法苑珠林 97.24

97.24

述曰。既知如此。諸道俗等。若見師僧父母亡柩。外來弔人小於亡者。至其屍所如常設禮。已先執孝子手默慰吊之。後至大德所。具展哀情。弔而拜之。亦見愚癡白衣。妄行法教。展轉教他。不聽禮父母叔伯尊親亡靈。口云。我既受戒彼為鬼神。故不合禮。恐破戒故。此不合教。反招無知之罪。伏惟師僧等長養我法身。父母叔伯等長養我生身。依斯乳哺長大成人。思此恩德昊天難報。歷劫酬恩。豈一生能謝。不存敬恩。反起墮慢。繼踵鄙夫。何成孝子。故世尊極聖。尚自躬扶亡父屍送。況下凡愚輒生怠慢。故涅槃經云。知恩者。大悲之本。不知恩者。甚於畜生。

The commentary says: Knowing that it is thus, when monastics and laypeople see the deceased coffins of masters, saṃgha members, or parents, an outside visitor offering condolences who is junior to the deceased should proceed to the place of the corpse and perform the rites as usual. Having first taken the hands of the filial children to silently comfort and console them, they then proceed to the Venerable Ones to fully express their feelings of sorrow, paying condolence and bowing. One also sees foolish laypeople falsely practicing Dharma instructions and successively teaching others not to allow bowing to the deceased spirits of parents, uncles, and venerable kin, saying: 'Since I have received the precepts and they are ghosts and spirits, it is not fitting to bow to them, for fear of breaking the precepts.' This does not accord with the teachings; on the contrary, it incurs the fault of ignorance. I humbly consider that masters and monks nourish our Dharma-body, while parents and uncles nourish our physical body. Relying on their nursing, we grow up to become adults; contemplating this kindness and virtue, even the vast heavens are hard to repay. Compensating their kindness across kalpas, how could a single lifetime suffice to repay it? Failing to preserve reverence and gratitude, but instead giving rise to indolence and arrogance, treading in the footsteps of base fellows, how can one be a filial child? Therefore, even the World-Honoured One, the ultimate sage, personally supported the corpse of his deceased father in the funeral procession; how much less should low and ordinary fools rashly give rise to neglect! Hence the Nirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'One who knows kindness is the root of great compassion; one who does not know kindness is worse than a beast.'