諸經要集 9.6

9.6

夫理之所窮。唯善與惡。顧此二途。倏然易辯。幽則有罪福苦樂。顯則有賢愚榮辱。愛榮憎辱。趣樂背苦。含識所必同也。今愛榮而不知慕賢。求福而不知避禍。譬猶播植粃粺。而欲歲取精糧。驅駕駑蹇。而望騰超敻絕。不亦惑哉。如鳥獸蟲卉之智。猶知因風假露託迅附高。以成其事。奚況於人。而無託友以就其善乎。故所託善友。則存名而成德。所親闇蔽。則身悴而名惡也。故玄軌之宗。出於高範。切瑳之意。事存我友。又如摶牛之虻。飛極百步。若附鸞尾。則一翥萬里。此豈非其翼工之所託迅也。亦同凡夫溺喪極趣。不越人天。若憑大聖之威。則高昇十地。同生淨域也。

Now, that to which ultimate principles lead is simply good and evil. When looking at these two paths, their distinction is instantly clear: in the unseen realm, there are sin and merit, suffering and joy; in the manifest realm, there are wisdom and folly, honor and disgrace. Loving honor and hating disgrace, heading toward joy and turning away from suffering—in this, all conscious beings are surely identical. Yet today, people love honor but do not know to emulate the wise; they seek blessing but do not know to avoid calamity. This is like sowing chaff and weeds while expecting to harvest fine grain at the end of the year, or driving a tired, lame nag while hoping to outrun and leave all far behind—is this not delusion? If the instinct of birds, beasts, insects, and plants still knows to take advantage of the wind, rely on dew, hitch a ride on swiftness, and attach to the high so as to accomplish their ends, how much more so for humans—should they not rely on friends to achieve goodness? Therefore, when one relies on a wholesome friend, one preserves one's reputation and accomplishes virtue; when one is intimate with the obtuse and corrupt, one's person is withered and one's reputation is evil. Thus, the foundation of the profound path emerges from high models; the spirit of mutual polishing and refining rests upon our friends. Furthermore, it is like a gadfly that attacks cattle: flying on its own, it reaches at most a hundred paces; but if it attaches to the tail of a luan bird, with one soaring flight it covers ten thousand li. Is this not because its wings skillfully relied upon swiftness? It is likewise for ordinary beings: when drowning and lost, the utmost destination they reach does not exceed humans and devas; but if they rely upon the majestic power of the Great Sage, they ascend high to the ten stages and are born together in the pure realm."