|
云何念眾生恩。為我與眾生。從曠劫來。世世生生。互為父母。彼此有恩。今雖隔世昏迷。互不相識。以理推之。豈無報效。今之披毛戴角。安知非昔為其子乎。今之蝡動蜎飛。安知不曾為我父乎。每見幼離父母。長而容貌都忘。何況宿世親緣，今則張王難記。彼其號呼於地獄之下。宛轉於餓鬼之中。苦痛誰知。饑虛安訴。我雖不見不聞。彼必求拯求濟。非經不能陳此事。非佛不能這此言。彼邪見人。何足以知此。是故菩薩觀於螻蟻。皆是過去父母。未來諸佛。常思利益。念報其恩。是為發菩提心第五因緣也。
「云何念眾生恩」：怎麼叫不忘了眾生恩呢？眾生就包括飛潛動植、胎卵溼化、有想、無想、有色、無色、非有想、非無想，這等等的十二類眾生。這十二類眾生，所有的蚊蟲、螞蟻都包括在內了。「為我與眾生」：我和這十二類的眾生。「從曠劫來」：從曠劫到現在，「世世生生」：因為世世生生，頭出頭沒，「互為父母」：互相做父母，互相做子女，「彼此有恩」：彼此都互相有恩，那麼互相都有一種恩澤。
「今雖隔世」：現在雖然隔世。「昏迷」：都不明白了，很糊塗的。「互不相識」：所以彼此都不相認識了。「以理推之」：以這個道理來推求、推測。「豈無報效」：那麼彼此應該互相報效；報就是報答，效就是效力。「今之披毛戴角」的這一切畜生。「安知非昔為其子乎」：你怎麼知道以前不是做牠的兒子來著呢？做牠的子女來著呢？「今之蝡動蜎飛」：現在這一切的蠢動含靈，很微小的這種動物，好像蚊蟲、蒼蠅啊，很微小的這種能飛的東西。「安知不曾為我父乎」：你怎麼知道，往昔我不是做這一些披毛戴角的兒子？那麼今生這個蜎飛蝡動，這麼多微細的生靈，何嘗不是做過我的父親來著呢？
「每見幼離父母」：每每看見年紀輕的就離開父母了。「長而容貌都忘」：那麼到年長了，把父母的容貌都忘了。「何況宿世親緣」：何況在前生的父母、子女呢？「今則張王難記」：那麼以前姓張的或者姓王的，現在都記不清了。「彼其號呼於地獄之下」：那麼他在那兒號呼於地獄裏邊。「宛轉於餓鬼之中」：又是在那個餓鬼裏頭宛轉；宛轉就是出不去。「苦痛誰知」：他們的痛苦誰知道呢？
「饑虛安訴」：他或者吃飽了，或者還是餓呢？那麼或者在那兒餓得受不了，去告訴誰呢？「我雖不見不聞」：我雖然沒有看見，沒有聽見。「彼必求拯求濟」：可是他在那兒一定要找人來拯救他，來濟度他。
「非經不能陳此事」：要不是在經典上，不能說明白這一些個問題。「非佛不能道此言」：那麼要不是佛那麼聰明有智慧的人，也不能說出這種前因後果，這種很詳細的道理。「彼邪見人」；那麼有那一些個邪見人。「何足以知此」：他們當然不知道這個道理了。那些個邪見的人，他不信有因果。「是故菩薩觀於螻蟻」：菩薩看那個螻蟻。「皆是過去父母，未來諸佛」：都是過去世的父母，未來的諸佛。「常思利益」：利益這一切的螻蟻，就是螞蟻。「念報其恩」：都是想要報父母的恩報諸佛的恩。「是為發菩提心第五因緣也」：第五種的因緣。
待續
|
|
Essay:
What is mindfulness of living beings' kindness? In life after life since distant kalpas past, every living being and I have been each other's father and mother. We have been kind to one another. Now although the passage of time has separated us, and in our confusion we do not recognize each other, it is only logical that we repay them for their toil. How do we know that those who now wear fur and are capped with horns were not our sons in lives past? How do we know that those who now crawl on the ground and fly in the air were not our fathers in lives past?
Our parents constantly looked after us, but we left them when we were young; we have grown up and have forgotten their faces. Even less do we remember our family and friends of lives past, and now it is difficult to remember if we were once named Chang or Wang.
Now as they wail and cry out in the hells, or are born over and over again as hungry ghosts, who can know of their suffering and pain? They are starving; to whom can they appeal? I cannot see or hear them, but they must be seeking rescue and release.
Only the Sutras can reveal this situation. Only the Buddha can speak these words. How could people with deviant views know of this? For this reason Bodhisattvas observe that even ants were their parents in lives past and are Buddhas of the future. They always think of benefiting them and remember to return their kindness. This is the fifth cause and condition for resolving the mind upon Bodhi.
Commentary:
What is mindfulness of living beings' kindness? What is meant by not forgetting living beings' kindness? Living beings include those that fly and crawl; those born from wombs, from eggs, from moisture, and by transformation; those with form, without form, with thought, and without thought; those not entirely with form and those not en- tirely without form; those not entirely with thought and those not en- tirely without thought—altogether twelve types of living beings. These twelve types of living beings also include mosquitoes and ants.
Every living being and I-I and the twelve types of living beings
- in life after life since distant past, have been each other's father and mother. Sometimes I was their child, and sometimes they were my children. We have been each other's parents, spouses, siblings, and friends.
We have been kind to one another: We feel gratitude towards one another.
Now although the passage of time has separated us, and in our confusion we do not recognize each other: It has been a long time, and we can't remember clearly since we are obstructed by ignorance.
It is only logical that we repay them for their toil: if we consider the nature of our relationships with living beings, how can we fail to return their kindness?
How do we know that those who now wear fur and are capped with horns were not our sons in lives past? Any domestic animal-a horse, a cow, a goat, a pig, a dog, a chicken-might have been a son of ours in a past life.
How do we know that those who now crawl on the ground and fly in the air were not our fathers in lives past? An in- sect like a fly or a mosquito, or a bird might have been our father in a past life.
Our parents constantly looked after us, but we left them when we were young; we have grown up and have forgotten their faces. As we get older, we even forget what our parents look like. Our own appearances change, too.
Even less do we remember our family and friends of lives past, and now it is difficult to remember if we were once named Chang or Wang in our past lives. We can't remember whether we were named Chang or Wang, nor can we remember the names of our past kin;
yet they wail and cry out in the hells, in the hells of the mountain of knives or in the hells of boiling oil.
They were born over and over again as hungry ghosts, suffering in the paths of hungry ghosts, without being able to get out.
Who could know of their suffering and pain? They are starving; to whom can they appeal? The hungry ghosts are hungry and freezing, but whom can they tell about it?
I cannot see or hear them, but they must be seeking rescue and release. Our own parents in infinite numbers of eons past may be crying out for us to rescue them.
Only the Sutras can reveal this situation. Only the Buddhas can speak these words. If not for the Buddha's wisdom and explanation of this situation in the Sutras, no one would know of it.
How could people with deviant views know of this, since they don't believe in cause and effect? They don't have the wisdom to understand such things.
For this reason Bodhisattvas observe that even ants were their parents in lives past-parents from a past life who have now been re- born as ants-and
are Buddhas of the future. If those ants cultivate, then one day they can cast off their animal bodies and become Buddhas.
Bodhisattvas always think of benefiting them and all living beings,
and remember to return their kindness, the kindness of all living beings.
This is the fifth cause and condition for resolving the mind upon Bodhi.
To be continued
|
