緇門警訓 5.2

5.2

Indeed, sacrificing oneself to benefit others is the proper principle of the saṅgha; harming other beings to secure oneself is not the principle of a son of the Śākya. Possessing the capacity to reward good and penalize evil, one decides matters of right and wrong, fairness and unfairness. If one puts others first and oneself second, one accords with the compassionate mind of all Buddhas. If one acts on the premise of 'your death, my survival,' one violates the wondrous practice of the six harmonies. If a host preserves benevolence and righteousness, he will move the patched-robe monks of the ten directions to gather like clouds. But if he privately receives personal favors, he will invite ill fame that spreads over a thousand miles. If a guest harbors respect, maintains propriety, and possesses righteousness, he will find a peaceful resting place everywhere he goes. If he seeks improperly, schemes madly, and lacks righteousness, he will stir up enmity wherever he turns. Now, having had the good fortune to be born in a central land and to rely on the gate of emptiness, one has escaped the fire-pit of ten thousand fathoms and cast off the tangled nets of a thousand layers, like a prisoner leaving jail, or a bird whose cage is opened. Treading ground where gold was spread to accumulate good, and abiding in a land of the seven treasures free from calamity, one is reverently respected by devas and nāgas, and venerated by spirits and ghosts. Without silkworms, one wears fine clothing; without plowing the fields, one eats exquisite delicacies. Why then should one form enmities, covet profit unrighteously, scheme for wealth, and seek the hollow fame of a snail's horn, thereby closing the smooth road to the human and heavenly realms, or grasp the petty gains of a turtle's hair, digging a deep pit toward the hells, piling up grudges in this life and suffering torment in the life to come? Even if gold and jade fill the hall, they only bind and entangle one's own foolish body; even if silks and satins pack the chests, they merely stir up strife among heavy-karmic descendants. By seeking little and using frugally, one spares the field of the mind from pressure; by knowing contentment and eradicating greed, one spreads sweet fragrance across the ground of intention. Whether dwelling in a pure monastery or lodging in a cloud hall, do not discuss the wrongs of others, but only examine your own faults. If there are those of high talent, let them take the Tripiṭaka to investigate thoroughly; let those of shallower aspiration recite and chant the five vehicles. Above all, do not practice benevolence with the mouth while harboring blades and spears in the belly, nor wear a smile on the face while concealing swords and halberds in the heart. Do not fail to pity the poor, nor fail to feel compassion for the aged; do not forget the deep kindness of compassionate parents in rearing and nurturing you, nor violate the substantial virtue of masters and teachers in guiding and supporting you. Harboring intentions such as these causes the faith of dānapatis of the ten directions to retreat; grasping the false and remaining deluded about the true invites the ridicule and mockery of the worthy and talented across the four seas. Therefore, I offer earnest admonitions and thorough instructions: may those who hear them shatter the high mountain of arrogance, and those who peruse them dam the vast sea of stupor and confusion! All should receive them with faith, and I universally pray that all turn their minds around. It is only fitting that the next life surpasses this present life; do not let this present life surpass the next! I respectfully urge the great assembly to awaken to this swiftly: when the great limit draws near, regret will be too late.