为何浪子回头金不换？
Why Are Those Who Return To Their True Nature Precious?
烦恼是妄，何可云不能断乎？所言不能断者，乃系真性。
[As] afflictions are false, how can [they be] said [to be] not able [to be] severed? That said [to be] not able [to be] severed, [is] thus connected [to our] true nature.
自重不变真性
[266] [Have] Self-Respect [For] Unchanging True Nature
真性在未证前，随恶缘则成烦恼，而仍不变。随善缘、净缘而成菩提，亦不变。
True nature, when yet [to be] realised, accords [with] evil conditions, [to] then ‘become’ afflictions. Yet, [it] still [does] not change. [When] according [with] good conditions [and] pure conditions, then ‘becoming’ Bodhi. Likewise, not changing.
譬如真金打做马桶、夜壶，虽日盛粪，而金性仍然不变。打做佛像、菩萨像，虽极其贵重，而金性仍然不变。
For example, [when] genuine gold [is] beaten [to] become toilet bowls [and] chamber pots, although daily filled [with] excrement, yet [its] gold nature still [does] not change. [When] beaten [to] become Buddha images [and] Bodhisattva images, although extremely precious, yet [its] gold nature still [does] not change.
世间人各具佛性，而常造恶业，如以金做马桶、夜壶，太不知自重了。
[The] world’s people [are] each complete [with] Buddha-nature, yet constantly creating evil karmas, [this is] like with gold making toilet bowls [and] chamber pots, [with] extreme ignorance [of] self-respect.
净土宗十三祖印光大师
Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yìnguāng
《印光法师文钞》（正编）：复吕智明书；
Dharma Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings (First Compilation): Reply Letter [To] Lǚ Zhìmíng;
印光大师文钞菁华录（第两百六十六则）：八、释普通疑惑：论心性（第十五则）
Record [Of] Great Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings’ Essence (266th Short Section): 8th Chapter: Explanations [On] Common Doubts [And] Confusions: Discussion On Mind-Nature (15th Short Section)
[Ref: #266 / 8.15]
若知此义，谁肯常作马桶夜壶之下作东西乎？
If knowing this meaning, who [will be] willing [to] constantly be toilet bowls, chamber pots, [or that] beneath, as anything [else]?
然人争著做马桶夜壶。百千万亿中，或有不肯作马桶夜壶，一意要作佛像菩萨像，连天帝大王之像亦不肯作者，盖甚少甚少也。
However, people [still] compete [to] be toilet bowls [and] chamber pots. [Of a] hundred trillion within, perhaps [there] are [those] not willing [to] become toilet bowls [and] chamber pots, [who] single-mindedly want [to] become Buddha [and] Bodhisattva ‘images’, even of heavenly emperors’ [and] great kings’ ‘images’, also not willing [to] become [them]. Yet, [they are] extremely few, extremely few.
[Note: Our true nature is our Buddha-nature (佛性), which is more precious than all the gold in the universe. The swiftest way to realise its full potential is to practise mindfulness of the name of Amitā[bha] Buddha (i.e. Āmítuófó: 阿弥陀佛), to align our Buddha-nature with the Buddha’s blessings – to ‘wash away’ the defilements caked upon it, and to reach his Pure Land, where there are no evil conditions that condition the rise of afflictions. There are only good and pure conditions there, that most skilfully condition our accomplishment of unsurpassable Bodhi, which is Buddhahood.
It does not make sense to, despite having our wonderful true nature, to let it be polluted by defilements for even an instant, or indefinitely. Even if it is always there, with its potential never realised, it is as if ‘not’ there, only constantly wasted.]
Namo Amituofo : Translation and note by Shen Shi’an
相关典籍
Related Text:
《印光大师文钞菁华录》
Record Of Great Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings’ Essence
https://purelanders.com/jinghualu
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