「而我等則但有無量業繫」：還是業障在那兒纔縛著，累贅著。「煩惱生死纏縛」：很多煩惱，生了又死，死了又生，在這裏綁著總也得不到解脫，總不自由。
「心性是一」：佛心和我們的心一樣的，佛的性靈和我們的性靈是一樣的，是一個。「迷悟天淵」：可是佛就因為會用了，覺悟了，我們還迷著，所以就像天淵。淵不是地，是水的深處，甚至於地底下，所以像天和淵這麼樣不同。
「靜言思之」：我們頭腦冷靜一下研究研究。思之，想一想。「豈不可恥」：佛已經成了佛，開大智慧，我們還是這麼愚癡這麼顛倒，這是很不夠一個大丈夫，不夠一個大英雄、大豪傑，是很可羞恥的。
「譬如無價寶珠沒在淤泥」：我們的性靈就好像無價寶珠似的，埋在糞土裏頭，淤泥也就是糞土。「視同瓦礫，不加愛重」：就像破瓦磚頭那個樣子，不愛護己靈，不尊重己靈。
「是故宜應，以無量善法」：用無量的善法來「對治煩惱」，要是善功德圓滿了就升天，罪孽過圓滿了就下地獄。因為這個，我們應該諸惡不作，眾善奉行。也就是你有了功德了，煩惱自然就沒有了。「修德有功」：你修行培植德行，若有所成就了，「則性德方顯」：你自己的靈性，德行，就露出來了，現出智慧了。
「如珠被濯，懸在高幢」：就像珠子在淤泥裏頭，你把它洗乾淨了放在高的幢頂上。「洞達光明，映蔽一切」：它照耀四方把一切光明都遮蓋住了。「可謂不辜佛化，不負己靈」：這樣可以說沒有辜負佛的教化，也沒有辜負自己的靈性。「是為發菩提心第七因緣也」：這就是我們應該發菩提心的第七種因緣，就是尊重己靈，不要把自己的靈性都浪費了。
云何懺悔業障。經言犯一吉羅。如四天王壽五百歲墮泥犁中。吉羅小罪。尚獲此報。何況重罪。其報難言。今我等日用之中。一舉一動。恆違戒律。一餐一水。頻犯屍羅。一日所犯亦應無量。何況終身歷劫。所起之罪更不可言矣。且以五戒言之。十人九犯。少露多藏。五戒名為優婆塞戒。尚不具定。何況沙彌比丘菩薩等戒。又不必言矣。
「云何懺悔業障」：懺是懺其前愆，悔就悔其後過；以前所造的和以後未造的都要懺悔，懺悔的力量不可思議。「經言犯一吉羅」：吉羅就是突吉羅，叫輕垢罪，是很輕微的一點染汙法。在戒律的經上說犯這個罪，就好像四天王的壽命，五百歲之後才能了這個罪，要在地獄裏頭五百年。
「吉羅小罪尚獲此報」：突吉羅是輕垢罪，很輕微的一個罪，尚且得到這種的果報。「何況重罪」：況且大的罪呢？犯僧殘罪或者十重罪，這都叫僧殘罪。「其報難言」：犯重的罪那更不知道要受多少果報了。
「今我等日用之中」：現在我們出家人一天所用的東西，「一舉一動恆違戒律」：或者一舉一動，一言一行，行住坐臥四大威儀，常常違背戒律。「一餐一水頻犯屍羅」：或者吃一餐飯，或者喝一口水，都不合乎戒律的。
「一日所犯亦應無量」：在一天所犯的就有無量無邊那麼多。「何況終身」：況且這一生所犯的罪？更多了。「歷劫所起之罪」：那麼長遠一個時間，所造出來的罪業更不可言矣」，更不知道有多少了。
待續 |
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While we have only an infinite amount of karmic ties and afflictions and are bound to birth and death: Think about your karma in this life. The various relations you have with other people create karmic conditions that tie you up. You are tied up by such karma, obstructed by afflictions, and bound by birth and death.
Our minds and natures and his—the Buddha's—are one, but our confusion and his enlightenment are as far as the sky and the abysmal deeps. The Buddha is enlightened; we are still confused. Like the sky and a deep abyss, confusion and enlightenment are very far apart.
If we calmly contemplate this matter, how could we not be ashamed? Calm your mind down and think, "The Buddha is already a Buddha with great wisdom, while we are still stupid and confused; we are really not great people, great heroes, outstanding individuals. Shouldn't we be greatly ashamed?"
It is as if we had dropped a priceless pearl into a mud puddle. Our spiritual nature is like a priceless pearl buried in mud. We go about considering it as worthless as a broken tile, neither cherishing nor esteeming it. We should see our own spiritual nature as important and should respect and protect it.
We should therefore use an infinite number of wholesome Dharmas as an antidote to our afflictions. If we perfect our merit, we can go to heaven. If we commit many offenses, we will go to hells. Therefore we should do all good and avoid all evil. Once we have accumulated many meritorious deeds, we can eradicate our afflictions. By cultivating virtue, we gain merit, and the virtue of our nature can then appear. Through virtuous conduct you can make your spiritual penetrations and wisdom appear.
Thus we wash the pearl and set it up high where it now releases a penetrating radiance that outshines everything. Its light reaches everywhere, outshining all other lights. If we do this, then we can say that we have not been ungrateful to the Buddha's teaching and have not failed our own spiritual nature.
This is the seventh cause and condition for resolving the mind upon Bodhi.
Essay:
What is repenting of karmic obstacles and reforming? The Sutras say that to commit one duskrita causes us to fall into the Nirtaka Hell for a period equal to a five hundred year lifespan in the Heaven of Four Kings. Duskrita are small offenses, yet we receive such retribution. The retribution they bring is indescribable.
Now we constantly break the precepts by everything we do in our daily lives. With each meal we take and with each drop we drink, we transgress the shila. A single day's transgressions are beyond reckoning. How much more numerous are the transgressions committed during kalpa after kalpal! They are unspeakably many.
Moreover, it is said of those who receive the Five Precepts: "Nine out of ten preceptees will transgress them." Few admit their errors; most conceal them. The Five Precepts are the Upasaka Precepts; yet we fail to perfectly uphold even these, not to mention the Shramanera, Bhikshu, and Bodhisattva Precepts.
Commentary:
What is repenting of karmic obstacles and reforming? "Repenting" concerns past errors, while "reforming" is to refrain from future violations. The power of repentance and reform is inconceivable. The Sutras say about the precepts that to commit one duskrita: A duskrita is a minor defiling offense. Yet for committing one duskrita, we must go to the hells for a period of time equal to five hundred years in the Heaven of the Four Kings; only then the offense will be atoned for.
Duskrita are small offenses, yet we receive such retribution. Serious offenses evoke even more suffering, like the Ten Major Parajika offenses or the Sangha-vashesa offenses. The retribution they bring is indescribable. The retribution we must undergo for serious offenses is unimaginable.
Now we left-home people constantly break the precepts by everything we do in our daily lives, whether we are walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. With each meal we take and with each (Do not delete "each". There is an error in the hard copy) drop we drink, we transgress the shila. We are not in accord with the Vinaya.
A single day's transgressions are beyond reckoning. How much more numerous are the transgressions committed during entire lifetimes, in kalpa after kalpal! They are unspeakably many. It is even more impossible to count the offenses committed in each life throughout such a long time as that.
To be continued |
