佛垂般涅槃略說教誡經 1.6

1.6

account of sleep. You should be mindful that the fire of impermanence burns through all worlds. Seek salvation soon—do not sleep. The thieves of affliction are always waiting to slaughter people; they are worse than enemies. How can you stay asleep and not alert and arouse yourselves? The poisonous snakes of affliction are sleeping in your mind. It is like a black cobra sleeping in your room—you must use the hook of discipline to get rid of it right away. Only when the sleeping snake has been removed can you rest secure. One who goes to sleep without removing the snake is a shameless person.

“Obedience to the sense of shame is number one among all the adornments. Shame is like an iron hook that can control a person’s transgressions against the Dharma. Therefore, you monks should feel shame at all times, without slacking off for a moment. If you lose your sense of shame, you have lost all the virtues. People with shame have good qualities. Those without shame are no different from animals.

“If someone comes along who is totally undisciplined, you monks must gather in your own minds and not let yourselves get angry; guard your mouths and do not utter any maledictions. If you indulge in feelings of anger you are blocking the Way for yourself and losing the advantages of your virtues. Forbearance (kṣānti) is a virtue that upholding discipline and practicing austerities cannot match.

“Only those who are capable of practicing forbearance can be called great and powerful people. If you cannot gladly bear the poison of insults as if you were sipping sweet dew, you cannot be called a person of wisdom who has entered the Way. Why? The harm done by anger can destroy all good qualities and ruin a good reputation, so that no one in the present or future will be happy to see you. You must realize that anger is worse than a raging fire. Guard against it always and do not let it enter. Of the thieves that carry off virtue, none is worse than anger. People in lay life are subject to

desires and, not being people who practice the Way, they have no way to

control themselves, so their anger can still be forgiven. But for those who

have left home to practice the Way and have no desires, to harbor anger is

very wrong. It is like a flash of lightning from a pure cool cloud that ignites

a fire. It is not something that should be.

“You monks should remind yourselves: You have already abandoned

all finery and put on shabby clothes. You carry almsbowls and beg for a liv-

ing. Seeing yourselves like this, if you feel any pride you must quickly do

away with it. Even worldly conventional people do not think it proper to fos-

ter pride and arrogance. This is even more true for people who have left

home to enter the Way. For the sake of liberation they subdue their minds

and practice almsbegging. Monks, a devious flattering mentality is anti-

thetical to the Way. Therefore you must make your minds honest and straight-

forward. You should realize that deceit and flattery are just deceptions and

lies. Such behavior is impossible for people who have entered the Way.

Therefore all of you must adjust your minds with honesty and straightfor-

wardness as the basis.

“You monks should realize that people with many desires seek much

gratification, so that they also have many vexations. People with few desires