念佛三昧寶王論 1.48

1.48

「以斯聖旨，若不施此財，則網者、屠者自息矣。且龍樹不輕於鴿雀，高僧不跨於蟲蟻。或問其故，答曰：『斯之與吾，同在生死，彼或將先成正覺，安可妄輕耶？』輕尚不可，豈得專食其血肉哉？《寶性論》云：『《如來藏經》中告舍利弗言：「眾生者，即是第一義諦，即是如來藏，即是法身，即是菩提。」』吾謂，太唯逐塊，不知逐人，塊終不息；唯念過、現不念未來，慢終不息。若如師子而逐於人，其塊自息。聞夫敬、慢之道，一以貫之，則移敬就慢，均父母於平人，逆之甚也！移慢就敬，均平人於父母，孝之大也！故《梵網經》云：『六道眾生，皆是我父母，孝名為戒。』良在茲焉。觀六道為當來佛者，父母之談，猶近言耳。若能等沙彌之救蟻，促壽更延；同流水之濟魚，天華雨𧂐。革曠劫眾生之見，念未來善逝之身，糞穢之內，知有真金；重雲之間，信有明月。則食肉之昏霧，生死之煙霾，慧風掃之，於三昧長空矣！《梵網經》云：『我是已成佛，汝是當成佛，常作如是信，戒品已具足。』豈得不念之哉？」

"According to these sacred teachings, if one does not provide such money, then the netters and the butchers will naturally cease. Furthermore, Nāgārjuna did not look down upon doves and sparrows, and eminent monks would not step over insects and ants. When someone asked the reason, the answer was: 'They and I are together in saṃsāra; they may perhaps attain full enlightenment before me, so how could I presumptuously look down on them?' If even looking down on them is impermissible, how could one exclusively eat their flesh and blood? The Ratnagotravibhāga says: 'In the Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra, [the Buddha] addressed Śāriputra, saying: "Sentient beings are precisely the ultimate truth, precisely the tathāgatagarbha, precisely the dharmakāya, precisely bodhi."' I say: If a dog only chases the clod and does not pursue the person, the clods will never cease to come; if one is only mindful of the past and present and not of the future, arrogance will never cease. If, like a lion, one pursues the person, the clods will naturally cease. I have heard that the way of respect and arrogance can be unified under a single principle: if one turns respect into arrogance and treats parents like ordinary people, this is the height of unfiliality! If one turns arrogance into respect and treats ordinary people like parents, this is the greatness of filial piety! Thus the Brahmajāla Sūtra says: 'Sentient beings of the six destinies are all my parents; filiality is called the precepts.' This truly lies here. When contemplating the six destinies as future buddhas, speaking of them as parents is still an understatement. If one can emulate the śrāmaṇera who saved the ants, a shortened lifespan will be prolonged; if one is like Jalavāhana who saved the fish, heavenly flowers will rain down in abundance. Transform the view of sentient beings held throughout vast kalpas, and be mindful of the bodies of future Sugatas; within filth, know there is true gold; amidst heavy clouds, trust there is a bright moon. Then the dense fog of meat-eating and the haze of birth and death will be swept away by the wind of wisdom into the vast sky of samādhi! The Brahmajāla Sūtra says: 'I am a buddha already accomplished; you are a buddha yet to become. Constantly maintain such faith, and the categories of precepts are already complete.' How could one not be mindful of them?"