如何明明德
[117] How [To Reveal] Clearly [Our] Bright Virtue
圣人欲天下永太平，人民常安乐，特作《大学》，以示其法。开章即曰：「大学之道，在明明德。」然明德，在人各自具。
Sagacious persons, desiring [the] heavens below [to] forever [have] great peace, [and] people [to] constantly [have] peace [and] bliss, specially wrote ‘Great Learning’, with [it for] teaching their methods. [The] opening chapter thus says, ‘[The] path of Great Learning, [is] in [revealing] clearly [our] bright virtue.’ Indeed, bright virtue [is] in people, [with] each naturally possessing [it].
由无克念省察之功，则明德被幻妄私欲所蔽，不能显现而得受用。
Due [to] not [having] efforts of subduing thoughts [and] examining oneself, then [is the] bright virtue by illusory [and] false selfish desires those covered, not able [to] appear and attain [its] beneficial use.
其明之之法，在于克念。克念之工夫次第，在于修身、正心、诚意、致知、格物。
That method of [revealing] it clearly, [is] in subduing [of] thoughts. [The] skills [and] sequence of subduing thoughts, [are] in cultivating [the] body, [and] uprighting [the] mind, [with] sincerity [of] intention, [for] detailed knowing, [by] investigating things.
物者何？即随境所生，不合天理、不顺人情之幻妄私欲，非外物也。由此私欲固结于心，则所有知见，皆随私欲而成偏邪。
What [are] those things? Immediately following situations that arise, not conforming [with the] heavens’ principles, not complying [with] human feelings, those illusory [and] false selfish desires, [are] not external things. Due [to] these selfish desires firmly fettered in [the] mind, then [will] all [those] known [and] seen, all follow selfish desires [to] then become biased [and] evil.
如贪名贪利者，只知有利，不知有害，竭力营为，或至身败名裂。
Like those greedy [for] fame [and] greedy [for] profit, only know [about] having benefits, not knowing [they] have harms, to [their] utmost managing [and] acting, perhaps until [their] characters [are] destroyed [and] reputations [are] damaged.
爱妻爱子者，只知妻子之好，不知妻子之恶。养成祸胎，或至荡产灭门者，皆由贪与爱之私欲所致也。
Those [who] love [their] wives [and] love [their] children, only know [the] good of [their] wives [and] children, not knowing [the] evils of [their] wives [and] children. Those cultivating misfortunes’ womb, perhaps until squandering [away their] properties [and] exterminating [their] entire families, [are] all due [to] selfish desires of greed and love, [by] those caused.
若将此不合情理之私欲，格除净尽，则妻子之是是非非自知，名利之得之以道，不须夤缘妄求矣。
If with these selfish desires that [do] not conform [with] reason, eliminated [to be] completely gone, then [with the] right [as] right [and] wrong [as] wrong [of] wives [and] children personally known, [is] getting of fame [and] profit with [the] path, not needing [to] climb up [by] fawning [for] inappropriate requests.
此「物」字，先要识得是幻妄不合情理之私欲，则其格除，乃易易事。否则尽平生力，不奈彼何。纵读尽世间书，也只成得一个依草附木，随波逐浪汉。甚矣！
[On] this word ‘things’, [there] first must [be] recognising that these illusory [and] false selfish desires [do] not conform [with] reason, then [will] their elimination, thus [become a] very easy matter. Otherwise, [with the] utmost [of this] one life’s efforts, [there is] no [way] to deal with those. Even if studying completely [the] world’s books, also only becoming [a] chap relying [on] grass [and] attaching [to] trees, following waves [and] chasing [their] flow. [How] extreme!
私欲之物之祸大也。若知此物是吾人生死怨家，决不令彼暂存吾心，则即心本具之正知自显。正知显，而意诚、心正、身修，顺流而导，势如破竹，有不期然而然者。
[With] things of selfish desires are misfortunes great. If knowing these things are our [cycle of] birth [and] death’s enemies, not at all causing those [to be] temporarily retained [in] my mind, then immediately [will the] mind’s that originally possessed right knowledge naturally appear. [With] right knowledge appearing, then [with] intentions sincere, mind uprighted, [and] body cultivated, following [the] flow yet [with] guidance, [with] power like [that] splitting bamboo, having that not expected thus yet thus.
人皆可以为尧舜，人皆可以作佛。以一切人民，各具明德。一切众生，皆有佛性。
People can all be [Emperor] Yáo [and Emperor] Shùn, [and] people can all become Buddhas. With all people, each possessing bright virtue. All sentient beings, all have Buddha-nature.
其不能为尧舜，不能作佛者，皆由私欲锢蔽，不奋克念之功，遂致从劫至劫，随私欲转，轮回六道，了无出期。可不哀哉！
Those not able [to] be Yáo [and] Shùn, not able [to] become Buddhas, [are] all due [to being by] selfish desires confined [and] covered, not doing [their] best [with] efforts of subduing [their] thoughts, following [them] through [and] causing, from kalpa to kalpa, [the] following [of] selfish desires [to be] transformed, [with] rebirths [in the] six paths, [and] liberation without [an] exit date. How [is this] not pitiful?
然专以格致为训，不以因果相辅而导者，或难奋发大心，励志修持也。
However, those focused with investigating [of things for] detailed [knowing] as instruction, not with cause [and] effect’s [teachings] mutually aided and guided, [are] perhaps difficult [to] vigorously rouse [the] great mind, [to] encourage [their] practice.
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》（续编）：标本同治录序；
Dharma Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings (Second Compilation): Symptoms’ [And] Roots’ Simultaneous Treatment’s Record’s Preface;
印光大师文钞菁华录（第一百十七则）：三、示修持方法：丙、明对治习气（第二十四则）
Record [Of] Great Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings’ Essence (117th Short Section): 3rd [Chapter]: Guidance [On] Practice Methods: Third, Clear Remedies [For] Habitual Tendencies (24th Short Section)
[Ref: #117 / 3.3.24]
Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes 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
