鐔津文集 3.18

3.18

五戒始一曰不殺。次二曰不盜。次三曰不邪淫。次四曰不妄言。次五曰不飲酒。夫不殺仁也。不盜義也。不邪淫禮也。不飲酒智也。不妄言信也。是五者修則成其人顯其親。不亦孝乎。是五者有一不修則棄其身辱其親。不亦不孝乎。夫五戒有孝之蘊。而世俗不睹忽之。而未始諒也。故天下福不臻而孝不勸也。大戒曰。孝名為戒。蓋存乎此也。今夫天下欲福不若篤孝。篤孝不若修戒。戒也者大聖人之正勝法也。以清淨意守之。其福若取諸左右也。儒者其禮豈不曰。我戰則克。祭則受福。蓋得其道矣。其詩豈不曰。愷悌君子求福不回。是皆言以其正也。夫世之正者猶然。況其出世之正者乎。

The five precepts begin with the first: not killing; next, the second: not stealing; next, the third: not engaging in sexual misconduct; next, the fourth: not speaking falsely; next, the fifth: not drinking alcohol. Now, not killing is humaneness (ren); not stealing is righteousness (yi); not engaging in sexual misconduct is propriety (li); not drinking alcohol is wisdom (zhi); not speaking falsely is trustworthiness (xin). If these five are cultivated, one perfects one's person and brings glory to one's parents—is this not filial piety? If even one of these five is not cultivated, one ruins one's person and brings disgrace upon one's parents—is this not unfilial? Indeed, within the five precepts lies the essence of filial piety, yet worldly people do not see it and neglect it, never having comprehended it. Thus blessings do not arrive throughout the world, and filial piety is not encouraged. The Great Precept says: 'Filial piety is named precept'—this is precisely what it means. Now, if the world desires blessings, nothing is better than earnest filial piety; and for earnest filial piety, nothing is better than cultivating the precepts. The precepts are the upright and supreme Dharma of the Great Sage. If one guards them with a pure mind, blessings will come as easily as reaching to one's left and right. Does not the Book of Rites of the Confucians say: 'When I wage war, I conquer; when I offer sacrifice, I receive blessings'? This is because they have attained the proper Way. Does not the Book of Odes say: 'The genial and courteous noble person seeks blessings without deviousness'? These all speak of acting with rectitude. If the rectitude of the worldly is like this, how much more so the rectitude of that which transcends the world!