法苑珠林 23.39

23.39

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: