廣弘明集 27.276

27.276

從初辨德極於無礙。善惡二途凡聖苦樂。明了審諦。斯言備矣。惟應努力勤而行之。經云。感傷世間貪意長流沒於愛欲之海。吾獨欲反其源。故自勉而特出。是以世世勤苦。不以為勞。經云。我與阿難。空王佛所共發菩提心。我常勤精進。所以速成正覺。又云。得正法智已。以無疲厭心為眾生說。斯可謂努力矣。夫眾生流轉三有觸苦相纏。所以情識闇弱慮淺多迷。每一修善怯退皇擾。念念之間百變乖舛。自非勸之以努力獎之以剛幹。則勇銳驍果之心不發。經云。眾生與無明怨賊鬪戰。亦不異世間勍敵。相御世間則須金鉦壯其氣。鼓鍾擊其忿。欝怫增其怒。決烈成其力。不資此發勇不假此振威。何能摧鳴條之戰。拉牧野之師乎。今與煩惱共戰。當集無漏之智。命無畏之師。控道品之眾。禦六度之侶。建道場之幡。擊甘露之鼓。著弘誓鎧冑。被忍辱袍甲。握智慧弓刀。執堅固箭楯。精進督怠惰。翹勤課不及。發行登歡喜。稅駕頓法雲。種智斷其勇。方便運其略。於是無明老死之賊。協附四魔之軍。影響波旬。困倚天女。憑帶鬼神。億千萬眾。擔山吐火雷電四繞。欲以闇惑之旅。退金剛之師。由乎菩薩忍調無想積德久善魔怨稽伏。一念努力豁然大明。非法王壞正法王勝。此並經中之盛事。若不努力何由辨也。如人營家晨起夜寐劬勞督課。便自室內盈實飢寒不切。但能努力無所不濟。出世妙行事不殊俗。若小努力微復加意。三明六通不足為難。更運方便重課心形。信順之忍漸染自至。豈得空捨一生虛過。三塗切己力無所施。方復生悔何嗟及矣。所以努力一門貫通後者。位心極行惟此而已。願幽明聖鑒照覽窮途。故敢發言託文現意。

From the initial discernment of virtue to the culmination in unhinderedness, the two paths of good and evil, ordinary and sage, suffering and joy, have been clearly and carefully examined; these words are complete. One need only strive and diligently put them into practice. The scripture says: 'Lamenting that the world's greedy thoughts flow endlessly and sink in the ocean of affection and desire, I alone wish to return to their source, and thus I exert myself and uniquely stand forth.' For this reason, across lifetimes of toil and hardship, he did not consider it labor. The scripture says: 'I and Ānanda together gave rise to the aspiration for bodhi in the presence of the Buddha King of Emptiness. Because I was always diligently energetic, I quickly attained true awakening.' It also says: 'Having attained knowledge of the true Dharma, with an untiring mind he preaches it to sentient beings.' This can indeed be called striving. Sentient beings drift in the three realms of existence, entangling each other whenever encountering suffering; therefore their cognitive consciousness is dark and weak, their thinking shallow, and they are much deluded. Every time they cultivate goodness, they timorously retreat and become frightened and flustered; from thought to thought, they undergo a hundred changes and contradictions. If one does not urge them on through striving and encourage them with resolute strength, their courageous, sharp, and valiant minds will not arise. The scripture says: 'Sentient beings battling with the enemy-robber of ignorance is no different from facing a formidable foe in the mundane realm.' Facing off in the mundane realm, one must rely on bronze gongs to strengthen their spirit, drum and bell to arouse their indignation, pent-up grief to augment their rage, and fierce resolve to achieve their strength. Without relying on these to summon courage and without using these to stir up majesty, how could one crush the battle of Mingtiao or shatter the army of Muye? Now, fighting together with the afflictions, one should assemble the wisdom of the undefiled, command the army of fearlessness, hold the reins over the multitude of the wings to awakening, steer the companions of the six perfections, erect the banner of the place of enlightenment, strike the drum of amṛta, put on the helmet and mail of the great vow, don the armor of patience, grip the bow and blade of wisdom, and hold the sturdy arrow and shield. Energy supervises indolence; diligent effort examines shortcomings. Setting out on the practice, one mounts the Ground of Joy; unhitching the carriage, one rests at the Dharma Cloud. Sarvākārajñatā severs their courage; skillful means maneuvers its strategy. Thereupon, the bandits of ignorance and aging-and-death, colluding with the armies of the four Māras, following upon the shadows and echoes of Pāpīyān, leaning in weariness upon the heavenly maidens, relying on and leading ghosts and spirits in their hundreds of millions—hoisting mountains, spitting fire, thunder and lightning circling on all four sides—wish, with this host of dark confusion, to turn back the vajra army. Because the bodhisattva’s forbearance has subdued conceptual thought and accumulated virtue and prolonged goodness, the enemy Māra bows in submission. With a single thought of striving, there is a sudden, vast illumination: the kings of false dharma are destroyed, and the King of the True Dharma is victorious. These are all grand events in the scriptures; if not for striving, how could they be accomplished? Just as when a person manages a household, rising early and sleeping late, diligently overseeing affairs, his home naturally becomes prosperous and full, and hunger and cold do not press upon him; if only one can strive, there is nothing that will not succeed. The wondrous supramundane practice is not different in its workings from the mundane. If one strives a little and applies one's mind slightly more, the three vidyās and six superknowledges are not difficult to achieve. Further applying skillful means and redoubling the task for mind and body, the patience of faithful compliance will naturally arrive through gradual immersion. How could one vainly abandon an entire lifetime and pass it in emptiness? When the three destinies press upon oneself, there will be no way to apply one's strength; only then to give rise to regret—how could lamentation avail? Therefore, the single gate of striving runs through what follows; the utmost state of mind and practice is simply this. Wishing that the sagely mirror of the hidden and visible realms illumine this exhausting path, I thus dare to utter words and entrust this text to express my intention.