法苑珠林 23.39

23.39

如涅槃經云。居家如牢獄。妻子如枷鎖。財物如重擔。親戚如怨家。而能一日一夜受持清禁六時行道。兼年常三長月常六齋。菜蔬節味。檢身口意不馳外。緣專崇出俗高慕佛法。俯仰無虧坐臥無失。夜係明相晝思淨法。深敬沙門悲心利俗。若能如是。雖居在家可得度苦。故經云。佛法欲盡白衣護法。修善上生天上如空中雪墮。比丘違於戒律。墮陷惡道如雨從天落。當知於苦修福其福最大。於福作罪其罪不輕。是以從苦入樂。未知樂中之樂。從樂入苦。方知苦中之苦。斯言可驗。幸願省之。又法句經偈云。

As the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: Living at home is like a prison, wives and children are like chains and stocks, wealth and possessions are like a heavy burden, and relatives are like mortal foes. Yet if one can for one day and one night observe the pure prohibitions, cultivate the path throughout the six periods of the day, additionally observe the three long months every year and the six fast days every month, moderate one's food with simple vegetables, restrain body, speech, and mind without letting them run after external objects, dedicate oneself exclusively to transcending worldly ways, aspire loftily to the Buddha-Dharma, make no error in rising and bending, commit no fault in sitting and lying down, fix the mind upon the sign of daylight at night, contemplate pure teachings by day, deeply revere śramaṇas, and cultivate compassion to benefit worldly folk—if one can act like this, then even though one lives at home, one can transcend suffering. Therefore the sūtra says: When the Buddha-Dharma is about to disappear, white-robed laymen will protect the Dharma. Cultivating goodness and ascending to rebirth in the heavens is like snow falling from the sky; a bhikṣu transgressing the precepts and vinaya and falling into the evil destinies is like rain dropping from the heavens. One should know that cultivating blessings in the midst of suffering brings the greatest blessings, while committing offenses in the midst of blessing brings no light offense. Therefore, going from suffering into happiness, one does not yet know the joy within joy; going from happiness into suffering, only then does one know the pain within pain. These words can be verified; may one reflect upon them with care! Moreover, a verse in the Dharmapada says: