釋氏稽古略 2.222

2.222

丙寅中大同元年三月。帝幸同泰寺。講三慧經。夏四月止大赦改元　大統（十一年）武帝（四年）　梁帝自天監中事佛。長齋不聽音樂。造光宅同泰等五寺。常供千僧。帝作淨業賦。其序云。朕不噉魚肉。不與嬪侍同處。四十餘年矣。既不食眾生。無復殺害障。既不御內。無復欲惡障。除此二障意識稍明。乃作淨業賦。今略其辭曰。觀人生之天性。抱妙氣而清靜。感物外以動欲。心攀緣而成眚。過常發於外塵。累必由於前境。懷貪心而不厭。縱內意而自騁。耳流連於絲竹。眼轉移於五色。香氣馞起觸鼻發識。舌之受味甘口噉食。身之受觸以自安怡。細腰纖手弱骨豐肌。附身芳潔觸體如脂。狂心迷惑倒懸自欺。如是六塵同障善道。方紫奪朱如風靡草。抱惑而生與之偕老。隨逐無明莫非煩惱。由是外清眼境內淨心塵。與德相隨與道為隣。見淨業之可愛。以不殺而為因。離欲惡而自修。故無障於精神。患累已除障礙亦淨。如久澄水如新磨鏡。外照內像內見眾病。既除客塵反還自性。心清若氷志潔如雪。結縛既除憂畏亦滅。與恩愛而長違。顧生死而永別（辯正錄）。

In the bingyin year, the first year of Zhongdatong, in the third month, the Emperor visited Tongtai Monastery and lectured on the Sūtra of the Three Wisdoms. In the summer, the fourth month, [he prohibited...] granted a great amnesty and changed the reign era. (The eleventh year of Datong; the fourth year of Emperor Wu). Since the Tianjian era, the Liang Emperor had served the Buddha, maintained permanent fasting, eschewed listening to music, founded five monasteries including Guangzhai and Tongtai, and constantly made offerings to a thousand monks. The Emperor composed the Rhapsody on Pure Karma, whose preface states: 'I have not eaten fish or meat, nor cohabited with imperial consorts or attendants, for over forty years. Since I do not eat living beings, I no longer have the obstruction of killing. Since I do not attend to inner chambers, I no longer have the obstruction of evil desires. Having eliminated these two obstructions, my conscious mind has become somewhat luminous; hence I composed the Rhapsody on Pure Karma.' An abridgement of its words now reads: 'Contemplating the innate nature of human life: it embraces the marvelous breath and is pure and tranquil. Stimulated by external objects, desires stir; the mind clings to conditions, and afflictions arise. Errors ever spring from external dust; burdens surely stem from facing objects. Harboring greed without satiety, indulging inner intent to gallop freely. The ears linger upon strings and pipes; the eyes shift among the five colors. Fragrant aromas waft upward, touching the nose to give rise to consciousness. The tongue receives flavors, sweetening the mouth as it eats. The body receives touches to soothe and delight itself: slender waists, delicate hands, supple bones, and plump flesh; clinging to the body so fragrant and pure, touching flesh like rich lard. The mad mind is deluded and bewildered, dangling upside down in self-deception. Thus the six sense dusts equally obstruct the wholesome path, like purple displacing vermilion, like wind bending grass. Living while clinging to delusions, one grows old along with them; pursuing ignorance, what is not affliction? From this, externally purify the realms of the eyes, and internally cleanse the dust of the mind; accompany virtue and neighbor the Way. Seeing the loveliness of pure karma, take non-killing as the cause. Abandoning evil desires and cultivating oneself, the spirit is therefore unobstructed. Misfortunes and burdens already removed, hindrances and obstructions are also cleansed. Like water long settled, like a mirror freshly polished; externally illuminating inner forms, internally discerning manifold diseases. Having expelled adventitious defilements, one returns to one's own nature. The mind is clear as ice, the resolve pure as snow; fetters already shed, anxiety and fear are likewise destroyed. Parting forever from fondness and love; gazing at birth and death, bidding eternal farewell' (from the Record of Clarifying What Is Right).