諸經要集 19.37

19.37

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.