English
English version: Being attached to 'I' and 'mine,' pursuing fame and form, greedily seeking offerings, behaving flatteringly, and lacking genuine faith, such a person cannot approach profound Dharma-ksanti (Dharma-ksanti, deep understanding and acceptance of the Dharma). Someone says: 'Emptiness (sunyata, the Buddhist concept of emptiness), signlessness (animitta, without characteristics), and wishlessness (apranihita, without desires) are the keys to the path. The path of wisdom regards emptiness as supreme, and learning takes non-action as its priority.' These three statements should not be told to beginners. Upon hearing about emptiness, they will indulge their thoughts, no longer observe the precepts, and have no restraints; in the six perfections (paramita, generosity, morality, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom), they will be lazy in everything, saying that everything is empty, so what is there to do? They speak of emptiness with their mouths, but their actions are in the realm of existence, thus falling into the four inversions (viparyasa, mistaken perceptions of reality) and having no merit. Bodhisattvas should not let them hear the Dharma-ksanti of non-origination. A good teacher, when teaching beginners, should teach gradually, telling them about the affairs of demons, making them wary of demons, speaking of causes and conditions, birth and death, sin and suffering, and clearly explaining the distinctions of the five realms (gati, hell, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, asuras, and gods), making them believe in sin and merit, and understanding everything clearly, before telling them the truth. In the past, King Vemacitra (Vemacitra, king of the Asuras) competed in wisdom with the Buddha. The Buddha told the king: 'If I were to grind seawater into ink, chop down trees for pens, and write down what I know as scriptures, even if the seawater dried up and the trees were all cut down, my scriptures would not be finished.' Why is that? Because the Buddha has the three kinds of knowledge (tevijja, knowledge of past lives, divine eye, and extinction of outflows), and knows everything about the past, present, and future! The Buddhist scriptures are numerous, measured by the vastness of space; the Buddha's wisdom is vast and profound, originating from non-action (non-doing). What is explained in the scriptures is inconceivable, and some content is repeated, making it difficult to understand and comprehend. Roughly, six things can be used to understand the key points: first is the right path (samyak-path, the correct path), second is skillful means (upaya-kausalya, skillful methods), third is the supreme teaching (paramartha-desana, the ultimate teaching), fourth is guidance (vinaya, guidance), fifth is merit (punya, merit), and sixth is precepts (sila, precepts). What is the right path? It speaks of having no beginning, no creation, emptiness, nothing coming from anywhere, no action, no attainment, being natural and as it is, this is the right path. What are skillful means? Changing without fixed form, sometimes appearing and sometimes hiding, entering according to the categories of beings, forming connections with them, speaking according to the occasion, not adhering to fixed phrases, with the aim of teaching and liberating them, this is skillful means. What is the supreme teaching? Pointing out sin and blessings, what you do is what you get, all caused by actions, there is no uncaused giving, the matter is clear and obvious, this is the supreme teaching. What is guidance? Opening up those who are ignorant and unenlightened, having --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
护有德，增寿益算，现世可获，是谓诱导。何谓福德？六度无极，主治六情，制守根门，可得天人，转轮圣王，长乐无极，是谓福德。何谓禁戒？守口摄意，身不杀、不盗、不淫、不欺，奉孝不醉，三恶趣苦，不可久处，是谓禁戒。先了此意，乃可为道。譬如捉网，先摄其纲，诸目皆正。不晓持纲，先理其目，颠倒错乱，互相绊绕，无有解已。学亦如是，不达其要，闻经中说，不解权宜，不能分别，便相讥恃，遂执所守，兴起恚意，失本忘义，毁正逐邪，学者雷同，追逐音响，不相匡正，识真者少，堕落滋多。如此之辈徒载学名！” 曰：“四谛者：一曰苦谛，二曰习谛，三曰尽谛，四曰道谛。一切众生不觉此苦，以苦为乐，于罪苦中，求欲得安。贼医伪说，迷惑人心，便言：‘所作可现世得！’学者闻之，莫不喜随，闻中至之言，逆耳不受，故言‘正言似反，谁能受者？’复不知习，知习者死，死不敢复作；复不知尽，知尽者死，死不敢复作；复不知道，知道者闻道，便能为道。一切世间人，作罪事易，为福事难；一切学士，作福事易，为道事难。为道复易，解道者难；说道者易，行之者难。故言甚难，甚难！” 曰：“如来众经禁戒律法，凡有八亿四千万卷，为一切之良药，治人身、口、意，疗人生 现代汉语译本 护持善德，可以增进寿命和福禄，并且在现世就能获得好的回报，这叫做诱导。什么是福德呢？就是实践六度（布施、持戒、忍辱、精进、禅定、智慧）到达彼岸，主导和治理六种情欲，控制和守护六根（眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意），这样可以得到天人的果报，甚至成为转轮圣王，享受长久的快乐，没有穷尽，这叫做福德。什么是禁戒呢？就是守护自己的言语，摄持自己的意念，身体上不杀生、不偷盗、不邪淫、不欺骗，奉行孝道，不醉酒，明白三恶道（地狱、饿鬼、畜生）的痛苦，知道那里不是可以长久居住的地方，这叫做禁戒。首先要明白这些道理，然后才可以修道。比如张网捕鱼，先要抓住网的总绳，这样所有的网眼才能端正。如果不明白抓住总绳的道理，却先去整理网眼，就会颠倒错乱，互相缠绕，没有解开的时候。学习也是这样，如果不明白其中的要领，听经的时候，不理解权宜之计，不能够分辨，就互相讥讽，于是固执自己所坚持的，生起愤怒的心意，忘记根本的意义，毁坏正道而追逐邪道，学习的人都随波逐流，追逐声音和表象，不互相匡正，认识真理的人很少，堕落的人越来越多。这样的人只是徒有学习的名声！' 佛说：‘四谛是：一是苦谛（认识痛苦的真理），二是集谛（认识痛苦原因的真理），三是灭谛（认识消灭痛苦的真理），四是道谛（认识通往消灭痛苦道路的真理）。一切众生不觉悟这些痛苦，反而把痛苦当作快乐，在罪恶的痛苦中，寻求欲望得到满足。就像骗子医生用虚假的说法，迷惑人心，就说：‘所做的事情可以在现世得到回报！’学习的人听了这些话，没有不高兴跟随的，听到中肯正直的言语，却觉得刺耳而不接受，所以说‘正直的言语听起来好像是相反的，谁能够接受呢？’又不认识集谛，认识集谛的人就会‘死’（不再造作恶业），即使‘死’也不敢再造作恶业；又不认识灭谛，认识灭谛的人就会‘死’（不再执着于自我），即使‘死’也不敢再造作恶业；又不认识道谛，认识道谛的人听到正道，就能修行正道。一切世间人，做罪恶的事情容易，做善事很难；一切学佛的人，做善事容易，修道很难。修道容易，理解道的人很难；说出道理容易，实行道理的人很难。所以说非常难，非常难！’ 佛说：‘如来说过的所有经典、禁戒、律法，总共有八亿四千万卷，是所有众生的良药，用来治理人的身、口、意，治疗人生的疾病。
English
English version 'Protecting virtue, increasing lifespan and blessings, and obtaining rewards in this life is called inducement. What is merit? It is practicing the Six Paramitas (giving, morality, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom) to reach the other shore, governing the six emotions, controlling and guarding the six senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), so that one can attain the rewards of gods and humans, even becoming a Chakravartin King (Universal Ruler), enjoying lasting happiness without end. This is called merit. What are precepts? It is guarding one's speech, controlling one's thoughts, not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, practicing filial piety, and not getting drunk. Understanding the suffering of the three evil realms (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), knowing that they are not places to dwell in for long, this is called precepts. First, understand these principles, then you can cultivate the path. For example, when casting a net, first grab the main rope, so that all the meshes are aligned. If you don't understand the principle of grabbing the main rope, but try to fix the meshes first, they will be upside down, tangled, and impossible to untangle. Learning is the same. If you don't understand the key points, when listening to the scriptures, you don't understand expedient means, cannot distinguish, and then ridicule each other. Then, you cling to what you hold, give rise to anger, forget the fundamental meaning, destroy the right path and pursue the wrong path. Learners follow the crowd, chasing sounds and appearances, not correcting each other. Few recognize the truth, and more and more fall. Such people are merely carrying the name of learning!' The Buddha said, 'The Four Noble Truths are: first, the Truth of Suffering (Dukkha); second, the Truth of the Cause of Suffering (Samudaya); third, the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering (Nirodha); fourth, the Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering (Magga). All sentient beings are not aware of this suffering, but take suffering as pleasure, seeking to satisfy desires in sinful suffering. Like a quack doctor using false words to deceive people's hearts, saying, 'What you do can be rewarded in this life!' Learners who hear these words are happy to follow. Hearing fair and upright words, they find them offensive and do not accept them. Therefore, it is said, 'Upright words seem contrary, who can accept them?' They do not know the Truth of the Cause of Suffering. Those who know the Truth of the Cause of Suffering will 'die' (no longer create evil karma), and even if they 'die,' they dare not create evil karma again. They do not know the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering. Those who know the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering will 'die' (no longer cling to the self), and even if they 'die,' they dare not create evil karma again. They do not know the Truth of the Path. Those who know the Truth of the Path, hearing the right path, can cultivate the right path. In all the world, it is easy for people to do evil, but difficult to do good. For all Buddhist learners, it is easy to do good, but difficult to cultivate the path. Cultivating the path is easy, but understanding the path is difficult. Speaking the path is easy, but practicing the path is difficult. Therefore, it is said to be very difficult, very difficult!' The Buddha said, 'All the sutras, precepts, and laws spoken by the Tathagata (another name for the Buddha), totaling 840 million volumes, are good medicine for all beings, used to govern people's body, speech, and mind, and to cure the diseases of life.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
、老、病、死耳。教众生有二要。何谓为二？一者，作是得是；二者，不作是不得是。如佛所说：‘三界五道，罪垢苦恼，不离于作。一切无横，非天授与，亦非鬼神，亦非帝王，亦非父母，亦非沙门、梵志授与。所作罪福，如影随形，如响应声，不失如毛发者也！’” 佛言：“昔者为盐楼王，有弘普之慈。诸堕罪狱者，王尽现之。王曰：‘汝等何为是间？’罪人对曰：‘我等死时，不知如行，诸恶自然，追逐送我来到是间。愿王哀我，赦除罪过！’王曰：‘汝等皆作何恶？’罪人对曰：‘我等生时，不孝父母，杀盗、淫欺、饮酒、斗乱、持刀强势，侵易善人，诽谤圣道。所作众恶，不可具说！又信恶师，祠祀鬼神，谓当有福；烹杀三生，祷赛神灵。我今自首，悔所作恶！’王曰：‘汝等在世间时，吾遣五使者，案行天下，告语汝曹。汝曹何以不受其教？’诸罪人曰：‘我等生时，实不见闻！’ “王曰：‘谛听，当为汝曹说！五使者：一曰世间母人，怀妊十月，身为之病，临当产时曰，父母怖危，既得㝃身，从死得生，乳哺怀抱，推燥居湿，迟得长大，忧虑万端，汝见之不？’罪人曰：‘见之！’王曰：‘是吾一使者！二曰世间老人，颜色坏败，头白齿落，目冥耳聋，肉缰皮缩，伛偻而行。汝见之不 现代汉语译本：是衰老、疾病和死亡。教导众生有两个要点。什么是二？一是，做了这样的行为就会得到这样的结果；二是，不做这样的行为就不会得到这样的结果。正如佛所说：‘三界五道中的罪恶、污垢、痛苦和烦恼，都离不开自身的行为。一切灾祸都不是凭空而来，不是天神给予的，也不是鬼神，也不是帝王，也不是父母，也不是沙门（指佛教出家修行者）、梵志（指婆罗门教修行者）给予的。所做的罪恶或福报，就像影子跟随形体，像回声应和声音一样，即使像毛发一样细微也不会遗失！’ 佛说：‘过去我做阎罗王时，有广博普遍的慈悲心。所有堕入罪恶地狱的人，我都亲自审问他们。我问他们：‘你们为什么会来到这里？’罪人回答说：‘我们死的时候，不知道该如何行事，各种恶行自然而然地，追逐着我们，把我们送到这里。希望大王可怜我们，赦免我们的罪过！’我问他们：‘你们都做了什么恶事？’罪人回答说：‘我们活着的时候，不孝顺父母，杀生、偷盗、邪淫、欺骗、饮酒、争斗，拿着刀仗逞强，欺负善良的人，诽谤圣贤之道。所做的各种恶事，说也说不完！又相信邪恶的老师，祭祀鬼神，以为这样会有福报；宰杀有生命的动物，祈祷祭祀神灵。我们现在自首，忏悔所做的恶事！’我问他们：‘你们在世间的时候，我派遣了五位使者，巡视天下，告诫你们。你们为什么不接受他们的教诲？’罪人们说：‘我们活着的时候，确实没有见到或听到！’ ‘我说：‘仔细听着，我来为你们说！五位使者：第一位是世间的母亲，怀胎十个月，身体因此生病，临近生产的时候，父母感到恐惧和危险，好不容易生下孩子，就像从死亡中获得新生一样，用乳汁喂养，怀抱呵护，把干燥的地方让给孩子睡，自己睡在潮湿的地方，慢慢地把孩子养大，为孩子操心忧虑。你们见到过这些吗？’罪人回答说：‘见到过！’我说：‘这就是我的第一位使者！第二位是世间的老人，容颜衰败，头发变白牙齿脱落，眼睛昏花耳朵失聪，肌肉松弛皮肤干皱，弯腰驼背地行走。你们见到过这些吗？’