龍舒增廣淨土文 9.24

9.24

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.