← Scripture
Mahāyāna — Northern Canon · Linh Sơn Vietnamese Mahāyāna Canon
法集要頌經
Chinese title:法集要頌經
📖6,393 words · ~26 min read
2
Interpreted by Inti AI (English)
🪷 AI interpretation
CHAPTER 1: IMPERMANENCE
[1]Having well awakened to afflictions,One should give rise to joyful hearts.Now hear this collection I have compiledOf Dharma verses proclaimed by the Buddha.
[2]Thus did the Buddha, the Blessed One,The Teacher possessed of omniscience,Out of compassion for sentient beings,Widely proclaim these words of truth.
[3]All conditioned phenomena are impermanent;All are subject to arising and decline.Whatever has just arisen must cease;Quiescent cessation is the highest bliss.
[4]Just as a blazing torchIlluminates a place of darkness,If the torch of wisdom is not kindled,One remains forever veiled by afflictions.
[5]The human body is like a vesselWhose parts are scattered everywhere;Its bones are pale as pigeons.Look—what joy is there in this?
[6]Just as at the beginning of the nightConsciousness enters the mother's womb,It undergoes myriad changes day by day;What has passed will never return.
[7]At dawn one sees what is good;By evening it is seen no more.Yesterday those people were still seen;Who knows whether they remain this evening?
[8]Glory and splendor blaze fiercely,Yet impermanence comes without warning.It distinguishes neither noble nor lowly;All are pursued by the lord of death.
[9]Some die within the mother's womb;Some die at the moment of birth.Even the strong cannot escape,And the aged must willingly endure it.
[10]Whether old or still a child,Or one in the prime of life,All are constantly troubled by death;How could they not be afraid?
[11]Life is like fruit ripening by itself,Always in danger of falling.Whoever is born must surely die;Who can ever be exempt?
[12]Just as a potterMixes clay and fashions vessels,All of them will eventually shatter;Life is also just like this.
[13]Just as one who plucks a luteBrings forth myriad wondrous sounds,When its strings break, all sound falls silent;Life is also just like this.
[14]Just as a condemned prisonerIs tightly bound and dragged to the city,Where, despite struggling, he is killed;Life is also just like this.
[15]Like the swift current of a river,Flowing downstream and never back,Human life is also thus:Once gone, it never returns.
[16]Many afflictions gather to form the body,And from its birth come many sufferings.Human life is also thus:Old age and death are always waiting.
[17]Though one expends enormous effortAnd labors a lifetime to attain something,It is like a staff striking water:It parts briefly, then closes again.
[18]As a herdsman holding a whipWatches cattle while they graze,So do old age and deathRaise beings up and then carry them away.
[19]Worldlings wishing to establish virtueShould not be heedless by day or night.Having obtained a human body,Single-mindedly contemplate impermanence.
[20]The night is long for one who cannot sleep;The road is long for one who is weary.The deluded wander endlessly in samsara,Unaware of the Buddha's true Dharma.
[21]“I have wealth, and I have children”:Thus does the fool continually worry.Even the self does not belong to oneself;How much less do wealth and children?
[22]Not one in hundreds of thousands,However wealthy or noble,Can hoard and preserve possessionsWithout everything declining and perishing.
[23]Riches are not the noble treasure;They are always pursued by impermanence.One who clings to them is like the blind,Unable to contemplate for himself.
[24]Gatherings end in separation;What rises high must fall.All who are born must die;It is the same with sentient beings.
[25]Those who do evil fall into hell;Those who do good are born in heaven.Whoever skillfully cultivates goodness,Exhausting the outflows, attains quiescent cessation.
[26]Buddhas and bodhisattvas,Pratyekabuddhas and sravakas,All relinquish their conditioned bodies;How much more must other sentient beings?
[27]Whether entering the sea, dwelling in space,Or ascending to the summit of a rocky mountain,There is nowhere at allWhere one may escape death.
[28]Whether in the present,The past, or the future,All conditioned phenomenaMust ultimately perish.
[29]The wise, free from bondage,Always contemplate with right mindfulness.They reflect upon the path free of outflows;Such are the truly wise.
[30]A prisoner is tightly bound;Though wishing to escape, it is useless.Likewise, an old cartWill soon decay.
[31]The countenance ages and withers,While one clings to the prison of family life.Unaware that death is approaching,What fool can comprehend this?
[32]Though one may live a hundred years,Death still follows close behind.Old age and illness continually oppress,And calamities await in lives to come.
[33]The decline of age coils tightly around the body;Day and night one suffers greatly.There are a thousand kinds of bitterness,Like a fish cast into burning ashes.
[34]Rivers and streams flow without pause,Rushing onward and never returning.Though one cherishes this pus-filled body,It will not remain forever.
[35]The four great elements gather to form the body;Impermanent, it cannot endure.When its earth element disintegratesAnd consciousness departs, what use is it?
[36]This body is filled with afflictions,Impure with pus and ever diseased.The deluded cherish and preserve it,Yet never seek quiescent cessation.
[37]Though this year is still present,Winter and summer do not long remain.Worldlings crave sensual pleasures,Yet feel no fear amid them.
[38]Parents and siblings,Wife, children, and relatives—When impermanence comes to lead one away,No one can provide rescue.
[39]Thus do sentient beingsGive rise to thoughts craving splendor.Bound by impermanence, age, and sickness,They do not understand the suffering of birth.
[40]Having shaved the head and become a bhiksu,One should cultivate serenity and insight.Then Mara cannot discern one's course,And, ending birth, one crosses to the farther shore.
CHAPTER 2: CRAVING AND DESIRE
[1]The root of sensual desireArises from deluded conception.If the mind does not conceive,Craving and desire will not arise.
[2]From desire affliction arises;From desire fear arises.Freed from desire, one is liberated,Without fear and without affliction.
[3]From craving affliction arises;From craving fear arises.Freed from craving, one is liberated,Without fear and without affliction.
[4]Its fruit is sweet at first, then bitter;Craving and desire are also thus.Later one suffers in hell,Roasting for countless kalpas.
[5]The deluded crave sensual desire,Fondly attached to wife and children.Bound fast by defiled attachment,They find it difficult to part from them.
[6]Sages and worthies abandon craving and desire,Adorning the assembly of their companions.Leaving wife and children far behind,Their concentrated minds skillfully bring benefit.
[7]Those possessed by desire are hard to free;Abandoning desire is true renunciation.Not coveting pleasurable sensations,The wise have no craving.
[8]People of the world crave desireAnd fail to reflect upon anything.Whoever skillfully disciplines himselfHas truly abandoned desire.
[9]Whoever continually craves desireIs tightly bound and difficult to free.Only through wisdom and clear discernmentAre afflictions severed and prevented from arising.
[10]When right mindfulness continually arises,In stillness evil is easily removed.Restrain yourself through the Dharma of precepts;Commit no transgression, and goodness will grow.
[11]Whoever continually craves sensual desireWill keep company with fools.Through mindful concentration and heedfulness,One gradually attains freedom from outflows.
[12]Cultivating serenity and insight for even one thought,One skillfully abandons all sinful defilements.Pride is naturally eliminated,And liberation brings peace and joy.
[13]Whoever does not sever desireIs like skin touching a blazing fire.Burned away in but a single thought,One suffers retribution for countless kalpas.
[14]A bhiksu should guard against sensual pleasure;Heedlessness brings much sorrow.If craving and desire are abandoned,Right mindfulness brings peaceful joy.
[15]Without revulsion, how can one know contentment?Without contentment, how can there be happiness?Without happiness, how can craving arise?With craving, how can there be happiness?
[16]Stillness and perfect wisdomIncrease the path free of outflows.Craving is never satisfied;Contrary to Dharma, it leads to untimely death.
[17]Seeing forms, the mind becomes deludedAnd does not contemplate impermanence.The fool regards them as beautiful,Unaware that they are unreal.
[18]Fools are bound by cravingAnd do not aspire to the farther shore.Because they crave wealth and affection,They harm others and themselves.
[19]The pleasures of the worldAre exceedingly slight.Compared with those of heaven,They fall short a thousand myriad times.
[20]Though mountains became gold,As numerous as the Iron Ring Mountains,They could not satisfy the greedy;Only the perfectly awakened understand this.
[21]The painful recompense of the worldAll arises from sensual desire.The wise discipline it well;One should train in this way.
CHAPTER 3: GREED AND DESIRE
[1]When greed manifests strongly,Sentient beings become anxious and doubtful.If greedy intentions increase further,Their bonds become still more secure.
[2]Abandon greed and contemplate well;Then anxiety and doubt will cease.Relinquish that greedy craving,And binding fetters will dissolve by themselves.
[3]The net of desire coils around oneself;The canopy of craving covers oneself.Dissipation binds one within a prison,Like a fish entering the mouth of a trap.Old age and death constantly press upon one,Like a calf longing for its mother's milk.
[4]Whoever heedlessly indulges desireIs like an ape encountering fruit trees.His greedy intention grows more tenacious;Having gone, he turns back again.
[5]One drenched in cravingAllows thoughts to spread ever farther.Craving and desire are bottomless;Old age and death only increase.
[6]Greed gives rise to false speech;Greed gives rise to stinginess.If one discerns with wisdom,Right contemplation brings peace and joy.
[7]Because of greed, one undergoes birth and death,Rushing about in pursuit of sensual pleasure.Beings without the eye of wisdomCannot contemplate for themselves.
[8]The deluded cling to greed and desire;How can those drowning in samsara understand?If they practice even for a moment,Mara cannot discern their course.
[9]Greed and desire are difficult to relinquish,Like a calf fondly attached to its mother.Freed from greed, one escapes the flood;Freed from greed, one attains liberation.
[10]Greed increases contention;Craving increases slander.A bhiksu cultivating serenity and insightRealizes the path of quiescent cessation.
[11]Greedy intention is like fertile soil,Growing swiftly when wind and rain arrive.If greedy craving is abandoned,Afflictions cannot invade.
[12]When greed and desire are slight,Like water falling upon a lotus leaf,Those afflictions are easily removed;Only then is one called wise.
[13]If a tree is cut but not its root,Though cut down, it grows again.If greed is not severed at its root,Though destroyed, it will arise again.
[14]Greed and desire are like cultivating a field,Tended and cleared of accumulated filth.If the sprout of craving is not uprooted,Wholesome fruit will not endure.
[15]The mind of greed and the mind of cravingAre, when distinguished, not different at the root.Those who do evil all suffer;Why does the mind not repent?
[16]The nature of greed serves as seed;The nature of craving receives the embryo.Sentient beings recollect without cease,Coming and going, unable to break free.
[17]Devas and human beingsAbide dependent upon craving.When craving arrives, bonds follow;They do not cease for even a thought.Afterward sorrow arises,And only in prison does one understand.
[18]Conditions of craving flow without cease;The five faculties are veiled by desire's net.Branches and leaves increase hunger and thirst;The suffering of craving grows forever.
[19]It is like making an arrow oneself,Which turns back and harms its maker.The arrow of the mind is also thus;The arrow of craving harms sentient beings.
[20]Whoever understands in this wayThe suffering of craving throughout the three realms,Free from desire and conceptual thought,As a bhiksu transcends the world.
Whoever understands in this wayThe suffering of craving throughout the three realms,Free from desire and conceptual thought,As a bhiksu directs the mind to mindfulness.
CHAPTER 4: HEEDLESSNESS
[1]The precepts are the path to the Deathless;Heedlessness is the path of death.Those free from greed do not die;Those who lose the path destroy themselves.
[2]The wise practice the supreme pathAnd are never heedless.Joy arises from freedom from greed;The bliss of Dharma is born from this.
[3]Always contemplate and recollect the path;Courageously cultivate right conduct.A true person transcends the world;No auspiciousness surpasses this.
[4]Constantly restraining heedlessness,One skillfully removes it and becomes a sage.Having ascended wisdom's tower,One leaves danger and immediately finds safety.
[5]The wise look upon foolsAs a mountain looks upon the earth.With right mindfulness, free from arrogance,The wise cultivate luminous wisdom.
[6]Strive diligently without heedlessness;Restrain and discipline your own mind.Wisdom gives rise to luminous concentration,And one no longer falls into the abyss.
[7]When right mindfulness continually arises,Evil is easily destroyed through purity.Restrain yourself in accordance with Dharma;Commit no offense, and your good name will spread.
[8]Focus the mind and do not be heedless;Observe the Buddha's precepts.Then sorrow and suffering will forever cease,And distracted thoughts will all come to rest.
[9]Do not approach conditioned, outflowing phenomena;Do not associate with heedlessness.Do not plant the root of wrong views;Do no evil in the world.
[10]With right view, study of the path increases;Wisdom illuminates the world.Merit arises for hundreds of thousands of lives,And one never falls into evil destinies.
[11]Those who cultivate heedlessnessAre like a gathering of fools.Right contemplation is undistracted,Like a wealthy keeper guarding treasure.
[12]Do not crave or compete,Nor covet sensual pleasure.When the mind is not heedless,One attains great peace and joy.
[13]When the mind is not dissipated,The outflows are exhausted and the mind is freed.Mara takes advantage of heedlessness,As a lion pounces upon a deer.
[14]Heedlessness entails four things:Delighting in violating another's wife,Encountering misfortune and losing benefit,Being reviled, and increasing lust.
[15]Without merit or benefit, one falls into evil destinies;Fearful of evil, one gains but slight pleasure.For adultery the law imposes punishment,And after death one falls into hell.
[16]One's original nature does not create by itself;The six faculties do not act by themselves.Unconcerned about the deviant path,Fools devote themselves to seeking.
[17]The wise are like a bright lamp;In darkness, a torch enables one to see.The learned guide people of the world,As sighted persons guide the blind.
[18]If one's deeds are unwholesome,One is like a person without eyesWalking upon a difficult road,A perilous path filled with terror.
[19]If wholesome Dharma increases,The hosts of Mara find no opportunity.Exhausting the outflows and realizing quiescent cessation,One then attains the true fruit.
[20]If evil phenomena increase,The hosts of Mara always seize their chance.Losing the path of quiescent cessation,One undergoes suffering without end.
[21]One is called an upholder of DharmaNot because one recites much.Though one has heard only a little,One personally practices according to Dharma.
[22]Though one recites many scriptures,If heedless and not practicing Dharma,One is like a man counting another's cattle,And can scarcely attain the fruit of a sramana.
[23]If one patiently endures abusive speech,Upholds the Dharma, and is praised by others,Eliminating greed, anger, and delusion,One attains the fruit of a sramana.
[24]Praise those who strive diligently;Reprove those who are heedless.One will always gain the merit of devas and humans,Supreme and unsurpassed.
[25]Whoever is not heedlessIs always praised by the wise.His wholesome deeds increase,Skillfully giving rise to wholesome Dharma.
[26]Whoever remains heedlessPerforms deeds devoid of benefit.Only when the six faculties are peaceful and unmovingIs one called wise.
[27]Bhiksus, be vigilant;Heedlessness brings much sorrow.You will escape the danger of the deep sea,Like an elephant emerging from the mud.
[28]Bhiksus, be vigilant;Heedlessness brings much sorrow.Shake off all evil phenomena,As the wind blows down leaves.
[29]Bhiksus, be vigilant;Heedlessness brings much sorrow.Burn away the binding fetters,As fire consumes dry wood.
[30]Bhiksus, be vigilant;Heedlessness brings much sorrow.Study the Dharma in proper sequenceAnd utterly eliminate all fetters.
[31]Bhiksus, be vigilant;Heedlessness brings much sorrow.Explain meanings and distinguish phrases;In stillness, abide forever in peace.
[32]Bhiksus, be vigilant;Heedlessness brings much sorrow.When afflictions are eliminated,One attains the peace and joy of quiescent cessation.
[33]Do not allow heedlessness to arise;Wholesome Dharma should be cultivated.In this life and the next,Those who practice Dharma dwell in peace and joy.
[34]Do not allow heedlessness to arise;Discipline your afflictions.Diligently study wholesome Dharma,And you will certainly attain quiescent cessation.
[35]When heedlessness increasesAnd does not cease even for a thought,At life's end one falls into hell,Where torment does not cease for even a thought.
[36]Forgetfulness and heedlessness,Failure to maintain proper deportment,And indulgence in sleep, which accords with nothing—These things will create obstruction.
[37]Always avoid evil things;Do not let them cause destruction.Because the mind is constantly disciplined,Defilements are eliminated.
[38]Bhiksus, be vigilant;Observe the precepts and do not violate them.Skillfully guard your own mindsIn this life and the next.
[39]Bhiksus, do not be heedless;Having renounced the world, heed the Buddha's words.Amid ascetic practice, remember impermanence,Like an elephant leaving a lotus pond.
[40]Following this treasury of Dharma and discipline,Do not let the mind become heedless.Destroy the cycle of birth and death,And forever end suffering and affliction.
CHAPTER 5: AFFECTION
[1]Affection gives rise to anxiety;Affection gives rise to fear.If affection does not exist,How could anxiety and fear arise?
[2]From craving anxiety arises;From craving fear arises.If thoughts of craving are abandoned,The maddened, deluded mind is cast away.
[3]Worldlings are always sorrowful;Life contains much bitterness.All this comes from thoughts of loving attachment;Without such thoughts, there is no anxiety.
[4]Therefore, do not give rise to such thoughts,For thoughts increase evil.When one has removed binding fetters,Without such thoughts, they do not arise.
[5]Right mindfulness serves as skillful means;What is meaningless reveals no expedient.When expedient wisdom enters the great meaning,One naturally becomes foremost and honored.
[6]One should not become entangled in affection,Nor should one harbor hatred.Not meeting those one loves brings anxiety;Seeing those one hates again brings sorrow.Amid this anxiety and sorrow,One's wholesome roots are destroyed.
[7]Thoughts of attachment extend into future lives,Toward friends and relatives.Through the long night one broods in sorrow;How painful is separation!
[8]Conceiving forms and beautiful appearances,Devas dwell in those realms.Yet when their pleasures are exhausted,They too are pursued by the lord of death.
[9]If, both day and night,One eliminates attachment to forms,Uprooting it from its deepest root,One does not follow the path of death.
[10]Calling the unwholesome wholesome,And craving desire “freedom from craving,”Whoever clings to formsIs misled by heedlessness.
[11]Whoever thinks of sensual pleasureYet does not wish to associate with evilWill find this difficult to attain,For sensual pleasure is the root of evil.
[12]Whoever wishes to guard the mind's thoughtsShould skillfully protect himself,As one guards a fortified cityWith a deep moat and strong walls.
[13]Whoever wishes to guard the mind's thoughtsShould keep even the hidden places secure,As one defends a cityFirmly both within and without.
[14]Skillfully guard yourself;Then you will not regret it later.Distraction gives rise to sorrow,And in an instant one may fall into hell.
[15]Though one searches everywhere,One will find no personWho does not cherish himselfAnd regard himself as his own life.Therefore, do not harm others.
[16]All fear death;No one is unafraid of pain.Taking oneself as the example,Neither strike nor kill.
[17]Just as one who has traveled for a long timeReturns safely from afar,And relatives come forth to greet him,Warmly rejoicing at his return,
[18]So whoever skillfully cultivates merit,On passing from here to the other world,Personally enjoys meritorious bliss,Like one welcomed joyfully by relatives.
[19]Practice according to the noble teachingAnd prevent what is unwholesome.Honor and love those near the path;Do not befriend those far from it.
[20]The right path may be near or far,And dwelling places differ accordingly.Those near the path are born in heaven;Those far from it fall into hell.
[21]Upholding Dharma and perfecting the precepts,Faithful and delighting in cultivation,Those who skillfully preserve their preceptsAre honored, loved, and cherished by others.
[22]People are honored and lovedEntirely because of wholesome deeds.They gain a good name in this lifeAnd are born in heaven in the next.
[23]Always uphold the teachingAnd put an end to what is contrary to Dharma.Remember those who are good;Avoid those who are evil.
[24]What is the differenceBetween the good and the evil?The good are born in heaven;The evil fall into hell.
CHAPTER 6: UPHOLDING THE PRECEPTS
[1]The wise skillfully guard the preceptsAnd will receive three blessings:Wholesome benefit, a renowned good name,And birth in heaven at life's end.
[2]One should regard those who uphold the precepts;By guarding the precepts, wisdom arises.Accomplishing right knowledge and right view,They attain wholesome peace and joy.
[3]Upholding the precepts brings peace and joyAnd keeps the body free from affliction.At night one lies down calmly and peacefully;Upon awakening, one is always joyful.
[4]The precepts always bring peace and joy;Observing them brings security.Luminous wisdom is the most precious;Merit and virtue cannot be taken away.
[5]What is supremely wholesome?What practice brings peace and joy?What is most precious?What cannot be taken away?
[6]Moral conduct is supremely wholesome;Upholding the precepts brings peace and joy.Wisdom is most precious;Merit and virtue cannot be taken away.
[7]Observe the precepts and practice generosity;Cultivate merit and establish fields of merit.Passing from here to the farther shore,One always reaches a place of peace and joy.
[8]A bhiksu establishes the virtue of precepts,Guarding and restraining all faculties.He knows moderation in food and drink,And his mind remains collected in sleeping and waking.
[9]With the mind always clearly awake,Diligently train morning and evening.When the outflows are exhausted and the mind liberated,One attains the path of quiescent cessation.
[10]The wise observe the prohibitory preceptsAnd single-mindedly cultivate wisdom.A bhiksu free from feverish afflictionEliminates every suffering and pain.
[11]Use the precepts to subdue the mindAnd guard the intention of right concentration.Single-mindedly cultivate serenity and insight;Never forgetting them is right wisdom.
[12]Cleanse all sinful defilements;Uproot them utterly and harbor no doubt.Throughout life seek the Dharma of precepts;Never part from noble mindfulness.
[13]Precepts, concentration, wisdom, and liberationShould be skillfully contemplated.Having left all defilements behind,Eliminate the calamities of the three realms.
[14]Liberated from every bond,With delusion utterly destroyed,One transcends all realms of MaraAnd shines like the sun.
[15]Pride and mad delusionMust be abandoned by a bhiksu.Cultivate precepts, concentration, and wisdom;Strive diligently and never part from them.
[16]Having ceased to be heedless,Do not recollect outflowing phenomena.Therefore, relinquish the aggregates and hindrances;In this way there will be no obstruction.
[17]A bhiksu who observes the preceptsAnd always trains in this mannerAdvances directly into quiescent cessationAnd swiftly attains a purified mind.
[18]
The fragrance of flowers cannot travel against the wind,
Nor that of hibiscus or sandalwood.
The fragrance of virtue travels against the wind;
The fragrance of the virtuous spreads everywhere.
[19]The fragrance of fragrant wood and sandalwood,And the fragrance of the blue lotus,Though truly sweet when smelled,Do not equal the fragrance of moral virtue.
[20]Whoever diligently upholds the precepts,Pure and never heedless,Is liberated through right wisdom;That is the place of peace and joy.
[21]This path is supreme;Meditative concentration vanquishes evil Mara.The virtue of sages is difficult to fathom;They penetrate the Noble Eightfold Path.
CHAPTER 7: CULTIVATING GOODNESS
[1]Eliminate bodily evil;Guard yourself through right conduct.Whoever guards bodily karmaAlways practices wholesome deeds with the body.
[2]Eliminate evil speech;Guard yourself through right speech.Whoever guards verbal karmaAlways speaks gentle words.
[3]Eliminate evil thoughts;Guard yourself through right mindfulness.Whoever guards mental karmaAlways recollects wholesome things.
[4]Abandon bodily evil;Abandon verbal evil;Also abandon mental evilAnd all unwholesome phenomena.
[5]Always perform wholesome deeds with the body;Always speak wholesome words;Always recollect wholesome things with the mind;Free from desire, cleanse all outflows.
[6]Always perform wholesome deeds with the body;The karma of speech and mind should be the same.In this life and the next,One will always be born in good places.
[7]With loving-kindness, do not kill;Always restrain bodily karma well.That is the deathless state,A destination free from calamity.
[8]With loving-kindness, do not kill;Guard the karma of speech and mind.That is the deathless state,A destination free from calamity.
[9]If in the past the body committed evil,One should feel remorse.If now the body is not heedless,Wisdom arises and offenses are eliminated.
[10]If verbal karma formerly created evil,One should feel remorse.If now one speaks no falsehood,Wisdom arises and offenses are eliminated.
[11]If in the past the mind committed evil,One should feel remorse.If now the mind is always pure,Wisdom arises and offenses are eliminated.
[12]Carefully guard the body;Carefully guard speech;Carefully guard the mind;Do likewise with every fetter.That is the deathless state,A destination free from calamity.
[13]Excellent is the skillful guarding of the body;Excellent is the skillful guarding of speech;Excellent is the skillful guarding of the mind;Excellent is the guarding of all.A bhiksu who guards allSkillfully removes every suffering and affliction.
[14]Guard speech and purify the mind;Let the body never commit evil.Skillfully purifying these three karmasIs the path proclaimed by the Great Sage.
CHAPTER 8: SPEECH
[1]False speech brings one near to hell:Having acted, one says, “I did not.”Both offenses are later endured;That karma itself drags one away.
[2]Whoever always harbors an evil heartCarries an axe within his mouth.Thus he cuts down his own bodyBy speaking evil words.
[3]Teaching Dharma brings people joy;Its words contain immeasurable meaning.Though I may suffer humiliation,I am not ashamed of this practice.
[4]Praising evil and celebrating wicked deedsAre both evil.A mouth and tongue delighting in contentionWill certainly find no peace afterward.
[5]Contending to seize a trifling gainIs like losing hidden treasure.From this contention arises,Causing the mind to turn toward evil paths.
[6]Whoever slanders sages and worthies,Uttering evil wishes in speech and thought,Will fall into a freezing hellFor hundreds of thousands of lives.
[7]Those without the path fall into evil destiniesAnd increase their own suffering in hell.Abandon delusion and cultivate patience;With right mindfulness, one does not transgress.
[8]If one relies upon an inner treasury of jewelsAnd lives in dependence upon sages,Yet creates wrong views,That fool falls into evil destinies.
[9]Having now lost the gathering of wholesome Dharma,Though one establishes vows and seeks,One will never behold the Four Noble Truths,Much less see the ultimate end.
[10]When bamboo and reeds bear fruit and wither,The fruit turns back and harms the plant itself.Let your words be wholesome;Do not speak harsh and evil words.
[11]Doing good brings liberation;Doing evil brings bondage.Comprehending this, one becomes a sage;That is freedom from affliction.The understanding of sages is not the sameAs the understanding gained by fools.
[12]A bhiksu restrains the mindAnd does not speak hastily.When meaning and principle accord with Dharma,His words are sweet and gentle.
[13]Words of right teaching come first;Words of Dharma and meaning are second;Words of loving-kindness are third;Words of truth and faith are fourth.
[14]Whoever skillfully employs speechWill certainly invite no calamityAnd will not conflict with others;This is skillful speech.
[15]Words that accord with the mindAlso cause others to rejoice.Do not let the mind turn toward evil;Speak words that inspire trust and joy.
[16]Sincerely expound the Deathless,In accordance with Dharma and without error.Speech that accords with Dharma and meaningDraws near to the Great Path.
[17]Whoever teaches as the Buddha taughtAuspiciously attains cessation.He will skillfully sever all afflictions;Such speech is supreme.
CHAPTER 9: KARMIC CONDUCT
[1]One should abandon a single trait:Being a person who speaks falsely.There is no evil such a person will not do,And suffering in the next life will not spare him.
[2]Better to swallow a ball of red-hot ironOr, when thirsty, drink boiling copperThan to violate the precepts with one's bodyAnd accept offerings.
[3]A heedless violator of preceptsIs like a piece of meat exposed in the world.Unafraid of wrongdoing and without shame,He later suffers in hell.
[4]If one fears painful recompenseAnd does not wish to suffer,One should not commit evil deedsThat will later bring regret.
[5]Delighting in evil deeds,One does them oneself and tells others to do them.One cannot escape their painful recompense;What use is trying to hide?
[6]In heaven, beneath the deep sea,Or hidden upon a lofty rocky mountain,There is nowhere at allOne can escape former evil karma.
[7]Sentient beings undergo suffering and afflictionAnd cannot escape old age and death.Only those of supreme wisdom,Free from conceptual thought, sever evil and wrong.
[8]Speaking falsely, coveting bribes,Acting without integrity,Slandering good people,And unjustly punishing the virtuous—Their offenses bind such people,And they fall into a perilous abyss of their own making.
[9]Whatever worldlings do,Whether good or evil,Is all done for themselves,And its recompense always follows.
[10]As one moves and bends the body,The shadow alone always follows.Whether one walks or rises,The shadow never departs.Not only does the shadow follow the form;The form itself accompanies the shadow.Thus wholesome and evil deedsNever depart from oneself.
[11]Craving desire, one consumes poisonous flavorsAnd does not heed instruction.Only after being harmed by poisonDoes one awaken for oneself.
[12]Fools do not understand clearly;Doing evil, they heed no instruction.Only when suffering in hellDo they remember the admonition.
[13]Delighting in evil deeds,Having created them, the body must bear them.Wailing, one undergoes sinful recompense,As offenses surround one according to karma.
[14]Evil recompense does not come at once,Just as milk does not curdle immediately.Sinful karma remains in the unseen realm,Like fire hidden beneath the ashes.
[15]Evil recompense does not arrive immediately,Like the edge of a keen sword.Those unconcerned about future livesWill undergo painful recompense.
[16]Doing evil, one is bound by evil;Doing evil, one does not awaken.Through extreme evil, one knows evil has arrivedAnd undergoes the evil born from evil's root.
[17]As rust arising from ironTurns back and consumes the iron itself,So evil arising from the mindTurns back and destroys that body.
CHAPTER 10: RIGHT FAITH
[1]Faith, precepts, conscience, shame, and generosityAre Dharma praised by sages and worthies.The wise teach this path,Helping people swiftly gain birth in heaven.
[2]Fools do not cultivate goodnessAnd do not praise generosity.The upright rejoice in givingAnd attain peace and joy in future lives.
[3]Faith nurtures the path;Mindfulness of Dharma abides in peace and joy.Whoever draws near attains supreme wisdomAnd longevity among sages.
[4]What karma is noble?What cultivation brings peace and joy?What Dharma leads to deliverance?What life is supreme?
[5]Faith nurtures the path;Mindfulness of Dharma abides in peace and joy.Truthfulness attains supreme wisdomAnd longevity among sages.
[6]Only through faith does one attain the pathAnd personally realize the Dharma of cessation.Wisdom is attained through skillful listening,And every bond is cast off.
[7]Faith, the Dharma of precepts,And a mind of wisdom skillfully cultivated—Through these a true person severs afflictionsAnd escapes samsara.
[8]Faith brings the precepts to perfectionAnd also brings long life and wisdom.Wherever one skillfully practices the path,People everywhere make offerings.
[9]Giving and contentious struggle—The wise do not abide in such karma.When giving, do not contend;Give swiftly—why hesitate?
[10]Compared with transcendent benefit,Faith and wisdom are the mother of knowledge.This treasure is lofty and precious;Family property is inherently impermanent.
[11]Wishing to see sages and worthies,Delighting in hearing the wondrous teaching,And skillfully relinquishing the mind's defilements—This alone is profound faith.
[12]Only with faith does one cross the river;That merit is difficult to seize.It skillfully wards off robbers,And brings the quiet joy of a sramana.
[13]Sramanas always come here;The wise rejoice upon seeing them.Those possessed of profound faithGive rise to joy upon hearing the Dharma.
[14]Whoever harbors vexationWhile hoping others will offer robes and food,And sleeps both night and day,Cannot enter right concentration.
[15]Whoever wishes to sever desireAs one cuts through a palm treeWill certainly, both day and night,Enter right concentration.
[16]The faithless neither cultivate nor practiceAnd delight in rejecting truthful words,Like one unskillfully drawing waterWho stirs up mud in a spring.
[17]The wise cultivate faith and wisdomAnd thirst for the lofty, pure path,Like one skillfully drawing spring waterGently, without stirring it up.
[18]Faith and wisdom are unstained by evilAnd draw near only to the virtuous and wise.What is good should be learned;What is evil must be avoided.
[19]With reverent faith and freedom from desire,Contemplate quietly within yourself.Stay far from the faithless;Faith should be put into practice.
Impermanence, Craving and Desire, and Greed and Desire;
Heedlessness, Affection, and Upholding the Precepts;
Cultivating Goodness, Speech, and Karmic Conduct;
Together with Right Faith, these are the ten chapters.
CHAPTER 11: THE SRAMANA
[1]Eliminating the outflows and subduing oneself,Freedom from desire is pure conduct.One who does not violate the Buddha's preceptsWill have no aspiration left unfulfilled.
[2]If cultivation is lax,And wholesome and unwholesome deeds are mixed,Pure conduct is not pureAnd cannot bring great recompense.
[3]Eliminate all negligent karmaAnd every inferior intention.Cultivating conduct that is pure,One attains the fruit and ends birth and death.
[4]Just as when holding a sharp sword,A loose grip will let it cut the hand,A sramana who does not uphold the preceptsIs tightly seized and dragged to hell.
[5]Just as when holding a sharp sword,A firm grip prevents it from cutting the hand,A sramana who observes the prohibitory preceptsDraws near to the path of quiescent cessation.
[6]Without understanding, there is no realization;A sramana of meager wisdom,Whose thoughts are greatly disturbed,Is a fool advancing toward suffering.
[7]What Dharma does a sramana cultivateIf his mind is not subdued?With every step he is defiled by worldly dust,Merely running after his thoughts.
[8]Cultivation is difficult; abandoning evil is difficult;Living as a householder is also difficult.Gathering in shared benefit is difficult;Most difficult is transcending the three realms.
[9]Though wearing a kasaya upon his shoulders,One may commit evil without cease.Whoever always does evilFalls into hell at death.
[10]Always frightened and terrified of punishment,One falsely assumes the name of sramana.Though the body wears a kasaya,It is like stripping bark from a palm tree.
[11]One is called an elderNot because of advanced age.Though old, with hair turned white,A fool does not understand wrongdoing.
[12]Whoever skillfully knows wrongdoing and merit,Always cultivates pure conduct,And is learned, refined, and pure,Is called an elder.
[13]One is called a sramanaNot merely because the beard and hair are shaved.One who speaks falsely and has much cravingIs as desirous as a worldling.
[14]The world calls one a sramana,And one also calls oneself a sramana.Though the body resembles a sramana,One is like a crane waiting to catch fish.
[15]Seeming to have left, one has not truly left;Wearing the kasaya, defilements remain unremoved.Seeming to hold the bowl, one does not truly hold it;One is neither a layperson nor a sramana.
[16]Who is called a sramana?One who eliminates offenses great and smallAnd guards all wholesome facultiesIs a true practitioner of purity.
[17]One is called a sramanaWhen the mind is peaceful and deluded thoughts cease,And every defilement is utterly removed;Such a one is worthy of being called a renunciant.
The Scripture of Essential Collected Dharma Verses ♦ End of Fascicle One
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Translation source: Linh Sơn Pháp Bảo Đại Tạng KinhLicense: Linh Sơn Pháp Bảo Đại Tạng Kinh (Việt dịch) · nguồn: rongmotamhon.net (Liên Phật Hội) · EN: AI translation from Vietnamese source, awaiting source English
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