English
English version: The five roots (five fundamental good dharmas: faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom), the five powers (the powers arising from the growth of the five roots of faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom), the seven factors of enlightenment (seven factors of awakening: mindfulness, investigation of dharma, diligence, joy, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity), the eightfold path (eight correct paths: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration), leading to the city of Nirvana (the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice, liberation from the cycle of birth and death). Because of these sinful causes, one is born blind in every life, unable to see the pure good dharmas of emptiness (the Buddhist concept of the absence of inherent existence in all things), signlessness (absence of fixed and unchanging forms), and non-action (non-attachment to actions and results), and unable to go towards the city of Nirvana. Therefore, wise people know that those who have left home (chū jiā, renounced worldly life to become monks or nuns) should accomplish these good dharmas and should not destroy the causes and conditions for others to accomplish good dharmas, lest they incur such sins. Whoever destroys the causes and conditions for a renunciate Shramana (shā mén, Buddhist practitioner) to have right view will ultimately not be able to see the city of Nirvana and will be born blind in every life. If someone spends a hundred kalpas (jié, extremely long unit of time) leaving home in other places, practicing pure precepts. If someone in this Jambudvipa (yán fú tí, the world we live in) leaves home and upholds the precepts for even one day and one night, or even for a brief moment, purely leaving home. Then, the merit of leaving home and upholding the precepts in other places for those hundred kalpas is not even one-sixteenth of the merit of this brief renunciation. If there is perversion, having illicit relations with sisters or daughters. Forcibly generating stinginess and jealousy in places where sexual activity should not occur, the retribution for these sins is immeasurable. If someone can rightly contemplate and generate the mind to leave home, wanting to abandon all evils. If someone destroys this person's causes and conditions for leaving home, preventing their wish from being fulfilled, the sin arising from this cause increases a hundredfold compared to the previous sins. At that time, Ananda (ā nán, one of the Buddha's ten great disciples, known for his excellent memory) said to the Buddha: 'World Honored One! This good root planted by Virocana (pí luó xiàn nà), causing him to be born in a noble place and enjoy blessings and happiness, is it because he also had good deeds in past lives? Or is it solely because of the merit of leaving home for one day and one night today that he receives such great blessings?' The Buddha told Ananda: 'You should not only look at the causes and conditions of the past! Because of his pure renunciation for one day and one night, this good root causes him to enjoy blessings seven times in the six desire heavens (liù yù tiān, six heavens in Buddhism where beings still have desires), and to constantly enjoy worldly pleasures in the cycle of birth and death for twenty kalpas. Finally, in the human realm, he will be born into a happy and blessed family. After his youth has passed and his faculties are mature, because he fears the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death, he will leave home and uphold the precepts, ultimately becoming a Pratyekabuddha (pì zhī fó, also known as a self-enlightened one, who attains enlightenment through observing causes and conditions without relying on the teachings of a Buddha).' The Buddha told Ananda: 'I will now give an analogy, listen carefully! Suppose the four great continents, East Purvavideha (dōng fú pó tí, one of the four continents, located in the east), South Jambudvipa (nán yán fú tí, one of the four continents, the world we live in), West Godaniya (xī qú yē ní, one of the four continents, located in the west), and North Uttarakuru (běi yù dān yuè, one of the four continents, located in the north), are all filled with Arhats (ā luó hàn, a stage of Buddhist practice, having eradicated all afflictions and no longer subject to the cycle of birth and death), --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
若稻麻丛林。若有一人，满百岁中，尽心供养此诸罗汉衣服饮食、病瘦医药、房舍卧具，乃至涅槃后若起塔庙，种种珍宝、花香、璎珞、幡盖、伎乐、悬诸宝铃、扫洒香水，以诸偈颂，赞叹供养。所得功德，若有人为涅槃故，出家受戒，乃至一日一夜所作功德，比前功德，十六分中不及其一。以是因缘，善男子当应出家，修持净戒。诸善男子！诸须功德者、求善法者、自受法者，不应留难出家因缘，应勤方便劝作令成。” 时诸大众闻佛所说，莫不厌世，出家持戒，有得须陀洹乃至阿罗汉者，有种辟支佛善根者，有发无上菩提心者，皆大欢喜，顶戴奉行。 佛说出家功德经 现代汉语译本： 好比稻田或麻田那样茂密的丛林。假若有一个人，在一百年的时间里，尽心尽力地供养这些阿罗汉（Arahan，已证得解脱的圣者）衣服、饮食、生病时的医药、房舍卧具，乃至他们涅槃（Nirvana，证悟解脱）后，如果建造塔庙，用各种珍宝、鲜花香料、璎珞（饰品）、幡盖、伎乐，悬挂各种宝铃，洒扫香水，用各种偈颂，赞叹供养。这样所得的功德，如果有人为了涅槃的缘故，出家受戒，乃至仅仅一日一夜所作的功德，相比前面的功德，连十六分之一都比不上。因为这个因缘，善男子应当出家，修行持守清净的戒律。各位善男子！那些需要功德的人、寻求善法的人、自己领受佛法的人，不应该阻碍他人出家的因缘，应当勤加方便劝导促成他们出家。 当时，各位大众听闻佛陀所说，没有不厌离世俗的，纷纷出家持戒，有人证得了须陀洹（Sotapanna，入流果）乃至阿罗汉果位，有人种下了辟支佛（Paccekabuddha，缘觉佛）的善根，有人发起了无上菩提心（Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi-citta，无上正等正觉之心），大家都非常欢喜，顶戴奉行。 《佛说出家功德经》
English
English version: Like a dense forest of rice or hemp. If there is a person who, for a hundred years, wholeheartedly provides these Arhats (Arahan, enlightened saints) with clothing, food, medicine for illnesses, dwellings, and bedding, and even after their Nirvana (Nirvana, enlightenment and liberation), if they build stupas and temples, using various precious jewels, flowers, incense, necklaces (ornaments), banners, canopies, music, hanging various precious bells, sweeping with fragrant water, and using various verses to praise and make offerings. The merit gained from this, if someone renounces the household life and takes vows for the sake of Nirvana, even the merit they accumulate in just one day and night cannot compare to even one-sixteenth of the previous merit. Because of this cause, good men should renounce the household life and cultivate pure precepts. Good men! Those who need merit, seek good Dharma, and receive the Dharma themselves should not hinder the causes for others to renounce the household life, but should diligently encourage and help them to succeed. At that time, the assembly, hearing what the Buddha said, without exception, became weary of the world and renounced the household life to uphold the precepts. Some attained the state of Sotapanna (Sotapanna, stream-enterer) and even the state of Arhat, some planted the seeds of good roots for becoming a Paccekabuddha (Paccekabuddha, solitary Buddha), and some aroused the unsurpassed Bodhicitta (Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi-citta, the mind of unsurpassed perfect enlightenment). All were greatly delighted and respectfully practiced what they had heard. 'The Sutra on the Merits of Renunciation Spoken by the Buddha' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------