龍舒增廣淨土文 9.24

9.24

人皆可以為君子，而不肯為君子；不須為小人，而必欲為小人。若誠信恭敬、若溫和方正、若推賢揚善、若隨宜利物，凡此之類皆君子之事也。為之亦不難者，人不肯為，何哉？若欺詐傲慢、若麁暴諂曲、若說短揚惡、若縱意害物，凡此之類皆小人之事也。為之又何利益，人必為之，何哉？為君子則人喜之、神祐之，禍患不生、福祿可永，所得多矣。雖有時而失命也，非因君子而失，使不為君子亦失矣，命有定分故也。為小人則人怨之、神怒之，禍患將至、福壽以促，所失多矣。雖有時而得，命也，非因為小人而得，使不為小人亦得矣，命有定分故也。孔子謂「不知命無以為君子，小人不知天命。」又謂「得之不得曰有命。」能審此理，所謂君子羸得為君子、小人枉了為小人。如是以修淨土，必不在下品下矣。

Everyone can become a noble person, yet they are unwilling to be noble persons; there is no need to be a petty person, yet they insist on being petty persons. Sincerity and reverence, mildness and uprightness, promoting the worthy and praising the good, and benefiting creatures according to circumstances—all such matters are the deeds of a noble person. Doing them is not difficult either; why then are people unwilling to do them? Deceit and arrogance, roughness and flattery, speaking of faults and exposing evils, and indulging desires to harm creatures—all such matters are the deeds of a petty person. What benefit is there in doing them? Why do people insist on doing them? If one is a noble person, people rejoice in him and the spirits protect him; calamities do not arise, and blessings and emoluments can last long. What he gains is abundant. Even though there are times when he loses his life, it is not because he was a noble person that he lost it; even if he had not been a noble person he would still have lost it, for destiny has its fixed allotment. If one is a petty person, people resent him and the spirits are angered by him; calamities are about to arrive, and blessings and longevity are cut short. What he loses is abundant. Even though there are times when he attains [good fortune], it is destiny; it is not attained because he was a petty person; even if he had not been a petty person he would still have attained it, for destiny has its fixed allotment. Confucius said: "Without knowing destiny, one cannot be a noble person; the petty person does not know the Mandate of Heaven." He also said: "Gaining it or not gaining it is a matter of destiny." If one can examine this principle, then the so-called noble person has properly earned being a noble person, while the petty person has been a petty person in vain. If one cultivates the Pure Land in this manner, one will certainly not be in the lowest grade.