法苑珠林 58.5

58.5

The mind is the source of all ailments; the mouth is the root of praise and blame. Stemming from the same origin under different names, calamity and fortune branch off in divergent streams. Thus we know that the three karmas of body and speech are nothing other than the causes that concoct calamity; the six feelings of eyes and ears are all the leaders that summon guilt. They cause people to plot against and slander the noble and the ordinary, and to unjustly oppress the good and the virtuous, so that they suffer unfounded groundless accusations and are permanently separated from the seven assemblies. Yet life and death are fated, and wealth and honor are determined by karma. Even if one administers poisonous venom, the poison cannot harm them; even if heterodox paths concoct conspiracies, their schemes cannot injure them. In vain do they raise thoughts of slander, and uselessly do they offer prayers and sacrifices. Therefore Ban Jieyu said: 'When cultivating goodness one still does not receive blessings, what can one hope for by committing evil desires? If ghosts and spirits possess consciousness, they will not accept complaints from the flattering and deceitful; if they lack consciousness, what benefit is there in complaining to them?' Indeed, the herbs of the Snow Mountains have true and false varieties that can hardly be distinguished; the fruits of the mango are difficult to tell apart as raw or ripe. Therefore, even when the Tathāgata was in the world, he still could not avoid slander. How much more so is it for today's ordinary mortals—how could they escape such blame? This blame is past misfortune; when the time comes, it must be borne. This is also one's own affair; how could one resent others? However, with the sin of making false slander, one plunges oneself into misery. For the lips and mouth are the bow, the deliberations of the mind are the string, and the vocal sounds are the arrows. Discharging them in vain throughout the long night only defiles one's body and mouth. One must especially examine oneself, seal one's mouth, and guard one's mind.