鐔津文集 3.12

3.12

聖人以精神乘變化而交為人畜。更古今混然茫乎。而世俗未始自覺。故其視今牛羊。唯恐其是昔之父母精神之所來也。故戒於殺不使暴一微物。篤於懷親也。諭今父母則必於其道。唯恐其更生而陷神乎異類也。故其追父母於既往則逮乎七世。為父母慮其未然則逮乎更生。雖譎然骸世而在道然也。天下苟以其不殺勸。則好生惡殺之訓。猶可以移風易俗也。天下苟以其陷神為父母慮。猶可以廣乎。孝子慎終追遠之心也。況其於變化而得其實者也。校夫世之謂孝者。局一世而闇玄覽。求於人而不求於神。是不為遠而孰為遠乎。是不為大而孰為大乎。經曰。應生孝順心愛護一切眾生。斯之謂也。

The sage, seeing that spirits ride the transformations of rebirth and interchange as humans and beasts, passing through past and present in a vast, indistinct blur while worldly people remain entirely unaware, therefore regards present oxen and sheep with apprehension, fearing only that they may be the forms to which the spirits of past parents have come. Hence he prohibits killing, not allowing the violent harm of even a single minute creature, so fervent is his cherish of parents! In admonishing present parents, he necessarily guides them to the Way, fearing only that upon rebirth their spirits might fall into different species. Therefore, in tracing parents back to the past, he reaches through seven lifetimes; in planning for parents regarding the future, he reaches to their future births. Though this may seem astonishing and shock the worldly, in the Way it is truly so. If the realm is exhorted by non-killing, the instruction to love life and abhor killing can still transform customs and mores. If the realm is concerned about spirits falling into lower realms on behalf of parents, it can still expand the filial child’s mind of attending carefully to the end and commemorating the distant past. How much more so for one who, through these transformations, has grasped the reality! Comparing this to what the world calls filial piety—confined to a single lifetime and blind to the profound vision, seeking only among humans and not among spirits—if this is not considered far-reaching, what can be considered far-reaching? If this is not considered great, what can be considered great? When the sutra says, 'One should give rise to a mind of filial obedience and protect all sentient beings with love,' it refers to this.