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又若以修行為苦。則不知懈怠尤苦。修行則勤勞暫時。安樂永劫。懈怠則偷安一世。受苦多生。況乎以淨土為舟航。則何愁退轉。又得無生為忍力。則何慮艱難。當知地獄罪人。尚發菩提於往劫。豈可人倫佛子。不立大願於今生。無始昏迷。往者既不可諫。而今覺悟。將來猶尚可追。然迷而未悟。固可哀憐。苟知而不行。尤為痛惜。若懼地獄之苦，則精進自生。若念無常之速。則懈怠不起。又須以佛法為鞭策。善友為提攜。造次弗離。終身依賴。則無退失之虞矣。勿言一急輕微。勿謂虛願無益。心真則事實。願廣則行深。虛空非大。心王為大。金剛非堅。願力最堅。大眾誠能不棄我語。則菩提眷屬從此聯姻。蓮社宗盟。自今締好。所願同生淨土。同見彌陀。同化眾生。同成正覽。則安知未來三十二相。百福莊嚴。不從今日發心立願而始也。願與大眾共勉之。幸甚幸甚。
我相信是漏了，還有一段，我覺得以前我記得，現在沒有，有那個本子查一查，大約是把它漏了。（弟子：好。）
「又若」：就是說假設，若「以修行為苦事」：你修行覺得，「啊！這是一件苦事，受不了啊！吃一餐也很困難的，不吃肉也覺得還很饞的；這個也不能做，那個也不能做，這豈不是很不自由的一個事情嗎？」「則不知，懈怠尤苦」：你可不知道啊！你以為修行是苦，你要是不修行，懶惰懈怠，那比修行更苦。修行它是苦的一時，你就永遠得到快樂。可是你不修行呢，你是永遠在苦海裏頭。就是一時你享受，住好房子穿好衣服，吃好東西，那是暫時的，不是永遠的；你若造罪業，那永遠都是苦的。「修行則勤勞暫時」：你修行，一時間你覺得不享受。「安樂永劫」：你若修行修成了，永遠都是在極樂世界裹住著，不會受苦了。「懈怠則偷安一世」：你躲懶偷安，在一世你覺得很享受的。「受苦多生」：你將來永遠永遠，或者墮地獄，或者轉餓鬼做畜生，很難受的。
「況乎以淨土為舟航，則何愁退轉」：以淨土法門做為我們出離苦海的一個舟航，你就不必憂愁再受苦了。退轉就是受苦。「又得無生為忍力」：你得到無生法忍。這無生法忍是沒有覺得什麼是痛苦可忍的，也沒有什麼樂可要求的；既無苦可忍，又無樂可求。這無生法忍也不見苦，也不見樂，也不見生，也不見滅。「則何慮艱難」：你怕什麼艱難呢？不要怕艱難。
「當知地獄罪人」：你應該知道，墮地獄那個罪人哪，他們因為「尚發菩提心於往劫」：在往昔他們也都發過菩提心。所以雖然墮地獄，又很快離開地獄，離苦得樂了。那麼「豈可人倫佛子」：那麼既然是這樣子，他們在地獄發菩提心，都能離苦得樂，我們做一個很好的人，又是很好的佛弟子。「不立大願於今生」：你怎麼可以在今生不發一個大願呢？
「無始昏迷」：從無量劫以來到現在都是不明白，很昏的。「往者既不可諫」：過去的事情沒有法子再挽回了，已經過去了。「而今覺悟」：現在我明白了。那麼既然明白了，「將來猶尚可追」：到將來的時候，這還是可以有挽回的機會。
待續
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Text:
Moreover, if we perceive cultivation as suffering, it is because we do not know that laxity will make us suffer even more. Cultivation entails a brief period of diligent toil, but it yields peace and joy for eons without end. One lifetime of laxity and shirking from work results in suffering for many future lives. Furthermore, with the Pure Land as our ship, what fear is there that we will retreat? Once we attain the power of patience with nonproduction, what difficulty can trouble us? When we know that in past eons there were even offenders in the hells that resolved themselves upon Bodhi, how can we human disciples of the Buddha fail to make great vows in this life? Since time without beginning, we have been muddled and confused. It is useless to remonstrate with ourselves about the past, but now that we are awake, we can make amends in the future.
To be confused and unenlightened is pitiful, but to know and still not cultivate is even more sad. If we fear the suffering in the hells, then vigor will naturally come forth. When we are mindful of the speed of impermanence, then laziness will not arise. Further, we should use the Buddhadharma to encourage ourselves and associate with wholesome friends as our guides. Relying on them to the ends of our days without even momentarily forsaking them, there will be no need to fear retreat. Don't say that one thought is a trifle; don't assume that vows are empty and of no benefit. If our resolves are true, then we can realize our goal. When our vows are vast in scope, then our practice will be profound. Space is not big, but the mind-king is. Vajra is not durable, but our vow-power is.
Great assembly! If each of you can sincerely accept my words, then from now on, let us all pledge fraternity in the retinue of Bodhi. May all the members of the Lotus Society unite. Let us vow to be reborn in the Pure Land, to see Amitabha Buddha, to transform living beings, and to realize Proper Enlightenment together. How do we know that our future perfection of the Thirty-two Marks and the adornments of the hundred blessings does not begin on this day that we resolved our minds and made our vows? May the members of the great assembly urge each other on. How lucky we are!
Commentary:
I believe there is one paragraph missing. I remember it was there before, but now it's not. Whoever has the book can look it up; maybe I skipped something. [Disciple: Okay.]
Moreover, if we perceive cultivation as suffering: We feel it's difficult and cannot take it. Eating one meal a day is hard, and we can't satisfy our palate by not eating meat. There are all kinds of restrictions on our freedom when we cultivate.
It is because we do not know that laxity will make us suffer even more. Yet we do not understand! We think cultivation is suffering, but if we are lazy and don't cultivate, we will suffer more. When we cultivate, we experience a short period of hardship and then attain bliss forever. On the contrary, if we don't practice, we will drift perpetually on the sea of suffering. We may enjoy living in a fine house, wearing good clothes, and eating delicious food, but these pleasure are evanescent and not eternal. We will suffer forever for the offenses we commit.
Cultivation entails a brief period of diligent toil, but it yields peace and joy for eons without end. If we refrain from enjoyments temporarily until we succeed in our cultivation, then we will dwell forever in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and never suffer.
One lifetime of laxity and shirking from work results in suffering for many future lives. If we are lazy and shirk work, then although we enjoy some pleasure in this lifetime, in the future we may fall into the hells or be reborn as a hungry ghost or an animal, which will really be unbearable.
Furthermore, with the Pure Land as our ship, what fear is there that we will retreat? With the Pure Land Dharma as the vessel to leave the sea of suffering, we need not worry about suffering anymore. If we retreat, however, we will suffer.
Once we attain the power of patience with nonproduction, so that there is no suffering to endure nor any happiness to seek, so that one is free from perceptions of suffering, bliss, production, and extinction,
what difficulty can trouble us? Do not be afraid of difficulties.
When we know that in past eons there were even offenders in the hells that resolved themselves upon Bodhi... We should know that although people have fallen due to their offenses into hells they are able to leave the suffering of the hells and attain bliss because before they resolved themselves upon Bodhi.
How can we human disciples of the Buddha fail to make great vows in this life? If even hell beings can leave suffering and attain happiness by making the resolve for Bodhi, now that we are good disciples of the Buddha, how can we fail to make great vows in this life?
Since time without beginning, we have been muddled and confused. We all have been muddled for limitless eons.
It is useless to remonstrate with ourselves about the past. Whatever happened in the past cannot be reversed; it is over and done with.
But now that we are awake, we can make amends in the future. Now that we have understood, there is still a chance to make amends in the future.
To be continued
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