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此菩提心。諸善中王。必有因緣。方得發起。今言因緣。略有十種。何等為十。一者為佛重恩故。二者念父母恩故。三者念師長恩故。四者念施主恩故。五者念眾生恩故。六者念生死苦故。七者尊重己靈故。八者懺悔業障故。九者求生淨土故。十者為念正法得久住故。
「此菩提心」：這菩提心就是說我們人這種求智慧的心－－菩提就是覺道；覺道，就是對著不覺道。我們眾生就是不覺，若覺了就會發菩提心；不覺就不會發菩提心。這個「此菩提心」：就是說這個菩提心。「諸善中王」：無論你做什麼善事，也沒有發菩提心這個重要。發菩提心，一定要有一種因緣，所以說「必有因緣」。因，就是種的這個因；緣，就是幫助這個菩提心的助緣。因，就要種的正因；緣，要幫助這個正因來發展，所以「方得發起」。那麼因為什麼你要發菩提心呢？這有十種。「今言因緣，略有十種」：現在說這個因緣有十種。「何等為十」：十種因緣是什麼呢？
「一者」就是「念佛重恩故」：我們眾生不知道佛對我們慈悲喜捨的這種恩。這種恩是沒有法子可以形容的，說也說不完，所以這是「重」，是最重最重的。你看，佛三祇修福慧，百劫種相好，他無非想要救度你我現前這個眾生離苦得樂。所以他自己先以身示範來修行，經過種種的苦難，種種不能忍、不能受的那種境界，所以這個佛的恩是最重的。
「二者念父母恩故」：那麼這個佛恩是不容易報，我們應該要發菩提心來報佛恩；父母對我們也是有恩的。父母生我們，懷胎十月，乳哺三年，然後教養我們長大，這個也是很不容易的。「三者念師長恩故」：第三的恩就是要念師長的恩。師，就是所有我們跟著學法、學智慧的一切老師。他對我們循循善誘，種種的教導，這種恩也是應該報的。
「四者念施主恩故」：施主就是護法。我們出家修道，這護法護持我們修道，這個恩也很重的。我們如果不發菩提心，所謂「三心不了水難消」：你要是不把三心掃去，你喝這個施主布施一口水也不容易消化的。這是四者念施主恩。
「五者念眾生恩故」：眾生對我們也都有恩；一切一切眾生，或者和我們都有相當的關係，所以我們也應該報恩。
「六者念生死苦故」：第六要痛念生死，我們也要發菩提心。「七者尊重己靈故」：「一切眾生皆有佛性，皆堪作佛。」我們自己既然有佛性，我們應該發菩提心，圓成我們的佛性，所以也要尊重自己本有的這種靈明覺性。
「八者懺悔業障故」：第八樣發菩提心的因緣就要懺悔自己的業障，令自己的業障消除。我們為什麼要發菩提心呢？我們懺悔我們自己過去的業障，有罪過都要改了。譬如不持戒，儘打妄想，慾心太重，這都是業障，我們要懺悔，要真正生懺悔心，要在佛前改過自新。不要叩一個頭說：「佛啊！你保佑著我多一點desire（欲念）囉！」「啊！佛啊！你保佑我這快一點還俗囉！」你這樣子，怎麼會懺悔業障呢？你一邊那兒在拜懺，一邊想你那個男朋友；一邊拜懺，一邊想自己的女朋友，這怎麼樣可以懺悔業障呢？這就不能懺悔業障了。這第八種，你要懺悔業障就要發菩提心；發菩提心就是過去這種污濁邋遢的思想，都要把它洗乾淨了，這叫懺悔業障。「九者求生淨土故」：要求生西方極樂世界，見阿彌陀佛。
「十者為念正法得久住故」：我們發菩提心修道，能真正修道這就是正法久住；我們若不發菩提心修道呢，這就是正法不住世了，所以我們要有這十種的因緣。無論哪一個人都應該發菩提心，就是叫這個菩提心生出來。不要以為我們修不修行，這與其他人沒有關係；我們和整個世界都互相有關係的。所以我們要發菩提心，這個世間就是佛法久住了；我們不發菩提心，這佛法就滅了。
待續
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Text:
The Bodhi resolve is the king among all good things. It can arise only due to certain causes and conditions. In general, there are ten causes and conditions, which will now be discussed. What are the ten?
The first is mindfulness of the Buddhas' deep kindness.
The second is mindfulness of our parents' kindness.
The third is mindfulness of our teachers' kindness.
The fourth is mindfulness of donors' kindness.
The fifth is mindfulness of living beings' kindness.
The sixth is mindfulness of the suffering of birth and death.
The seventh is reverence for our own spiritual nature.
The eighth is repenting of karmic obstacles and reforming.
The ninth is the wish for rebirth in the Pure Land.
The tenth is the wish to cause the Proper Dharma to remain long in the world.
Commentary:
The Bodhi resolve is the resolve to seek wisdom. Bodhi refers to the Path of Enlightenment, as opposed to the path of nonenlightenment. We living beings are unenlightened. If we were enlightened, we would resolve our minds on Bodhi. Those who are unenlightened do not resolve their minds on Bodhi.
The Bodhi resolve is the king among all good things. No other good deed is as important as bringing forth the Bodhi resolve. But the Bodhi resolve is such that
it can arise only due to certain causes and conditions—the causes that we plant and the aiding conditions that help the Bodhi resolve. We plant the causes themselves, and then there are conditions which help them to develop. Why do we bring forth the resolve for Bodhi?
In general, there are ten causes and conditions, which will now be discussed. What are the ten?
The first is mindfulness of the Buddhas' deep kindness. We living beings do not realize the kindness, compassion, joy, and renunciation that the Buddhas feel toward us. There is no way to describe such kindness. One could never finish describing it. That's why it is said to be "deep." It is the deepest of the deep. Take a look. The Buddha cultivated blessings and wisdom for three asamkhyeya eons and developed the marks and characteristics for a hundred eons, all with the sole purpose of rescuing you and me and other living beings of the present, so that we can leave suffering and attain happiness. Therefore, the Buddha first sets an example through his own cultivation, undergoing all kinds of miserable and unbearable states. Therefore, the Buddha's kindness is the greatest.
The second is mindfulness of our parents' kindness. The Buddha's kindness is hard to requite. We ought to resolve our minds on Bodhi in order to repay it. Our parents have also shown us kindness. They gave birth to us. We stayed in our mothers' wombs for ten months, drank our mothers' milk for three years, and were raised by our parents until we grew up. It was not easy for our parents.
The third is mindfulness of our teachers' kindness. Our teachers are people from whom we study the Dharma and learn wisdom. They patiently instruct and admonish us, teaching us in various ways. We ought to repay their kindness as well.
The fourth is mindfulness of donors' kindness. Donors are Dharma protectors. When we leave the home-life to cultivate the Way, Dharma protectors give us support and protection. Their kindness is weighty as well. If we fail to resolve our minds on Bodhi, then as it's said, "Before the three thoughts are ended, even water is hard to digest." [Three thoughts = past, present, and future thoughts.] Before you have swept away thoughts of the three periods of time, you will find it hard to accept even a sip of water from a donor. That describes the kindness of the donor.
The fifth is mindfulness of living beings' kindness. Living beings also show us kindness. All living beings have considerable affinities with us, so we ought to repay their kindness.
The sixth is mindfulness of the suffering of birth and death. Intense mindfulness of birth and death also motivates us to bring forth the Bodhi resolve.
The seventh is reverence for our own spiritual nature. "All living beings have the Buddha nature and can become Buddhas." Since we have the Buddha nature, we ought to resolve our minds on Bodhi and bring our Buddha nature to full realization. Therefore, we should honor our spiritually bright, enlightened nature.
The eighth reason for bringing forth the Bodhi resolve is for the sake of
repenting of our own karmic obstacles, thereby obliterating them and reforming ourselves.
The ninth is the wish for rebirth in the Pure Land. We seek to be rebom in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, so we can see Amitabha Buddha.
The tenth is the wish to cause the Proper Dharma to remain long in the world. If we can resolve our minds on Bodhi and truly cultivate the Way, then the Proper Dharma will remain long in the world.
On the other hand, if we do not bring forth the Bodhi resolve to cultivate the Way, then the Proper Dharma does not exist in the world. Therefore, we need to have these ten causes and conditions. No matter who you are, you ought to bring forth the Bodhi resolve; you ought to cause it to arise. You shouldn't think that the matter of whether or not you cultivate has nothing to do with anyone else; we are all interconnected with the rest of the world. Therefore, if we resolve our minds on Bodhi, the Buddhadharma will remain long in the world. If we don't do that, however, the Buddhadharma will perish.
To be continued
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