故華嚴經云。忘失菩提心。修諸善法。是名魔業。忘失尚爾。況未發乎。故知欲學如來乘。必先具發菩薩願。不可緩也。

「故《華嚴經》云」：所以，在《華嚴經》上說：「忘失菩提心，修諸善法，是名魔業」：你要是忘失菩提心了，你修一切的善法；雖然是善法也是修六欲諸天那個天魔的業。因為你無明不斷，淫欲心不斷，修這些個法都是在那造天魔的業。忘失菩提心，就是你這個念不清淨。你若念清淨，那就是菩提心；念不清淨，那就是魔業，所以是名魔業。

「忘失尚爾」：你把菩提心忘了，你所修的善法，還都只是魔業，況且你還沒有發呢！「況未發乎」：你若不發菩提心，那你能修什麼？修什麼也都是魔業。

「故知欲學如來乘」：所以你就要學佛乘，「必先具發菩薩願」：你一定要先具足了發菩薩的願力；你若不發這個願力，那總是還在魔的窟窿裏轉，在魔的洞裏來回來回跑。「不可緩也」：所以這個菩提心不可以等，不可以說：「我等等再發菩提心吧！」不可以的！說：「我等等再立菩薩願。」這不可以。你一定要發菩提心，行菩薩道，這才能脫出輪迴，了生脫死呢！

然心願差別。其相乃多。若不指陳。如何趨向。今為大眾略而言之。相有其八。所謂邪正真偽大小偏圓是也。

「然心願差別」：「然」就是這樣子；既然是這樣子了，你一定要發菩提心，你一定要立堅固願。你不發菩提心，始終也不能成佛道；不立堅固願，始終也達不到你的目的。「心願差別」：人發心的心願有很多種不同的。「其相乃多」：就是人的思想，人的目的，人的志願，人的目標，這相很多很多的，可以說是有八萬四千那麼多。

「若不指陳」：「若」也就是括簡略的，不能全說；我說簡單一點，或少說一點。若不指陳，我若不把它指示明白了，說清楚了，陳列出來。這個「陳」就是陳列出來，就是給你們擺在眼前看一看。

「如何趨向」：你怎麼知道往前去進步呢？趨，就是往前到那個地方去；向，就是對著那個地方，這叫向。「趨向」就是我怎麼會有一個目標呢？我怎麼會有一個方針宗旨呢？

「今為大眾」：省庵大師說我現在為大眾。「略而言之」：略略地說主要的。「相有其八」：總括起來有八種相。八種說的什麼呢？「所謂邪正真偽大小偏圓是也」：有邪有正，有真有偽，有大有小，有偏有圓。

怎麼叫邪呢？邪就是自私；怎麼叫正呢？正就是不自私；怎麼叫真呢？真就是利人不利己；偽呢？就是利己不利人。你用六大宗旨來看就可以知道。什麼叫小？什麼叫大？小也就是為自己；大就是為大眾。所謂：

把自己的命都搭上了也沒有用。大，就是發大心；發大心就是行菩薩道。不發大心，發小心呢？就是不行菩薩道，就是自私自利、爭、貪、求、為自己做打算，這都是小；若為大家做打算，大公無私、至正不偏，普同供養，以法界為體，以虛空為用，這都叫大。

待續

Text:

As the Flower Adornment Sutra says, "By forgetting the Bodhi re­solve, the cultivation of even wholesome dharmas becomes the karma of demons." That is to forget the Bodhi resolve; it is even worse never to make the resolve.

Thus we know that anyone wishing to study the Vehicle of Thus Come Ones must first make the vows of a Bodhisattva without delay.

Commentary:

As the Flower Adornment Sutra says, "By forgetting the Bodhi resolve, the cultivation of even wholesome dharmas becomes the karma of demons." If you forget about your resolve for Bodhi, then even if you cultivate every wholesome dharma, you are merely cultivating the karma of the heavenly demons in the Six Desire Heavens. Because you have not put an end to your ignorance and lust, the cultivation of these dharmas creates the karma of heavenly demons. To forget the Bodhi resolve means to have impure thoughts. If your thoughts are pure, then the Bodhi resolve is present. Impure thoughts,however, are demonic karma.

That is to forget the Bodhi resolve;if you forget the Bodhi re­solve, the wholesome dharmas that you cultivate are only demonic karma; how much worse is it if you do not make the resolve at all! It is even worse never to make the resolve. If you have not made the Bodhi resolve, what are you able to cultivate? Anything you cultivate will only be demonic karma.

Thus we know that anyone wishing to study the Vehicle of Thus Come Ones,anyone wishing to study the Buddhadharma and the Buddha Vehicle, must first make the vows of a Bodhisattva without delay. You should definitely first make the vows of a Bodhisattva. Otherwise, you will always be going in circles in the demons' hole, going back and forth in the den of demons. The Bodhi resolve is not something you should wait to bring forth. You cannot say,"I'll wait a while before I make the Bodhi resolve." That won't do! You cannot say, "I'll make the Bodhisattva vows in a little while." You must bring forth the Bodhi resolve and walk the Bodhisattva path, for only then will you be able to escape transmigration and put an end to birth and death.

Text:

Butvows and resolves are various; they are of many kinds. If they are not pointed out, how can we advance toward them? I will now explain them in general for the great assembly.There are eight kinds of resolves: deviant, proper, true, false, great, small,partial, and complete.

What is meant by deviant,proper, true, false, great, small, partial, and complete?

Commentary:

It is the case that you must bring forth the Bodhi resolve and make solid vows. If you don't bring forth the Bodhi resolve, you will never accomplish the Buddha's Way. If you don't make solid vows, you will never reach your goal. But vows and resolves are various. People make many different kinds of resolves. Their resolves express their ideas, their goals, their aspirations, and their purposes. They are of many kinds. It could be said that there are 84,000 kinds.

If they are not pointed out, how can we advance toward them?I cannot give a complete explanation, but I can say a little bit. 1 can present them for your consideration. Otherwise, how can you make progress? How can you set a goal for yourself? How can you know what direction to take?

Dharma Master Xing'an said: I will now explain them in general for the great assembly. I will briefly explain the essentials. In general,there are eight kinds of resolves. What are they? They are: deviant, proper,true, false, great, small, partial, and complete. Resolves may be deviant or proper, true or false, great or small, partial or complete.

What is meant by deviant? Deviant means selfish. What is meant by proper? Proper means unselfish. What is meant by true? True means benefiting others, not benefiting oneself. What about false?That is to benefit oneself and not benefit others. By using the Six Guiding Principles, you can tell what kind of resolve a person has made. What is meant by great?What is meant by small? A small resolve is made for one's own sake, while a great resolve is made for the sake of the great assembly. There is a saying that goes,

A life based on selfishness is useless. A great resolve involves prac­ticing the Bodhisattva Way. If one makes a small resolve instead, then one is not practicing the Bodhisattva Way. Instead, one is selfish and out for personal benefit, contends with others, is greedy, seeks things, and always thinks on only of oneself.These are the characteristics of a small resolve. If one always thinks on behalf of others and is public-spirited and unselfish, fair and unbiased,making offerings universally, taking the Dharma Realm as one's substance and empty space as one's function, then one's resolve is great.

To be continued