Translations

What Should You Have Fond Delight Of? 应当好乐什么?Fond Delights 好乐

好乐
Fond Delights

人处世各有所好,亦各随所好以度日而终老,但清浊不同耳。

[Of] humans conducting [themselves in this] world, each has that fond [of], also [with] each according [to] that fond [of], with [it] passing the days, and for spending one’s last years. However, [their] purity [and] defilements [are] not [the] same.

至浊者好财,其次好色,其次好饮。

Those utmost defiled [are] fond [of] wealth, next fond [of] sex, next fond [of] drinking [alcohol].

稍清,则或好古玩,或好琴棋,或好山水,或好吟咏。

[Those] slightly [more] pure, thus [are] perhaps fond [of] antiques, or fond [of] zither [and] chess, or fond [of] mountains and rivers [in paintings or travels], or fond [of] reciting poetry.

又进之,则好读书。

Further advancing, thus [is] fondness [of] reading books.

开卷有益,诸好之中,读书为胜矣!

[As] opening scrolls is beneficial, within all [that] fond [of], reading books [is] as [the] supreme!

然此犹世间法。

However, these [are] still [of] worldly Dharma [i.e. phenomena].

又进之,则好读内典。

Further advancing, thus [is] fondness [of] reading [the] inner classics [i.e. Buddhist scriptures].

又进之,则好净其心。

Further advancing, thus [is] fondness [of] purifying their minds.

好至于净其心,而世出世间之好最胜矣!

[With] fondness utmost of purification [of] their minds, [this] then, [is] of [that] worldly [and] world-transcending fond of, [the] most supreme!

渐入佳境如食蔗喻。

Gradually entering [the] most excellent state, [this is] like eating sugar cane, [as an] analogy, [increasingly sweet when chewed].

净土宗八祖莲池大师
Pure Land Tradition’s 8th Patriarch Great Master Liánchí
《竹窗随笔》
Essays Written [By The] Bamboo Window

Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an

Please be mindful of your speech, Amituofo!

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