佛祖統紀 50.37

50.37

"Zhibai, you know— (The master's courtesy name was Zhibai) / What is done each day: / Methods that harm the good are especially to be avoided; (Do no evil) / Ways that diminish evil should be increasingly employed. (Practice all good) / Let not the mouth boast of oneself; / Let not the mind deceive oneself. / Do not harbor inward rot; (Harboring unwholesomeness is like wood having rot) / Do not flaunt outward demeanor. (Feigning majestic demeanor merely increases pride) / Coveting the praise of others while harboring selfish desires / Is the beginning of slaying righteousness and the foundation of courting calamity. (Seeking empty praise extinguishes righteousness; hiding selfish desires leads into disaster) / Self-satisfaction in one's own virtue will surely invite surplus ridicule; / Self-absorption in one's attainments will surely bring surplus criticism. (Self-satisfaction before virtuous cultivation is complete invites ridicule; striving for attainments before reaching realization brings criticism) / Where kin gather like trees, you should depart; / The hair-rope of material gain you should fear. (Closeness to kin brings much distress; one should use a skillful method to keep one's person whole and distant from harm. Greed for offerings binds like a hair-rope, sinking one faster into the water) / In the midst of personal practice, discern and reflect: / After checking evil, what is appropriate? (Wishing to pursue personal practice requires discerning reflection, lest one fall into the Two Vehicles. Having checked evil, by what method does one aspire to the Mahāyāna? Raising this inquiry is explained below) / A stick of pure incense, several stems of red lotus; / Let not the mouth cease chanting, nor the mind contemplate anything else. (Constantly read Pure Land sutras and focus solely on the Pure Land realm) / Peaceful meditation and bowing before the images—let the rules not lapse; (Focus exclusively on cultivating the Buddha-contemplation samādhi, and bow solely to Amitābha Buddha) / Moderate your clothing and food; do not waver in your resolve. / In composing worldly literature, proceed as if restrained by the Buddha's precepts; / In speaking of others' merits and faults, be cautious according to the Dharma. / When facing guests and companions, let not the mouth utter many words. / Frequently be alarmed by the passing of time; do not sit wasting the hours. (Strive for every inch of time) / The plantain's hollow form is not your lasting home; (The body is truly fragile and perishable) / The lotus Pure Land is your true destination! (Through the prior merit of meditation, chanting, and bowing, one attains rebirth in the Land of Peace and Bliss) / Turn night into day, and diligently practice it!" (Thought after thought without interruption, mindfulness after mindfulness aspiring for rebirth; do not let a lifetime pass in vain in sleep)