樣子呢？這個人說那個是個壞人；那個人說那不是，那是個好人；那個人又說他不好也不懷，是一個普通的人：這也就叫沒有德行了。要是這個人說那個人真好啊！那個也說他不錯啊！他對人太好了，他做事也很認真的，一點也不馬虎；那個說對了，我同意你們兩個人的說法：這有德行了；這個人就叫有品德了，大家都贊成你。這品——品品，就是大家來評論你，來說他怎麼樣啊？你說果興怎麼樣啊？有的人說他做工做得很好的；有的人說他講話也講得不錯的；有的人說：「喔！他是不太懶，到做工的時候他做很多工。」就是這樣子來評評他，這叫品德。
「人類所以為萬物之靈者」：人是最聰明的。你在胎生、卵生、濕生、化生這四生裡邊，人是最聰明的。你看人都支配一切的眾生：馬也給人做工，牛給人吃肉，豬也讓人來吃牠肉，牠不吃人肉；牠吃不了人。為什麼呢？牠沒有人這麼聰明，沒有人這麼大的智慧，所以人為萬物之靈。靈就是聰明有智慧，謂之靈。
「因人能修其品德也」：人知道往好的做。怎麼往好的做呢？這說了。「故言必忠信」：說出話一定很忠實的。忠實，盡己之謂忠，盡上自己這個能力了，這就是個忠。
「不欺謂之信」：譬如我和你約定一個時間，說明天四點鐘你起來做早功課。你到四點半才起來，那就沒有信了。你和我說的四點鐘就是四點鐘，這是信了，有信。信就是依照你那個（約定）appointment 的時間去做去；你不依照那個時間，那就不是信了。
「行必篤敬」：你無論做一點什麼事情，要必恭必敬的。這個篤就是很篤厚的；篤厚也就很誠懇的。篤敬，做什麼事都很恭敬的。好像打字；你不要以為打字的時候就可以馬馬虎虎，就可以睡覺了。你要在打字的時候，打打睡著了，那就不篤敬了，對這個事情不認真了。你很認真的一個字也打不錯，那叫篤敬了。做事情的時候要有一種主敬存誠，以恭敬為主。「待人以誠」：我對待人，我要以誠心。好像他沒吃飯來，我叫他來吃飯：「請你吃飯，我們這飯在那，這菜在那，你自己招呼自己了。」那很誠懇的樣子，叫他來，招呼他。這招待人以誠；要是不誠就是：「喂！你吃飯啊！吃啦！」啊！這麼樣子，好像開玩笑似的，他想吃又不吃了。他一看：「你對我又不是誠心叫我吃，我吃它幹什麼？」
你也不要說我招待人我就誠，拿這麼大一個碗來給他添，吃不了也要他吃；那又太過了，又不是誠了。你不要以為叫人吃得多就是誠了。待人，就是招待人，招待人要有一個誠心。
「教人以切」：你教化人要很懇切的，很認真的，講出來這個道理是實實在在的，就好像一塊石頭落到地下了。實在，不要飄飄搖搖的；飄飄搖搖你就不懇切。你一點也不認真那麼教去，那人家也就不聽的。
「禮人以謹」：你行禮要自己謹慎一點，不要這麼慌慌張張的，對人一點都不禮貌。那沒有謹慎！那個謹，就是我對你很恭敬的；很恭敬你的，我恐怕我失禮，對不住你。
你們沒有這種的對不住人這個意思。無論什麼——好像慚愧那兩個字，在你們很少；說不好意思，在你們沒有一個不好意思。你就無論對人怎樣不好也不會不好意思的。
「行有不得」：你所行所作要是不圓滿，不得就是不圓滿，沒有得到圓滿的反應。就是，你這見到人，給人行個禮，人看你都不看你，不接受你那個禮，這就叫行有不得了。為什麼他不接受我這個禮呢？喔！我還是沒有盡上我的恭敬心，所以說「反求諸己」：返回來找自己的錯誤，不要找人家的錯。「我給你行個禮，你連看都不看，你這是對我太不禮貌了！」喔！就打起來了，那就不是反求諸己了。
「去私」：把這個私心去了，我扔到一邊去。「守公」：守這個公，為公務，為公共的事情。我們做事情——好像我要單單為我自己利益，這個事情我做不做都沒有關係的；要是為人類的利益，也為大家的利益，我一定要做去。這就叫去私守公。「上體十方諸佛」：往上來體念；體，就是體會十方諸佛，明白十方諸佛這個無緣大慈。他對那個沒有緣的，也有大慈悲心。「普度一切眾生」：他普度一切眾生。不分別說這個眾生我歡喜，我就先度他；那個眾生我討厭他，我後度他。不是的。你無論對佛有緣無緣他都度的，普度一切眾生。「同出苦輪」：他看見哪個眾生苦，他就要度哪個眾生出這個六道苦的輪迴。「皆成佛道」：願意成佛道。
「下念三途眷屬」：你往下應該想一想，我三途有眷屬——眷屬就是自己家裡的人，或者過去七世的父母祖先啊，那兄弟姊妹啊，妻子啊，這都叫眷屬；眷屬就不是親戚了。「無間罪報」：他們在地獄、餓鬼、畜生這三惡道裡頭很受罪報。你知道你過去的父親他造了什麼罪業？好像那個目連，他證阿羅漢，看見他母親下地獄了，他要度他出無間斷那麼多的罪報。「速應救拔親友」：我趕快要救拔，連我的眷屬，我親戚和朋友，我都要救拔他。「共離鬼獄」：共同離開這個餓鬼地獄的苦。「齊證菩提」：一齊證到這個菩提覺果。「常存此心」：我這個心常常這麼存。「堅固行願」：我堅固我這種的行願。「若此目的未達」：我這個目標——想救度一切眾生：救我的眷屬，我的親戚朋友，這個目標沒有達到呢。
「誓不休息」：我發誓願我不休息。「必滿斯願」：一定圓滿我這個願。而「敦品立德」：而敦厚我這個品德。敦也當厚字講，就是多了的
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Text:
The reason that people are the most magical among the myriad creatures is that they are able to cultivate a virtuous character. Therefore, one's words should be trustworthy, and one's actions must be prompted by utmost reverence. We should treat others with sincerity, teach them with earnestness, and observe the rules of courtesy with caution. Whenever things don't go our way, we should seek to find the problem within ourselves. We should get rid of selfish motives and embrace a public spirit. Above, we should understand the Buddhas of the ten directions, how they feel great kindness toward those with whom they have no affinities and universally save all living beings so they can together escape the wheel of suffering and accomplish the Buddha Way.
Below we should be mindful of our kin within the three evil destinies, who are still undergoing ceaseless retribution for their offenses. We should quickly rescue our relatives and friends, so that they all leave the realms of ghosts and hells, and together realize Bodhi. We should always maintain this resolve, and make firm our practices and vows. If we haven't reached this goal, we vow to never rest. By establishing a virtuous character, we can certainly fulfill our vows.
Commentary:
The Chinese word for "character" (品) is composed of three "mouths" (口) put together. This refers to three people talking about someone. Suppose the first person says, "This is a bad person," the second person says, "This is not a good person," and a third person says, "He's neither good nor bad, but just average." Then you know this person doesn't have virtue. Suppose the first person says, "This person is really good." Another one says, "This person isn't bad; he's very kind to people. He's very diligent, not at all careless." A third person comments, "Right, I agree with both of you." Then the person is someone who has virtue, who has virtue of character. If everyone praises him, then he is someone with good character. How is a person's character? Everyone is asked to evaluate it. For instance, what do you think of Guo Xing? Someone says, "Oh, he does very good work." Another one says, "He also speaks pretty well." Another one says, "He's not lazy at all. When it's time to work, he does a lot of work." From their evaluations, one can judge his character.
The reason that people are the most magical among the myriad creatures. Among creatures born from wombs, from eggs, from moisture, and by transformation—the four kinds of birth—people are the most intelligent. People control all other living beings. Horses do work for people, cows are raised to provide meat for people, and so are pigs. They can't eat the flesh of people, because they aren't as smart or as wise as people. That's why people are said to be the most magical of all creatures. "Magical" means intelligent and wise. The reason for this
is that they are able to cultivate a virtuous character. People know to go towards the good. How does one go towards the good. Once you say you will do something, you should do it.
Therefore, one's words should be trustworthy. Your words should be true and honest. You should do your best to live up to your own words, and you should not cheat others. For example, if you make an agreement with me to get up at four o'clock tomorrow morning to do morning recitation, and you don't get up until four thirty, then you will not have been trustworthy. To be trustworthy means if you say four o'clock, then you get up at four o'clock. You are on time for your appointment. If you aren't on time, then you can't be considered trustworthy.
And one's actions must be prompted by utmost reverence. Every deed you do, no matter how small, should be done with complete sincerity and respect. For example, don't think that you can be casual when you are typing. If you fall asleep as you type, then you aren't being reverent and serious. If you are serious, you won't make a single mistake in your typing. Everything you do should be based on an attitude of reverence.
We should treat others with sincerity. For example, if a person hasn't eaten, we should invite him to eat, saying, "Please come and partake of this food with us. Help yourself." You ask him to come to the table, and you serve him and take care of him. That's being sincere. A lack of sincerity would be to say, "Eat!" You sound as if you're joking, so even if the person wants to eat, he doesn't. He thinks, "You aren't being sincere, so why should I eat?" On the other hand, you shouldn't try to show your sincerity by giving him a huge bowl of food and insisting that he finish it all even if it's too much.
That's going overboard and doesn't count as sincerity. You shouldn't think that telling people to eat a lot is sincerity. You should
teach them with earnestness. When you teach people, you should be very earnest and serious. The principles you tell them should be very solid and down-to-earth. You shouldn't say things that are frivolous or vacillating, not the least bit serious, because then people won't want to listen.
And observe the rules of courtesy with caution. Be a little more careful to practice the rules of courtesy towards others.
Don't be so rash and impolite. To be cautious means to be very respectful and afraid of offending others.
This kind of spirit is not very common among you. You seldom show a sense of shame and remorse. You don't usually feel embarrassed when you offend someone.
Whenever things don't go our way, when we don't get a satisfactory response in whatever we do... for example, when we greet someone, but he doesn't even look at us or acknowledge our greeting,
we should seek the problem within ourselves. Why doesn't he acknowledge our greeting? It's because we haven't shown true respect. Reasoning in this way, we seek the problem within ourselves. We look for our own mistakes. We don't go to him and say, "I greeted you but you didn't even bother to look at me." So you got into a fight with each other. To argue with others in that way is not seeking within ourselves.
We should get rid of selfish motives, cast them aside,
and embrace a public spirit. We should work for the public good. If something is for our personal benefit, it doesn't matter if we do it. If it is for the good of humankind, for the good of everyone, then we are determined to do it.
Above, we should understand and be mindful of the
Buddhas of the ten directions, how they feel great kindness and compassion
toward those with whom they have no affinities and universally save all living beings so they can together escape the wheel of suffering and accomplish the Buddha Way. They don't discriminate and say, "I like this being so I'm going to rescue him first; I despise that one so I'll wait till later to save him." Whether or not you have affinities with the Buddha, he will save you. As long as a living being is in suffering, the Buddha wants to help him get out of the six paths and become a Buddha.
Below we should be mindful of our kin—our parents, ancestors, siblings, spouses, and relatives from this life and seven lives past—within the three evil destinies, who are still undergoing ceaseless retribution for their offenses. They are suffering in the hells and the realms of hungry ghosts and animals. Just as Maudgalyayana wanted to save his mother from the uninterrupted suffering of the hells after he certified to Arhatship and saw where she was,
we should quickly rescue our relatives and friends, so that they all leave the realms of ghosts and hells, and together realize the fruition of Bodhi.
We should always maintain this resolve, and make firm our practices and vows. If we haven't reached this goal of rescuing all living beings and our friends and relatives,
we vow to never rest. By establishing a virtuous character, we can certainly fulfill our vows.
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