諸經要集 19.37

19.37

惟四大毒器。有穢斯充。六賊狂主。是境皆著。無復逆流之期。唯有循環之勢。至如析一毛以利天下。則吝而弗為。撤一餐以續餘糧。則惜而不與。淪滯生死。封執有為。諸佛為其斂眉。菩薩於茲泣血。竊見俗徒貴勝。父母喪亡多造葬儀。廣殺生命。聚集親族。供待人客。苟求現勝。不避業因。或畏外譏。不修內典所以父亡於斯重苦。母終偏增湯炭。是以宛轉三界。綿歷六道。四趣易歸。萬劫難啟。痛慈母之幽靈。愍逆子之酬毒。但亢陽如久。必思甘雨之澤。災勵若多。剋待良醫之藥。惟斯考妣既是凡夫。能無惡業。罪因不滅業報難排。若不憑諸勝福。樂果何容得證。庶使臨終發願。令入屍陀葬具資財並修功德。冀濟飛走之飢。得免將來之債也。

Now, the four great elements are poisonous vessels filled with foul impurities; the six thieves are frenzied masters, clinging to whatever realm they encounter. There is no longer any hope of flowing against the stream, only the momentum of revolving in the cycle. Even in plucking a single hair to benefit the world, they are stingy and will not do it; in setting aside a single meal to supplement someone else's food, they are begrudging and will not give it. Sinking into birth and death, tenaciously attached to conditioned things, the Buddhas knit their brows for them, and the bodhisattvas weep tears of blood. I observe that when worldly nobles and dignitaries suffer the death of their parents, they mostly arrange funeral rituals, extensively killing living beings, gathering kinsfolk, and entertaining guests. Blindly seeking present preeminence, they do not avoid karmic causes; or fearing external ridicule, they do not cultivate the internal scriptures. Thus, when the father dies, it results in these heavy sufferings, and when the mother passes away, it especially adds boiling broth and glowing charcoal. Consequently, they revolve in the three realms and continuously pass through the six destinies; the four bad realms are easy to return to, but escape across ten thousand kalpas is difficult to initiate. One pities the dark spirit of the kind mother, and laments the rebellious child's harmful return. However, if severe drought has lasted long, one must long for the benefit of sweet rain; if calamities and epidemics are numerous, one definitely awaits the medicine of an able physician. As these deceased parents were ordinary persons, could they be without bad karma? If the causes of sin are not eliminated, the karmic retributions are hard to dispel. If they do not rely on various superior merits, how could the fruit of bliss possibly be realized? May it be that at the end of life they make a vow to have their corpse taken to a śītavana, and that funeral furnishings and material wealth be used entirely to cultivate merit, hoping thereby to relieve the hunger of flying and walking creatures and escape future debts.