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偈曰：
王祥臥冰感龍神 郭巨埋兒報親恩
鞠躬盡瘁諸葛亮 精忠報國武穆公
大義參天山西將 至仁救世渭水翁
宇宙靈魂唯正氣 古今不朽萬萬春
偈曰：
「王祥臥冰感龍神」：王祥的父母想要吃魚，他也沒有錢買魚。這真是一個傻孩子，廣東話叫傻仔。他就不穿衣服，躺在冰上希望用身上的暖氣把冰化了，能有魚出來。人身上的暖氣有限，冰很厚也不破，怎麼求到魚出來呢？但是冰竟爆開了，隨即有鯉魚跳出來。他抓回去供養爸爸，給爸爸媽媽治病。因為醫生說要吃鯉魚，因此他就跑去臥冰求鯉。龍王受不了，王祥臥冰要是凍死怎辦呢？要去救救這傻仔一命囉！於是就把冰弄開，送上兩條鯉魚。王祥回去和爸爸媽媽講怎樣弄了兩條鯉魚，爸爸媽媽一想：「唉！這不是鯉魚，這一定是龍子龍孫啊！你趕快給送回去囉！我們病已經好了，你有這個誠心。你看那麼厚的冰，魚從裡面跳出來，這一定是龍王送來的，我們不要吃這個魚了。」於是他就把魚送回去。龍王想布施兩個龍子龍孫，但王祥父母明白了，又給送回來了，這是臥冰感龍神。
「郭巨埋兒報親恩」：郭巨也是個傻仔。他太太生孩子之前他母親病了，要吃人奶才能活。若妻子生了孩子之後，這小孩子就要分人奶吃了。郭巨覺得不行，認為或者不要媽媽，把媽媽埋上；或者把兒子埋了，問他太太這事怎辦？太太一想，我們兒子可以再生，媽媽要是死了，就不能再有媽媽了。好了，先把兒子埋上，讓媽媽百年終老後，我們可以再生兒子。郭巨這個傻仔就說好，好！好！就預備把孩子埋上。為什麼要埋兒子呢？也因為沒有錢。當他正要埋兒子的時候就掏出金子來，有了金子就不必埋兒子，可以買東西供養媽媽，供養小孩子。從此郭巨就發財了。他為什麼能得到金子呢？也就因為一念真心，捨不得媽媽，寧可活埋了兒子。或者哪一位佛，或菩薩，或鬼，看到這個傻仔很可憐，就送一點金子給他，他也就不用埋兒子了。如果他要是埋了兒子，以後誰也不敢盡孝道？恐怕學了郭巨把兒子埋了，以後就斷子絕孫了。
「鞠躬盡瘁諸葛亮；精忠報國武穆公」：諸葛亮因報劉備三顧茅廬之恩，鞠躬盡瘁，死而後已，就是他怎麼辛苦，也要報劉皇叔對他的恩。岳武穆精忠報國，他雖然死了，但其精神是不死的。
「大義參天山西將；至仁救世渭水翁」：關帝公是大義參天，他講義氣。至仁救世姜子牙，即姜尚，太公望，號子牙，在渭水釣魚。人家用彎勾釣魚，他用直勾釣魚，魚就釣不上來。因是直勾，你往上一拿，魚就掉下去了，但他偏要用直勾釣。
當時周文王做夢，夢見虎生了翅膀會飛，飛虎，又說是飛熊，就是黑熊生了翅膀在空中飛。於是去問卦爻，就說有賢人在渭水旁釣魚，要救世的。文王便派兵去看看，看見姜太公在釣魚，並念咒：「釣、釣、釣，大魚不到小魚到；小魚不到，河裡蝦子來吵鬧。」像唱戲似的。那些兵一聽，認為是罵他們，便趕快回去告訴主人文王，說那兒是有個釣魚的老頭子，白頭髮戴個草帽子，口中念道：「釣、釣、釣，大魚不到小魚到；小魚不到河裡蝦米來吵鬧。」文王一聽便知道大魚指主人；主人沒有來，派幫蝦米們去打閒岔，於是就到那兒去請姜太公做軍師。
姜太公這時便擺架子要坐車，要文王拉車走。文王想要他保護朝廷，便給姜子牙拉車。姜太公坐在車上像個土老頭子，土裡土氣一付鄉下佬坐車的樣。文王給他拉車走，姜子牙告訴他拉了多少步要數著。文王拉了兩百步便說拉不動了。那車不是馬車，這是人拉的車。姜子牙聽他說累了，便說：「你再拉。」文王又拉了一程，拉得周身是汗走不動了，便說：「我真拉不動了。」
姜子牙說：「拉不動了？你再拉……」於是文王又拉了一程，又說道：「這回我真拉不動了；我真沒有力量了。」
姜子牙問道：「你拉了多少步？」
文王說：「我拉你時一步一步數，我一共拉了你八百零八步。」
姜子牙說：「好！我保你周朝子孫八百零八春。」即八百零八年。
文王說：「真的嗎？那我再拉。」
姜子牙說：「不行了，天機洩露之後就不靈了。我沒告訴你之前，你拉我多少步，我就保你多少年；現在你知道之後，就不算了。」
文王這就後悔了，嘆道：「唉喲！我要早知道，累死也要拉著你。」你看，以文王之德還是貪心，要他子孫興盛，可見世間人是不容易教化的。對他有利益的事要他死都不怕；對他沒有利益的事他一毛都不拔。
「宇宙靈魂唯正氣；古今不朽萬萬春」：什麼叫做宇宙靈魂？「忠、孝、仁、義」都是宇宙靈魂。這四個字發出來的就是一股正氣。從古到今這四個字光明萬丈，萬古長春，萬萬年他都是青春的。
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A verse says:
Wang Xiang lay on ice, moving the Dragon God to pity.
Guo Ju prepared to bury his son to repay his mother's kindness.
Zhuge Liang exhausted his energy in public service.
Lord Wumu served the country with utmost loyalty.
The general of Shanxi had a magnificent righteousness equal to the heavens.
The man of the Wei River saved the world with utmost humaneness.
This proper energy comprises the spirit of the universe.
Undying, it remains fresh and vibrant for eternal ages.
Commentary:
A verse says:
Wang Xiang lay on ice, moving the Dragon God to pity. Wang Xiang's parents wished to eat fish, but he had no money to buy any. He was truly a foolish child. He took off his clothes and lay down right on the ice, hoping to melt it with his body heat so the fish could come out. The heat of a human body is limited, and the ice was very thick. How could he possibly obtain fish that way? Nevertheless, the ice did crack, and two carp leaped out of the hole. Wang caught them and took them home to offer to his parents. Since the doctor had prescribed a diet of carp for his ill parents, Wang decided to lie down on the ice. The Dragon King couldn't bear to see him do that. What if Wang froze to death? Wanting to save that foolish boy's life, the Dragon King made the ice break open and sent him two carp. When Wang Xiang related the story to his parents, they thought, "Oh, these aren't carp, these must be young dragons. You'd better quickly let them go! We've already recovered from our illness. Your sincerity enabled those fish to leap out through that thick ice. The Dragon King must have sent them; we'd better not eat them." Wang sent the fish back. The Dragon King had wanted to give two of his young dragons as presents, but Wang's parents understood the situation and had their son return the fish. This is the story of how Wang Xiang lay on ice and moved the Dragon God.
Guo Ju prepared to bury his son to repay his mother's kindness. Guo Ju was another fool. When his wife was pregnant, his elderly mother fell ill and her only sustenance was his wife's breast milk. After his son was born, Guo Ju's mother had to share the milk with the baby. Guo Ju felt this would not do; he had to either bury his mother, or bury his son. When he asked his wife her opinion, she said, "We can always have another son. On the other hand, if your mother dies, you can never get her back. Let's bury our son so your mother can live out her life. Later we can have another son." Foolish Guo Ju thought, "She's right! Let's do that!" and prepared to bury his son, since he could not afford to raise him. While digging the hole, he uncovered some gold. With that gold, he no longer had to bury his son, for he could buy enough food to nourish both his mother and his son. Guo Ju became a rich man. Why was he able to discover that gold? Because his wish to let his mother live was so earnest that he was ready to bury his own son. Some Buddha, Bodhisattva, or ghost took pity on this simpleton and decided to give him some gold so he wouldn't have to sacrifice his son. If he had actually buried his son, in the future no one would want to be filial. If people followed Guo Ju's example and buried their sons, they might not have anyone to carry on their family name.
Zhuge Liang exhausted his energy in public service. Zhuge Liang, in order to requite Liu Bei's earnestness in visiting him three times at his hut to ask him to serve, devoted himself totally to the country, not considering his duty ended until after death. That was why he worked so arduously to serve Emperor Liu.
Lord Wumu served the country with utmost loyalty. Yue Wumu served his king with utmost allegiance. Although he lost his life, his spirit will never die.
The general of Shanxi had a magnificent righteousness equal to the heavens. Lord Guan had a great sense of public spirit. He was a man of uncompromising integrity.
The man of the Wei River saved the world with utmost humaneness. The man who saved the world with his total humaneness was Jiang Ziya, also known as Jiang Shang, who fished at Wei River. Other people fished using curved hooks, but he used a straight hook that never caught any fish. As soon as he pulled on the line, the fish would fall off the hook. Nevertheless, he insisted on using a straight hook.
In the past, King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty had a dream in which he saw a tiger (some versions say it was a black bear) with wings soaring through the sky. When he consulted a diviner, he was told that a worthy one fishing on the banks of the Wei River was destined to save the world. King Wen sent his troops to investigate. The soldiers saw Elder Lord Jiang there fishing and reciting a mantra that went, "I'm fishing, fishing, fishing, but the big fish stay away and the small fish come. The small fish stay away, while the shrimp in the river make a ruckus." He sang it like an opera. Taking his words as a taunt, the soldiers hurried back and reported to King Wen, "There's a white-haired old man wearing a straw hat, singing as he fishes, 'I'm fishing, fishing, fishing, but the big fish stay away and the small fish come. The small fish stay away, while the shrimp in the river make a ruckus.'" King Wen knew that the big fish meant him, the one in charge. Instead of going himself, he had sent some young "shrimp" as an idle diversion. Thereupon he went to personally invite Elder Lord Jiang to be his military strategist.
Elder Lord Jiang put on airs, demanding to ride in a carriage drawn by King Wen himself. For the sake of the imperial court, King Wen consented. The Elder Jiang rode in the carriage with all the dignity of an old country bumpkin. He told King Wen to count the number of steps he pulled the carriage. After two hundred steps, King Wen said he could pull no further. That carriage was pulled by human power, not horses. Hearing that King Wen was tired, Lord Jiang said, "Pull some more." King Wen pulled a while longer, until his whole body was covered with sweat, and when he could walk no more, he said, "I really can pull no farther."
"So you can't pull any more? Pull some more..."
King Wen pulled some more, then said, "This time I really can't go any farther. I haven't an ounce of strength left."
"How many steps did you pull?" asked Jiang.
"I counted every step I pulled, and it was a total of 808 steps," replied King Wen.
"Fine. I guarantee that your Zhou Dynasty will last 808 years."
"Really? Then I'll pull some more," said King Wen.
"It won't work," said Jiang. "After the secret is revealed, it's no longer efficacious. Before I told you, I could guarantee you as many years as the number of steps you pulled me. But now that you know, it doesn't count."
King Wen was filled with regret. He sighed and said, "If I had known earlier, I would have pulled you until I died of fatigue!" See? Even one as virtuous as King Wen was still greedy for posterity. Worldly people are certainly not easy to teach and transform. If they can benefit, they will risk death. If they can gain nothing, they will not lift a finger.
This proper energy comprises the spirit of the universe. Undying, it remains fresh and vibrant for eternal ages. What is the spirit of the universe? It is comprised of loyalty, filial respect, humaneness, and righteousness. These four qualities generate proper energy. From ancient to contemporary times, these four qualities have shone with splendid radiance, remaining fresh and vital through the ages.
The End
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