[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [三教平心論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117) › 2.34 # 三教平心論 2.34 三教平心論 2.34 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.2.34) 地獄之說。前既言之矣。至於死而變為畜生。見於儒家之所紀者非一。鯀為黃能。彭生為豕。載於左傳。褒君為龍。載於史記。趙王如意為犬。載於前漢書。是中國未有佛教之前。紀載於儒書者如此。非釋氏剏為此說也。賈誼曰。忽然為人兮何足控搏。化為異物兮亦何足患。信斯言也。則知人有此身不可以常保。背善趨惡不免為異類。聰明不能敵業。富貴豈免輪迴。今日乘肥衣錦。異時銜銕負鞍。今日操筆弄墨。他生戴角披毛。必然之理也。故佛以廣大之心。示五乘之教。人乘者。教人持五戒。而常獲人身。不墮於異類也。天乘者。教人修十善。而報得天身。不止於為人也。後之三乘者。教人由聲聞緣覺以至於佛道。永斷生死常住不滅。證無上覺還度眾生也。天下之大道遠理。孰有過於此者。世有大道遠理。而懵然不知。方且恃其聰明。矜其聲勢。謗襲聖教。多積過愆而自趨於惡道。其亦可哀也已。大抵人有此身其生也甚難。其死也甚易。世尊握土以示其徒。以為輪迴於四生六道之中。得人身者如手中之土。失人身者如閻浮之土。蓋謂為善之時少。而謂為惡之時多。是以得人身時少。而失人身時多。則其生也豈不甚難哉。 > The account of hells has already been discussed earlier. As for dying and transforming into an animal, this appears in the records of the Confucians on more than one occasion. Gun becoming a yellow bear and Pengsheng becoming a boar are recorded in the Zuo Commentary; the Lord of Bao becoming a dragon is recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian; and King Ruyi of Zhao becoming a dog is recorded in the Book of the Former Han. Such were the records in Confucian texts before Buddhism arrived in China; it was not the Buddhists who first originated this theory. Jia Yi said: 'Suddenly becoming a human being, why is it worth clinging to? Transforming into an alien creature, why is it worth grieving over?' If one believes these words, one knows that having this human body, it cannot be permanently preserved. Turning one's back on good and hastening toward evil, one cannot avoid becoming an alien species. Cleverness cannot rival karma; can wealth and nobility escape transmigration? Today riding sleek horses and wearing brocade, at another time holding the bit and bearing the saddle; today wielding the brush and playing with ink, in another life wearing horns and bearing fur. This is an inevitable principle. Therefore, with a vast and broad heart, the Buddha revealed the teaching of the five vehicles. The human vehicle teaches people to maintain the five precepts so that they constantly obtain a human body and do not fall into alien species. The heavenly vehicle teaches people to cultivate the ten wholesome deeds so that in retribution they obtain a heavenly body, not halting at being human. The latter three vehicles teach people to proceed from śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas up to the Buddha Way, permanently severing birth and death, abiding constantly without extinction, realizing unexcelled awakening, and returning to liberate sentient beings. Among the great Ways and profound principles of the world, what could surpass this? When the world possesses such a great Way and profound principle, yet people are utterly blind to it, and moreover rely on their cleverness, pride themselves on their influence, slander and attack the holy teaching, amass numerous transgressions, and hasten themselves toward the evil paths—is this not lamentable indeed! In general, for a human being possessing this body, its birth is extremely difficult, and its death is extremely easy. The World-Honoured One grasped earth to show his disciples, considering that of those transmigrating within the four modes of birth and six destinies, those who obtain a human body are like the earth in his hand, while those who lose a human body are like the earth of Jambudvīpa. This means that the times when one does good are few, and the times when one does evil are many; therefore, the times when one obtains a human body are few, and the times when one loses a human body are many. Is its birth then not extremely difficult? > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.2.33) - [Next: 2.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.2.35) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117~en-mt.2.34) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.2.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2117.2.34) · Pramāṇa