净土起信四
Fourth [Essay For] Arising [Of] Faith [In] Pure Land
佛教与儒教之同异
[4] Similarities [And] Differences [Between] Buddhist [And] Confucian Teachings
儒者或以释氏之徒无戒行,故轻其教,而因以不信净土。是不然。
[There are] those Confucians, perhaps with [claims that some] disciples of Śākya[muni Buddha are] without precepts’ [prohibitory] practices, thus slighting his teachings, and because [of this], with not [them] believing [in] Pure Land. [This] is not reasonable.
岂可以道士不肖而轻老子,士人不肖而轻孔子?智者尚不以人废言,况可以其徒而轻其教乎?
How can [there be] with Taoist priests not worthy then slighting Lǎozi, [with] scholarly persons not worthy then slighting Kǒngzǐ [i.e. Confucius]? [As] those wise [will] still not with [other] persons’ [other inadequacies] reject [their] words, moreover, [how] can [they] with their disciples then slight their teachings?
释氏之教,有世间法,有出世间法。其世间法与吾儒同者,不可以缕数,姑举其大者言之。释氏之所以孳孳训世人者,无非戒恶劝善;而吾儒何尝不戒恶劝善哉?
[The] teachings of Śākya[muni Buddha], has worldly Dharma, [and] has world-transcending Dharma. His worldly Dharma with our Confucian [teachings] that [are the] same, cannot [be] detailedly counted [here], for the time being raising [some] great [similarities to] speak of [them only]. [The] reason why Śākya[muni Buddha] diligently taught [the] world’s people, [is] without that not [for] prohibiting [of] evil [and] exhorting [of] good, and [of] our Confucian [teachings], how can [they] not [be for] prohibiting [of] evil [and] exhorting [of] good [too]?
且以目前言之,佛以杀生、偷盗、邪淫为身三业,而孔子言:「胜残去杀」,诗人言:「文王德及鸟兽昆虫」,是岂不戒杀哉?盗,固不在所言矣。
Further, with [the following], presently speaking [of] them, [the] Buddha [has teachings] with killing lives, stealing [and] sexual misconduct as [the] body’s three [evil] karmas [恶业], and Kǒngzǐ said, ‘conquer [the] cruel [by] eliminating killing’ [i.e. with reforming of the brutal, end capital punishment]. [As a] poet [also] said, ‘King Wén’s virtue reached birds, beasts [and] insects’, how can these not [be] prohibiting [of] killing? [On prohibiting of] stealing, [as this is] certain, [it is] not in that said [here].
孔子言:「吾未见好德如好色者。」诗人刺不好德而悦美色,是岂不戒邪淫哉?
Kǒngzǐ said, ‘I [have] yet [to] see those fond [of] virtue like [those] fond [of] sex.’ [As] poets mock [those] not fond [of] virtue yet pleased [with] beauty [and] sex [too], how can these not [be] prohibiting [of] sexual misconduct?
佛以妄言、绮语、两舌、恶口为口四业,孔子谓: 「人而无信,不知其可」,岂不戒妄言也?
[The] Buddha [was] with [teachings on] false speech, flowery speech, double-tongued [speech and] harsh speech as [the] mouth’s four [evil] karmas. [As] Kǒngzǐ said, ‘[Being a] human yet without trustworthiness, not known [is how] this [is] possible’, how [is this] not prohibiting [of] false speech?
谓:「巧言令色,鲜矣仁」,岂不戒绮语也?
Saying, ‘[With] pleasing speech [and] pretentious countenance, few [are] benevolent’, how [is this] not prohibiting [of] flowery speech too?
《书》称:「尔无面从,退有后言」,岂不戒两舌也?
[As the] Shū[jīng]《书经》says, ‘You [should be] without face [to face] complying, [yet] behind having [critical] speech’, how [is this] not prohibiting [of] double-tongued [speech] too?
恶口谓之恶怒之声,尚未至于秽语,荀子谓:「伤人之言,深于矛戟」,是未尝不戒恶怒之口也。
[On] harsh speech that [is] called [the] voice of hatred [and] anger, [that has] still yet [to] reach [that] of obscene language, [As] Xúnzi said, ‘Of speech [that] injures people, [their harms are] deeper than spears [and] halberds’, [this] is not yet once not prohibiting [the] mouth of hatred [and] anger too.
佛又以贪、瞋、痴为意三业,孔子谓:「见得思义」,是则戒贪矣;谓:「伯夷、叔齐不念旧恶」,是则戒瞋矣;谓:「困而不学,民斯为下」,是则戒痴矣。由此言之,儒释未尝不同也。
[The] Buddha [was] also with [teachings on] greed, hatred [and] ignorance as [the] mind’s three [evil] karmas. [As] Kǒngzǐ said, ‘[When] seeing gains, contemplate righteousness’, [this] is then prohibiting [of] greed. Saying, ‘Bóyí [and] Shūqí [did] not remember old evils’ [i.e. not have grievances or bear grudges], [this] is then prohibiting [of] hatred. Saying, ‘[Those] confused yet not learning, people [like] these [are] as [the] lowliest’, [this] is then prohibiting [of] ignorance. Due [to] this speaking of [them], Confucian [teachings and] Śākya[muni Buddha’s teachings are] not yet once not [the] same too.
其不同者,唯儒家止于世间法,释氏又有出世间法。儒家止于世间法,故独言一世而归之于天。释氏又有出世间法,故知累世,而见众生业缘之本末。此其所不同耳。
That not [the] same, [is that the] Confucian teachings only stop at worldly Dharma, [while] Śākya[muni Buddha’s teachings] also have world-transcending Dharma. Confucian teachings stop at worldly Dharma, thus only speaking [of] one lifetime, then [with] ‘return to heaven’ [if there is much good karma]. Śākya[muni Buddha’s teachings] also have world-transcending Dharma, thus [with] knowing [of past] accumulated lives, and seeing [of] sentient beings’ beginnings [and] endings of karmic conditions. These [are] those not [the] same only.
欲知释氏之所长,须看《楞严》、《楞伽》、《圆觉》与《无盖障菩萨所问经》及晓《金刚经》之理。
Desiring [to] know of Śākya[muni Buddha’s teachings’ excellence, [there] must [be] study [of the] Śūraṅgama [Sūtra], Laṅkāvatāra [Sūtra], Complete Awakening [Sūtra, the] Sūtra [Of] That Asked [By The] Bodhisattva Without Hindrances’ Obstacles [i.e. Sarvanivāraṇaviṣkambhin], and knowing [of the] principles of [the] Vajra [Sūtra].
未能如是,而遂非之,则孔子所谓「不知而作之者」,可不戒哉。诚如是,则释氏为可信矣。其言净土乌可以不信哉?所谓出世间法,净土尤其要者,不可以不勉也。
Yet able [to know] thus, yet persistently concealing [one’s] mistaking [of] them, [as this] then [is] Kǒngzǐ’s so-called, ‘Those not knowing yet [with] making of [assumptions]’, [how] can [this] not [be] prohibited? [If] truly [knowing] thus, then [are] Śākya[muni Buddha’s teachings] as [those] believable. [On] his speaking [of] Pure Land, how can [it] not [be] believed? [Of] so-called world-transcending Dharma, [as the] Pure Land [teachings are] those especially essential, [he] could not [be with them] not exhorted.
宋‧王日休
《龙舒净土文》
第一卷:净土起信九篇
Sòng [Dynasty’s] Wáng Rìxiū
Lóngshū’s Pure Land Text:
First Scroll: Nine Essays [On] Arising [Of] Faith [In] Pure Land
Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an
上篇
Previous Essay:
佛所言不可目前不见而不信
[3] That The Buddha Said Cannot Be Presently Not Seen Then Not Believed
https://purelanders.com/2021/10/04/3-that-the-buddha-said-cannot-be-presently-not-seen-then-not-believed
下篇
Next Essay:
高谈玄妙拨无净土之失
[5] Mistakes Of Impractically Speaking Of The Profoundly Wonderful While Denying There Is Pure Land
https://purelanders.com/2021/09/28/5-mistakes-of-impractically-speaking-of-the-profoundly-wonderful-while-denying-there-is-pure-land
九篇
Nine Essays:
《龙舒净土文》
第一卷:净土起信九篇(等)
Lóngshū’s Pure Land Text:
[1] First Scroll: Nine Essays On Arising Of Faith In Pure Land, etc.
https://purelanders.com/longshu1