樂邦遺稿 2.118

2.118

宗曉粗閱群書，眇觀先哲精修白業欲逃生死者，誠有其人矣。然而生死難逃，而竟不能超越者，亦復不少焉。於是錄其曇諦已下師凡二十餘公，惟其先世所修有異，故再出享受種族不同。且夫居尊爵食厚祿者，以世間之法言之，固可健羨；以出世間之法言之，則猶未免生死流轉之苦。彼若先世知有西方徑路，域意進功，則一念託生彼國，便得不退。與夫再入胞胎者，豈不大相遼遠乎？唯除悲願度生，生死不能為累者耳。若夫未了生死，來享富貴，其不為五欲所動者幾何人哉？縱復發願為清淨僧，亦未必果如其願。其間雖有坐脫立亡之者，又未必託生勝處，豈非欲脫生死而返入生死乎？嗚呼！生死海深、波濤甚急，凡造修者，快須著鞭無致顛蹶。如或不然，究觀群賢出沒之際，可不鑒其覆轍哉。

I, Zongxiao, have skimmed through various books and gazed from afar upon ancient worthies who diligently cultivated white karma wishing to escape birth and death; truly there were such people. Yet birth and death are difficult to escape, and those who could never transcend them were also quite numerous. Thereupon I recorded over twenty gentlemen from Master Tandi downward; it was only because the cultivation of their past lives differed that the circumstances of their families and rebirths and the enjoyment of their rewards varied upon their return. Moreover, as for those who occupied noble rank and enjoyed handsome emoluments, speaking from the perspective of worldly dharmas, they may certainly be envied; but speaking from the perspective of supramundane dharmas, they were still not exempt from the suffering of transmigration in birth and death. If in their past lives they had known of the shortcut to the West and concentrated their minds on making progress, then with a single thought they would have taken rebirth in that land and attained non-retrogression. Compared to entering a womb once again, is it not an immense difference? This excludes only those who, through vows of compassion to deliver sentient beings, cannot be encumbered by birth and death. As for those who have not resolved birth and death yet come to enjoy wealth and nobility, how many are there who are not swayed by the five desires? Even if they make a vow to become a pure monk, it will not necessarily turn out as they wished. Although among them there are those who die seated or standing, they may not necessarily take rebirth in a superior place; is this not wishing to escape birth and death only to return to birth and death? Alas! The ocean of birth and death is deep, and its waves are very swift. All who engage in cultivation must quickly apply the whip and not stumble. If not, when you thoroughly observe the appearance and disappearance of all these worthies, can you fail to take warning from their overturned carts?