筠州洞山悟本禪師語錄 1.169

1.169

伏聞諸佛出世，皆從父母而受身；萬彙興生，盡假天地而覆載。故非父母而不生，無天地而不長，盡沾養育之恩，俱受覆載之德。嗟夫！一切含識，萬象形儀，皆屬無常，未離生滅。雖則乳哺情至。養育恩深，若把世賂供資，終難報答，作血食侍養，安得久長？故《孝經》云：「雖日用三牲之養，猶不孝也。」相牽沈沒，永入輪回。欲報罔極深恩，莫若出家功德。載生死之愛河，越煩惱之苦海，報千生之父母，答萬劫之慈親，三有四恩，無不報矣。故經云：「一子出家，九族生天。」良价捨今世之身命，誓不還家，將永劫之根塵，頓明般若。伏惟父母心開喜捨，意莫攀緣，學淨飯之國王，効摩耶之聖后，他時異日，佛會相逢。此日今時，且相離別，良非遽違甘旨，蓋時不待人。故云：「此身不向今生度，更向何時度此身？」伏冀尊懷莫相寄憶。

I have humbly heard that when the Buddhas appear in the world, they all take form from father and mother; when the ten thousand things spring to life, they all rely upon heaven and earth to cover and bear them. Therefore, without parents one is not born, and without heaven and earth one does not grow; all are steeped in the grace of nurture, all receive the virtue of heaven covering and earth bearing them. Alas! All sentient beings and all manifest forms are subject to impermanence and have not escaped arising and ceasing. Though the affection of suckling is supreme and the grace of raising [a child] is deep, if one tries to repay it with worldly goods and provisions, it is ultimately hard to recompense; if one supports them with blood and meat, how can it last for long? Thus the Classic of Filial Piety says: 'Though one daily nourishes them with the three sacrificial beasts, it is still not filial.' They drag each other down into submersion, perpetually entering saṃsāra. If one wishes to repay boundless, deep grace, nothing equals the merit of leaving home: embarking upon the river of love of birth and death, crossing the bitter sea of afflictions, repaying parents of a thousand lifetimes, and requiting loving kin of myriad kalpas; the three realms of existence and the four debts of gratitude are repaid without exception. Thus the scripture says: 'When one son leaves home, nine generations of kin are born in heaven.' Liangjie casts away the life of this present existence, vows never to return home, and will take the sense-faculties and dust of eternal kalpas to instantly clarify prajñā. I humbly pray that father and mother open their minds to joyful renunciation and let their thoughts entertain no clinging, following the example of King Śuddhodana and emulating Queen Māyā; on another day, we shall meet again in the assembly of the Buddha. Today, at this very hour, let us part for a time. It is truly not that I lightly forsake nourishing you with delicacies; it is just that time waits for no one. Thus it is said: 'If this body is not delivered in this life, in what life will one deliver this body?' I humbly pray that my respected parents will not fix their thoughts upon me.